What's up with shipping charges?

atblis

New Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2006
Location
SW VA
I ordered a bearing and a small parts kit for my T18

drivetrain.com charged my $18.00 shipping for that. WTF?

Stinking quadratec always wants something like at least $20 whenever I start putting and order together.

I know diesel costs have gone up but $18 to ship something that I can go to the post office and ship for $5.
 
A lot of those places have a flat rate for parts in a certain price range. Completely a rip off if you ask me. I don't order from places like that anymore. If you can order them locally that would be the way to go. Napa is a good place to start. Usually they can transfer a part from another store if they don't have it.
 
Ya can't ship crap for $5 anymore. DHL consistently beats UPS, and once it goes out of state, it's never less than $10.

The "handling" charge also covers the box, packing materials, etc...

Sucks, but it's life. I use the USPS flat rate box as much as possible.

P.S. CHIT CHAT
 
Rich said:
The "handling" charge also covers the box, packing materials, etc...
Click to expand...

DING DING DING! It costs money for Packaging Materials and the time to pack and label and proccess your order. Or they could just up the price of you product by $18 and and offer "Free Shipping" if it makes you feel better.
 
I ship stuff daily from my job. We have to include in the price of our product all packaging material, and all Misc material like labels (we make sewing thread not exactly apples to apples). What I am getting at is cpmpanies could lower the shipping cost on products. The problem then gets to be the only way to get their money back is to raise the prices on the products they sale to cover the cost of packaging parts for shipping.

A lot of parts companies have set price for shipping based on the dollar amount of your order. You might order a $100 dollar intake and pay $20 shipping. Then turn around and order a $100 MAP or knock sensor and pay the same $20 in shipping cost. The weight is no where near the same but the shipping cost is. That is how the recover their cost for shipping they stick it to the guy who orders small parts.
 
USPS for small stuff under 10#
UPS (or other for heavier items.

SO if you buy small items the company should stick it in a $1 envelope and send it to you ? While ensuring you get it and they can track it and quickly get you a refund if its lost... All while providing a consistent quality of service.. All traits NOT suited to the USPS..
 
Well I ship pretty relevant shit.
Engine parts and such.

We use FedEx and UPS.
And both are way cheaper than what you pay.

Hell I next dayed a 6BT engine (slightly more than 10# :flipoff2: )from Charlotte to Chesapeake VA on Wednseday for 42.50.
Granted we definitely get a bulk shipper discount.

4-5 years ago a federal law was changed, it used to be illegal to profit on the shipping side of an order, now its just a shell game to out price the competitor.

I can live with that. What I can not and will not tolerate is a retail store that charges me shipping to get a product they sell but do not have in stock, and it is shipping from THEIR warehouse (4wpw anyone?)

I mean if I go to a distributor and he orders it direct JUST FOR ME, ok. But if it comes from his warehouse he needs to include freight. Just my $.02
 
There are alot of peolpe on ebay that don't make crap on the sale of the Item but make there money on the shipping charges. But at least you know up front most of the time.
 
Yup, for many 'net based bottom-dollar companies, a bif chunk of their small profit is coming from the shipping/handling. See, the base price they have to charge tax on, e.g. it is reported as income. Shipping on the other hand - not taxable by the state/feds, or even have to be reported item-to-item. So I can sell you Part X for $20 and charge $5 shipping, I then have to report/pay income tax on $20, or I can charge $5 for the part (at a loss) and charge $20 for the shipping, and I then pay income tax on only the $5 minus the cost loss. This is extreme and sleezy and makes you a target for an audot though, otehrwise even more folks would do it.....
 
I shipped a 70# third member USPS for like $12.63 or something. Granted it took like 2 weeks to get from Raleigh to just outside Winston, but for $13!
 
Some places such as...

Summit Racing
ToolWarehouse.net
JC Whitney
Northern Tool??


Offer free shipping with order over $100 or so on most items. If you live close (gas prices) to an Auto parts store you can have them order it for you and you can avoid most shipping charges that way.

I know that Sears and Circuit City offer buy online, pickup in store (no shipping charges) on a lot of items.
 
mbalbritton said:
DING DING DING! It costs money for Packaging Materials and the time to pack and label and proccess your order. Or they could just up the price of you product by $18 and and offer "Free Shipping" if it makes you feel better.
Click to expand...
Like Jeg's. They give "free shipping", but charge a healthy "handling fee".
 
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