I offer free shipping on a lot of my items, but I include the cost of shipping in the price of my item. Psycologically, people like the free shipping. Sometimes I will price the shipping lower than what it actually is, but of course I include it in the price of the item. You should not be losing money when you sell. That is counterproductive.

I keep shipping costs to bare bones/actual. We have no control over the post office rates, so I always try to offer either Priority for faster receiving, or parcel if customer willing to wait a few extra days vs cost.

I offer free shipping on most of my items that qualify by weight for 1st Class. Other items usually go priority. I use the small flat rate box a bit, I’ve never used the bigger ones. Calculated priority mail has
always been less than the flat rate boxes. I rarely use parcel post, as it is generally not much of a savings. I have used media mail for some books.

I don’t list anything that won’t fit in a standard box.

Lets face it. There is nothing you can do about shipping costs.
All you can do as a seller is honestly quote the most accurate fee possible and do right by the purchaser. Buyers understand that shipping is always a factor when they purchase products online. In most cases, they actually get a better deal from private sellers than they do from the big web retailers.

It makes no sense to stress over things you cannot change. Those that are adverse to shipping will get in their cars and run all over town to get what they want, if they can even find it. The smart shopper shops on line.
They can comparison shop for the best deal and get the product they want from home…for less than they will spend in gas and time. And Time is money too.

I do not offer free shipping. I ship as much as I can first class and charge $3-$4 for shipping on those items. For anything that can’t go first class, I use the shipping calculator. I’m set up to reduce shipping on second and subsequent items by 1/2. If I offered free shipping and built it into my price (which I understand you have to do), I couldn’t offer combined shipping and I think the total prices would be too high.

Free shiPPinG via USPS Postal for alot of my items are a definite must because it offers the best solution by putting those add-on$ aside.

Unless the item is oversized and cannot fit into a Priority Flat Rate box, what I do in that situation is charge the postal Flat Rate and “eAT the Difference” to shiP which results in a Win-Win situation in the aftermath. This way of thinking has worked many years, for me.

Thanks!

I ship strictly Priority. I’ve found this keeps my costs much lower, which results in lower prices for the customer. I live in the middle of nowhere and it is a 30 mile drive($10 gas) for me to ship. I charge $5 for the first item and 50 cents for each additional item. I self insure most of the time, unless it is a very expensive order. Then I spend my own money to insure the package.

On those occasions when I’ve overcharged on shipping I have refunded the overage.

I have tried the free shipping game, but I think most people realize they’re not getting anything free – it’s built into the price somewhere. It’s purely a mental thing and some people do like it. I personally prefer keeping things as straightforward and transparent as possible.

I’ve also tried first class, but when you add in the cost of the box and what it costs to get the box to me it comes out cheaper to use Priority most of the time. I also feel Priority provides superior service. Most of my customers have their packages within 2 days. I’ve seen first class take much longer. I also know that Priority packages receive better care and it is critical to me that my customer receives his or her package in excellent condition.

I think the OP sells some books so they may want to use media mail if they think that will help lower costs.

But in reality, these days it costs an arm and a leg to ship most things unless they fit into the smallest flat rate priority box or they are a single feather.

I don’t sweat the shipping as I am doing the same I have always done with no complaints from anyone. Ever since I started selling on line I have always shipped priority mail. Not always a flat rate box because many times I can get a better deal putting it into another box, or some items are too big for the flat rate boxes. I use to give the insurance as an option to the buyers, but that has changed over time. I calculate an average price for the priority shipping, and include the insurance with the price too. I notify that the insurance is included with the shipping for a more secure delivery. On my priority boxes I mark fragile all over them. On the shipping label print out I do note it in red lettering INSURED, and I also mark it where it is printed saying insured too. IF I over charge with the shipping cost I DO reimburse it to the customer…this generally will happen when the customer lives closer to me, in the same state, or the next state to me. Once in a while I don’t charge enough probably because I did some extra wrapping for a combined order & etc, but I do not get too excited as it usually is not that far off for me to worry about.

