Is it just me?

[shooter2]

I put a package of stock tape in my cart at Sinclair. The cost of the item is $12.95. They wanted $7.95 to ship it. I said to myself, BS, I am not playing that game. This is an item that can be shipped in a flat envelope for a few dollars max.

Sinclair is not alone in this. Midway, Midsouth and others seem to be abusing the shipping charges "in my opinion".

Am I the only one that feels this way?

A friend suggested that I go to Home Depot and buy a package of 3M reflective tape. I think it's the same stuff that used to be called "Scotchlight". Note, I am not sure of my spelling of that brand name. It has a surface of imbedded glass beads, is two inches wide, and is STOS.

[Hickory]

The USPS has been losing money for more then a decade.
The price of stamps go up yearly, and so does everything else that moves through the USPS.

Instead of cutting costs, they opt to raise prices. That's just the way it is. It's not all the catalog companies fault.

[dilly]

Also, it is no secret that those companies are able to more economically handle large orders of multiple items. Would you drive to a town an hour away for that same tape without another reason to go into town?

[CastingFool]

It's not you. I hate to pay almost $8 for an item that could ship for $2. I use Amazon a lot for various reasons. Normally, they have better prices, and they do offer free shipping if you order more than $35. I try to combine items. Check this out.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_9?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=scotchlite%20reflective%20tape&sprefix=scotchlit%2Caps%2C179

[btroj]

I don't sweat the shipping. If I need it, I buy it.

[Toddlo]

I'm with you shooter2, there is no way it costs these big retailers what they charge to ship little items. Still, it is America and we're free not to buy until they lower shipping.

[mold maker]

Most everybody sucks you in with low prices, but sticks it to you on shipping. Even if its just a few cents, it insults me.
Like so many others here, my only regular income is SS, That means I have to watch all my pennies to make buying molds and such, possible. Since time is no longer money, I spend whatever time is necessary, to find the best price, before ordering. On most sites that means going through the whole order process to the confirm order button, to find what the actual cost will be. Many times a sale item is no bargain, when shipping is added.
Unless we complain to the vendor, and explain that it cost them a sale, they think they are clever, and, or we are ignorant.

[bhn22]

The larger the volume a shipper has, the more difficult it is to set up "boutique" shipping. $7.95 is perfectly reasonable shipping to a residential address. UPS would be around $12.00- $14.00 to your door. It is unreasonable to expect the lowest price possible, then demand more labor intensive services. You're lucky to get some of the options that are available at times. It looks like they were going to ship to you in a medium to large Flat Rate envelope by the price. Also, you were seriously only going to buy one little $12.95 item? Most guys plan ahead and buy several items to make the freight costs more effective.

[jmort]

Normally I can find it cheaper on the net and avoid sales tax which is pushing 10% here. The shipping may zero out the savings, but many, many items are not available in stores that I want/need. A simple cost/benefit analysis makes all of this easy.

[Harter66]

I guess the 1 that burns me is when they ship in a 12x12x12 a set of dies that fits in a SMFRB $8 ok $12 for a $26 item it seems high. I just ordered from Titan thats what it was so I added another $27 to it ,who doesn't need an extra pair or 2 of mould handles, then the order was $60 +- w/$16 shipping. It still would have gone in a MFRB for $12 but the folks are due something for their time . 1 of the venders gets $X for $X purchased for shipping. I've had items shipped and paid up to $24 in shipping and gotten the package w/$5-7 in postage markings that burns me up. Last yr I was all set to get a new RCBS 2c mould from Natchez $68 + 22 for shipping......I saved the page looked at NOE and bought a 5c in a more usefull to me boolit and paid I think about $6 more but I got a 3 more cavities.
There is also a vender that ships for just stupid cheap Boyds ships 3-6# in boxes 30x8x3 for like $10 or $15 .

I think that getting the shipping rates down is really a personal value call. Do I need this today vs can I wait a week and get it when I go to Moe's in Ubertropolis or let it back order for a month or more. I have to play that same game when I buy car parts , I can't tell you how many times I've added a $2 do-hicky-ma-bob to get the free shipping because the $2 saved me $35.

[MT Gianni]

You have to pay someone to get your stuff off of the shelf, box it and pad it with padding that you bought, weigh it, and run the prices to ship it electronically. If they are good and get it done in 10 minutes you paid for their time and materials. I don't care for shipping costs, and avoid them when possible but for most business I don't see them as a pad or rip off.

[Bad Water Bill]

You have to pay someone to get your stuff off of the shelf, box it and pad it with padding that you bought, weigh it, and run the prices to ship it electronically. If they are good and get it done in 10 minutes you paid for their time and materials. I don't care for shipping costs, and avoid them when possible but for most business I don't see them as a pad or rip off.

If you are a catalog store (Midway,Midsouth etc) those expenses should have been figured in before they published the price.

