Free shipping or Not????

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When you guys are shopping online especially eBay does items that advertise free shipping make you more likely to purchase it?
 
It depends on overall cost.

When I search something, I always search "lowest cost + shipping"

I have purchased things for $0.01 plus $49.99 shipping because it was still a very good deal.
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
It depends on overall cost.


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I've come to realize the "free shipping" is sometimes added into the cost.

An exception to the rule being a place that allows for free shipping on say $50+ orders. If I have an order that's $35 and the shipping is $7.99, I'll probably try to find a $15 to cushion my order. If I don't find anything, oh well.. I'll spend the money on shipping.
 
As Linctex said, "...overall cost..."

Now, factor in the worth (to you) of services like:
1) side-by-side comparisons on a parts desk,
2) Ease of returning cores-not just the cost to mail 'em back,
3) Ease of and ability to return something defective after sale and possibly after installation,
4) warm and fuzzy feeling you get from dealing locally,
5) SPEED of just fetching a part without delay,
6) catching up with neighbors etc.
 
Originally Posted By: JasonC
When you guys are shopping online especially eBay does items that advertise free shipping make you more likely to purchase it?


Absolutely! Online Retailers will cut the prices on items and up charge on shipping. Much like brick and mortar retailers raise the price on items and then turn around and mark them back down. It’s all a shell game.

My father owned an online retail company before Amazon took over the world. He made more money on shipping than any one item or transaction.
 
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Originally Posted By: Linctex
It depends on overall cost.

When I search something, I always search "lowest cost + shipping"

I have purchased things for $0.01 plus $49.99 shipping because it was still a very good deal.


+1; a super deal from RockAuto isn't so super once they add the super shipping charges...ran into this more than once.
 
The reason I'm asking this is where I work, the new partners are adamant about not offering free shipping. I am a big believer that that price being the same people will be more inclined to purchase the one with free shipping as it gives them more eBay bucks and it is a perception of value.
 
I do some online retail via eBay. Free shipping is never free! The price of the item will be adjusted to make up for the cost to ship the item.

Typically I check the actual shipping cost to somewhere in California and to somewhere in Maine. Take the higher amount, add 30% if the item is subject to dimensional weight, maybe add another 13% to account for ebay/Paypal fees and then I list the item at that price.

However, people who have shipping contracts or an established store can get cheaper shipping costs or reduces fees. These are the people who can sell an item on ebay and actually match or beat sites like WalMart or Amazon.
 
Yes, but I always check and see if the item that charges shipping ends up coming out cheaper than free shipping.

Just paid for amazon prime so I don't even go on ebay that much now. A ton of ebay vendors don't ship to po boxes.
 
Of course free shipping isn't free. If it's a $15 item and the shipping cost is $5 I'm gonna price it at $19.99 and undercut the next guy who is basically $20. That way people don't have to do math, they are seeing the total cost upfront, and they are earning more eBay bucks.
 
What ever way is cheapest. Much like buying something on ebay from a US seller for an imported Chinese product. You can pay the US seller $15 and get it with free shipping and quick delivery. OR buy the same thing from China for $3 an get free slow shipping.

I was shopping for new well tank. Both Amazon and Walmart were the cheapest. Both free shipping but WalMart was ship to store, Amazon was home delivery.
 
LL Bean and free shipping. Gotta like it even if the Maine company raised prices. Still a good investment. I was telling my wife last week that the only items of clothing I had on that weren't from LL Bean were the socks and underwear.
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
It depends on overall cost.

When I search something, I always search "lowest cost + shipping"

I have purchased things for $0.01 plus $49.99 shipping because it was still a very good deal.


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A great example of this is auto parts. Rock Auto is usually the cheapest, even though there's no free shipping.
 
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