Is anyone else feeling the pinch with SU prices
 

I love SU products and have only recently gotten to know it ( 2 years ) so I am new to it but I have to say I always feel the pinch when it comes to the amount of postage they charge when other companies of similar charge a mere fraction of this.

I always bill about 2-3 hundred dollars worth of products if not more and this is more often than not, why is it when a customer is coming back time and time again that they cannot give discounts to shipping costs to keep those same cutomers coming back.

Also I find they are increasing prices but yet have only gone to a once a year Cat I long to see new products and being a avid stamper/cardmaker I want new designs/products. Now I have to wait a whole year before I get to see anything new. I know they will still be having the mini's but I got my Christmas one recently and was not overly excited as I have been in the past.

I am just airing a thought I have and wanted peoples opinion.

recently I have been swayed to find other companies that don't charge an arm and leg to get the products to you.

Thank you

I think you will find others in the same boat as you. I started my "stamping career" using SU products when I started stamping almost 2 years ago, but I have slowly incorporated more and more companies to the point that I don't even consider them a favorite of mine. I find the choices we have outside of SU to be tenfold of what they have to offer. I have found other stamp companies that offer the same quality at lower and sometimes much lower prices and definitely much lower shipping!

Don't feel you have to purchase only SU - branch out and have fun with it. :)

Good luck!

I made my first order with SU a month ago. I dropped close to $500 on my first order and paid a lot of shipping. Almost fainted, lol. I thought it would be cheaper if I ordered more. I want to make another order but I won't be dropping the same amount of money. I will be doing the $50 range. I am a little hesitant because of the shipping costs. I will still probably do it because the pro's outweigh the con's for me. The frugal girl in me still wants to faint, lol.

I tell you - check out Canadian prices -and our dollar is at 90 cents and above right now -and was above par for a good while during the last catty!!!Almost all of the punches -except for the small one's are 22.95!!! A classic stampin pad - 7.95, a craft stampin pad - $9.95.

Some random sets..........Always - 39.95
Holiday Line Up 28.95
Garden Whimsey 35.95
Flight of the Butterfly 41.95
A Wish for Peace 22.95

I really think the prices are very high in Canada.

We did start a thread here on the high Canadian prices in Canada - and many of us wrote to SU! - but no response but a canned answer.

What can you do.

I'll buy a lot less from SU! is what I will do! ;)

Everyone was really asking SU for a once a year catalog...there was LOTS of discussion on here on various threads about it. I'm pretty sure SU went to once a year because of many requests for that...maybe other reasons to, as I'm not a demo. Yes, they need to offer the reduced shipping with larger orders like other companies do. I buy mainly from SU. I've looked at lots of other companies and mainly stay with SU. It's just easier and my stamping budget can't handle any more ways to spend. I've been stamping for four years and I was at Archivers Sat. and was completely overwhelmed. Going through SU is sooooo much easier with the matching done for you. I agree there are lots of good other companies. I like wood mounted rubber tho. I like the ease of the stamps being mounted and I don't have a storage problem.

When I was a rookie stamper, the safety of a set of stamps designed to work together had a great appeal and I loved SU! sets. Now that I've gotten some experience and a decent collection of stamps, many of the sets have one or two stamps that I know I'll actually use and $30 or more is too much to pay for that. I agree ... that adding the S&H costs on top of that does nothing to motivate me to buy.

And I know when my demo says things like 'free shipping this month' what she really means is 'I won't take my commission out of this order.' which doesn't feel right either.

Yeah ... I'm another one who likes the once a year catty. I have a system to my buying stamps, the SU! system is a bit complicated so I won't go into it here, but the once a year catty works for me.

I really appreciate it when a demo offers free shipping with a larger order--yes, she's just giving up some of her commission, but she's getting the volume which boosts her either toward her minimums or towards other benefits. Don't know too many who offer this, though.