After all how did businesses like Sears Wards and Pennies get started.

They made a TON of money doing business that way TILL the bean counts took over.

By the way my very first real job was in the shipping department and there was never a charge for shipping.

I started at Sears back in 1955 and watched them grow and build the Sears Tower. Then the beanies took over in 1976 and everything has been downhill since then

[Doc_Stihl]

$8 to create an order. Publish that order to the stockroom floor. Pick the product. Package it. Pay for postage. Label it.
That seems reasonable to me.

I order 5 small parts from midwayusa yesterday. Shipping was under $5. I added a $6.95 clearance item that was large and shipping went to $15. I know for a fact that the $6.95 item was way larger than a large flat rate box. I can't figure how they can do it so cheap! I couldn't get that same item shipped for that much not including my time.

[btroj]

People are far more price sensitive today Bill. What worked in the 60s doesn't work today. Different times, different economy. We have become a Walmart country, we want it cheap and service is secondary. There is a cost associated with that.

People want prices to remain at a certain level for long periods of time even though manufacturing and selling expenses increase.

It is often a shipping AND handling charge.

[HNSB]

It's no big deal to me. I just cancel the orders at checkout and deal with someone who'll ship for less.
It's part of shopping online.
If they pull statistics from their software and see a lot of people bail at checkout, they'll figure it out eventually.

[jonas302]

Its just you if you don't want to pay shipping don't order it online fire up your car drive down to the store pay more upfront then sales tax ect
Have you ever sold and shipped something its not that simple, ever receive your flat paper envelope empty guess who gets to pay for that
How does it matter how much the item costs does it affect usps price if its 10 cents or 100 dollars?
Buying online is a convenience do it with some sense it saves money

[HNSB]

Thinking about this more, it doesn't cost a retailer any more in wage overhead to have someone pack and ship items than it does to have someone stock shelves and man a cash register.
Yet, I don't recall ever having a brick and mortar store add a handling fee at the checkout...
"You want me to ring up the items in your cart, sir? We charge a $12.00 fee for that."

[375RUGER]

It costs me $9 in fuel and at least an 1 hour minimum drive time, round trip to get to the sportsmans warehouse. I stay out of ABQ if I don't need to go, so it's not like I can stop by if I'm nearby. most of the time the trip is 100% shipping cost with zero product in transit. I don't sweat shipping charges if I want it. If I find what I want online and the price is reasonable, the shipping is a wash as far as I'm concerned. My LFS (local fuel supplier) is going to get it or the carrier is going to get it. It's the same to me.
.
I'm curious, what the purpose of putting reflective tape on a stock? I don't think I've seen that.

[Chili]

Reasonable shipping costs are one thing, but outrageous cost are another. For example I was going to order a complete upper from PSA but shipping was $37! For a comparable upper from DSA shipping was $14. What gives?

[cali4088]

Flat rate envelope postage printed online cost 4.95

[Blacksmith]

So called shipping and handling charges do not reflect the true costs because companies have made the shipping department a profit center. They don't look at shipping as an expense of doing business but as a way to increase the company profit. This only works for a period of time because as the shipping cost goes up more and more people cancel the orders when they find the total cost is too much. With fewer shipments to cover the fixed costs in order for the department to show a profit the shipping charges get higher and higher resulting in fewer and fewer orders. Just look at Midway, remember a couple of years ago their shipping got so high everyone on the internet was complaining and going elsewhere. Search this forum and you will find the complaints. Midway figured out what was happening and have lowered their shipping prices and I am sure they have seen an increase in business because of it.

The answer is to vote with your wallet and cancel the order if shipping is to much. If you look you can usually find it somewhere else. Don't fool yourself by saying I got a great bargain I got it for $5.00, and then pay $10.00 shipping, look at the total cost you actually got it for $15.00. If someone else is selling the same thing for $9.95 + "free shipping" the shipping really isn't free it's $4.95 but the total deal is better than the one at the bargain price.

I will keep a wish list at several vendors with the same or similar items on it (smaller things always in need i.e. mold handles, bullets, cleaning supplies,etc), then when I really want something I will compare prices including shipping charges on more than one vendor. After the order for what I really want is prepared I will start adding items from my wish list and check the shipping cost, it will usually stay the same or only increase slightly until I hit a point where it jumps to the next higher level. I then drop the last item ordered so the shipping drops and figure I am shipping those extra items for free or nearly so.

It is your money spend it any way you want. I make mine go as far as I can.

[gray wolf]

I hate those words handling fee. I don't think anyone gets all rowdy about a reasonable shipping cost, but when it hits you right in the face that you are being flogged--well it's a turn off.

[Recluse]

Thinking about this more, it doesn't cost a retailer any more in wage overhead to have someone pack and ship items than it does to have someone stock shelves and man a cash register.
Yet, I don't recall ever having a brick and mortar store add a handling fee at the checkout...
"You want me to ring up the items in your cart, sir? We charge a $12.00 fee for that."

