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Splitcoast Dirty Dozen Alumni VSN Go to Girl Pretty, Pretty Princess
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Suffolk, VA
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How Much is Too Much for Shipping?
I wanted to buy something today but didn't because of the shipping to me from CA to VA.
It was $48 worth of stuff; 13 pieces of patterned paper, chipboard (1 page), small amount of ribbon and 2 acrylic stamps and the shipping would be $10.00.
Is that too much to you or was I being cheap?
I really want the stuff but can't make myself hit the "pay" button........
I wanted to buy something today but didn't because of the shipping to me from CA to VA.
It was $48 worth of stuff; 13 pieces of patterned paper, chipboard (1 page), small amount of ribbon and 2 acrylic stamps and the shipping would be $10.00.
Is that too much to you or was I being cheap?
I really want the stuff but can't make myself hit the "pay" button........
I think that's a little high. did they have a free shipping over $50?? but if I wanted it REEEEAAALLY bad then I'd do it, but i would look a few other places to see if they had it and what the shipping was. so I voted for the 'really want it' option!
Not so bad, paper is heavy! Plus you want them to package it "right" so the corners don't get damaged, too. Now $20 would have been too much. $10 is usually my limit on shipping.:mrgreen::mrgreen:
It does sound high (and I live in VA too!). Sometimes you just have to think of it in terms of saving you time and gas money if you really want the items.
I think 10% is more reasonable, or at least 4.95 for a priority flat rate box. I'm always shocked at what people think they can get away with for shipping. I tried to order 6 girl scout patches the other day the the place wanted $6. That's $1 per patch when the patches were a $1 each. They all would easily fill in a standard envelope with 2 stamps on it. Shesh how ridiculas. Sorry for my rant.
Without a free shipping option (as in, spend so much, we reward you with free shipping), I honestly have a hard time buying online things anymore. If it is a place that never offers free shipping, but their rates are decent, I will still buy from there occasionally. If it was 10 bucks, I would definitely have said forget it! Just my cheap self talking.
I hate to say it, but as someone living in Canada, generally speaking - but not always - I can count on a minimum charge of something like 10.00 for even a set of clear stamps. Of course, that is only some of the online stores in the US. Other's have a 20.00 minimum charge - whether you order one set of clear stamps or more. And others are excellent in charging what I would consider to be fair.
Just had to put my 2 cents in there as someone used to the cost of shipping to Canada, and how crazy it is. I just bite the bullet and purchase what I need - want. And for some that charge $20.00 minimum - then I will wait until I have a big enough order to justify my purchase.
As some noted - sometimes it is cheaper to just order on line and pay the shipping to save on the time and the gas and the fact that you might spend even more $$$ if you enter an LSS!!!! ;) I know I can be like that!
In the defense of the seller though, they may be figuring the shipping based on the size of the box needed. If the cardstock is 8 1/2 x 11 then I would say everything you mentioned would easily fit into a Priority Flat rate envy for $4.95, however you will run the risk of the corners of your paper being bent if not packed between chipboard.
If the paper is 12 x 12 then the least expensive Priority Flat rate box that the paper will fit in is $10.30 (I think).
I work at my lss (in CA) and we ship stuff all of the time. We charge exact shipping if using a USPS (free priority boxes). The only time we charge extra is if we have to go and pick up a bubble mailer for something and then we just add the cost of the mailer to the actual shipping.
You might contact the seller and ask how they plan to ship the items.
I'm totally cheap - - $5 or less is what I'll pay for shipping...don't care what it is or where it's from. They can add it to the price and fool me, I don't care - just ain't payin' an arm and a leg for shipping. One of my favorite online stores has outrageous shipping, so now I just have a list of what I want and just shop there when she has free shipping or some hot deal to offset the shipping.
Way too much IMO, I wouldn't pay it! I grit my teeth when ordering SU stuff, I think they're shipping is high. Actually, anything shipped UPS is too high for me. I prefer USPS prices. $5-6 or under.
