This is a topic that comes up often. People complaining about shipping costs/charges/fees....and I'm one of them....
HOWEVER, I only complain about the cost and not passing the complaint on those that have to charge for shipping.....
Let me explain.....
I don't think a lot of folks realise what it cost to ship something. For instance, the TradGang Sweatshirts I am selling are very expensive to ship.
I sell a really nice heavy cotton sweatshirt with logo on the chest AND down the sleeve and almost of THIRD of the price is shipping!!!!!
Yes, I sell for $35 delivered and they cost 9-11 DOLLARS to ship.
Not much we can do but complain, but lets not direct that complaint toward vendors as they have no control over the insane rise of shipping costs over the last few years.
:campfire:
just the cost of doing biz i guess :dunno:
Good point of clarification, Terry. Thanks :thumbsup:
I charge ACTUAL shipping cost and am shocked myself at the cost sometimes. The only thing I can convince myself of is it's cheaper than driving to deliver it. ;)
I don't like hearing " rural area " that is a up charge quite a bit of the time. But like they say you can't do anything about it. And Hey it don't do any good to complain. Cause the CEOs of the companies don't hear it just a little guys at the cashier doing what they are told.
Carl
Here at at The Nocking Point we charge actual shipping too.Sometimes I feel a little guilty about what it costs to ship orders but there is nothing that can be done,we are at the mercy of the shipping companies.
Terry
It is what it is. Guys moan because they have to pay shipping and handling on a pack of feathers. I learned years ago to "make a list" so when I order I get all I need and then some.
I have come to another conclusion with shipping. Send it second day, twice as much but a 99% chance it will get there on time and on target.
Being in the industry myself, I can tell you that these trucking fees are way inflated over what is reasonable.
I can ship skids of product for 300 bucks or less over 2000 miles. Thousands of pounds of products...
There's another side to shipping.
Monday I walked into the PO with a longbow in a box, paid 13.50 and said "here, take this to northern Minnesota". And, they did it! :biglaugh:
Go to Staples and buy a box of grey postal shipping bags. They are self sealing and you write the address on them with a marker. They weigh almost nothing and you pay for the actual weight of the hat, shirt or sweatshirt. I was the merchandise director for an archery club , sold and mailed an unknown amount of clothing items this way at an actual shipping cost with no up-charges. I will say that small, med, large and XL shirts cost the same but an xxl is when the cost starts to rise.
QuoteOriginally posted by monterey:
There's another side to shipping.
Monday I walked into the PO with a longbow in a box, paid 13.50 and said "here, take this to northern Minnesota". And, they did it! :biglaugh:
I've shipped many bows for this rate too, which I why I will not pay $8.00 shipping for a small item that fits in a padded envelope.
I have no problem with paying "actual" shipping costs but there are a lot of companies that overcharge for shipping to pad their bottom line. Their profit is already added to the price of the item sold.
James
QuoteOriginally posted by monterey:
There's another side to shipping.
Monday I walked into the PO with a longbow in a box, paid 13.50 and said "here, take this to northern Minnesota". And, they did it! :biglaugh:
Was that insured with Tracking?
QuoteOriginally posted by BWallace10327:
QuoteOriginally posted by monterey:
There's another side to shipping.
Monday I walked into the PO with a longbow in a box, paid 13.50 and said "here, take this to northern Minnesota". And, they did it! :biglaugh:
I've shipped many bows for this rate too, which I why I will not pay $8.00 shipping for a small item that fits in a padded envelope. [/b]
Something is wrong here.....that's not just shipping.
The sweatshirts i ship, and I have recipts, are again 9-11 dollars due to weight.
This post was about shipping, not shipping AND handling.
QuoteOriginally posted by The Nocking Point:
Here at at The Nocking Point we charge actual shipping too.Sometimes I feel a little guilty about what it costs to ship orders but there is nothing that can be done,we are at the mercy of the shipping companies.
Terry
SAME HERE!
We try to use the most "economical" option..but sometimes it just seems more crazy than normal.
