$9.15 S&H for a pendant?

[THAT Guy]

I've heard nothing but good things about the people at TC Glass but was just curious how you guys would feel charging customers $9.15 shipping and handling on a pendant. Yeah it's insured priority mail and yes it takes time and materials to ship stuff but $9.15 to ship a pendant?

I've contemplated requiring customers to purchase insurance, putting my $2.50 base shipping costs at $4.20 but have always decided against it because I think too many people would rate my "S&H charges" portion of my detailed seller rating too low.

What do you guys think?

http://cgi.ebay.com/TCGLASSARTS-BORO-FOCAL-BEAD-LAMPWORK-ART-GLASS-PENDANT_W0QQitemZ120379965655QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH _DefaultDomain_0?hash=item120379965655&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A4|65%3A16|39%3A1|240%3A1318

[skip]

I think it's not really any of your business to post that on this site. If you want to ask them then ask them. How lame is it to link to someone's glass site then slam I mean question their policies.

Lame.

[bzglass]

seems way high to me, I guess its really up to the customer, and how bad they want the thing.

I wouldn't pay that much shipping for a pendant. it is such a small item and shipping insurance doesn't add that much really.

I buy a lot of things from ebay, and I usually always buy from whoever has the best shipping prices.

However I guess art is probably different beacuase everything is unique.
In comparison though Fumealicious only charges $5.00 on his marbles and they weigh a lot more than pendants.

[Icarus]

Well, they are shipping it out priority, but I would agree, it still seems a bit excessive.

[jr23]

Really I think getting paid for you time away from the torch is up to you. If you just charge what it cost you get nothing for all the hassle. Based on a journeyman's glass wage 18-60 bucks a hr materials aside. If you spent 10 min packing and count packing expense you are over that so I say no way you might sell less but you get paid for the time you use on packing. So if a artist decides to go that route more power to them!

[Icarus]

Okay, thats a good point you make. I think sometimes it's too easy to think about only the raw materials involved, and not consider time or hassle spent on the item.

[AVC-Ed]

$5.45 for basic priority mail.
$1.80 for signature verification.
$6.75 so far.
$??? for insurance.

It's quite easy to get to $9.15, especially if the insurance value is high.

They may be using purchased boxes instead of the free boxes from USPS, that would also add to the price.

I don't see the problem.

[Dale M.]

Shipping prices are all over the places....... Some places determine shipping by weight, some determine shipping by dollar value of item(s). Some just seem arbitrary...

I recently got nicked $9.50 shipping on a $1.30 part for my leaf blower. But then seller had it in stock, and he has to pay shipping on it to get it to his warehouse, somebody had to pull it from stock, put it in box, print out and apply labels, notify shipper, shipper transported it from somewhere in Ohio, to a distribution center near my home and a great big box van and driver had to drive it about 40 miles from distribution center to my home in foot hills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Calif (during a show storm) ...

Actually when you think about it its pretty cheap...

Dale

[The Lorax]

my pendants cost about 1.50 - 2.50 to ship i charge $3....

[THAT Guy]

Skip, you've had it out for me for years now so I take everything you say to me with a grain of salt. If you'll notice, I started this thread out by saying I've heard nothing but good things about those guys and I've got no beef with them at all, I was just legitimately curious what everyone thought about shipping costs that are more than 200%+ more than most artists and if it would fly with their customers.

Your suggestion of e mailing them directly about the topic is akin to asking the owner of Vinnie's Pizza if his pizza is good.

How lame are you to hold a stupid grudge over some old misunderstanding that only you seem to care about?


I think it's not really any of your business to post that on this site. If you want to ask them then ask them. How lame is it to link to someone's glass site then slam I mean question their policies.

Lame.

[michaeL25]

1. The charge is for shipping & handling. Handling warrents additional cost over shipping as time is money
2. Having an increased S&H charge and a lower purchase price is one way for a seller to net more money and the buyer to pay the same amount on ebay.

[dnug42]

thats why ebay blows....

[The Lorax]

yea, fuck ebay and their shiesty fees.

