..........This last little while i have bought a few things off of various sites............sometimes we haggle over the price, other times i just pay it cause its worth 2 me........the shipping quote has been a supposed actual dollar amount......i find i've been overcharged sometimes as much as double or more than the actual shipping cost to the seller.......I'm kinda feeling taken advantage of.............When i get a quote to ship something out i dont inflate it, then tell the buyer the exagerrated amount.......so that when it shows up at his/her door they just have to read the shipping price, then ...WTF..........i just think its dishonest............rant over..........kim.........
.......inflated shipping charges......
- Thread starter oldkimmer
- Start date
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67Dart273
Well-Known Member
I have mixed feelings about this. As a radio amateur, I've bought some pretty heavy test equipment, some of which was "foamed in place", etc to properly protect it. I didn't REALLY want to risk this great big expensive Motorola getting banged up:
or my HP spectrum analyzer:
I recently bought a rear axle that had to be shipped on a pallet on a truck, and the member on here charged me nothing, so far as I know to get it on a pallet and get it to the shipper.
But let's turn this around:
I'm 62, severely arthritic, and do not have a job which provides easy access to pallets, banding machines, etc. It's a real PITA to get something heavy, bulky packed, and TIME, and not everybody lives within a mile 'er two of UPFed 'er whatever.
Frankly, I UNDERSTAND that it takes time, money, and materials to properly pack stuff.
It jus' depends.
or my HP spectrum analyzer:
I recently bought a rear axle that had to be shipped on a pallet on a truck, and the member on here charged me nothing, so far as I know to get it on a pallet and get it to the shipper.
But let's turn this around:
I'm 62, severely arthritic, and do not have a job which provides easy access to pallets, banding machines, etc. It's a real PITA to get something heavy, bulky packed, and TIME, and not everybody lives within a mile 'er two of UPFed 'er whatever.
Frankly, I UNDERSTAND that it takes time, money, and materials to properly pack stuff.
It jus' depends.
EL5DEMON340
Well-Known Member
i usually use the online calculators to get the quote, they are close most of the time, if the real amount when i ship it is off over a buck or so i'll refund it if its paypal, if i under charged i eat it.
slantsixdan
=..=
Keep in mind that "shipping" is more than just the plane/boat/truck journey from seller to buyer. It also includes packaging materials, cartons, tape, and the seller's time and effort to get it all put together carefully and transported to the dropoff. That's all sometimes called "handling" and it isn't free, nor should it be.
.........These deals were made with the agreed shipping.........i asked if there was any other fees, answer, no.........kim...........
dodgedifferent2
Well-Known Member
i think of the handling fee as a slap in the face.
The packaging should be included in the price of the item you purchased. Kind of like getting a shopping bag for buying your groceries (mind you around here they charge you for them now which pisses me off)
The time is also included in the purchase price. If the person is wanting to sell the item, then their time it takes to package the item is the least they can do to sell. Does Walmart sell you something and then on your way out the door add $20 bucks to the items you bought because they need a handling fee to scan the item at the checkout?
The packaging should be included in the price of the item you purchased. Kind of like getting a shopping bag for buying your groceries (mind you around here they charge you for them now which pisses me off)
The time is also included in the purchase price. If the person is wanting to sell the item, then their time it takes to package the item is the least they can do to sell. Does Walmart sell you something and then on your way out the door add $20 bucks to the items you bought because they need a handling fee to scan the item at the checkout?
Packaging large/heavy parts for shipping just sux plain and simple.
I dont charge extra for it. I've wished I had a few times. Right now I'm hunting a sturdy box large enough to ship a complete heat/ac case.
I agreed to post this item for a friend. I wont make a dime off the deal.
3 parties involved in every deal are the seller, the buyer, and the shipper. The shipper is the one that always walks away with a smile.
I dont charge extra for it. I've wished I had a few times. Right now I'm hunting a sturdy box large enough to ship a complete heat/ac case.
I agreed to post this item for a friend. I wont make a dime off the deal.
3 parties involved in every deal are the seller, the buyer, and the shipper. The shipper is the one that always walks away with a smile.
MtNemoMopar
In the doghouse
He wasn't asking for "free". He was asking for honest pricing. I agree with Kimmer. Companys are advertising low prices, then bulking them up with these OVERINFLATED fees. Try buying something from Mancini. Their prices look good until......
When you quote a price....STICK TOO IT!!!:violent1:
P.S. anything I have bought off of a member on FABO has been fair,and usually under quoted. We really are a bunch of great people here
ESP47
Well-Known Member
You just have to know what parts cost to ship before you buy them. If you buy a gauge cluster and the guy quotes you $25 shipping...you gotta know that it really only costs $15 before you pull out your wallet. If I ask someone for a shipping quote and I think its way over, I'll just decline their sale. There's no sense in even arguing about it. People will always throw out the whole "I gotta buy the tape, box, packing material as well as spend my time packing it up and shipping it off". Unless you're giving me the part for free or way under the estimated value, I'm not going to pay you for any of that. Chances are you already have the box, tape and packing material on hand. You also aren't at work so I'm not going to be paying you for your time.
nothingbutdarts
Well-Known Member
Any problems here on the sight with this?