Location: Virginia, where we have the beach and mountains all in one state!!
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Jimmi,
I live in VA also and I think it's a little high. I try REALLY hard to not pay shipping and if I do I try to keep in around 5 bucks....with that said I recently went to the PO to get boxes for my own shipping and the prices have increased ALOT. The small small box was 4.95 and the next size up was 10.00. So if they are shipping by Postal Service your merchandise seems to fit in the bigger box. It's tough making a decision like this. Good luck!
It depends. Is your paper 12 x 12? If so it will not fit in the small flat rate envelopes, but will need to go in the medium size, which will cost about $10 to ship. If you don't want priority, it will still need to go in a large box and may end up costing close to the same.
The one online store that I buy cardstock from has a starting price for shipping to Canada of $20 and that is for one $9 item, but because I love there cardstock I will wait until I need alot of cardstock and order from them, I can't find that quality of cardstock here in Canada. For the most part like debzi333 said in her post on average the cost of shipping to Canada is $10 or more, there are a couple of US sites that offer free shipping or a flat rate price to Canada so I try and go with those sites. Stores here in Canada can have expensive shipping costs as well. I think we just have to look at it this way, the stores and the postal/UPS have been hit with the bad economy as well and need to charge according to what is best for them for the most part.
I think it's pretty standard.. unfortunately if the paper was 12x12, it only fits in the larger PM boxes, which costs a little over 10.00 I think! I buy scrapbook paper online a lot and it always ends up costing at least that much!
..it hurts, but then again, it's all worth it when we get our hands on the goodies :mrgreen:
i think it's too high. i understand everyone's argument about the paper edges, but if that's what i'd have to pay for shipping, then i just don't need the paper bad enough.
I'm totally cheap - - $5 or less is what I'll pay for shipping...don't care what it is or where it's from. They can add it to the price and fool me, I don't care - just ain't payin' an arm and a leg for shipping. One of my favorite online stores has outrageous shipping, so now I just have a list of what I want and just shop there when she has free shipping or some hot deal to offset the shipping.
It's only a little high IMHO. It would cost $8.70 to send a 2 lb package from California to Virginia. 13 sheets of 65# cardstock will weigh about 1.2 lbs pushing the rate for priority mail up to the 2 lb rate. The acrylic stamps and ribbon shouldn't push it over that weight.
The good thing about ordering online is that most often you don't have to pay tax. If you had to pay tax on an order of $48.00 your tax would be about $4.00 so you've saved that by ordering online.
The other thing to keep in mind is when a store sells a product they have to set the shipping as if 1 item was the only thing that was purchased. If it were a sheet of 12x12 paper (80 cents) then the store owner would have to put it in a box, (if 1st class, a box they most likely have to purchase that will cost them between 50 and 60 cents) usually put the paper in a cellophane sleeve (17 cents) and mail it first class package for about $2.00. So you can see that on an 80 cent purchase, the cost to actually mail the item is about $3.00. This doesn't happen all the time but more times than you would think.
I do agree that some stores have high shipping but don't some also give shipping refunds when the shipping is less than the actual cost?
Splitcoast Dirty Dozen Alumni VSN Go to Girl Pretty, Pretty Princess
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Thanks for all the input. I don't feel as bad about the shipping cost now. They are all things I can't just go buy at Michaels and I do want them enough that I went to bed thinking about them....a little sick? lol.
I think I'll be biting the bullet and getting what I want!
I don't think it is that high, but based on the postal zone and assuming they are shipping by zoned service (ups, usps priority). I buy a lot, but also ship a lot and know the prices.
Don't know the size of your paper, but 12x12 going priority will bring it up there because of the weight plus zone. Anything exceeding one pound to zone 8 is the most expernsive shipping. I'm on the east coast and avoid west coast sellers because of this very fact. But they are not over charging, that is simply the cost. Rates went up a lot last year. btw: there is no flat rate envelope that 12 inch pages will fit in. Plus, most sellers will not risk putting craft papers in envelopes because of the risk of bending.