Terry,
Take a look at Endicia. You get pretty good rates on USPS shipping. We've been using it for years.
Mike
It was priority mail with tracking. I don't pay for insurance just because I've never been burned. I can replace lost or broken items many times over with what is saved by not buying insurance.
I know several high volume bowyers who do the same.
You can go online and figure USPS shipping on just about anything. When I shipped it The rate was within pennies of the calculator. Maybe there is a way of doing it that will save.
Since the shirts probably have a message on them maybe they qualify for media rate?
Thing that gets me about a "handling" charge: Having worked retail for years, in stores that also ship... you can spend 1/2 hour or more with a customer who then turns around and says thanks, and goes buy online, or buys nothing. There's no charge. but if a shipping clerk spends 5 or 10 minuted for the shipping - add'l. charge.
I second endicia.
Also, USPS will give you boxes for free.
If you use priority flat rate envelopes and if it fits, it ships for 6.50
I ship jackets and clothing in them all the time. Just gotta roll em up right.
You can use a regional A box or regional B box and get better rates as well.
Lots of tricks to shipping and saving money.
They will also deliver the flat rate boxes to your door and pick them up when they are ready to ship.
QuoteOriginally posted by monterey:
It was priority mail with tracking. I don't pay for insurance just because I've never been burned. I can replace lost or broken items many times over with what is saved by not buying insurance.
I know several high volume bowyers who do the same.
You can go online and figure USPS shipping on just about anything. When I shipped it The rate was within pennies of the calculator. Maybe there is a way of doing it that will save.
Since the shirts probably have a message on them maybe they qualify for media rate?
The post office doesn't know what's written on the shirts they're packed when I take him to the post office
QuoteOriginally posted by 9 Shocks:
I second endicia.
Also, USPS will give you boxes for free.
If you use priority flat rate envelopes and if it fits, it ships for 6.50
I ship jackets and clothing in them all the time. Just gotta roll em up right.
You can use a regional A box or regional B box and get better rates as well.
Lots of tricks to shipping and saving money.
I buy my own shipping supplies and take them to the post office already packed
QuoteOriginally posted by 9 Shocks:
I second endicia.
Also, USPS will give you boxes for free.
If you use priority flat rate envelopes and if it fits, it ships for 6.50
I ship jackets and clothing in them all the time. Just gotta roll em up right.
You can use a regional A box or regional B box and get better rates as well.
Lots of tricks to shipping and saving money.
Well the post office never measures the bags or the boxes but they always weigh them... so whether I roll them up tight or not doesn't really seem to matter since they're weighing the package
Well from the sound of things I guess I've been doing it all wrong... maybe I should ship things the cheapest way possible the absolute cheapest way and allow people to suffer scream and holler for 3 weeks till it gets delivered ...no tracking no insurance no nothing good luck HAHAHAhaha
Okay seriously I'm going to ship a sweatshirt I just sold one I'm going to see how much it cost with no tracking no insurance no nothing no special
I used the grey bags I mentioned earlier without an issue for 4 years. Never lost an item, they were delivered in a timely manner and it saved the buyer funds. Never used tracking or insurance.
Shipping can be rediculous at times. I just picked up a stand off a guy here. 17lbs, 7.5oz and shipping ran $41.55 via USPS Priority! That's insane.
I would have expected $20-25 but $42! You can ship any of their flat rate boxes up to 70lbs for less than $20. The last batch of knives that I sent in for heat treat was in a medium flat rate box that weighted 69lbs 15oz and shipped for $13. Granted the box size was smaller but I literally shipped FOUR times the weight for A THIRD of the cost and most 18-wheelers are not full when they reach the weight capacity for shipping purposes which to me means weight and distance should be the primary contributing factor for cost.
I mail bows every week and the cost of priority mail is usually 11.00 to 14.00. Then there is the cost of the box and the trip to the post office 24 miles round trip, it adds up . The service is good, I shipped a bow from N.D. to Rochester NY . I mailed it on a Tuesday and it arrived on Thursday same week , that's fast .
