Do you like free delivery websites?

[Jonesie]

Based in Northern Ireland, and the biggest pain in the ass with websites is that the majority of them do not deliver to Northern Ireland.

 

There are very few online retailers here in Northern Ireland, and it is very hard to get various items delivered from retailers across the water. I don't mind paying extra for postage, but for alot of companys to rule out delivery here is very fustrating.

 

For example, I am looking for a Luytens bench for my fathers birthday. Great offer of £250.00 for a flat pack teak bench. Proceeded to online checkout only to be greated with 'We do not deliver to Northern Ireland. Grrrr.

 

Just so you know we do.

[Stereo]

Thanks for more input. I take from this:

 

1. Have fair postage and have it up front so you know what you will pay before you get halfway through checkout.

2. Bundle deals are popular.

3. Customer loyalty is a 2 way street and should be rewarded.

4. A free P+P over say £50 is appreciated.

 

Re. Northern Ireland / offshore etc. it's a tricky one. I can understand people in these areas getting P'd off but many UK couriers put big restrictions and surcharges on these areas. We have been lucky in that we cut a deal with DHL where we could send 30kg anywhere in the UK for £3.60 because we were sending 200+ parcels a day. Unfortunately, they have now been bought out by HDNL and have become a waste of time. Every other courier we have spoken to want a hefty surcharge to anywhere which needs a water crossing.

 

It's not the sellers who don't want to sell to you guys, it's the couriers. That said, many sellers could try a little harder to offer an option, as we do, even if it costs a little more.

[Xaltu]

I live across the water. Some parcel services such as Parcel Force and Royal Mail treat us as part of the mainland. Then again others thing we're located some where south of the Falkland Islands. So if you state 'mainland deliveries' do you actually mean 'mainland deliveries'? It makes ordering a pain.

[Mark James]

Just so you know we do.

 

And I can confirm that Mr Jones does delivery to northern ireland as he posted me my MS441 the next day but on the down side there was a cost, but the way I see it is if there not charging you postage they have it stuck on to the cost...

[Stereo]

Xlatu, for 99% of customers on the mainland (south of the highlands), Parcelforce will surcharge to the highlands and anywhere offshore. Usually it's something like £4-5 up to 30kg for mainland, £15 for highlands, islands NI etc.

 

Royal Mail do have a universal service obligation and are unable to surcharge and they will usually pass any large items to Parcel Force. So, of you walk into a PO and send something Standard Parcels to Shetland, you will be charged the same as to Bristol but it will end up with Parcel Force. If you had a Parcel Force account, you would be charged £5 to Bristol, £15 to Shetland as an example.

 

So, it's a tricky one and it varies from courier to courier. DHL charge us £4.60 to anywhere in the UK but they will destroy 50% of orders and also hit us with multiple £8 re-delivery fees outside of the mainland which we cannot quantify until the parcel is sent. City Link charge a whack for anywhere tricky but IOW is the same as Mainland. Interlink have a cheap NI rate but every where else is pricey.

 

So, don't be too hard on the seller. They don't want this any more than you and would love something as simple as Royal Mail's flat pricing but it's not like that and with internet pricing being so competetive, they cannot absorb the surcharges.

 

Hope this helps in some way.

[JimM]

 

So, don't be too hard on the seller. They don't want this any more than you and would love something as simple as Royal Mail's flat pricing but it's not like that and with internet pricing being so competetive, they cannot absorb the surcharges.

 

 

Where the seller can help is to not blatantly lie on their home page. "Free delivery to UK Mainland", "Free delivery to UK Mainland for orders over £xx".

 

I live near Elgin. It's the UK Mainland. Although not in the Highlands and Islands (Grampian for the geography buffs) I have an IV postcode which saddles me with the couriers surcharges. So for many years I have filled in my order for goods online, only to be greeted with the inevitable charges when I come to pay.

 

How do the phrases above sit with the Trades Descriptions Act/Sale of Goods I wonder, when you choose to bill me even more. If you use those phrases I expect you deliver to ME for free. Did you use an asterisk to highlight the small print? Expect your purchaser to hunt through your site to find the extra pain your courier is going to inflict?

 

As constructive criticism, why not use the phrase "Free delivery to most UK locations". Its truthfull and I'll be more likely to stick with your site.

 

I often open several windows and fill in orders for the same goods on multiple shops. Then I get to see the final cost side by side, and ditch the more expensive ones who add the surcharge.

 

So, sellers. Please don't fill me with hope. Just give it to me straight.

[Rob D]

To be fair if you have the IV postcode you know you will pay the surcharge because the seller has to pay the surcharge so why grumble?

 

 

[Paulfreebury]

Free postage on orders over x amount!! what It should say is you probably won't get your order delivered within a week!! I would rather pay for special delivery to get what I've paid for within two working days!

[JimM]

To be fair if you have the IV postcode you know you will pay the surcharge because the seller has to pay the surcharge so why grumble?

 

 

 

Because amazingly quite a few sellers do hold to what they post on their website - and I go back to shop with them repeatedly. I'm an optimist. If a site is offering a delivery deal I'll look at their goods. No grumbles from me if I do have to pay for quick service. I was stunned how quick stuff got to me from FRJones.

 

All I'd like to see is a truer statement up front from those who have to apply the surcharge. I don't think it's much to ask?

[easy-lift guy]

I like free P/H when ever I can get it and with larger quantity orders I gladly offer free S/H. In addition I offer terms for payment in 10 Days or less. The way I see it, it all comes back to the supplier as long as my customers are happy they will come back for more of the same!. Good Hunting.

elg