I cut my stamping teeth on SU too. In the past 5 or more years I've hardly ordered anything from them at all. Whenever you have a "middle man" you're ultimately paying more. I just don't think any of their stuff justifies the outragous prices and even more outrageuos shipping they charge. I think they would do better as a company if they switched to making clear stamps, and cut out the demos, and just sell through their website. It would cut prices drastically, and be easier for people to shop. I hate having to find a demo to order something, especially knowing I am paying extra to have them do what I can do for myself! It just doesn't make any sense. Times are changing, and so should SU. What worked 10 years ago is now considered old school. Who has time to go to a party or hunt down a demo?!

I'm at the point where the only time I buy SU is at my monthly stamp club for them and I am not sure I will even being doing that anymore. There are way too many companies out there with better products at a cheaper costs, AND most sites have FREE SHIPPING - if you purchase a certain amount. I'm all about free.

But you have to put your money where your mouth is ~ so to speak... If you don't find you are getting your money's worth (as a whole) then don't order from them ~ & send them a email (letter) telling them that you are not buying from them until the shipping (or whatever else) is changed. If you just grumble about it ~ but still give them your money ~ why should they change?

But if you have a SU demo who goes the extra mile & offers you awesome service ~ be it in the form of classes or little extras ~ then it is all pretty much a wash... If your happy & love a company then you'll be willing to pay whatever they ask ~ otherwise, you'll shop around & vote with your $$.

I don't buy a lot from SU anymore (well, nothing now..but that's a dead horse story) ~ but I can say that I will bump up my orders from other companies to take advantage of specials (be it shipping or discounts or free incentives). SO ~ I do let my money talk!

SU needs a letter/email from each of you. I'm sure they don't come to SCS to read our threads. LOL - maybe they should, it might open up their eyes!

I agree (and have sent my email) shipping is out of hand with SU. I only order from them because of friends who have parties and only order a small amount then.

If anyone lives near Lancaster, PA there is a shop that sells stamps and has OLD retired SU sets on sale there for really inexpensive. I dropped out of my SU club after being in it for 2 1/2 years last year. I have not bought one set new since then.

I have found myself buying from other companies including Magnolia stamps as I love the copic markers now.

That's one of my peeves about SU. The shipping doesn't get cheaper as the tab goes up. Might as well stop any time after you hit $$69.50 (the minimum shipping charge is $6.95). There's no break in the shipping charge no matter how much you buy, it's 10% regardless. You do get more freebies, though.

PS Don't buy just $50. Your shipping will still be $6.95. At least get your money's worth (shipping-wise) and buy $69.50 in merchandise. I bet finding that extra $20 in merchandise won't be a problem and remember, it's to save money. LOL

at Ten bucks a pop retail, I am fine with one catalog a year. Not every demo can afford to give their catalogs away or only charge what they pay for them.

nor can every demo afford to give discounts on shipping or other discounts. Not every demo is WILLING to or financially able to cut into their own profits in this manner

as for this insane obsession with free shipping: I just plain do not get it. why is it that so many people will only purchase if they get free shipping? Yes, I understand( and have canceled more than one order) when I found a ten dollar stamp was going to cost $5 in shipping. excessive shipping, I get the vitriol over. why is it that you will bump an order an extra 5 or 10 dollars for stuff you really don't need or want JUST to get free shipping?

and yes, SU! shipping can be expensive when compared to other manufacturers. I happen to be blessed with a demo right now who doesn't charge shipping and she is local. When I move to Okinawa.. well who knows what will happen to my purchasing power then.

some of my online companies charge shipping. only a couple actually offer it free with $X purchase. If I like the item I will spend the money to get it.

I look at it this way: the shipping charge is what I'd be spending on gas and wear and tear on the car anyway. it's a wash.

FTR, almost all of my shopping in all aspects of life is done online.. I do not drive and with DH deploying often, well I have no other way of getting clothes or books or beauty products. hell I even order groceries online for delivery. sure when he is home I experience the joy that is The Mall, but I am quite proficient in online retail.

Me too. For the last SU! party I went to, which was only a week ago, I pored through the catalogue again and again, and decided to get nothing for myself. The hostess is a good friend of mine, so I just decided to buy one stamp set for HER instead of anything for myself. I didn't want to spend gobs of money just so she would have a tiny fraction (of what I spent) in hostess rewards.

