grrrrrrr. Price gouging OT

Can't say why others do it but I charge an extra $1 PER ORDER - NOT ITEM -
for water proofing materials. APO, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico mail all
take a real beating in transist. In order to insure safe shipment I need to
use extra packing supplies. If anyone wants to take their chances I will be
happy to drop the extra charge at their request but it's at their own risk.
Hope that helps answer your question.

--
http://community.webshots.com/user/snigdibbly
SNIGDIBBLY
~e~
"
/ \
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/snigdibbly.
http://www.ebaystores.com/snigdibbly...ox&refid=store
"Harry and Anita" wrote in message
...
I have a question concerning shipping and handling charges and I hope I
don't upset anyone with it. Why do people charge extra for post going to
Alaska, Hawaii, APO's and FPO's? All of these mailing destinations are
serviced by the US Postal Service. I am now in Alaska and have spent the
last 12 years receiving my mail at APOs and have always wondered this.

When we want to ship items to folks in CONUS (the regular 48 states) we
are not charged any extra nor is there any reason the Post Office can find
for us being charged extra to receive items at these locations.

I would appreciate any input to my ponderings. Just one of those
questions that has always bugged me. Oh to clarify, I mean on items going
Priority or regular US Mail, not heavy items. I fully understand the
reasoning behind prices when shipping computers and furniture and the like
as they often go by container service in some form or another.

Anita in Alaska wondering if the East Coast has any snow it would like to
ship up here since it seems the Spring is trying to arrive ahead of
schedule.



"SNIGDIBBLY" wrote in message
news:bK4If.88582$4l5.32672@dukeread05...
That's exactly why I ship my FQs free. Shame on them for gouging people
on shipping cost.

--
http://community.webshots.com/user/snigdibbly
SNIGDIBBLY
~e~
"
/ \
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/snigdibbly.
http://www.ebaystores.com/snigdibbly...ox&refid=store
"lisa skeen" wrote in message
ink.net...
Surfing around ebay this afternoon I found a FQ I liked, but the woman
wants $2 to stick it in an envelope and mail it. I emailed her and said
she could put it in an envelope and mail it for 39 cents, could she be
more reasonable on the shipping price. She said her prices were lower
than anyone elses, and she wasn't going to lower the shipping price.

It seems to me in the last six months or so, there have been more and
more people on ebay price gouging in the shipping department. Week
before last I calculated the shipping on a 5-ounce book via media mail,
$1.52. The guy wanted over $5 for shipping!

I can understand adding a bit in the shipping department if you have to
do a lot of packing, like I have to do for my pottery, but shoving a FQ
into an envelope, or a book even, that's a no-cost proposition other
than the postage. It's getting to the point where people want more for
shipping than you pay for the item. sigh I hate price gougers.

--
L. P. Skeen, Summerfield NC
Organized people are just too dang lazy to look for things.

Take a piece of that walmart fabric and pin it out in the sun somewhere.
Do the same with a high quality piece of fabric. You will be shocked
at how the color fades on the cheap one. There are a few pieces of
ok stuff at walmart occasionally but they are really the exception.

What I find seems to be that the expectations of Walmart shoppers
tends to be lower than that of a quilt shop buyer. It may not be
today or tomorrow you notice it but over time the wear won't be the same.
YMMV, Taria


SNIGDIBBLY wrote:

I hear ya loud and clear. It's okay to disagree with me. I'm just basing
my statements on a lady who owned her own quilt shop and who is now a buyer
for Walmart General Offices. They buy 1000's of bolts of the same print
fabric from the same vendors as the LQS - it's the same fabric (thread count
and quality) but because they buy in bulk they get a discount. Makes sense.
A LQS may buy 1-2 bolts of the same print and Walmart is buying 1000s of the
same print. I don't think the vendor would be in business very long if they
sold only their best 2 bolts only to the LQS. I would think their best
would go to the buyer with the most quantity and turn over. I wouldn't be
surprised that they tell the LQS those fairy tales to justify charging them
the premium wholesale prices they charge to them. It was quite discouraging
to my friend. Her shop was called Makin' Memories in Lowell, AR. Walmart
does sell less quality on their $1 & $2 tables - I like them for backing -
but their regular priced $3.47/yard fabric is the same fabric the LQS is
charging $15/yard for.