QuoteOriginally posted by Terry Green:
Well from the sound of things I guess I've been doing it all wrong... maybe I should ship things the cheapest way possible the absolute cheapest way and allow people to suffer scream and holler for 3 weeks till it gets delivered ...no tracking no insurance no nothing good luck HAHAHAhaha
Insurance would be included in shipping costs covering up to 50 dollars and tracking is free. All you have to do is pass the information along.
I was not being condescending with my response at all but apparently you were, I was just trying to offer some sound advice.
QuoteOriginally posted by Terry Green:
QuoteOriginally posted by 9 Shocks:
I second endicia.
Also, USPS will give you boxes for free.
If you use priority flat rate envelopes and if it fits, it ships for 6.50
I ship jackets and clothing in them all the time. Just gotta roll em up right.
You can use a regional A box or regional B box and get better rates as well.
Lots of tricks to shipping and saving money.
Well the post office never measures the bags or the boxes but they always weigh them... so whether I roll them up tight or not doesn't really seem to matter since they're weighing the package [/b]
But it does matter if you can fit the shirt in the RIGHT package...
Just trying to be helpful
I agree with 9shocks about the free boxes from USPS.
FWIW, I just received a pair of coveralls and my mind was blown to see what this individual had to pay to ship them. It was right at $40.
I kind of look at this like health care.. sure, it is expensive, BUT, I don't have many other options.
Free boxes come with a fixed price. No need to pay a medium flat rate price for a sweatshirt when you can mail it in a bag.
Someone wrote they don't measure boxes but they weight them. That is incorrect. Not only have I been mailing out archery club shirts, hats and other club gear, I mailed archery equipment to military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have been down out every mailing road there is.
Try living in Alaska if you think your shipping charges are high! Ours are through the roof, I try to buy locally when I can but your not getting much traditional archery gear locally. What rips me is the companies than don't charge just shipping, like several of the popular traditional archery companies, I try to avoid buying from them if I can, or buy from guys like Kenny that just charge the true shipping. A lot of companies will not ship through the USPS because they have some kind of deal with these shipping companies, as a consequence we the consumer get ripped!!
QuoteOriginally posted by Holybeardman:
Being in the industry myself, I can tell you that these trucking fees are way inflated over what is reasonable.
I can ship skids of product for 300 bucks or less over 2000 miles. Thousands of pounds of products...
That is amazing since a semi truck averages 7 mpg, and smaller hauling vehicles rarely over 12 mph. With the average price per gallon in the US at around $2.50, of you assume 10 mpg that comes out to $500, and that is for a one way trip. Definitely gotta be sharing that cost somewhere.
lots of skids per truck/trailer.
You could put into perspective !!!
If you don't eat right, exercise right, you're not going to pull a 50# bow. Yeah have to added into your cost of enjoyment !
I just sold some stuff in the classifieds, I was surprised again how much it cost to ship. But I made a commitment to someone, and by paying the extra for the shipping you just bless that person.
Now if we can have the brakes that the big companies do, it be a different story.
If you do ship to a business Address, instead of a residential there is a little bit of a break on with ups.
Happiness is a choice, shipping is just a part of happiness, you are getting rid of something you don't want ! AND making somebody else happy by getting it. How much better can it get.
Carl
If i can air another issue with shipping it's OVER PACKAGING! I recently ordered 2 packs of vanes ,which could have been shipped economically in an envelope ,however the shop decided that i needed one of their catalogues (unasked for) so they shipped everything i a box and i ended up paying 5 times the cost of the vanes.
Personally i ship everything by snail mail uninsured and have not lost a thing so far! There now i feel better!
QuoteOriginally posted by 9 Shocks:
QuoteOriginally posted by Terry Green:
Well from the sound of things I guess I've been doing it all wrong... maybe I should ship things the cheapest way possible the absolute cheapest way and allow people to suffer scream and holler for 3 weeks till it gets delivered ...no tracking no insurance no nothing good luck HAHAHAhaha
Insurance would be included in shipping costs covering up to 50 dollars and tracking is free. All you have to do is pass the information along.