Priority prices had gone up wasn’t it towards the 1st of the year? And first class, and so on is suppose to be going up too like the 1st of May, or something like that, isn’t it? Anyway, people want the items they will pay the shipping for it. Some can tell if the shipping seems to be unreasonable, and they will either ask you about it, or move onto another person who has a better shipping price offered. Business

Yes I also offer free shipping on many items…and have begun to post the amount of this…
on some items you can’t mainly cause there is still a mind set on their price..like lamps I sell for $15 cause that is the mindset on them but shipping is Priority Flat with ins. doubling the price…no one would buy
them at $30 cause there are to many still priced at 15.. so you have to
watch the market and play with buyer mind set.

Well a do free shipping with my dresses and sometimes we can do it because I made the item so you have to check if you lost or earn money
in each sale

Shipping is a major heartburn for me right now. I just sold a couple of items that I discounted 10% off my asking price, and went to USPS website to find price on mailing them in a flat rate box. I don’t know if I was having a brain hiccup or read it wrong or if USPS increased flat rate shipping on April 1st, but it ended up costing almost 50% more than what I had charged for shipping (price for the flat rate box I used). I’ve been trying to keep my shipping costs as low as possible because so far I’ve been able to recycle packing materials and boxes that I have on hand, but I’m almost to the point of having to purchase packing materials, which means that I’ll need to rethink my shipping charges. We have a rather wide variety of listings, everything from just a few ounces to 15 or 20 lbs. (or more)! It is a constant balancing act for me!
There will be things that I’ll end up either taking to a flea market or perhaps just donating to local thrift shop, because the shipping/mailing cost will exceed a price I feel is fair.

If you get your postage on line it will save you plus give you free tracking. the 2 together saves you about $1. or more per shippment. usps and ups it a big savings (and you also save on flat rate boxes). It is unreal at the people that ships alot and has been for along time that still buy postage at the post office. It also saves you lots of time at the post office.

I offer free shipping on some of my products, and some of the other smaller ones I always offer a flat 5.25 if I can afford to pay the extra it might cost for a quicker shipment. I tend to do priorty or if the package weighs a lot, I use a UPS for a flat rate usually under 20 dollars. I have always been horrible about shipping, but learned my lesson quick trying to save a few dollars on ebay when I used media-mail, the person did not receive his item for over 2 weeks. I had to beg and plead to not get a negative over the fact that the mail service took their good old time, finally after a month of his waiting the package arrived in good condition as I promised.

I personally do not want to wait for 2weeks-1month and I wouldnt expect anyone else to either. I try to cut cost when I can on the product itself or figure it into the cost some how. There is no way i can personally control the mail system or the cost of it. So, I do my best to please a customer without driving myself into an early grave of loss in business.

I am not sure what the solution will be as the cost rise to larger amounts..

You can always split the difference. Adjust your pricing to include half or more of the shipping cost and then you can put a really low price under shipping. Sometimes that looks better to a customer.

By all means use Media Mail whenever possible and I agree on purchasing postage online. Also if Media Mail can’t be used then definitely utilize the Free Priority Boxes.

Really easy question, Since nothing ever goes down, the best thing to do is NOT to major on shipping prices and go on.Just be fair.

Gas prices are high here in the states at around $3 a gallon, But they are around $20 gallon overseas, So most of the time the only ones bothered by the increases are the sellers, Have you been to your local thrift store lately, they have all jacked their prices up.

So again don’t waste your time worrying about shipping, Ebay sellers aren’t worried, Some of their shipping is ridiculous, But guess what, that’s not stopping buyers from bidding there.

If you major on the shipping cost, It will only hurt you, I’ve yet to have a buyer balk on shipping, They can always make an offer, If they don’t like [URL removed]

Most of my items are sent USPS. I carefully weigh and measure items and determine the correct shipping price when I list an item. I use first class, priority, parcel post and media mail and use the free boxes from the post office. I very rarely offer free shipping. If I do, of course, the item includes the price to cover shipping. I use biodegradable peanuts and bubble wrap and even double box those items that need extra cushioning. I ship items to customers wrapped with the care that I want to receive for items sent to me.

I do love the small flat rate box from usps. Often I ask customers, if it is ok for me to recycle outer packaging so that I can save them more money on freight. Creative thinking is always the key to money and shipping!