There is no reason to transport anything to be posted anywhere these days.
All Priority mail supplies - boxes and envelopes - are FREE and can be
delivered FREE to your home mailbox - even the tape and labels. Postage can
be printed with your home printer on plain paper and taped onto envelopes or
packages. It is good for your heart and your hind end to walk it out to
your own mail box and doesn't cost a thing. LOL!! Way too many ebay
sellers charge over inflated shipping and handling charge and have for over
6 years that I know of. It's a rip off - they know it's a rip off but
continue the nefarious practice anyway. Best advice I've seen here is
educate yourself about postage cost by asking how much the item weighs,
calculate the postage at www.usps.com and don't buy if the seller insists on
over charging on the shipping. The more informed you are as a consumer the
happier you are going to be. If an ebay seller attempts to justify their
inflated handling charge by saying it includes their listing - selling or
paypal fees then report them to ebay because this is against ebay rules and
the seller will be suspended from selling or buying on ebay. Be a proactive
consumer. Everytime you act you not only act in your own behalf but others
as well.

--
http://community.webshots.com/user/snigdibbly
SNIGDIBBLY
~e~
"
/ \
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/snigdibbly.
http://www.ebaystores.com/snigdibbly...ox&refid=store
"IMS" wrote in message
...
I don't agree it is. Some sellers use the additional $ as a 'handling'
charge - after all, they need to pay for boxes, packing material,
transporting it to the PO or UPS or where ever.

-Irene

On Mon, 13 Feb 2006 12:46:51 +0100, "Jessamy"
wrote:

that's called price gouging - it's not a reasonable thing to do either and
I
for one would not accept that.

--
Jessamy
In The Netherlands
Take out: so much quilting to reply.
Time to accept, time to grow, time to take things slow
www.geocities.com/jess_ayad
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jes...pson/my_photos
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What eBay charges sellers is based on the what the item sells for on the
auction. eBay doesn't inc. the shipping charge in this calculation, so
some sellers use the shipping charge as a way to make a little extra $
on the transaction.

-Irene





--------------
You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.
--Mae West
--------------

You can report him to ebay - for over inflated shipping and handling charges
and you should. Not much you can do but leave him negative feedback so you
can warn others of his nefarious practice but by reporting him to ebay you
can have him suspended from selling or buying. It's worth the time and
trouble to follow thru on these things if you want a safe place to shop.

--
http://community.webshots.com/user/snigdibbly
SNIGDIBBLY
~e~
"
/ \
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/snigdibbly.
http://www.ebaystores.com/snigdibbly...ox&refid=store
"Carissa" wrote in message
news:k0gIf.493880$2k.277012@pd7tw1no...
Its awful... I paid $6 USD to ship something in an envelope to me... I
politely aske dthe guy if he could bypass fancy shipping options and stick
it in an envelope... no reply at all.... I bought it as it was a perfect
gift for my son but when it arrived.... the thing came from Toronto
Canada. So I paid $6USD to ship a couple provinces over in an envelope he
put a 50 cent canadian stamp on. I was so mad :[

--
http://community.webshots.com/user/Elywyn
Carissa in BC
remove the dot before the @ for direct email
"lisa skeen" wrote in message
ink.net...
Surfing around ebay this afternoon I found a FQ I liked, but the woman
wants $2 to stick it in an envelope and mail it. I emailed her and said
she could put it in an envelope and mail it for 39 cents, could she be
more reasonable on the shipping price. She said her prices were lower
than anyone elses, and she wasn't going to lower the shipping price.