I had already gone to a party in July where I spent $60 and got everything that was ranked high on my Stampin' Up! wishlist so there was nothing left for me to get at my friend's party.

I do have a spreadsheet set up specifically for Stampin' Up! so that I can instantly see what the final price is, on anything. It keeps things in perspective, when I compare prices on similar photopolymer stamp sets (which I deeply prefer over rubber).

I do have two stamp sets left that I want - the Oval Alls, both in English and French. But I only want them a 7 and 8 on a scale of 10 (1 being I will pay triple the price to get it if I must and 10 being that I can wait years for it to show up on Ebay for a cheap price). The price of Oval All is currently $16.95 in the catalogue, but final price for me after shipping and 6.1% tax is $19.78. *sigh* For four smallish stamps. On rubber, which I don't like but will tolerate if the image is good enough. I compare that with a large Crafty Secrets stamp set, which would cost me $16.65 if I buy it at Scrapbookingalley.com (free shipping, no tax), AND they are high-quality photopolymer, which I love!

I don't care enough about the shipping to send an email though. I doubt they will ever change that. I think it's the law or SOMETHING 'cause all the direct-sales companies that I've been exposed to (Creative Memories, Pampered Chef, Tupperware) have charged just as outrageously (imo) for shipping and handling. I just get around it as much as I can by buying through conventions, Ebay, Craigslist, or Amazon. That's how I ended up with ten or so Close To My Heart stamp sets - I bought them all at a convention and paid only tax; no shipping.

Sometimes you can find massive amounts of retired Stampin' Up! sets at conventions too!

I remember having to to order some paper once a very small order 2 packs so total only came to about 15 bucks but when the demo gave me the total I nearly feel of my chaire to think I had to pay almost $25 for that order, I was like no way every again I will just have to wait till I place an order so find an alternative as I am not willing to give away so much in shipping. Surely SU could come to some agreement with USPS about there fixed rate boxes no matter how much they weight that has to be the better deal right.

Letters and E's have been sent to SU.....not even a courtesy answer. Demos have been harassed about the prices, shipping etc. It's not their fault....they can oly report back. Obviousily SU is not even listening to their demos.
I like the 1 catty and I love my demo. That said, I am not ordering a third of what I used to. I have branched out so to speak and I am loving it.

For folks who come to me with a tiny order like that, I let them know when I will be entering another order and ask if they'd like me to add theirs to it so they can save on shipping and only pay the 10% rather than the 6.95 min. charge. Did you ask your demo about that option? I have everything delivered to me and then I sort out the orders and deliver them to the customers (or to the hostess for workshop orders), and everyone loves being able to avoid that minimum charge when they only want $20 or so worth of stuff! :)

I don't find SU's shipping to be out of line with other direct sales companies shipping. I think the mistake that gets made sometimes it to compare them to online businesses, but SU isn't really an online business. I enjoy having a demo to show me products and ways to use items. If I pay a little more for that, I am okay with that. I think it is a choice that everyone makes for themselves.

Giving a Good Customer a break once in while is good! I think any way.
It's really up to the Demo whether she will give you a break or discount on shipping. Free catalogs,


If she is new to the business or is just a hobby demo then they might not think about it or be able to afford it.

Just check with your demo to see if she would have sort of Deal.


I buy from Friends that are SU demo's. And sometimes I get a break on shipping. Or a deal.

I myself try to do something special for my customers.

I've been known to do this - if bumping up the order by $10 saves me $10 in shipping, I'm getting more stuff for the same money, know what I mean? I don't order stuff I don't need or want, but it's usually pretty easy to throw in some extra paper or cardstock or an inkpad or refill.

I am more likely to order from companies with free shipping - or free shipping on orders over a certain amount - if the total order comes out less than the same item from another company that charges shipping on it. Meaning, if company A charges a little more for their cuttlebug folders, but has free shipping on orders over $35; company B charges less for the folders but charges shipping, I'll figure out the order totals for both companies and order from the one where the order total is less.

