Shipping Costs Rant

[PUCKBOY99]

Have you guys ever complained to a company about their shipping charges?

I ordered a few small things from Stew-Mac earlier & at the end, there was a place that allowed you to ad comments.

I told them that they should be ashamed of themselves for charging $8.25 for a package that will weigh less than 1 lb. (I needed a few small springs, screws, & a latch to repair a broken latch on a hardcase).

They promptly sent me a "Thanks for your input...blah blah blah" email.

It's kind of annoying when I mail things out & it costs me very little, but these companies charge way more than actual cost.

I ordered a tee shirt from Mesa.....they charged $6.?? To ship a t-shirt in a bubble wrap envelope.

I don't get it ! It's not like I can reuse the envelope they are obviously charging me for!!!!


O.K. I'M BETTER NOW!!!!

 

[Hoss]

Re: Shipping Costs Rant

that is stupid...that's why when i've sold stuff i usually say...buyer pays "actual" shipping costs!

 

[Lu_B]

Re: Shipping Costs Rant

I can see the other side of the coin.

I work for a firm and our shipping costs are fixed at £1.99 regardless of size/weight of order. Sometimes we make on the deal but sometimes we loose.

Overall it evens itself out and we ship about 30,000 parcels a month.

 

[tonejam]

Re: Shipping Costs Rant

I don't believe in shipping costs. On my site, on ebay. Especially ebay! I feel an auction is an auction. You should pay only what you bid.

 

[Docrock]

Re: Shipping Costs Rant

I always make make money on shipping..BUT I keep it reasonable and competitive with everyone else AND I post my flat charges...that way you know going in. I mean I buy or track down boxes, buy tape, packing materials, adress labels and I drive to the post office and fed ex. The other thing is my stuff is bombproof. I pack everything as though its fine china, so your gonna get it safe...and I think most people appreciate that.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Shipping Costs Rant

I've noticed that a lot of sellers on Ebay are gouging with the shipping cost. I can understand it if they have to do a serious packing job, but when they're just putting a guitarcase in a box, and sending it 5 day, I shouldn't have to pay $50 shipping!!

$25-$30 is what most sellers should charge.

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: Shipping Costs Rant

That is exactly where I stand GJ.

If you have a major packing job...like a cabinet or even an amp where you need to make sure that it's packed right & will arrive in one piece, by all means......

But to take a few small pieces & stick them in an envelope doesn't cost a whole lot.

Personally, I keep most big boxes & packing stuff, especially if it's the original box(es). I reuse all that popcorn....I'm just not gonna charge someone that much extra for crap I need to make the sale.

Whatever....I paid it & my package is on the way.

I'll be having fun with my new Tele & fixing little things that I've been meaning to fix very soon!!!!

 

[guitarsrock5]

Re: Shipping Costs Rant

i bought a wammy bar from stew mac and $5 shipping. btw i hate stew mac i bought a pickguard for my fender strat and i find out it doesnt fit. fender is the biggest company that makes stratocaster and stewmacs pickguard doesnt even fits it.

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: Shipping Costs Rant

Yeah, that's kinda retarded.

Some of their things are O.K. It was a quick place to go that I knew had the guitar case latch.....but things like $35.00 for a pint can of shielding paint????

COME ON !!!

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Shipping Costs Rant

Yup, shipping and "handling" is yet another way for companies to gouge consumers. As for the "everyone else does it" excuse, spare me. Just because your competitors feel the need to shaft the consumer doesn't mean you have to.

I am always very fair with shipping when I EBay something. When you factor in the cost of the packaging, I usually end up losing a bit of money on shipping.

 

[mnbaseball91]

Re: Shipping Costs Rant

I find that I need stuff from stewmac so often that I just wait a month or so until I have a bigger order. They make money on the small orders, but most of the companies loose huge amounts of money shipping large items, especially places that sell amps.

 

[suislidE03]

Re: Shipping Costs Rant

Well hey, i bought a pair of EL34 from a guy on ebay a couple months ago for $20 and he charged $6 for shipping. I got the tubes like 4 days later and it was posted that it costs lke $1.70 for the actual shipping. I got pissed and told him about that real quick, gave him positive fb anyway and he came back and gave me neutral feedback. Man ive never BEEN so pissed for something like that.. its unbelievable what some people do.

 

[aleclee]

Re: Shipping Costs Rant

I just consider shipping costs to be part of the "price". That goes for evilBay (never bid without knowing what shipping will be) or for retailers.

If an item costs me $25 shipped, I don't care if shipping is $0.01 or $24.99 if I can't get it anyplace else for less than $25 shipped.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Shipping Costs Rant

Boo

















Hoo

That's all I have to say about that. :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :burnout:

 

[bryvincent]

Re: Shipping Costs Rant

in most ebay auctions, the S&H is usually on the description of the item. if not, ask the seller before bidding. if the S&H is too high for you, don't bid.
in most internet stores, they usually give you the S&H when you checkout. you can always cancel if you the S&H is too high for you.

 

[More-Gear-Than-Skill]

Re: Shipping Costs Rant

be thankful that your mail system works in the states, here in south africa, anything juicier than a letter simply does not arrive, as there's thieving deluxe in our postal workers. It is a major problem here. So you have to use 3rd party door-to-door companies. I enquired about having a guitar sent from USA to me, and the shipping was REALLY three times the price of the guitar. It would have cost me less to fly to NYC and fetch it myself...

But yes, it feels wrong when a restaurant charges 5 times more for a coke ...
post is the same

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: Shipping Costs Rant

But yes, it feels wrong when a restaurant charges 5 times more for a coke ...
post is the same

Once again, Mama Afrique makes sense of the madness!!!

Where in S. Africa are you? I have an uncle who is a missionary priest in Kenya.

 

[MikeS]

Re: Shipping Costs Rant

Heh, what can you do? bryvincent is correct, if shipping is too much, cancel your order! By ordering you are accepting the shipping costs, and therefore, have no right to b!tch once you've placed the order.

As for stewmac, I live about 1 hour away, so every time I order from them the shipping is super cheap and I get the shipment in 2, sometimes even next day.

 

[shredaholic]

Re: Shipping Costs Rant

on ebay its all too easy to forget about shipping costs when you're bidding. this shipping cost should be more clear when you enter a bid, ie displayed on the confirm bid page

 

[guitarsrock5]

Re: Shipping Costs Rant

i wanted to travel with my family to africa. and that really ****ed up with the shipping and handling.