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I work in a shipping dept packaging and shipping items all day. I think $10 is pretty darn good. All items used in packaging cost money, there's cost of wages to pay an employee to do it, and the cost incurred from the company to ship it. California is not around the corner from Virginia. If you were to drive somewhere to get the items, how much is your time and gas worth? JMHO....:rolleyes:
__________________ Bereaved parent (love you forever Hannah!) and PROUD Army mom!
Unless you HAVE to have it and can't buy it anywhere else, then I think it is too much. There is a company I buy from in CA that I always wait to put in a big order because the shipping is $9.95. I am a bargain Betty! I hate to waste my money on high shipping!
As a store owner who ships a lot of 12x12 paper, it is expensive to ship. As people have said, it can't fit in anything other than a large flat rate box or special boxes/envelopes. We offer free shipping over $40 (yes, even if it includes 12x12 paper) but most stores do not. But, it costs us. We lose a ton on shipping 12x12 on every order. We hope that it draws customers in though and that is a good payoff in my book. (Even if my accountant doesn't agree! HAHA!) Anything under $40 is $7 if it includes 12x12.
As others said from Canada, I'd pay. What I do try to do however is order with a friend and split the shipping costs! Three people and your only paying $3.33! Just an idea.
__________________ Shirley
I'm not a complete idiot ~ some of my parts are missing!
I think it is on the high end, but if it is an order for products you really want, I'd go for it. Sometimes the higher shipping is less than what I would spend in time, gas, and sales tax to find it locally (and many times local stores never carry the items or are at least 6 weeks behind online stores). My favorite way to shop is to go to online stores with free shipping (and no sales tax!)
I realize we have to pay postage but recently I received an order from an online Canadian store who charged $8.50 shipping (said it was flat rate for everyone no matter what the order was). Well, I ordered a couple acrylic stamps and figured for $8.50 they would be shipped in a small box with a tracking number at least. NOPE! They came in a flat brown ENVELOPE with postage of $1.13 on it! No credit given for the extra postage paid. Shame on that store for being so greedy! (I had received a gift certificate from a fellow scrapbooker so I didn't have a say in where I ordered otherwise I wouldn't have purchase those stamps for that high shipping rate) I won't be ordering from them again, and my fellow scrapbooker has been advised not to purchase any more gift certificates from them. Their silly greed cost them customers.
I realize we have to pay postage but recently I received an order from an online Canadian store who charged $8.50 shipping (said it was flat rate for everyone no matter what the order was). Well, I ordered a couple acrylic stamps and figured for $8.50 they would be shipped in a small box with a tracking number at least. NOPE! They came in a flat brown ENVELOPE with postage of $1.13 on it! No credit given for the extra postage paid. Shame on that store for being so greedy! (I had received a gift certificate from a fellow scrapbooker so I didn't have a say in where I ordered otherwise I wouldn't have purchase those stamps for that high shipping rate) I won't be ordering from them again, and my fellow scrapbooker has been advised not to purchase any more gift certificates from them. Their silly greed cost them customers.
boooo! hissss! shame on them.
shipping is what stops me from purchasing too. there are plenty of places i order from online, but the shipping has to be reasonable for what i'm ordering.
i'm not going to pay $10 to ship 10 pieces of paper - it makes the cost of the paper TOOO much ;)
I wonder how many orders I backed out of because the shipping was too high.
Don't they think we check that. I think they stick their handling fee in with it.
One time I was going to place a digi stamp order and they charged shipping,
to send an email with the stamped image. I wrote them on that. The buyer
can never be cautious enough
__________________ Carolyn
my avatar: (such desparation), Dear God, if you can't make me thin; make my
friends fat"
How Much is Too Much for Shipping?
