How can international sellers afford to offer free shipping?

I've always wondered how these international sellers would provide free shipping on items that were usually under $3.00. Seems like the profit margin isn't even possible to do that here in the U.S since shipping and fees would kill the ending price. On ebay of course.

Hi duckduckday,

These sellers probably got their products for pennies. They might have bought in really huge quantities.

People will buy more if the item is cheap and shipping is free. Try to check the seller's feedbacks. Past sales may indicate the buyers tend to buy lots, not just 1 or 2. It could be a good selling strategy but risky, yes. Well, business is a risk in itself!

These sellers are mostly from China where everything's cheap including shipping. An example:

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Cheers,