Free Post or not Free Post?

[pal_version]

what really is the best option?

you put free postage on and include it into the "buy it now" price but the buyers make offers to try and to effectively get free postage. or you include the postage and you seem to get less traffic.

just seems like a lose lose situation for a seller.

[game_raid]

Price your items with the minimum best offer you would accept with free shipping added, set this on the listing when you create it as you know.

Alternatively don't add best offer just price your items at the lowest price you are happy with.

We never add best offer but instead opt to send offers out every week or so which often gets a few sales, I have better things to do than mess about accepting and rejecting offers.

[papso22]

Surely a buyer's offer on a free postage item will have free postage by default?

[moldosgifts]

It is the terminology that is wrong it is postage included not free.

Free means nothing added like fragrance free soap.

But on ebay free means that postage is added and seller still has to pay someone for it.

Unless post office are giving away postage and I've not been told.

[padanpcparts]

It's not really a choice. It is dictated by the market and my competitors so everything is 'free post'. 

[the-nutwood-collection]

On another platform, I used to offer freepost on all my listings, but grew tired of updating the prices every time RM had a price hike.

I changed to a cost per item and a flat postage fee.  Whether the buyer orders one item, or orders 100, they pay the same postage.  The only variation is that, if they order samples, they get a voucher for freepost on a subsequent order.  Also, the postage charge is very reasonable.  My profit is built into the item, not the postage charge.

I have seen no reduction in sales.  I think buyers are savvy enough to realise that 'freepost' is just baked into the price.  The listings are far cleaner, they're just [n] cost per item plus [n] cost for postage. 

However, my items are things that are usually purchased in multiples - maybe one-off items are better if the price includes postage.