Postage at £4.95+vat per order - discuss

[openspaceman]

42 minutes ago, lux said:

 

if I just need a couple of small items , let’s say a couple of sprockets as mentioned for instance. I’d rather pay 4.95 postage than take an hour out of my day going to honey brothers and back when i can just click and have them delivered.  
 

 

I agree but the local dealers do not seem to carry as much stock, especially not spare parts, as they once did. There is probably too much range of saws and accessories to do so compared with 40 years ago when all my shopping was with Honey or Richmond and I would travel to get stuff. Whereas parts arrive from L&S within 3 days, which is faster than local stores get stuff from the warehouse for you to collect.

8 minutes ago, Puffingbilly413 said:

 

I also disagree with those who say adding postage at the end seems dishonest. Surely until the basket is tallied up and the destination known it's difficult to give a fair and accurate cost?

My only issue is with sites where you have to start the payment, filling in name and address before you get to see the delivery cost.

 

PS do the order fulfillment firm also store the selling firm's stock (i.e. warehousing) as well as process, package and dispatch the goods? and

[Mik the Miller]

"A fullfiment center" ...  as in you don't handle your goods at all, they sit on someone elses shelf and their staff pick, pack and dispatch to your customers, on your request and charge you for the privilege ?

 

So basically you have just added a layer of cost which you then profitise and forward on to your customers ?

I bet you've outsourced your accounts as well ?

Your 'accountant' does your bookeeping, VAT returns and staff wages ?

 

There's comment here that Amazon 'can't be beat'.

Amazon operate as a fullfilment center as well as a marketing center. eBay is still a marketing center. The advantage of both of these (from a consumers and resellers  point of view) is they offer a huge array of goods to a massive number of people.

 

Up to a point they are good for the reseller too as because they have such a wide outreach, they do force resellers to reduce pricing as competitior pricing is very highly visible.

If your 'sprocket' is £9 and mine is £8, i'll sell more.

Amazon want you to send them your 'sprockets' and they dish them out as and when they are sold, they hold your money, deduct commission and send you what's left after the fact, and insist you send them replacement stock, for free.. .

eBay have have adopted the 'holding on to your money rule' and simply take 12.5% off the top.

 

Unfortunately there are a number of scammers out there, the "it never arrived" or" it was damaged" brigade that I personally think should be shot. These idiots don't win anything, they just put the price up for the rest of us.

 

However, back to the point.

£4.95 is too much for the sprocket buyers and not enough for the 36" bar and 2 chain buyers.

It's too high for the occasional user/hobbyist/wood gatherer.

Commercially it's a different kettle.

 

I guess my point is that if it's obvious that the seller is layering profit on profit then they can Foxtrot Oscar.

 

Edited September 7, 2023 by Mik the Miller

[Muddy42]

15 hours ago, Rob D said:

 

 

The products we sell are so varying in size and shape it's too hard to do - we tried - and died 😬

Yes understood,  I think a flat fee per sale is reasonable.  Presumably you have forecast that for an average period of sales £4.95 + VAT per sale will cover all of the postage costs - small items may actually be less and large items more, but on average the business isn't absorbing postgae costs.

[Rob D]

On 07/09/2023 at 09:07, Puffingbilly413 said:

No issues with this at all Rob. Like you say, if it's at the top of the web page for all to see then it's a simple choice.

 

I can't see how anyone would really think they are ever getting truly 'free' postage. The costs have to be added somewhere.

 

I also disagree with those who say adding postage at the end seems dishonest. Surely until the basket is tallied up and the destination known it's difficult to give a fair and accurate cost?

 

That's a good point - and longer items have gotten pretty silly now and I've been reading about fuel charges - just another way for the couriers to make money.

 

We may have to charge more for the longer items but likely we will keep it simple so that regardless of where you are everyone pays the same.

 

 

 

 

 

[Rob D]

On 07/09/2023 at 09:24, openspaceman said:

PS do the order fulfillment firm also store the selling firm's stock (i.e. warehousing) as well as process, package and dispatch the goods? and

 

Yes they do in our case. 

[Rob D]

On 06/09/2023 at 18:32, AJStrees said:

Seems fair Rob. I would rather not make an order for a single item from you anyway as it seems a waste of time and effort. I prefer to shove stuff into my basket and wait till I have what I need in there before ordering. I believe in the have two of everything rule so try to always by two of any small item to make it worthwhile. Anyway thanks for the update. 

 

Live long and prosper. Godspeed!!!!

 

Thanks for the feedback

 

[GarethM]

The fuel surcharge thing varies depending on the fuel price, my pallet transport guy tends to vary month to month depending on the rates, last week it was 12%.

 

Which you can understand on an hgv, at say 15 to the gallon. But with FedEx/TNT it's a bit more cheeky as it's white van man territory, delivering hundreds of parcels per day.

[Rob D]

On 07/09/2023 at 10:04, Muddy42 said:

Yes understood,  I think a flat fee per sale is reasonable.  Presumably you have forecast that for an average period of sales £4.95 + VAT per sale will cover all of the postage costs - small items may actually be less and large items more, but on average the business isn't absorbing postgae costs.

 

It won't cover all the costs but towards them is good enough..

 

Check out this from UPS - we sent a long bar at 299cm to the USA - their max length is 270cm so the charges are very hard to take.. all in their terms and conditions. These are all additional charges apart from the original quote of £197.45. A criminal organisation!

 

 

24/07/2023 00:00:00	Variable Shipping	Postage	£264.00	UPS - Overmax Length - 1Z2V6W480494836450 - 0 - US
24/07/2023 00:00:00	Variable Shipping	Postage	£262.90	UPS - Demand Surcharge-Over Max - 1Z2V6W480494836450 - 0 - US
24/07/2023 00:00:00	Variable Shipping	Postage	£235.84	UPS - Fuel Surcharge - 1Z2V6W480494836450 - 0 - US
24/07/2023 00:00:00	Variable Shipping	Postage	£197.45	UPS - WW Express Saver - 1Z2V6W480494836450 - 120.5 - US
24/07/2023 00:00:00	Variable Shipping	Postage	£95.26	UPS - Large Package Surcharge - 1Z2V6W480494836450 - 0 - US
24/07/2023 00:00:00	Variable Shipping	Postage	£43.74	UPS - Demand Surcharge-Com - 1Z2V6W480494836450 - 0 - US
			£1,099.19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rob D]

1 minute ago, GarethM said:

The fuel surcharge thing varies depending on the fuel price, my pallet transport guy tends to vary month to month depending on the rates, last week it was 12%.

 

Which you can understand on an hgv, at say 15 to the gallon. But with FedEx/TNT it's a bit more cheeky as it's white van man territory, delivering hundreds of parcels per day.

 

I was reading more about fuel surcharges earlier - a lot of the fuel surcharges the couriers charge are not consistent or in line with fuel price rises. And they make it hard to see exactly what they are. And even if you see differences who do you complain to? You go to the rep and it's 'ah ok I'll ask about that for you!'

[GarethM]

Yeap, I tend to be loyal to my local palletline guy as a result, works out around £80 nationwide inc Vat upto say half a ton.

 

But I've dealt with FedEx/TNT for a decade before they merged and for a while after.

 

Some pricing with them was insanely cheap upto about 2kg, providing you could get it into one of the standard bag sizes, around £8-12.

 

But like everything would or could you rely on Evri or the many low cost options and just end up using royal mail, if it's going to fail atleast I know they've not gone skint.