The issue I have with SU!'s shipping is that it's based on the price of what you order; there is no break for larger orders which should (in theory) cost less to ship; and the % for shipping is based on items that are pretty pricey compared to similar items at other stores.

I think all shipping costs are too high regardless of what company I purchase from but that is not the companies fault - it's what the shipping companies are charging these days. I do appreciate anytime a company I purchase from has a 'deal' on shipping. I would like to see SU do something like have some specials on shipping. For example, if you buy three stamps sets in one order the shipping is reduced by 50%, or if you buy 5 packs of paper you pay shipping for only 3, etc, etc.

I noticed many of you indicate that the products are better at other companies, particularly the online companies. Do you really think the quality of the product is better? Or do you just like the designs of the other stamps better? I personally don't think you can beat the quality of the SU products.

I also have a wonderful demo - Mary! She is so awesome. I think you have to take that into consideration when you compare SU prices to other companies. I know not all demos are providing added value for whatever reason. If that's the case with yours maybe it's time to check out a new one in your area. Just a thought.

Thanks for listening to my 2 cents. Have a great day!

I just ordered from my CM consultant and the shipping was $8 for a $24 order. I think many similar companies have expensive shipping, not just SU. : )

i used to love buying SU! products and squealing in delight as I poured over the catty and highlighted the items I wanted to buy.

I haven't purchased anything from SU! in over a year... it's those high CANADIAN prices and ridiculous shipping charges.

I always offer my customers only 5% in shipping charges; I don't mind taking the hit on my commission as I do not rely on my SU income to live and secondly, it makes my customers feel special, and they are! I've made many good friends through my SU small business and it is always in my nature to be generous with my friends. And to top it all off, I've got plenty of friends to stamp with! :-)

Wow, I wonder what the state of our economy would be if every business decided to cut out the middle man and forced everyone to shop online whether they wanted to or not. Imagine what the unemployment rate would be. Some business people see themselves as providing employment and see that as just as valuable a component to their sense of self worth and value system as their bottom line.
Sometimes people who shop on line forget that there is a large segment of the population who like to shop the old fashioned way.

Yes, SU could do just as you described, but I am not so sure they would really make more money that way. From my customer list only about 25-30 percent shop online. I would say even a smaller amount shop on line regularly. I am basing that on the # of people who shop with me regularly and discuss their online habits with me (I have been encouraging my customers to order online) Most of my customers won't even order from my online store, but prefer to call or email me with their order so that I can place it for them. I would say a hefty 70% prefer to have me come to their home, make projects for them and their friends to stamp and play with the stuff in person, before they buy. Plus they know all of the other perks that come with having a personal demonstrator so they prefer to continue shopping that way.

I shop online a LOT, I hate to "go shopping" and although I am thrilled to get a discount on shipping , it really is the exception and not the rule and frequently I pay far more than 10%. When you think of how much it would cost to ship $200 worth of product, $20 is about par. I bought a tube of rx cream for my pet yesterday that cost me $10 and paid $6.50 for the shipping.

Belinda

SU! would stand a chance of loosing a lot of customers if they went to clear stamps.

there are very many stampers who LOVE wood mounted rubber stamps.

i for one love to go to parties, card clubs and stamp a stacks. i love the hands on and learning new techniques i gain from them. the added bonus of girl time is priceless!

i am just glad that there are so many companies for everyone to choose from, so that we can all get what we want and feel that we are getting a good deal for our money.

I was thinking the exact same thing. On Froday I had a Longaberger party and they also charge a straight 10% shipping. I also find many other online retailers charge flat % fee shipping, probably because it is the easiest method to use.

As for the 1 catalog, for more variety, be sure that you ask your demo to send you the mini catalogs. These are coming out every 3 months, or so, and have tons of new goodies in them. The current Holiday Mini Catalog is 28 pages long!

i totally agree!

I can't help the shipping cost, it seems on par with other companies. But I do always try to offer my customers a bonus of some sort, whether showing them techniques with the products they want, (or inthe case of long distance customers making a personalized YouTube video tutorial if they request it), throwing in a bonus of product, handstamped gift, etc.