I was not being condescending with my response at all but apparently you were, I was just trying to offer some sound advice. [/b]
No...I wasn't sir..I promise. And Yes, tracking comes with $50 insured. I'm going to mail the sweatshirt on Saturday and see without tracking. ....and these sweatshirts are so heavy I can't ger them into one of those boxes.
And I do ship them in a bag...but I'll check it all out Monday!
Next time someone says shipping is too expensive, simply offer the choice of picking it up at your location, no charge.
At an average of .60 per mile to operate a vehicle, anyone more than 8 miles away is getting a bargain. When they think about that, 10 bucks sounds pretty cheap.
I dunno how people ship long or heavy stuff for the prices they put on out on line. Every time I go to the PO to ship something heavy or long I'm paying more than what I hear other folks paying. I use flat rate boxes most the time though. I insure to the agreed sale price of the item I ship, I'm not a person who can make another one and send it out. Sure insurance is a kind of scam....until yea need it.....I've shipped some expensive knives over the years and you bet I fully insure them. Never had a problem yet but I do hear nightmare stories on getting insurance claims settled. What I see is everyone wants a deal...we'll there are a few out there now and then...but get real if you want something and you think the price is fair buy it and pay the agreed costs....if you don't like the total price...don't buy it.
QuoteOriginally posted by Terry Green:
QuoteOriginally posted by 9 Shocks:
QuoteOriginally posted by Terry Green:
Well from the sound of things I guess I've been doing it all wrong... maybe I should ship things the cheapest way possible the absolute cheapest way and allow people to suffer scream and holler for 3 weeks till it gets delivered ...no tracking no insurance no nothing good luck HAHAHAhaha
Insurance would be included in shipping costs covering up to 50 dollars and tracking is free. All you have to do is pass the information along.
I was not being condescending with my response at all but apparently you were, I was just trying to offer some sound advice. [/b]
No...I wasn't sir..I promise. And Yes, tracking comes with $50 insured. I'm going to mail the sweatshirt on Saturday and see without tracking. ....and these sweatshirts are so heavy I can't ger them into one of those boxes.
And I do ship them in a bag...but I'll check it all out Monday! [/b]
I apologize if I misunderstood your post. Just care about this site and the people on it and want to help anyone any way I can. Best of luck!
I just know some ship small items like string nocks and field points for $5. That seems more than reasonable.
I just ordered something like that from a place I like,and it was $12. I hate to say it I won't be using them anymore.
QuoteOriginally posted by elkken:
QuoteOriginally posted by Holybeardman:
Being in the industry myself, I can tell you that these trucking fees are way inflated over what is reasonable.
I can ship skids of product for 300 bucks or less over 2000 miles. Thousands of pounds of products...
BS ... [/b]
Not BS, cost varies considerably with size though. It costs me about $400 to order a pallet of empty molded plastic core sample boxes from the mfg. Pallets or bundles of steel casing and drill rod etc., which are quite heavy and long, cost less than that. Now none of that is 2nd day, but usually within a week.
:thumbsup:
And the USPS just raised rates again the 21st. :knothead:
QuoteOriginally posted by pdk25:
QuoteOriginally posted by Holybeardman:
Being in the industry myself, I can tell you that these trucking fees are way inflated over what is reasonable.
I can ship skids of product for 300 bucks or less over 2000 miles. Thousands of pounds of products...
That is amazing since a semi truck averages 7 mpg, and smaller hauling vehicles rarely over 12 mph. With the average price per gallon in the US at around $2.50, of you assume 10 mpg that comes out to $500, and that is for a one way trip. Definitely gotta be sharing that cost somewhere. [/b]
Here's my follow up to that...
Vancouver BC to Calgary AB on a common carrier who runs the lane every day... I can pay roughly 1500 USD. Meanwhile, I get skid rates for 200 dollars per skid up to 2500 lbs.
If they are standard sized 40x48 skids, you can fit 26 skids or more if they are stacked. Comes out to 5200 USD...