Mike canvassed THR for help at Cheaper Than Dirt (CTD) once before, a few months ago.
I wrote him about a recent experience with CTD and never did hear back from him... I guess they're doing pretty well without responding to customer grievances--
My email:
Hello Mike-- I'm a High Road member and a frustrated (ex)CTD customer.
I had let this issue go with a vow to not do business with CTD in the future. But when I saw you were a fellow THR member I thought I'd give CTD one more chance.
I received an order from CTD a few weeks ago, mailed to me in Alaska. The numbers went something like this (these are estimates as I no longer have the invoice in front of me... but they are accurate within a dollar or two):
Merchandise: ~$80
S+H: ~$38
I'm realistic about the price of living in Alaska... I know it costs a little more to live here and I feel it's worth every extra penny. But $38 dollars seemed high for a package smaller than a shoe box and so light that I could bobble it around on one hand like a beach ball. The UPS store was a handy stop so I took it in and asked them to quote me a price to send that package from my address to yours via Priority Mail (that's how it was sent to me). They measured it, weighed it, ran it through their system, and said it would be (a little less than) $21. If you're doing the math, that leaves ~$17 for "handling". About 25% the cost of the merchandise! About this time I'm thinking, "anyone can advertise prices that are "cheaper than dirt" if they only have to sneak in the back door and boost the price by 25% at the last minute! That's pretty crumby, man.
I wanted to give CTD a chance to explain themselves (a great favor to them, actually, as most customers wouldn't.. they'd just quit patronizing and grumble to their friends). As friendly as I was to the "customer service" lady... she didn't take my call as a great favor. We went around and AROUND with me questioning the $17 and her responding that "it costs more to ship to Alaska". Well, I happen to KNOW what it costs to ship to Alaska... it's about $21. I'm talking about the remaining $17!
"Well sir, it costs more to ship to Alaska" And around and around we go.
At one point I thought she was really dumb to not understand what I was saying.. then it occurred to me that she wasn't dumb. She was just playing dumb because she didn't know what else to say.
The extra $17(in my case) is nothing more than a PUNITIVE CHARGE for living outside the contiguous states. I can't figure how it's any harder or more time consuming for CTD's shippers to write "AK" on a shipping label than it is to write "CO", "MI", or "VT". Just fill out the label and charge actual shipping... it's as easy as that! Tack on a NOMINAL "handling" fee if you must... but I must say, it's a little dishonest to do that. Be up front and work that into your catalog prices. It's sneaky, and a little dishonest, to advertise a price, then tack on a percentage as it goes out the door. In my business, I quote a price for a job and that's it. I don't go to my customer later and say, "By the way, here's my bill for my gas to and from the job, the time I spent servicing my tools after hours, etc". I'm aware of these costs and I work it into my UP FRONT price. My price may not be "cheaper than dirt", but it's honest. My customers respect that.
I hope I've made my case clear.. it seems simple to me but after it so befuddled the customer service lady, I wonder if I may not be explaining myself well.
Unless CTD changes their policy of gouging Alaskans, I can not do further business with them. My friends will be warned as well.
Thanks for your time, Mike.
Josh
