Sox-Fan

What I don't understand it that I bought it online. Why ship a paper catalog for an online purchase? For that matter, why even print a catalog anymore? And why make me pay for shipping on a catalog that vastly outweighed my purchase?

I'm sorry, but 401k, medical, dental or whatever else was cited has no bearing on simple poor shipping practices.

It's really simple. If shipping the 1 pound product is 4 bucks don't add 3.5 pounds of trash and make it 16 bucks.

mrr23

i have no problem paying for the "priviledge" of me buying from them. But I don't like to squander my money.

Mr31FlavorsVette

I've always wondered why some vendors charge you shipping based on the total price you are paying for your order What does that have to do with the cost of actually shipping the order? When ever I ship something the cost is calculated based on weight, where it's being shipped to, how fast I want it delivered, and whether it's oversized. The price I paid for the item I'm shipping it is not a consideration, unless you opt for insurance.

I was going to order a small, very light product from a CF vendor that could easily be placed in an envelope and mailed USPS for less than $3. They wanted $8, about half the cost of the product itself.

Look, I own 2 businesses and I'm very concerned with costs and my bottom line, I get it, but I don't like feeling like I'm being taken advantage of when I'm over charged for shipping. The price that these vendors charge for their product should already include all their related costs, they should not be profiting on shipping, the shipping companies are already doing that.

I guess some merchants just use a "one size fits all" shipping package, which may fit anything up to a certain size or weight, and base their shipping price on that cost. I ordered an auto shift adapter that I received with the wrong size jam nut. The vendor shipped me another nut in the same size box that I originally received that contained the adapter, shift ball, and a few other parts. It seems to me that having the correct size packaging would benefit everyone in the long run.

JW Motorsports

It's best to just look at the total price of a product when purchasing IMO.

I am building a new site and aiming to include shipping costs in all products. There is no confusion, and hopefully no complaints this way. One issue is returns. When someone returns something they didn't want or need, that S&H cost has to be deducted from the total cost. There was no shipping charge added in so this is often disputed. Another issue is it looks like your pricing is higher. Luckily we have a nice little "FREE SHIPPING" icon that is visible.

Mikark

If it doesn't say free shipping I don't buy it! Figure it into this price instead of blatantly screwing people.https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...s/biggrin5.gif

jmxp69

I believe you're off the mark. Nobody is complaining about paying reasonable shipping charges. The complaint is about paying what we ALL KNOW if a multi-thousand percent mark-up for shipping a lightweight piece. If you're willing to pay $10 shipping for a small padded envelope, well, I guess you know where to shop. I would have been happy to pay $2, $3, or maybe even $4 which still should have covered cost+ for the service.

PS I'm selling my C5 for $175k. I've got some overhead and man hours invested I need to recoup. Free shipping anywhere in the continental US. Interested?

I thought it was a terrible response, but I bit my tongue...until I saw defense of these poor and consumer unfriendly "policies".

1) Let's not muddy the water with inaccurate statements: Everybody has shipping costs, but not everyone has a minimum shipping charge. End of discussion.

2) A padded envelop with lightweight part does not warrant a $9.99 shipping charge. That's a policy based on inefficient business practice resulting in multi-thousand percent mark-ups for the instances cited. This issue is about vendors that cannot or will not charge reasonable and appropriate shipping rates. The OP experienced this issue and felt compelled to say something about it. I'm willing to pay--and I'm sure the OP was willing to pay--reasonable and appropriate shipping charges. $9.99 for a 2 oz. piece is not reasonable or appropriate under any set of circumstances.

3) Why is it "spoiled" to order online? Why is that any different than using a forum for technical advice instead of buying a manual? Why does using online services saving time and money make anybody spoiled? Nobody holds a gun to vendor's heads and makes them provide online sales/service. It's called supply and demand. They do, we take advantage, and for that we're spoiled? Really?

Companies that can't keep up get left behind. See RIM. When vendors can't figure it out, that's fine, they just move to the bottom of my list. By the way, when I believe a vendor has unreasonable or unfriendly consumer 'policies' I remember it. This time it's a $5.00 part, next it's a $500 suspension, and after that a $5000 blower. I can tell you where I won't be starting those searches.

Thanks for the enlightened advice. I won't, I didn't, and I moved along. I didn't have to drive around for hours either. One phone call, part ordered. Again, this isn't about paying shipping--I've got a wallet and I'm willing to open it. This is about paying a reasonable and appropriate price. So please don't bother trying to justify $9.99 for a 1oz envelope, you're on the low ground with that one. Those types of policies get changed when people vote with their wallets..so I voted and will continue to do so.

There are lots of companies with consumer unfriendly policies. Ultimately the market decides what happens to them. See Netflix vs Blockbuster.

racebum

west coast corvette is one of the only reasonable "corvette" places i've found with shipping

if i mail order it's usually from amazon or rock auto

my local dealer will price match gm parts direct on most things, or, at least get as close as they can and then i have no shipping and support a local business

you guys should talk to your local dealers and see if you can workout discounts on parts

bjones7131

I have shipped quiet a few items i have sold on ebay so i know a fair price for shipping and these vette vendors/companies r gouging u on product price and shipping. I will not buy from any of them if at all possibe. Again boycott their greedy hide, we. Can effect their bottom line.

