eBay has many lucrative features on its platform that allow buyers to purchase low-cost items.
For example, it has Best Offer, which lets a buyer offer the seller a price they are willing to pay for an item. The seller can accept, reject, or counter the offer by proposing another amount.
If both parties agree, the buyer will get the product lower than the initially stated price. But did you also know that you can get free stuff on eBay without paying a dime and get the item delivered to you for free?
Ideally, not all sellers offer their items for free on eBay, and there are not so many eBay giveaways.
However, many provide their products at discounts, and others accept coupons that you can use to get an item at a lower price. At the same time, many sellers are willing to give you a product for free if you can guarantee you will buy the product.
But getting anything for free on eBay means you will have to search before finding a seller who will send it to you without paying anything.
How to get free stuff on eBay in 5 ways
Luckily, there are different methods you can try to get anything for free on eBay. Here are five ways:
1. Ask for samples directly from a seller
eBay has many sellers who do not prefer buyers canceling their orders. They do not like it when a buyer makes a purchase, cancels it, and asks for a refund.
Such a scenario of buyers canceling orders happens when the item they bought turns out to be something different or not functional.
The danger with order cancellation is that it is expensive to the seller. That is because they will have to refund the money, including the original shipping cost, and pay for return shipping.
A seller will avoid this by giving you a free sample to try out, and you must guarantee that you will purchase if the item suits you. But for this to work, you need to contact the seller directly.
Here are the steps to contact a seller:
- Click on Seller Information at the top of the listing
- Select Contact Seller
- Click on Other
- Select Contact the seller
- Type your request for the seller
- Click on Send a copy to my email address
- Select Send message
You will have to wait until the seller replies to your request for a free sample. Then, depending on the agreement between you, the sale may have to happen outside of eBay to avoid fees.
2. Search for new sellers on eBay
New sellers on eBay tend to list their items at low prices to build a positive sales history and lay a good foundation for new business.
As a result, some of them can sell as low as one penny. In that case, you will have to search on eBay for sellers who have listed items purposely to build positive feedback from buyers.
A seller will be willing to send you an item for free if you leave positive feedback on the product. But before you can acquire the product, determine whether there are fees you will have to pay.
It is also best that you read the terms of service before proceeding.
3. Take advantage of the Seller Hub Promotions
eBay has a feature for store subscribers called Seller Hub Promotions. It gives sellers an easier way of setting up offers on the platform.
The promotions also help sellers attract new buyers, increase the average order size, lower shipping costs, drive repeat purchases, or clear old stock.
These offers are excellent to take advantage of because you will get discounts based on the order size or the amount you spend as a buyer.
Some sellers even create promotions whereby they give you a percentage off an additional item or allow you to buy three products and get one for free.
Furthermore, Seller Hub Promotions will enable sellers to provide exclusive discounts to buyers by using coded coupons.
If the item is not free, you will still get a seller with a free shipping offer for a limited period or under specific conditions. eBay also has sellers that reduce prices for selected categories or items.
Another promotion you will find is the volume pricing discount. In this case, a seller will offer a tiered discount if you buy multiple quantities for one item.
4. Buy items in bulk
Another excellent method to get free stuff on eBay is to purchase items in bulk. The trick works well for DVDs, old books, CDs, Blu-rays, and video games because sellers sell them in bulk.
When you buy such items in bulk, a seller will be willing to lower the price if you can meet a specific quantity. Alternatively, the seller may add one or more items to your order for free.
You can buy these items in bulk, and the seller will add a different product for free. For example, you can purchase books in lots, and the seller will give you free bookmarks.
Alternatively, the seller may give you a specific quantity to buy. If you can meet the order, they will send all the items for free, thereby preventing you from paying any shipping fees.
You can find items sold in bulk on eBay by doing the following:
- Use the Advanced Search menu
- Scroll to the section labeled Show results
- Click on Items listed as lots
- Click on Search
You will see all items sold in bulk. Alternatively, perform eBay searches using keywords like Bulk, Resale, and Liquidation.
5. Buy items from sellers in China
It may not be easy to get free stuff on eBay classifieds. But sellers from China are some of the best individuals to buy items from on eBay.
The trick works well for things like beauty products, flashlights, toys, and anything produced in mass in China.
An advantage here is that the sellers set their items at low prices. Others require you to buy their products in bulk and get more for free.
Sellers in China are also the best at giving out free samples. Many of them produce items that most may not know how to use. You can ask for samples from them and they may send out one or two.
But if you decide to buy from sellers in China, you must be willing to wait for shipping. It can take days, weeks, or months to have the item delivered to your doorstep.
You can search for sellers from China on eBay by doing the following:
- Use the Advanced Search menu
- Click on the link labeled Advanced
- Scroll down to the Location menu
- Select the option labeled Located In
You will then have to use the dropdown menu to choose China and wait for the results to display.
Conclusion
There are various methods for obtaining free items on eBay, such as contacting a seller directly and asking for free samples or searching for a new seller and buying items in bulk.
While some options will not give you the product for free, you will enjoy free shipping or reduced prices on the items.
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