I think using eBay as the benchmark for doing business is not good
analogy. When you choose to do business inside someone else's business
then of course they will charge you for that privilege and yes that is
going to have to be passed on; it is no different to shopping mall
owners charging the shop owners rent, and taking a percentage of your
take and another fee for promotional activity and so on - they bring the
customers to you, they want you to pay for that and frankly that seems
fair to me.
Let me ask this (general) question: How much money do you (the eBay
seller) spend on advertising and other promotional activity? I'd
venture to suggest almost all who exclusively run their business on eBay
spend NOTHING on advertising and marketing. If you built your own online
shop (not a home made one) and then spent roughly each month what you
used to give up in fees to eBay on a proper advertising and marketing
campaign there is a high probability you would generate sales and get to
keep that customer as a permanent client to do future marketing to (for
free).
Of course there is no free ride, yes someone has to pay - but the
consumer doesn't really care if it's you who pays, he just knows if
feels he has saved a dollar or two on the way to spending a dollar or
two with you then it's a good shopping experience and he is happy.
The quote you use and variations of it: "Sales is vanity, profit is
sanity, cash is reality” comes from 1989, before the internet changed
the way business is done. Indeed profit is the key but ask yourself: was
the bricks and mortar shop keeper from the 80s who had to do his own
marketing, his own advertising, pay his rent, his staff, his utilities,
packaging, deposit the takings at the bank, pay clearance fees etc more
or less profitable than the eBay seller of today who has little or no
overheads in comparison but may have to take less margin in order to
compete with every other seller?
Remember being a poster seller on eBay is like being a fast food outlet
on a 50m street of 100 fast food outlets - all with the same store
front, remind me what your point of difference is again?
So, for Alan he may not have the advertising might of eBay, but by
offering freight free (on say minimum order size) perhaps free insurance
or whatever that might give him the edge he needs, I certainly don't
think it deceives the customer at all, it gives the customer what they
need - a positive shopping experience.
David Rew
Tom Martin wrote on 6/08/2014 2:13 PM:
free shiooing?? there is NO free shipping as some has to pay...
eitherYOU or the buyer all ebay has done is deceive sellers and buyers
as either the seller gets less... or the shipping is Rolled into (
amortized) into the sale.. what a JOKE... ebay make out as they take a
fee for the shipping charges... which to me should be illlegal..
so when You sell your poster... If you want 10 and it costs 30% with
paypal, listing and endof sale fees thats 3.00 if its 8.00 to ship you
are a a give away the poster... you needto pay your costs to put tape
on a TUBE and time to wrap and foam and padding costs,,, so you need
to make the sale either higher so the shipping can be part of the sale
as a cost,,, and if is a 300 poster you can figure you giving away 10%
or 30.00 in profit and netting 270 - cost of poster say 100 so you
have a net profit of 70.00 on a 300 gross sale after costs.. now
consider this a grocerystore make 3% after costs but they do 20
million gross a month whats 3% of 20 million More then I can think of
at moment but heft profit margin..." Volume is vanity , Profit is
sanity"
On 2014-08-05 19:17, Alan Adler wrote:
I always have charged insurance in the past.
but the shipping costs, rules and country limits are all over the
place these days and changing.
Makes me just want to give free shipping and insurance and sort it out
without bothering the buyer.
I know it will cost me something - but on my new website, the toughest
thing to get programmed is a shopping cart plug in that actually and
correctly handles all the options.
Alan
On Aug 5, 2014, at 2:57 PM, Susan <[email protected]> wrote:
For you dealers out there shipping posters, do you require a
customers to take insurance on the poster they have bought from you?
Sue
www.hollywoodposterframes.com [1]
Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2014 07:32:30 +1000
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [MOPO] Free Shipping?
To: [email protected]
Why not offer free shipping?
Postage is often a consideration when a buying is contemplating a
purchase. Remember it is entirely possible/likely the buyer is
pricing
similar/same products elsewhere, free shipping can make the
decision
very easy.
I offer free shipping as standard on all purchases over $399, as
standard.
David
Alan Adler wrote on 6/08/2014 6:51 AM:
Howdy all.
Am considering Free Shipping and Insurance for all sales on my
upcoming website. US and Intl. I will also be selling objects. Art.
Toys in boxes. Props. Wardrobe. So not all flats and tubes. Much of
the business is also foreign.
Any of you ecommerce mavins who use or have tried the free
option care to log in on your thoughts about it? Or buyers who have
ideas on the matter. Love to hear what you have to say.
Thanks in advance for your time.
Alan Adler
Museum of Mom and Pop Culture
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