[Udai Hussien]

its like the guys who sell the really cheap crap on T.V"get a second for FREE, Just pay "PROCESSING and handling". See, there was a recent law passed saying it's usury to charge an exuberant fee ( I believe it's any more that 12% of the sales price) and claim it as "Shipping and Handling" charges. So if you listen closely, they call it "Processing and Handling" a slight loophole. I bought a DVD on ebay 4 years ago for $0.99. wow what a bargain! but then the auction was over, and I was charged 99 cents, PLUS $17.50 in shipping charges. i contacted said dick, he told me to return the dvd, he would refund my money MINUS the shipping fees. So I got a negative feedback in return. Now it's illegal to do that on Ebay now, and it appears to be catching on everywhere now. The new scam is free trials. you get a product (like Acai vitiman supplments, big dick groth pills, hair tonic, wrinkle cream, ect, for free!!! but signing up for the free bottle, you sign up for a monthly subscription, where they juice your bank account for hundreds of dollars.

Now All I can say, is EXACTLY what i tell my dad, feel free to use it with any of your elderly, or just gullible friends and family members:

No one is going ot give you something for nothing! They have to make money, just like you do, so if it sounds too good to be true, well then it is!
Anyway, if I can keep just one more person from the Denis Brady's of the world, then I have done my good deed for the day. Now to finish the machine that will teleport a kick from my shoe to the crotch of Brock Craig, I can die a satisfied man.

[skip]

I started this thread out by saying I've heard nothing but good things about those guys and I've got no beef with them at all

That guy sure is swell and all but why what a jerk to question another blower who is not on here to explain and has nothing to do with this conversation.

Your not questioning the policy of some amazon store dude. It's a glassblower . Maybe your feeling it's your competition so you'll shed a bad light on them. whatever. BUt oh yeah you started by saying "They're Great!!"

[Greymatter Glass]

I'm kinda with Skip on this. Nothing to do with ThatGuy or their drama, just a simple principle issue.

Thatguy, if you'd said "someone" as a generic term, rather than mention james by his company name, then I think things would have been more clear on the intent of your post...

still... I agree... that's kinda high, but whatever, it's a common ploy to get around ebay fees, not a plot to bilk customers. ALWAYS look at the full price before you buy.

I buy green laser pointers from taiwan sometimes, and they do the same thing. You can get a green laser pointer for $3 and pay $20 in S&H, or pay $26 and get free shipping. The seller gets the same amount roughly after ebay fees.

-Doug

[THAT Guy]

You know what Skip, I could (and probably should) have left out the specifics- I only posted the link so people could see the piece being shipped so I didn't get a lot of "well, they probably start their stuff off at $.99 and use S&H to make up for it".

The thing is, you don't like me so you always ASSUME everything I do is to screw somebody else over and that simply isn't the case. Those on here that have dealt with or met me can vouch that I'm a stand up guy (no pun intended).

Your assertion that I'm on here slandering another blower that I've never met and have only heard good things about so I can somehow help my sales is absolutely ridiculous.

You think I'm that much of a stupid piece of shit that I'd waste my time talking to a few GLASSBLOWERS that aren't going to buy my stuff or theirs about shipping and handling costs as some new brilliant marketing strategy to further my business?

Skip, you're how much older than me and actually said you can't wait to laugh at me in person with friends of yours if I make it to AGI...you've got to get out of this high school mentality and learn to let shit go.



That guy sure is swell and all but why what a jerk to question another blower who is not on here to explain and has nothing to do with this conversation.

Your not questioning the policy of some amazon store dude. It's a glassblower . Maybe your feeling it's your competition so you'll shed a bad light on them. whatever. BUt oh yeah you started by saying "They're Great!!"

[THAT Guy]

I see where you're coming from and I only linked to the auction to avoid what I assumed would be a barrage of "the S&H is high to make up for the pendant being $.99" or whatever. In hindsight, I should have done that to avoid this, which I didn't see coming.

Sorry for any ambiguity on my part, I assure you everything I said is true about having zero problem with James and having heard only good things about him.

I was just trying to spark a legitimate discussion about shipping costs (which I've heard plenty bitch about over the years) and should have done it in a way that didn't leave anybody thinking I was out to damage anybody's reputation.

