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I placed an order from SU! from the new catalog the other day and the S&H and taxes were $37!!! I love their products, but when I saw that, I wonder how long they are going to get more of my business. If we order online with SU!, will we have to pay sales tax?
If I order from PTI or MFT or my dear Bellas, I pay much less and they have free shipping if you spend a certain amount. Trust me, any of those companies would have given me free S&H with the amount of my order!
SU! is starting to branch out, as with the die cut machine and the wall decor, WHEN will they understand about their competition and offering UM and if not free shipping, at least better rates if you spend a big wad? Yikes! $37!! I could have had another stamp set or two at that rate!
Well, the taxes aren't anything SU! can do about, they are just a fact of life. Now the shipping, I do agree that shipping is a little high, but again, that is beyond SU! control. They increase when the increase is made by UPS, only fair I think.
As for companies offering free shipping, I feel that have to do that to get their customer base. Not that there is anything wrong with that. They aren't the size that SU! is with the sales that SU! gets and by offering free shipping, that sets them apart.
Even though SU! may be a little higher, one thing you need to consider is that you get a demonstrator too when you order from SU! You don't get that from an online company. You don't get them sharing their passion and ideas with you .
Wow that is alot. Every time I have placed an order it has been through a workshop. I pay taxes but no shipping. My demo covers the cost of shipping. I think shipping should be free over a certain amount.
I used to think 10% was ridiculous until I ordered some Birkenstocks from QVC and HSN. For a $65 shoe (I buy them on sale.), I think I paid $6.95 shipping plus tax. That's a little over 10%. If I bought something for $35, it would still cost $5.95 shipping, plus tax. That's about 17% shipping. So, when I thought about it like that, it wasn't so bad.
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Originally Posted by jutta
I placed an order from SU! from the new catalog the other day and the S&H and taxes were $37!!! I love their products, but when I saw that, I wonder how long they are going to get more of my business. If we order online with SU!, will we have to pay sales tax?
If I order from PTI or MFT or my dear Bellas, I pay much less and they have free shipping if you spend a certain amount. Trust me, any of those companies would have given me free S&H with the amount of my order!
SU! is starting to branch out, as with the die cut machine and the wall decor, WHEN will they understand about their competition and offering UM and if not free shipping, at least better rates if you spend a big wad? Yikes! $37!! I could have had another stamp set or two at that rate!
Jutta
WOW! That is a lot! Unfortunately everyone has to pay taxes on the products they order- even demo's. I'm not really sure why the shipping was so high. If I remember correctly- the minimum shipping charge is $6.95 and with all workshop orders at $69.50 or higher it's 10% of the order.
I have to agree... their shipping is way too high. I lost all my cardstock when my house caught on fire in July and am looking to place a $500+ order... but the $50+ in shipping has really made me reconsider.
I just ordered $660 worth of Prism cardstock form Stamper's Dream and there were no shipping charges. I may just stick with Prism.
WOW! That is a lot! Unfortunately everyone has to pay taxes on the products they order- even demo's. I'm not really sure why the shipping was so high. If I remember correctly- the minimum shipping charge is $6.95 and with all workshop orders at $69.50 or higher it's 10% of the order.
This is correct and tax is calculated on that total. Did you (the OP) place your order through a demonstrator or just through the SU! website? If you place your order through a demonstrator (online or not) you receive a better rate on S&H.
I have to agree on their shipping. As much as I love their products, I hesitate to order sometimes because of their shipping costs.
I'm the same way! My friend is a demonstrator now so sometimes she lumps my order in with hers and that saves me a little. I used to have shows all the time, but not it's just gotten too expensive. And now that I've discovered all the online stamping companies it's hard to go back!
__________________ Wendy Lord great wonders workest Thou, to Thy sway all creatures bow.
Write Thou deeply on my heart, who I am and who Thou art. Scrappractical - The Blog
Their prices have always been high, in my opinion. I wish they'd offer unmounted stamps or go acrylic. I get a little sick of paying all that shipping for wooden blocks that will go in the trash! With so many stamp companies out there, I'm surprised they've managed to stay on top this long! What really gets me is they even tax the shipping!
I've never seen an invoice for my purchases from my Stampin' Up Consultant. I send her my order in an MSWord document attached to my e-mail and she e-mails me back with the total amount I owe for it. I take the money over to her and then go back whenever she e-mails me that she has received my order. My orders have been at least $100, many have qualified as a show. I guess that means I am paying quite a sum for tax, shipping and handling.
I've made comment that it always takes at least 2 weeks from the time I send her my order till it arrives at her house.