Don't kid yourself. You're paying for shipping and transportation on every single retail item you purchase from any brick & mortar store.

As far as mail order/online retailers, I would invite some of you to go visit some large shipping warehouses and see exactly how the orders are fulfilled, packed and shipped. Then you'll understand the shipping fees.

Additionally, if your LGS was to carry everything, as in the entire inventory, of a Midway or Midsouth or Brownells, you probably wouldn't be able to set foot in the place, such would be their minimum overhead costs.

As I've said before, with gas at around $3.30 a gallon, that two or three hours of driving around looking for one or two things at the various gun stores, and then paying the local retail price. . . IF I can even find the item/s I'm looking for or that I need. . . the shipping charges are what they are.

So a flat-rate box costs five bucks. How does the item you ordered get into the box, get some packing around it and get to the post office?

:coffee:

[HNSB]

Don't kid yourself. You're paying for shipping and transportation on every single retail item you purchase from any brick & mortar store.
That's kind of where I was going with that...


So a flat-rate box costs five bucks. How does the item you ordered get into the box, get some packing around it and get to the post office?
Why accept that when you go into the store the price reflects all of the costs involved, but ordering online it doesn't?

I suspect that because it's easier for customers to price shop online, retailers want to keep their "sticker" prices low and then add in other charges at checkout hoping they won't ditch their cart at that point, vs. just having a higher sticker price and risk that you'll move on to another site right away.
I don't really care how they make the money or structure the pricing. The part that's frustrating to me is having to invest the time into putting an order together in order to find out that the shipping fees are ridiculous.

[starmac]

There is no comparision in the way shipping id done to a retail outlet and low volume to an individual. Even if you order from a retail outlet, but choose not to wait on a stock order, there will be some bigger shipping and handling charges. Some retailers used to figure 3% is what shipping cost them, I'm sure it has gone up. When you are talking ltl freight (small orders) it is a whole different ballgame.

[cali4088]

if you can fit an item into a flat rate small box, that box will fit into a flat rate envelope. Why pay 5.60 when you can pay 4.95?

[leeggen]

USPS has changed what can be sent in a packing envelope. Anything that causes a bulge supposedly will not go thru the scanner for those envelopes. That is according to our local post office. yeah shipping sticks but sometimes you just have to pay it if you want you item.
CD

[Black Powder Bill]

My scanner printer dies this week. Short in the ink cartridges. The were installed new in this past fall. Those cartridges still had several hundred labels to print. New ink ctgs. were $98.99. I spent $140.00 today on a new printer. A roll of brown fiber take is $14.00. Plastic tape is $3.00 per roll.

I ship as close to the actual cost as possible. I could save a few dollars by shipping uninsured.

I just jousted with a guy for 20 mins on how cheap he could get bullets. I check his source and found he lied to me & the stuff was out of stock & was .72 more than I quoted!

I'm all over my wholesale dealers on shipping. I told one group they could save customers 1/2 in shipping cost if they would ship flat rate non orm-d items. The person that responded to my call was pretty much clueless on what her shipping department did.

I have one outfit that will drop ship to my customers for an additional $4.00. Shipping is included in all their products and I have found the local warehouse prices to be with in pennies of this particular wholesale house. AND I don't have to drive 25 mi round trip. = 2 gallons of diesel and 2 hours of my time.

I have found that guys who work shift work or those who live out in the boonies will place an order and at times will ask me if I need more for shipping.

I'll not lower a price because a guy whines about shipping or my prices. Go ahead, place a back order with Slippery Sam's Silver/Gold~Guns Ammo & Pawn . LOL

[cali4088]

Leegen, I believe you have shipping a padded envelope (*first class) and a flat rate (priority) envelope mixed up. There is no weight restriction to flat rate envelops and the flaps only need to close properly. Padded envelops or "stay flats" do have many restrictions. Specifically they cannot be over 13 ounces and cannot be more than 3/4 inches thick. Hope this helps.

[cali4088]

black powder. You know why i dont hear them whine about shipping? because I factor shipping in my price and just offer free shipping. It eliminates the problem

[FLINTNFIRE]

Midway used to offer free shipping was around 2000 or so they went to actual cost they said , I order a order with enough to spread the cost of shipping and any fees to get the best I can no matter where I shop, and there is not a great selection where I live , I like to buy local but I also like to get savings and powder and primers when they were available were cheaper other places , and stuff that I could not get local , unless I wanted to order through the local store so they could add their markup and end up ordering from the same place . And anymore I really do not like going to the crowded stores or drive around looking for something if I do not have to.

[dbosman]

Electronics parts and kits are worse. I've not ordered a lot of kits and parts due to $35 shipping on a $45 order.