craig
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i wonder why i can ship a shotgun barrel from fl. to az. priority mail & insured for $300.00 for $13.65, and it costs $5.00 to $9.00 for a company to ship me a pair of grips from tx. to fl. ?
shipping & handlng rates
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deej
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Box? Packing material? Paying some guy to pick and pack the order?
PowderBurn
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Let me begin my admitting that I'm as ticked-off by S&H practices as you appear to be. But I understand it, to a degree...
The handling portion of S&H includes a transaction processing cost that is not a function of the value of the item or the distance it will travel. Factored into that are overhead costs that vary from one manufacturer/distributor to another, and depend on customer service philosophy, marketing strategy, manufacturing efficiencies, shareholder expectations, competitive environment, transaction volume, and other variables.
Where I work, we calculate actual shipping costs (what we pay to FedEx, DHL, which is primarily a function of distance and weight), then add $20 to that as handling. That doesn't cover all our order processing costs, but it offsets them enough to satisfy the bean counters. On some shipments we lose money, on others we may make a little bit, but in the end, the controller only cares about the net.
Other companies, typically high-volume catalog-type organizations, base it on order value because it's the easiest for the customer service people to calculate and quote.
In other words, S&H is made as complicated as possible to make it difficult for customers to substantiate any claims of unfairness
The handling portion of S&H includes a transaction processing cost that is not a function of the value of the item or the distance it will travel. Factored into that are overhead costs that vary from one manufacturer/distributor to another, and depend on customer service philosophy, marketing strategy, manufacturing efficiencies, shareholder expectations, competitive environment, transaction volume, and other variables.
Where I work, we calculate actual shipping costs (what we pay to FedEx, DHL, which is primarily a function of distance and weight), then add $20 to that as handling. That doesn't cover all our order processing costs, but it offsets them enough to satisfy the bean counters. On some shipments we lose money, on others we may make a little bit, but in the end, the controller only cares about the net.
Other companies, typically high-volume catalog-type organizations, base it on order value because it's the easiest for the customer service people to calculate and quote.
In other words, S&H is made as complicated as possible to make it difficult for customers to substantiate any claims of unfairness
You can ship cheap because you count your time as worth nothing. If you had to pay someone else to do it, I suspect you'd add his cost into either the price of your product or onto the shipping cost. Where it gets added doesn't really matter.
Personally, I charge actual shipping, but I only need to keep track of a few different items rather than hundreds of different products.
Personally, I charge actual shipping, but I only need to keep track of a few different items rather than hundreds of different products.
WhoKnowsWho
Member
If you are tired of shipping and handling, order some stuff from http://www.newgraham.com/ and ship it $5.95 USPS, then wonder how they charge that little when the box comes and has postage and insurance paid with a stamp for over $10. 
I've had to order three times from them in the past two months too.
I've had to order three times from them in the past two months too.
craig
Member
shipping and handling
i was just wondering why it costs the same to ship a pair of grips or clips as it does a rifle scope. it seems the scope would have to be packed more carefully.
i was just wondering why it costs the same to ship a pair of grips or clips as it does a rifle scope. it seems the scope would have to be packed more carefully.
Fella's;
Hmmmm, I've got another view. The retail price of goods should cover all overhead, ie., supplier's purchase price, heat, phone, wages, etc., and profit.
Shipping should be actual charges & handling 'should' be covered in the retail price.
But, S&H has become viewed as a profit area by many CFO's & the majority of the public has seen fit to pay the fees in order to get the goods.
However, if you really want to open a can of worms, let's get some Federal Legislation going to limit S&H to actual costs. Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease.
Although sometimes I have fantasies about being able to wave a magic wand & lowering the I.Q. of all CPA's & lawyers by 20 points.
900F
Hmmmm, I've got another view. The retail price of goods should cover all overhead, ie., supplier's purchase price, heat, phone, wages, etc., and profit.
Shipping should be actual charges & handling 'should' be covered in the retail price.
But, S&H has become viewed as a profit area by many CFO's & the majority of the public has seen fit to pay the fees in order to get the goods.
However, if you really want to open a can of worms, let's get some Federal Legislation going to limit S&H to actual costs. Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease.
Although sometimes I have fantasies about being able to wave a magic wand & lowering the I.Q. of all CPA's & lawyers by 20 points.
900F
4D5
Member
And then there's also the insurance thing too...
I'll second CB900F's pricing/practices policy.
Along the same lines I'd also equate the usually huge gouge for insurance on top of S&H to be unreasonable, although not necessarly the fault of the retailer in this case
This has always been my comparison for the insurance. So, you take your car to the repair shop for a problem. Well they fix it sure enough but on the test drive manage to total it. No I'm thinking I've placed my property in your care and it's become your responsibility to return it in the same or better condition it was when I put it in your care. So now the shop will replace my vehicle. It's happend to me but not a total loss.
The same should go for shipping insurance. When you take your car to the shop you sure don't get asked to pay for insurance.
I'll second CB900F's pricing/practices policy.
Along the same lines I'd also equate the usually huge gouge for insurance on top of S&H to be unreasonable, although not necessarly the fault of the retailer in this case
This has always been my comparison for the insurance. So, you take your car to the repair shop for a problem. Well they fix it sure enough but on the test drive manage to total it. No I'm thinking I've placed my property in your care and it's become your responsibility to return it in the same or better condition it was when I put it in your care. So now the shop will replace my vehicle. It's happend to me but not a total loss.
The same should go for shipping insurance. When you take your car to the shop you sure don't get asked to pay for insurance.
I've been selling online
for several years now. We charge pretty much what it costs to ship (+insurance, etc.) plus a coupla bucks for handling. The packing materials alone are ridiculously expensive(if I have to buy boxes they're at least .50 each...we use USPS Priority Mail for most small things, 'cause they give you boxes and labels for free!), and it does take some time to pack stuff carefully. So, I probably actually lose money on "shipping and handling". If you do much of it, you realize SOMETIMES it not so unreasonable, although some vendors do abuse it.
for several years now. We charge pretty much what it costs to ship (+insurance, etc.) plus a coupla bucks for handling. The packing materials alone are ridiculously expensive(if I have to buy boxes they're at least .50 each...we use USPS Priority Mail for most small things, 'cause they give you boxes and labels for free!), and it does take some time to pack stuff carefully. So, I probably actually lose money on "shipping and handling". If you do much of it, you realize SOMETIMES it not so unreasonable, although some vendors do abuse it.
JohnBT
Member
Whittakers charged $12 to ship me a $1600 Cooper. Their standard fee for a less expensive rifle is $10.
John
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