It seems to me in the last six months or so, there have been more and
more people on ebay price gouging in the shipping department. Week
before last I calculated the shipping on a 5-ounce book via media mail,
$1.52. The guy wanted over $5 for shipping!

I can understand adding a bit in the shipping department if you have to
do a lot of packing, like I have to do for my pottery, but shoving a FQ
into an envelope, or a book even, that's a no-cost proposition other than
the postage. It's getting to the point where people want more for
shipping than you pay for the item. sigh I hate price gougers.

--
L. P. Skeen, Summerfield NC
Organized people are just too dang lazy to look for things.

Nope that doesn't hold true either. I've been buying Wal-mart fabric for
years and don't find that it fades any more than the Hancocks of Peducah
fabric or the LQS fabric - unless I pour bleach on it!! LOL When I want a
particular print - I don't care where I get it - as long as it has a good
thread count and "hand" and fits the project I'm working on. I've bought
some really bad fabric from LQS and from Wal-mart alike. It's harder to
make good decisions when you buy on line and can't feel the fabric.

--
http://community.webshots.com/user/snigdibbly
SNIGDIBBLY
~e~
"
/ \
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/snigdibbly.
http://www.ebaystores.com/snigdibbly...ox&refid=store
"Taria" wrote in message
news:UhmIf.4151$Lr.2687@trnddc01...
Take a piece of that walmart fabric and pin it out in the sun somewhere.
Do the same with a high quality piece of fabric. You will be shocked
at how the color fades on the cheap one. There are a few pieces of
ok stuff at walmart occasionally but they are really the exception.

What I find seems to be that the expectations of Walmart shoppers
tends to be lower than that of a quilt shop buyer. It may not be
today or tomorrow you notice it but over time the wear won't be the same.
YMMV, Taria


SNIGDIBBLY wrote:

I hear ya loud and clear. It's okay to disagree with me. I'm just
basing my statements on a lady who owned her own quilt shop and who is
now a buyer for Walmart General Offices. They buy 1000's of bolts of the
same print fabric from the same vendors as the LQS - it's the same fabric
(thread count and quality) but because they buy in bulk they get a
discount. Makes sense. A LQS may buy 1-2 bolts of the same print and
Walmart is buying 1000s of the same print. I don't think the vendor
would be in business very long if they sold only their best 2 bolts only
to the LQS. I would think their best would go to the buyer with the most
quantity and turn over. I wouldn't be surprised that they tell the LQS
those fairy tales to justify charging them the premium wholesale prices
they charge to them. It was quite discouraging to my friend. Her shop
was called Makin' Memories in Lowell, AR. Walmart does sell less
quality on their $1 & $2 tables - I like them for backing - but their
regular priced $3.47/yard fabric is the same fabric the LQS is charging
$15/yard for.

That's one of the reasons that I use USPS exclusively. They deliver to my
door and on the porch in a large white rocker seat.

--
http://community.webshots.com/user/snigdibbly
SNIGDIBBLY
~e~
"
/ \
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/snigdibbly.
http://www.ebaystores.com/snigdibbly...ox&refid=store
"Taria" wrote in message
news:klmIf.4187$Lr.3110@trnddc01...
I have that jerky UPS guy that thinks hiding a package under a sprinkler
is better than leaving it on the porch. A $125 electronic board got it
last. The thing was packaged so well it survived after the sprinkler
timer ran its course. It rains everywhere, even in the desert!

If you don't bid on an item with bad shipping prices you don't have a
problem. Buyer beware.
The Alaska thing I can't address.
Taria

SNIGDIBBLY wrote:

Can't say why others do it but I charge an extra $1 PER ORDER - NOT
ITEM - for water proofing materials. APO, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico
mail all take a real beating in transist. In order to insure safe
shipment I need to use extra packing supplies. If anyone wants to take
their chances I will be happy to drop the extra charge at their request
but it's at their own risk. Hope that helps answer your question.