How are all of you getting an itemized invoice? Am I entitled to ask for an invoice?
This is what I got. Merchandise Total
$213.26
Shipping/Handling
$21.33
Sales Tax 5.0000%
$11.79
Total Due
$246.38
Shipping is 10%, tax 5%. Maybe the online ordering, with a credit to the demo would be the way to go. I'll bet that it would be itemized. If you buy online, do you have to pay sales tax?
I joined as a demo this week and I had to pay tax on the Starter Kit and the first demo order I did. I was trying to get in to see if I would still be assessed the tax from the customer side, but I can't get the website to load (internet issues due to storms in TX - thanks Ike!)...my guess would be that online orders still assess tax, but I couldn't confirm with total certainty.
Although some other online retailers don't have a "tax" line on their invoice it's not because the item is tax-free. Many just build the tax into the total retail for the item to make things simpler. HTH!
Last edited by Aggie Amy; 09-13-2008 at 06:16 AM..
Reason: eta: both of my orders were done online
Well, the taxes aren't anything SU! can do about, they are just a fact of life. Now the shipping, I do agree that shipping is a little high, but again, that is beyond SU! control. They increase when the increase is made by UPS, only fair I think.
As for companies offering free shipping, I feel that have to do that to get their customer base. Not that there is anything wrong with that. They aren't the size that SU! is with the sales that SU! gets and by offering free shipping, that sets them apart.
Even though SU! may be a little higher, one thing you need to consider is that you get a demonstrator too when you order from SU! You don't get that from an online company. You don't get them sharing their passion and ideas with you .
Just a thought or two. Happy stampin'!
I do agree that SU offers something unique via their demonstrators. But I have to disagree with the above statement. You should take a look at some of the member companies on here before making a judgement like that. I was an SU demo for 6 years. I discovered an amazing member company on here about 9 months ago and truly feel the owner displays as much if not more passion about stamping and offers incredible inspiration and examples.
To the OP: Taxes are not controlled by SU. SU does set their own shipping costs, and they are a for profit business. So they can't give away the farm, so to speak. I prefer to order where I can get reasonable or free shipping. That is one of the reasons I could no longer afford to be a hobby demo. I have a limited stamping budget and almost my entire discount was paying for taxes and shipping. I'm not blaming SU. They have no control on world events and the price of oil per barrel and all the other factors involved with rising prices. But my own budget is also affected by all of those factors and sometimes I have to make sacrifices and choose to make purchases where it is most affordable for me.
I can shed a little light on the sales tax thing. I work in a call center that processes orders for a couple of different companies that all sell the same items and are owned by the same corporation - but they are different companies.
Most of these companies charge sales tax in every state that has a sales tax, because they also have a physical location (brick & mortar store) in that state. One of the companies charges sales tax only in Wisconsin and New York. Wisconsin, because that is where their only brick & mortar store is located; New York because they just recently passed a law that affects the way sales tax is charged for online orders.
My guess is that Stampin' Up! is required to charge sales tax in every state because their consultants are considered a sort of brick & mortar store. The smaller online companies that only operate online would probably be required to report sales tax only in the state that they are actually located in.
What really gets me is they even tax the shipping!
This is a state thing. My state never used to charge tax on shipping, but they changed it a few years ago, so now I pay tax on shipping. Stinks, but it's not SU's doing.
The tax thing is correct--totally out of SU's hands, state law dictates whether they tax on shipping, and they are supposed to charge tax in any state that they have local sales. Actually other companies sometimes skate around these laws, since the internet is still getting established as to how the law should work. But SU is following the laws on that.
Shipping, however, is another story. I think 10% is very high, and $21 to ship a box of stamps and/or accessories (maybe paper) is high IMO, even for a $213 order. Especially since SU's prices are high enough to begin with that you quickly add up to $200!
Bottom line, I hesitate to order from SU because of the overall high cost. If there is a stamp set I absolutely love and there's nothing similar elsewhere, I'll buy it. But I shop around first and often find something similar, or maybe a single stamp that is my favorite out of the set, which I can buy with a 40% off coupon.
I do buy more than I would normally, in order to help my friend out who is a demo, but I always cringe at the total.
Not trying to be critical, I appreciate that you demos are in a business trying to make an income for your families; but it seems to me that SU is getting a lot richer than you are!