My customers are important to me but for small time demos its unreasonable to expect them to give you free shipping, thats half their commission. I would always combine a customer's order with another if they were placing a small order to help them save on shipping...I think its all about communicating with your demo.

I think the reason that SU, and most in-home sales businesses, use a straight % has to do with their business model. It would be very difficult to figure shipping in a workshop situation if that number were dependent upon the total order. It would be difficult for both demonstrator and customer to figure and may create undue headaches. Businesses that sell mostly individual orders rather than a clump of orders at once are in a better position to offer variable shipping.

I personally don't buy much online, partly because of the shipping costs and partly because I am hesitant to buy from unknown retailers in case of issues or need to return.

Not necessarily.. larger orders weigh more, hence higher shipping rates. Brown is not the cheapest shipper out there. even just a few packs of paper weigh several pounds. toss in a couple of punches which are quite heavy and wood blocks..

Now I DO grant you that some similar (or identical) items can be found MUCH less expensively elsewhere. I stopped buying my white CS from SU!, but still buy all my colored with them. sponges: yeap I can get more for less money at Michaels. same with daubers. I paid half the SU! price for my crop o dile. I get my Versamark refills elsewhere too.

I really don't like their shipping rates but it's not a deal-breaker for me. I purchase SU almost exclusively and will continue to do so.

I think as with many things, it's not so much the price itself but it's perceived value to you. If that stamp set or whatever is what I want, then it's a matter of whether it's valuable enough to me to pay the going rate. I was visiting the Seattle area last week and stopped in a couple of stamp stores. I can't tell you how many stamps I picked up only to be absolutely appalled at the price! One popular brand that I've seen online was represented there. All of the little 1" x 1/2" stamps were at least $5.75! I picked up a couple of stamps the size of my hand that were upwards of $14...no thanks, lol!

I'll tell you the BIG gripe I have is that so many states (mine included) deem it mandatory to charge sales tax on the shipping charge. WTH??? Doesn't that seem absurd? It's not like you're getting a physical item for pete's sake! It's a service, and yet the tax man feels we should pay tax on that.

I don't know the answer. I wish I did, lol! All I know is, I love SU products, so I will continue to buy them. Maybe not as much as I wish I could, but I only have so much money to spend on stamping.

The thing I like about SU is that it is all in the one catalogue. I can get most of the things I want in the one catalogue and don't have to trawl through different sites to find the stamps, ink, paper, embellishments and anything else I need. It's like a one stop shop to me. I live in a remote area and it's a matter of hundreds of kilometres to find just one shop let alone enough shops to provide all that I want.

We only have 5% postage/handling here (but much higher prices in teh products) but it is one of the reason I became the 'middle man'!

I ask you to take that large order of 200.00 or 500.00 and go to the post office and ask what the shipping would be for your expedited mail service. I am sure that you are looking at a large amount. In Canada the postal rates are ridiculous. Also there is tracking on the SU orders and so if something happens you will get a replacement order. If I place an order I receive it within 10 days. Now that is service. The post office (US and Canada) are hit and miss with delivery. Yes SU prices are high but they do have one of the best stamping rubbers. I am a wood mounted person with some unmounted. I have tried a few acrylic stamp companies and many of them are not a very good stamped image, or they were not at first (once burned twice as shy is my motto). I did recently purchase some flourish sets and they have an awesome acrylic stamped image.

I love SU for their matching CS, PP, inks and markers. Us Canadians pay through the nose for that type of product from PTI. If they ever get a supplier in Canada I would probably get more of that from them, but probably not the stamps.

Lorri

I think SU has fair shipping prices. I was going to place an order of about $30 with a new up and coming stamp co. shipping was over $10! I did not complete my order nor did I mention their name on SCS and complain about high prices. I just did not order!
As a SU hobby demo, I wait till I have $150 to spend, place a demo order, get a level 1 hostess set, $15 in free product and 20% instant income. The order is shipped to my door for $15 and everything matches!! Works for me.