Sounds like you shop at the same place I do as far as the inventory and ordering program. I just had two back to back orders. One from my regular vender for three locos some paint and decals which adds a little weight to the package and bulk. The other was from a major company for some decals only. Both delivered to my doorstep in three days and both under the $8 mark for shipping costs. Now somebody had to go to the warehouse in both cases, prepare the order, package the orders appropriately so that the 500 pound gorilla in the mail sorting facility couldn't damage it, all involving cost. I understand that and have no issues at all with what I paid. Cardboard boxes, bubble wrap, foam peanuts, padded shipping envelopes, and mailing labels, and tape all cost $$. Plus the salary of the person in the warehouse and the few cents worth of paper to print out the invoice. So $7, 8, or 9 is a fair price to pay considering it also includes the cost of the delivery service.
I agree and do the same thing but if I do I accept the shipping as part of it , but just try to minimize the cost. Mike
Have to agree on the multiple items to save shipping Mike. In some situations though...like when you have just about everything ya need for your layout but one more item is needed....it doesnt make sense to wait a year till ya need a total of 3 items to order...;-) ** BTW...I ordered the item I needed from you Fifer....lol. I liked that 7.00 was all it cost for shipping
Your quoted shipping costs are very reasonable, and as such, I never actually need to pay any attention to them. I know that is how these items come into my hands. The more I can get at one time, the shipping gets spread amongst the items such that as you say, it is in reality minimized.
Thanks for that guys , we try to be fair. Another side bar, as a retailer I HAVE to watch and read these rants. Mike
I sell HotWheels & Matchbox cars on ebay & can ship as many as 3 via first class mail for $3.77. Any more than that goes priority flat rate, $5.80 or parcel select, which ever is less.
Do you actually believe that what you do from your house shipping an odd box or two out of your post box is in any manner relevant to what a commercial hobby shop that ships a hundred boxes a day has to do? Try setting a hundred odd shaped boxes outside your house and see if the postman actually picks them up. Next try to get a commercial pickup out of the good ole USPS. Do you really believe that everything a hobby shop ships fits into one of three or four Priority Flat Rate boxes? I assume you also work for free packing the boxes - if so I know several brick and mortar LHS that would very much like you to work there. The thread is or was about hobby shop shipping prices.
Wow... I think some people just enjoy being ticked off about stuff. Has anybody bothered to read all the posts, explaining how this stuff works? CALL THE RETAILER AND ASK! There's a very good chance it's a bug in his cart script, which is simply miscalculating the shipping. $5.80 is the absolute cheapest box. It's the size of a VHS cassette. How would a styrene kit fit in that? Bubble pack is about $25 per 125' roll. Packing paper is over $1 a pound. The cheapest tape you can find is $1.50 a roll. Shipping labels are about .30 a piece. THIS ALL COSTS MONEY. But somebody should be shot for charging a penny over the exact cost? Man, am I glad I don't run a hobby business.
Mike, as you have seen from my orders, at least 3 freight cars at a time, I agree, more is less. as for the weather, other than Friday, hot, damn hot!
The problem is, that's not always an option. When you are looking for uncommon or out of production items, you grab it from whoever has it even if they have nothing else you want to buy to spread out the shipping costs.
I just gotta..... 1) As far as a script program miscalculating....probably not. Even if so...I am sure by now 'that etailer' has heard from someone else who thinks their shipping is high...or at the very least read this thread...so they know. 2) As far as bubble wrap and tape...that is spread over MANY orders...ya dont use a whole roll of wrap or tape per shipment. Most bussineses dont go to Walmart or Kmart for shipping supplies...they order them at a bulk discount online themselves. Free shipping boxes through the Post Office. Shipping labels can be printed right off the Postal Service website. So I figure roughly...at most $1.00 for supplies per order. Postage....plus time to 'handle' the order. $7.00 to $8.00 sounds about reasonable for shipping USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes...NOT $15.00 + 3) An etailer should be making $$$$$ off the price of the item...not off shipping charges !!! 4) LOL...Rick never said someone should be shot. He said "...should be taken out and shot...with a camera..." ;-)
I don't understand why you have to be so ignorant. The USPS flat rate medium sized box is 12.35. Your model won't fit in the small 5.80 box. Just order it from Fifers and be done with it.if you think it is cheaper.
Shops can also print their own postage. I gotta think most n scale locomotives weigh less than 13 oz, which is the max you can send via first class in the US.
Once again, just how is that relevant to a hobby shop that ships a hundred boxes a day? Gee, wonderful, you have learned how to print postage and the postman picks up your box. Put a hundred boxes out there, print a hundred postage stamps and get back to me how that works for you. Not to mention that most credit card firms would laugh you out of the room when there is a non delivery claim on a credit card charge on first class mail. I am sorry, but you simply cannot equate shipping an odd box out of your home to a commercial enterprise any more than I can compare my Aunt Mary sending her pie to the Cheesecake factory shipment. This a thread about hobby shop shipping costs. Try reading the entire thread.
I did order it from Fiber days ago.... Ship Via: USPS Priority Mail S/H: $7.15 What I dont get is people who cant understand that that 'east coast etailer' wants $15.00 shipping for the same item ? WHY? is all I ask ? The distance has nothing to do with it BTW...thnxs
As close as you are to that North Miami store, it's worth it to go over there on a Saturday morning and bs about trains. Mark