__________________ Lynn
"Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right�--Lincoln
From Cinnistew "I lost all my cardstock when my house caught on fire in July and am looking to place a $500+ order... but the $50+ in shipping has really made me reconsider. "
Insurance should cover the CS as well as shipping. After our housefire, we had to inventory, then got a % upfront, then got the difference when we turned in the receipts. Is this something you can look into? Hopefull! ;-)
Oh, I think 10% seems reasonable when compared to other places. The problem is that it adds up so fast on big orders... :-(
__________________ Diane H.
TAC Demonstrator #1484/Manager, Smilin' Stampers My TAC SiteMy BLOG
Have you ordered from Creative Memories or Pampered Chef lately? Talk about shipping charges. With the price of gas I am very willing to get sets, inks and papers from SU that coordinate and overall save me money on buying stamps one at a time that do not go together. And yes I am a demo and may be a bit biased but I know if I stopped being a demo tomorrow I would still be buying my wood mounted SU stamps with the inks and papers that all go together.
__________________ Barbara SU! Demo with a Blog
Procrastinators of the world unite... tomorrow!
I guess it's all a matter of individual perspective. I've never thought 10% shipping was high . . . too many others places I've purchased stuff from have had MUCH higher shipping. Shipping is just a fact of life. Companies that offer "free" shipping are marking up their product to cover the shipping costs. So just because you don't see a shipping cost on your invoice, it doesn't mean it's not there.
This is what I got. Merchandise Total
$213.26
Shipping/Handling
$21.33
Sales Tax 5.0000%
$11.79
Total Due
$246.38
Shipping is 10%, tax 5%. Maybe the online ordering, with a credit to the demo would be the way to go. I'll bet that it would be itemized. If you buy online, do you have to pay sales tax?
Jutta
For DSA companies, sales tax is calculated based on the "ship to" or delivery address of the product, as per each state's laws. In some states, sales tax is also broken down by county. An order shipped to Seattle, WA, might have an 9.1% sales tax rate, whereas one shipped to Mt. Vernon, in Skagit County, might have a 7.8% sales tax rate. And, in WA state, by law, sales tax is calculated on the product, AND, on the S & H fees. :shock:
If your state requires sales tax, it doesn't matter whether you are ordering online from the main SU! site, online from a specific SU! demonstrator, or at a workshop (physically/in person).
HTH. When I was a demo'r, before the online stuff came to be and the system would calculate it for me after I input the proper county, I had to use a chart for all the counties' varying sales tax rates in Washington . . . :?
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
I must admit that I love PTI's free shipping with a $50 order and I don't pay sales tax either. That means that when I spend $50 with PTI I actually get $50 worth of products and I am into their stuff right now. On a SU order, outside of a workshop, $50 worth of product would cost me roughly $62. (my sales tax rate is 9.75% and shipping would be $6.95) Even with a workshop, I would only save $1.95 in shipping.
I agree that SU can't help that tax and shipping are high overall, but coupled with higher costs for the stamp sets to begin with and my drastically decreased hobby budget...well, it's harder for me to justify the shipping/tax expense right now. I hate paying shipping. It feels like money wasted even though I fully realize it's a legitimate expense.
Shipping is high everywhere if you ask me. I do like free shipping for orders over a certain amount. I DO wish that SU! would go to flat rate shipping boxes now that they have 12x12 boxes and cap the shipping cost off at those prices. Ya know?
But just gotta say... WOW! 5% tax!? I would be so happy! It's 10% here.
I lost all my cardstock when my house caught on fire in July and am looking to place a $500+ order... but the $50+ in shipping has really made me reconsider.
Don't you have home owner's insurance? Our insurance covers everything, and that's why in our fire safe we keep a list of major items in our house. Both my and DH's hobbies are included in this list.
Their prices have always been high, in my opinion. I wish they'd offer unmounted stamps or go acrylic. I get a little sick of paying all that shipping for wooden blocks that will go in the trash! With so many stamp companies out there, I'm surprised they've managed to stay on top this long! What really gets me is they even tax the shipping!
Hey, I know this does not help on the shipping end, but I saw an idea on another forum where a woman used the blocks as toy blocks for kids to stack up and play with. Just thought I would suggest that. Maybe you could give all your blocks to a school or daycare at least instead of trashing them. It still stinks to pay for them and pay to ship them, but it might be a good use for what you have at least.
... and I wanted to add to all of the above there really is no such thing as "free" shipping. I'm sure you realize that. Shipping is always a charge, whether it's charged separately or built in the price. Like someone said above, for the amount of the order I don't think $21 is excessive. I often wonder how SU covers the shipping when my orders come in and are postmarked higher than what I actually paid for shipping when I ordered...