KoreaJon

Here's one for ya!

I'm an American and I live in South Korea. I am affiliated with the US Army, therefore I have an "APO" address. An "APO" address is a US address which serves service members who are serving overseas.
This is a US Postal Service address.
This is NOT an international address.

Some businesses, like Ecklers, do not ship their products via the US Postal Service; they use UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.
Because of this, we at an APO sometimes have to use a "re-shipping" service, like "APOBox.com."
When you use "APOBox.com," you have to pay shipping from the merchant to the APOBox location. You then have to pay APOBox.com a $10 service fee, PLUS shipping from the APOBox.com location to your own APO box.

Here's the rub: I recently ordered some seat foam and some door panel clips from Ecklers. The order went through, no problem. A day later I get a shipping confirmation from Ecklers stating "Your door clips have shipped." This means I got the privilege of paying shipping from Ecklers to the APOBox.com place, their $10 fee, and shipping charges from there to here.

A day later, I got a message from Ecklers that said "We are processing your foam for shipment."
WTF!!!

Now I get to pay for shipping on the foam from Ecklers to the APOBox.com place, their $10 fee, and shipping from there to here.

Dammit!! Why, oh why, couldn't they have placed those little-bitty clips in the same package as the foam?!! Or AT LEAST let me know before I ordered that they would ship separately?!!

Soo....I basically I paid for 4 shipping charges...

Oh, well....the foam will arrive in a couple months and all will be well in the world.....

Rant over,
KoreaJon

rjwz28

Camjamsdad

That's an easy one. The majority of vendors don't "stock" the products they sell. Some, like ecklers, have a substantial inventory on hand but can't stock everything. So they drop ship. You pay them, they place your order from their supplier, the supplier ships directly to you.

65GGvert

And I believe you're forgetting that shipping cost to a seller is more than the charge he pays for shipping. As the vendor said earlier, he has to pay people to do all the things to order, stock, package the parts, plus all the benefits everyone gets now. He also has to pay for lights, insurance, taxes, and somehow come up with a profit to stay in business. As I said earlier, if you don't like a vendor's shipping prices, buy somewhere else. He'll either lower them or lose the business. If he loses the business, you can buy somewhere else anyway. I don't see much point to get on an international forum and rant about shipping costs when there are multiple sites to buy from. Buy where you get the cheapest overall price, and that isn't always where you get "free shipping".

mrr23

And what's the point for you to tell us what's the point of us expressing our disdain for what's going on? Don't like what we have to say then don't look.

A good company would want to know what they are doing wrong to improve their business. If not that just means they don't care.

chipscvettec5

Can you say "Passdown"? It's out of control.

mcrank

I have heard that supplier have to charge high shipping to pay for overhead.Then what is the over priced (because it said for Corvette) proffix goes for?

LT1driver

don't buy from people who charge high shipping rates. i refuse and would rather do without before paying them high price. that is how you stop the problem...don't buy from them. ecklers is and always has been overpriced.

reath1

I agree that some of these minimum shipping charges are way overpriced.

Some time back, I ordered some GM parts from a forum vendor. I paid extra for 3 day shipping. Received the order in 7 or 8 days I believe. He ordered the parts, had them shipped to him and then shipped to me. CREATING overhead shipping charges and making the speedy shipping somewhat of a joke. I have since switched to another GM forum parts supplier. If I order anything with quicker than standard shipping he has the item drop shipped to my house and never touches them.

A lot of these vendors could clean up quite a bit of their overhead instead of passing it along to us with very high shipping costs.

rjwz28

jmxp69

Wrong. I haven't forgotten anything. Just stating a minimum shipping charge of $9.99 for a 1oz piece is not reasonable or appropriate. Not commenting at all on any other impact to this shipping cost structure. Not relevant to the problem.

As do every other online operator who manage to find ways to charge reasonable and appropriate rates for ALL products they sell.

Just beating a dead horse here? Thanks again for the advice.

Maybe it's to help the vendor understand he wanted to do business with them but their shipping policy got in the way. Maybe his wife kicked his dog that day and he felt like venting a little. If you don't see the point, why do you bother posting in the thread? When I see something I believe is silly, I skip it.

Your wheels are really stuck in the mud on "free shipping" aren't they. I'm going to say it for the last time, after this you're talking to yourself: This is about reasonable and appropriate shipping charges.

RetiredSFC 97

This is the thing. I don't mind paying shipping charges at all. But the internet is designed so that you don't have all these costs, like building, heat, employees, etc that brick and mortar stores have so the cost of the item should be cheaper.

But it's not. many vendors are wanting the same price, or in some cases more, than a brick and mortar store siting convenience as the excuse and charges for shipping.

Let's face it. Car hobbies are expensive and parts are only sold in certain places. Pay the shipping or don't buy the item. I always take shipping charges into account when I buy something. I have dumped many a cart after I saw what the shipping charge was.

But I'm not blaming the vendor either although it may sound as though I am. They are in business and charge what they must to be in business, I can buy it or not buy it. My call.

I'm waiting to see what I get for my door control led lights I paid almost 60 bucks for with shipping. If it's just some led light bulbs I'm going to be pissed.