Nothing in life is free. "Free shipping" is having the cost of shipping/handling/insurance and other overhead (packaging materials) incorporated into the MSRP instead of having substantial charges added on afterwards. I agree with policies such as this because it shows that the manufacturer is upfront and honest about its pricing/prices and not trying to backdoor any inflated charges onto the consumer. I would hope they would never change that policy.
Great points made on the shipping costs folks.