__________________ ~Heike~
Mom to three, military SU demo overseas, hopeless SU addict
Their prices have always been high, in my opinion. I wish they'd offer unmounted stamps or go acrylic. I get a little sick of paying all that shipping for wooden blocks that will go in the trash! With so many stamp companies out there, I'm surprised they've managed to stay on top this long! What really gets me is they even tax the shipping!
Why are you throwing the blocks in the trash? Next time your order, put those block and cases on ebay - they seem to sell very well there! Chances are you will recover MORE then you paid for shipping on the original product.
I love my "wood block mounted" stamps, and would never purchase any that didn't include the blocks. In my opinion, you lose your resale value by tossing the blocks. Of course, you may never want to sell them
Why are you throwing the blocks in the trash? Next time your order, put those block and cases on ebay - they seem to sell very well there! Chances are you will recover MORE then you paid for shipping on the original product.
I love my "wood block mounted" stamps, and would never purchase any that didn't include the blocks. In my opinion, you lose your resale value by tossing the blocks. Of course, you may never want to sell them
You could even sell your wooden boxes and the cases on the BST here. There are a number of people who would be happy to purchase them. With double mounted stamps and "incidents" with the boxes, there is definitely a market for them (rather than trashing them). If you use SCS BST you can save on the fees charged by eBay.
__________________ Just taking it one day at a time.....
I am in the camp of not thinking it is really that bad when compared to some places I have shopped. I do love the sites that offer free shipping and will take advantage of that, but I am also a huge QVC lover and I agree with the above post that commented on their shipping. There have been times when I have decided not to order from them because the shipping is so expensive. And Pampered Chef can be pretty pricey. I also do partylite parties and a couple of years ago they went from a flat $4 to the 10% like we have. So there are extremes everywhere but I think the key is that we provide a service and if you have taken your vehicle in for service lately, service does not come cheap! (This I know deeply as we have put over $1000 into our van from April thru July!)
Don't you have home owner's insurance? Our insurance covers everything, and that's why in our fire safe we keep a list of major items in our house. Both my and DH's hobbies are included in this list.
Yes, we do have insurance BUT it will never be able to replace the 2 FULL closet shelves I had of 8.5x11 cardstock and 12x12 DP's. It took me 5+ years to build my collection and they have estimated it at around $1,300. All my stuff is still packed away at Servicemaster since we will not be back home until sometime around Thanksgiving... maybe later. I still do not know what was salvageable vs. non salvageable yet.
This post was not about my homeowners insurance... it was about the high shipping costs. I still feel that SU's shipping is high and am more inclined to purchase elsewhere because of that.
I always try to place just one or two orders a year. That way the order total is big so I get the hostess benefits. My order for next week is going to be $400 so i qualify for $45 in free stuff plus 2 hostess sets. I see the $45 free money as my shipping discount.
I have stopped buying many stamp sets from SU because I think their prices have gotten rediculous. I think they have to build in an extra 20% for profits in addition to what they would normally have for a profit because they have to take into account what the demo's get. I understand why the prices are so high, but that doesn't mean I won't go elsewhere for my stamps, but they've got me hooked on their matchy matchy paper and inks!!
I do agree that SU offers something unique via their demonstrators. But I have to disagree with the above statement. You should take a look at some of the member companies on here before making a judgement like that. I was an SU demo for 6 years. I discovered an amazing member company on here about 9 months ago and truly feel the owner displays as much if not more passion about stamping and offers incredible inspiration and examples.
To the OP: Taxes are not controlled by SU. SU does set their own shipping costs, and they are a for profit business. So they can't give away the farm, so to speak. I prefer to order where I can get reasonable or free shipping. That is one of the reasons I could no longer afford to be a hobby demo. I have a limited stamping budget and almost my entire discount was paying for taxes and shipping. I'm not blaming SU. They have no control on world events and the price of oil per barrel and all the other factors involved with rising prices. But my own budget is also affected by all of those factors and sometimes I have to make sacrifices and choose to make purchases where it is most affordable for me.
I was hardly passing judgement, just merely making a statement. (Why does someone always have to turn things around???) I have ordered from MANY online companies and have yet to have anyone from them come to my home and sit down and talk with me, share ideas, or teach me new techniques. As a demonstrator, I offer that to my customers. So while the shipping may not be free, they are getting a little bonus of a warm body working with them in person. That is just one of the things that makes SU! so special!!!
I was not in any way saying that there isn't customer service available from online companies and that they don't have blogs or websites for ideas. Unless you live near where the companies are though, you aren't going to get anyone from that company sitting in your home stamping with you!