I don't even think that $9.15 is ridiculous because I know what it takes to ship a pendant, just saying that my customers wouldn't understand and would think it was way too high.

I'll be more careful in the future.



I'm kinda with Skip on this. Nothing to do with ThatGuy or their drama, just a simple principle issue.

Thatguy, if you'd said "someone" as a generic term, rather than mention james by his company name, then I think things would have been more clear on the intent of your post...

still... I agree... that's kinda high, but whatever, it's a common ploy to get around ebay fees, not a plot to bilk customers. ALWAYS look at the full price before you buy.

I buy green laser pointers from taiwan sometimes, and they do the same thing. You can get a green laser pointer for $3 and pay $20 in S&H, or pay $26 and get free shipping. The seller gets the same amount roughly after ebay fees.

-Doug

[The Lorax]

I don't even think that $9.15 is ridiculous because I know what it takes to ship a pendant, just saying that my customers wouldn't understand and would think it was way too high.



9.15 is way ridiculous (unless you live up in maine and gotta drive 30 miles to the post office), it's so easy to ship a pendant. and cheap

[ALIEN!]

I just charge what I feel is right for the whole 9 yards and say "free shipping", when in reality I have figured the cost of shipping into my price.

[THAT Guy]

I don't think he's ripping anybody off or anything ($4.95 priority mail + $1.70 for shipping, then there's packing materials and time spent doing it), just saying that a lot of people won't understand the true cost involved and automatically think it was a rip off. Shit, I'll overnight somebody a pendant for a little over actual cost, but everyone likes a cheaper alternative, especially in this economy.


9.15 is way ridiculous (unless you live up in maine and gotta drive 30 miles to the post office), it's so easy to ship a pendant. and cheap

[glassdocnc]

I think it's just a matter of marketing preference - on ebay in particular. I always think it's kind of funny to see the same seller with items like Doug said...


I buy green laser pointers from taiwan sometimes, and they do the same thing. You can get a green laser pointer for $3 and pay $20 in S&H, or pay $26 and get free shipping. The seller gets the same amount roughly after ebay fees.

...and looking at their closed auctions it's apparent that they have customers who go for the free shipping every time and others who consistently hit the .99 start auctions. Ebay is a wierd little world unto itself, everyone wants to feel like they are getting a bargain.

[Johan]

Coming from someone that works with shipping...9.15 isn't high if he's using priority.

[Dom]

I dont agree, 9.15 is rediculous.

I just shipped out a box about 6x6x4, and it was like 1.35 for priority.

[skip]

1.35 for priority? $4.95 is the minimum for Priority shipping at my post office. What post office do you use?

[Dom]

United States Post Office.

Actually I think the box was alot smaller tho, maybe like 2x2x4.

[skip]

I ship multiple packages usps priority every day and have never paid less than $4.95 both in Oregon and California.

[$$$$$$$]

That's why you fuckers get taxed over there... you also probably don't think you can buy a 500 sqft house for less than $500,000

[mer]

when you think about it it's still hella cheap. i mean, you're having somebody take some shit across the country or around the world for you. i would charge a lot if somebody asked me to do that shit.

i heard they're talking about cutting usps back to five days a week.

[Mecha]

Priority mail service has a set rate all across the country. The base rate is $4.95, period. There is no where in the country you can get it for cheaper. Maybe first class mail, but not priority.

Link (http://www.usps.com/prices/welcome.htm) to base prices. These are set nationwide and do not vary market to market.

[AVC-Ed]

I dont agree, 9.15 is rediculous.

I just shipped out a box about 6x6x4, and it was like 1.35 for priority.

Not hardly.

http://www.usps.com/prices/priority-mail-prices.htm

Cheapest rate is $4.95.

$1.35 is probably a First Class rate: http://www.usps.com/prices/first-class-mail-prices.htm

[Dom]

Ok maybe it was first class, but the guy still got it in like 2-3 days.

The auction guy might as well charge for express shipping. Yes the cost will be actual, but most people want the cheapest shipping option.