Do you like free delivery websites?

[likeitorlumpit]

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.

 

That must be frustrating

Regarding the idea of free delivery on everything - I would encourage customer loyalty and sales by offering delivery on a reducing scale depending on annual spend.

[Jonesie]

We are going to change the wording on our site to make it a bit clearer. We absorb the standard delivery charge, but with low margins we can't absorb the extra cost for exotic places, and we only charge on the exact additional charge.

 

I'm trying to deal with the international delivery for the site at the moment. Don't think I will ever be able to got it correct.

[Rob D]

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?

 

 

I hear what you're saying but this has to be in the "small print" or on a separate page somewhere because of practicality. I have a list an A4 page long of surcharge areas but you couldn't put this on your website homepage.

[JimM]

That's why I thought a better single phrase - "Free delivery to most UK locations for orders over £xx" would work. It's truthful and the customer knows that if he lives in an odd location then he can probably expect a delivery fee. Get rid of the UK Mainland! :-)

 

Yesterday's paper up here had comment from a Highlands MP who's fighting the courier companies over these surcharges and the effect they have on companies and their customers.

 

More important to me though is honesty and good customer service. I want to know if an item is out of stock as soon as possible so that I can find an alternative. One arb seller kept me waiting over a week and a half and it was my phone call to them that highlighted an item was out of stock and might be even longer! They didn't even respond to my emails. Not good if I need it for a job. Compare that to Jonesie who phoned me the very next day.

As I'm just starting out in this field having spent years sheltered in the RAF I'm buying my kit from various sellers to see how they respond. It's a whole new world for me and I can't afford to be let down as I try to establish my reputation.

[Daniël Bos]

I always find it a mayor pain to not know the total cost until after I've filled in all my details. Why can't postage be shown in your shopping basket straight away? Perhaps when you add the first item to your basket, prompt to enter postcode and surely that would be it? The main thing I like is clarity, instantly.

 

Like the idea of increasing discounts for loyal customers, it's a good way of binding customers, free delivery over £50 should be standard on all but huge items.

[Jonesie]

It would be difficult to do the postage at the start, as if you only put in 1 small item it will have to show a charge, then remove it later if you go over £50 that's if you're even still on the site as you may not have realized it will come back off.

 

The hardest and most difficult part of building our site was the postage side, and it's not getting any easier. We have tried to make it as easy as possible. But the couriers don't make it easy for us.

[Rob D]

I always find it a mayor pain to not know the total cost until after I've filled in all my details. Why can't postage be shown in your shopping basket straight away? Perhaps when you add the first item to your basket, prompt to enter postcode and surely that would be it? The main thing I like is clarity, instantly.

 

Like the idea of increasing discounts for loyal customers, it's a good way of binding customers, free delivery over £50 should be standard on all but huge items.

 

 

It's a lot harder than you think. Items under 500g can be sent Royal Mail to all UK for the same price. Over this and the couriers come in but their list of postcodes that have applicable surcharges is long.

 

Adding an item to your basket, prompt for postcode will work but the website would have to have a weight calculator that then matched the postcode with weight of your basket. So straight away every item has to have an accurate weight and a postcode database to calculate an accurate postage. Add £1000-00 min to your website cost!

 

Also bear in mind large companies can send the same parcel for 30% of what it costs a smaller company. So for many (inc me!) I cannot offer free delivery.

[Rob D]

That's why I thought a better single phrase - "Free delivery to most UK locations for orders over £xx" would work. It's truthful and the customer knows that if he lives in an odd location then he can probably expect a delivery fee. Get rid of the UK Mainland! :-)

 

That would be a better phrase you're right!