AMC PackRat
Kind of a mopar guy. ;-)
I'll agree that jacking up shipping costs isn't right once you've made an agreement. But, if you have made an agreement and you see it was less because that's what's stamped on the box by the Post Office I don't think it's worth bitching about unless it's really extreme - you agreed at the time that you thought it was a fair price to pay. Otherwise you could have just walked away.
I ship a lot of larger items (car bumpers, usually). Usually it takes over an hour and a lot of cardboard, tape, and packing materials to prepare one for shipping. I eat that. I only use FedEx because I've seen how UPS handles their shipments. The two closest FedEx outlets have closed in the last two years and I now have to drive about 45 miles to the main hub to ship because they won't pick up in my town unless you are on contract with them for an extra monthly charge (I don't ship enough items a month for that). Even if I got 20 MPG (which I don't) it costs me another $16 for gas and two more hours of my time to ship. I eat that, too. When gas hits $5 I figure I'll be losing $30 (gas and materials - not to mention wear and tear on my vehicle) and 3 hours of my time with every large item I sell. That doesn't even count all the time spent cleaning, prepping, taking pics, answering PMs, emails, phone calls, etc., and the over 90% "cheap bastard" dropout rate on deals that never materialize. :sad1: About all I do to counter this expense is round up my shipping charges to the next 5 dollars. I'm still in business, though - even though some days it looks like it'd be a lot easier to just haul everything down to the scrap yard and be done with it.
Just thought you guys might want to see what the other side of the coin looks like. ;-)
I ship a lot of larger items (car bumpers, usually). Usually it takes over an hour and a lot of cardboard, tape, and packing materials to prepare one for shipping. I eat that. I only use FedEx because I've seen how UPS handles their shipments. The two closest FedEx outlets have closed in the last two years and I now have to drive about 45 miles to the main hub to ship because they won't pick up in my town unless you are on contract with them for an extra monthly charge (I don't ship enough items a month for that). Even if I got 20 MPG (which I don't) it costs me another $16 for gas and two more hours of my time to ship. I eat that, too. When gas hits $5 I figure I'll be losing $30 (gas and materials - not to mention wear and tear on my vehicle) and 3 hours of my time with every large item I sell. That doesn't even count all the time spent cleaning, prepping, taking pics, answering PMs, emails, phone calls, etc., and the over 90% "cheap bastard" dropout rate on deals that never materialize. :sad1: About all I do to counter this expense is round up my shipping charges to the next 5 dollars. I'm still in business, though - even though some days it looks like it'd be a lot easier to just haul everything down to the scrap yard and be done with it.
Just thought you guys might want to see what the other side of the coin looks like. ;-)
Burntorange70
Well-Known Member
They are not exact but are close. Some times they are off buy a few bucks either way but I have never had them be off buy double. Unless it is an over size item then they are way off as they don't calculate that even though they ask for weight and dementions:scratch: Lost money from that deal one time.
I always give a flat rate price to ship. I'm disabled, so it ain't as easy as it once was to do stuff. I live out in the country and it's about 12 miles to town to the post office branch I use. I don't keep packing materials around, because I don't ship much. I figure if I tell the customer the price up front and they agree, then it's all on the table. I've shorted myself a few times on shipping estimates and I always eat the difference. I am never over a ridiculous amount and any overage I say is for my trouble to pack and box it up and for gas. That's just how I do it.
damnimcooltom
Too Cool For School
I agree to a point, but not always. I keep boxes around for shipping, and try to keep things as cheap as possible for the buyer. But sometimes I gotta buy a box ot two. I recently shipped an axle housing. I had to buy two boxes and some reinforced tape. The buyer paid for the boxes. Those things aren't free. I don't include packaging costs into the price because there could be a local that wants it, and there may be no packaging involved. That is closer to the WalMart example you give. If WalMart was going to need to package the item so it could survive a shipment across the continent, you bet they would charge more at the register. There's a difference between cash and carry and shipping.
MtNemoMopar
In the doghouse
I bought a toothbrush the other day. The packaging was magnificent, and they never charged a handling fee.
I understand the cost of shipping, but handling? C'mon, just tell me what the darn thing cost, including the packaging, and I'll send the money, and wait anxiously for my new part. To price it seperately is just to make the original purchase price seem low.
