SB sellers-why shipping not included?

[Marie13]

This really belongs under the Classified section, but there’s no general area.

I’ve been selling stuff online for a long time. I’m curious as to why more SB sellers don’t include shipping in their selling price. I’ve seen a lot of “what’s shipping to X zipcode?” Just adds more hassle for the seller. If you’re in the US, the post office has nice flat rate boxes. The large one (and maybe even the medium) are big enough for a reg set and packing. Maybe $20 (now with the increase). Super simple. You can even mail a flat rate package at a post office self serve kiosk or from your home, with free pickup (at the same time your mail is delivered) and printed out postage from the USPS website. I always include shipping within CONUS on my for sale posts.

Stuff that won’t fit in a flat rate box is more complicated but if you get it weighed and such before posting, you can guesstimate shipping costs fairly accurately on the PO website (and compare with UPS/FedEx).

 

[rhwestfall]

because you are wired that way....

 

[tursiops]

It sounds cheaper if you price it without shipping...and you can always hope someone local buys it.

 

[Marie13]

It sounds cheaper if you price it without shipping...and you can always hope someone local buys it.

And what if shipping turned out to be high enough the buyer couldn’t afford it? You’ve lost a sale.

When I sold a LX20 light to a fellow SBer a couple of months ago, the sale was contingent on cost of shipping. Mind you, he was in Canada, but if the shipping was too high, it would have put him over his budget. No sale then.

 

[tursiops]

And what if shipping turned out to be high enough the buyer couldn’t afford it? You’ve lost a sale.

When I sold a LX20 light to a fellow SBer a couple of months ago, the sale was contingent on cost of shipping. Mind you, he was in Canada, but if the shipping was too high, it would have put him over his budget. No sale then.

Does it matter if you lose the sale when they read your ad or after you've added in the shipping cost?
It's psychological, not logical; it's why things are priced 395 or 399 instead of 400.

 

[johndiver999]

Hell I had an agreement with a seller on here and deal was closed (which included shipping). Then a few days later (after getting the money) they said "oh sorry, the shipping is more than I thought" so I can't honor the deal. Oh well. I got a lesson and all my money back at least

 

[Ana]

So the question is pretty much why people behave the way they do, right?

 

[tmassey]

It sounds cheaper if you price it without shipping...and you can always hope someone local buys it.

This, for both reasons.

If I’m selling a $200 regulator, then $20 in shipping is no big deal, and I’d include shipping. But if I’m selling a $40 regulator, it would become a $60 regulator and therefore a lot less interesting.

As an aside, Amazon has really put pressure on the used market, especially for low-cost items. Even if you’re selling for half of new, that $40 item becoming $55 or $60 now puts it right up near that $80 new item on Amazon, which will arrive at my door in a day or two, probably even faster than the used one, likely with free returns too. Hard to compete with that.

(I’m not complaining: I buy from Amazon as much as anyone. But market disruptions like Amazon… disrupts the market.)

The other thing is that shipping can vary. In the half-dozen of SB transactions I’ve done, I’ve shipped things to Hawaii and Canada, neither of which would be covered by “includes shipping”.

I’ve done it both ways. There are good reasons for both.

 

[lexvil]

I usually include shipping but some things aren’t worth selling with the cost of shipping these days, fins being a good example, I’ve taken to just throwing some stuff in the trash.

 

[Wiznutaggie]

I don't include shipping in the price because local pickup is an option, although I do state what shipping in the CONUS will cost up front if somebody does want it shipped.