I understand the cost of shipping, but handling? C'mon, just tell me what the darn thing cost, including the packaging, and I'll send the money, and wait anxiously for my new part. To price it seperately is just to make the original purchase price seem low.
needsaresto
Well-Known Member
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Sorry I with old Kim on this one. A quote for shipping should include all the packing material etc. Surprise charges are bullshit. Quotes need to be upfront and final or I dont deal. Simple as that.
caferacerx
BAND MEMBER
shipping AND handling are two separate things, some people try and combine them, which is not a good idea, the handling fees are what YOU will charge to package and transport the item to the shipper, be it post office, UPS, trucking company, whatever, and should be included in the purchase price, either separately or combined, IE item X is $100, plus $20 to package it, plus shipping, or item X is $120 plus shipping, the shipping charge is just that, it is whatever the post office or shipping company charges to ship the item to the buyer, this is the ONLY HONEST way to do business
needsaresto
Well-Known Member
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I wont deal with Mancini because of these surprises. A book on sale from them was less than $15. I ordered it and got nailed for over $30 in shipping. I had a similar book shipped from a fabo member and it cost less than $7 for shipping.Of course Mancini wouldnt even answere my complaints.
Mancini sucks ***.
I ship stuff all the time and NEVER add $$ to my quotes. My quotes are EXACTLY what the post office wants for shipping.ANYTHING else IMHO is a rippoff! After all most guys arent a business selling parts,they are just our nieghbours.
Mancini sucks ***.
I ship stuff all the time and NEVER add $$ to my quotes. My quotes are EXACTLY what the post office wants for shipping.ANYTHING else IMHO is a rippoff! After all most guys arent a business selling parts,they are just our nieghbours.
...............From the 1s i'm ranting about ..they got " actual quotes".......with no mention of handling fee.......i asked....is this the total...they said...yes......i pay.......i dont care if the shipping is off 10% or alittle more, but when its off almost double........that i dont like........if they got an actual quote, how the hell can it b that much less to ship than actuall.............Yes, I could of walked away from the deals,........,but I trust ppl not 2 F me over........I would never do that 2 them.........I guess everybody isn't as honest as the next guy...........kim..........
AMC PackRat
Kind of a mopar guy. ;-)
That's just ducky - you must be rich and live close to the post office.
Materials and gas cost money. I've seen the price of tape just about double in the last couple of years. Large pieces of cardboard aren't cheap, either. I'll admit I get mine free at a recycling center but I have to drive there, load it myself, and I usually buy donuts for the crew.
I am doing this for a business and all costs have to be accounted for somewhere. I probably spend $50 a month on the phone just talking to tirekickers that wouldn't buy what you're selling even if you sold it for a nickel and delivered it for free. There's also the matter of storage for large items - that isn't cheap nowadays, either.
As I stated before - I don't charge a "handling fee" but I do round up a little on the shipping charges. It doesn't come anywhere close to paying for the time, materials, gas, phone, internet, etc., or all the other little odds and ends a business incurrs - that's all pretty much of a loss deducted from the actual sale price.
That's one reason why I don't sell on eBay anymore. After I figured up what I was being charged there for what I actually sold (10%) and didn't sell (90%) and what I ate on materials and gas I was actually at the point where I was just breaking even or even losing money some times.
I suppose if I had a little widget sitting here and an old box, and I "borrowed" some of mommy's tape and got her to give me a ride to the post office things would be a little different, though.
Hey Pack Rat;I see you are gettin them posts up.Really guys:If this is a hobby to you or if this is a business.Most of us don't try to stiff another member.Everyone knows that it takes money to get parts from point A to point B,and if they are not packed properly,they will get screwed up.Someone has to do the packing and pay for the boxes ETC.Gotta understand nothing is free-just get it understood who is doing what.I gotta agree with pack rat and slant six Dan.I normally ship parts before I get paid,but more and more people are using this to their own advantage,I can't do this anymore.Too many horror stories,and too many cheap bastards.
megajoltman
Time to NUT UP or SHUT UP
Hey Kim I think you owe me a whole lot of fuel, tape, and doughnut money :evil::-\"
damnimcooltom
Too Cool For School
I don't agree with that. I would say the price is $100 + shipping. That way if someone wants to come pick it up, it's $100. If someone wants me to ship it, they will pay for packing materials and shipping. Nobody has complained so far. Well, one guy in Canada did. But that was because he didn't want to pay for insurance.
I always quote the whole price, and have always stuck to it, even if I lost a little bit.
AMC PackRat
Kind of a mopar guy. ;-)
You Canadians REALLY crack me up. I haven't sold a bumper to anyone in Canada since FedEx Ground upped the rate from about $60 to almost $120. UPS is even more - but I guess you guys expect us to eat that cost increase, too, right?
Really though, some of my best friends are Canadians. :roll:
Really though, some of my best friends are Canadians. :roll:
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