Taria wrote:

I have that jerky UPS guy that thinks hiding a package under a sprinkler
is better than leaving it on the porch. A $125 electronic board got it
last. The thing was packaged so well it survived after the sprinkler
timer ran its course. It rains everywhere, even in the desert!

If you don't bid on an item with bad shipping prices you don't have a
problem. Buyer beware.
The Alaska thing I can't address.
Taria

I buy high quality garment fabrics by post, from expensive sources, for
my customers. Stuff like silk dupion and hand printed silks and
velvets... Some places charge a flat rate for shipping, some places
charge per weight of parcel. It really depends on the deal each company
has with their shippers. Some companies pack really well: BL Joshi are
usually excellent, packing their orders in well sealed shop carrier bags
(heavy poly) and then in the heavy oiled paper that their fabrics are
wrapped in for shipping from all corners of the world. The last parcel
I had from them was then put into a heavy duty sealed bag by DSL when
they got it. 3 layers of waterproof packing, and it only came from
London, about 50 miles away!

I got whole rolls of silk from Henry Bertrand of London, and that was
sealed up in a clear plastic tube and then heat sealed into a heavy poly
outer shipping bag designed for fabric rolls. Though the outside was
dusty, the fabric is in fantastic shape. I don't mind paying a bit
extra for shipping if it ensures that fabric costing upwards of £50 a
metre arrives clean and dry despite the best the UK weather and grubby
vans can throw at it. These two would have survived immersion for
several days in mud!

Things from Virginia Quilters, eQuilter, and Bighorn are usually
beautifully packed, though possibly not quite as bomb-proof as the BH
package! Hawaiian Fabrics did a good job too. Hm... Reminder to
self: dig out Hawaiian cotton and transfer to quilting stores as I no
longer need to hide in massive flowery tents!

--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

SNIGDIBBLY wrote:
There is no reason to transport anything to be posted anywhere these days.
All Priority mail supplies - boxes and envelopes - are FREE and can be
delivered FREE to your home mailbox - even the tape and labels.
Only if you HAVE a home mailbox. Many people living in small towns have
to pick up their mail at the post office. If you are shipping something
too large to put in your mail box (assuming you have a mailbox), you may
not want to leave it out where it may be exposed to the elements and
anyone who happens to come by, especially if the contents of the
package are very valuable.

Julia in MN

--
This message has been scanned for viruses by Norton Anti-Virus

http://webpages.charter.net/jaccola/

That's what walmart bags are for and they hang on the flag so nicely. My
mail man loves them - just grab and go and keeps the package nice and dry.
Oh - they come in all sizes - and they are FREE!! My mail man picks up
packages up to 85 pounds - no problem.

--
http://community.webshots.com/user/snigdibbly
SNIGDIBBLY
~e~
"
/ \
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/snigdibbly.
http://www.ebaystores.com/snigdibbly...ox&refid=store
"Julia in MN" wrote in message
...
SNIGDIBBLY wrote:
There is no reason to transport anything to be posted anywhere these
days. All Priority mail supplies - boxes and envelopes - are FREE and can
be delivered FREE to your home mailbox - even the tape and labels.
Only if you HAVE a home mailbox. Many people living in small towns have to
pick up their mail at the post office. If you are shipping something too
large to put in your mail box (assuming you have a mailbox), you may not
want to leave it out where it may be exposed to the elements and anyone
who happens to come by, especially if the contents of the package are
very valuable.

Julia in MN

--
This message has been scanned for viruses by Norton Anti-Virus

http://webpages.charter.net/jaccola/

Thanks for the quick answer, Snigs. It has always been one of those
questions that make sme go Hmm. I appreciate getting a point of view from
someone doing the mailing. That being said, here is my experiences
concerning mail traveling to some of the mentioned places.

Having received mail at these places for about 15 years, I'm curious as to
why folks think this mail takes anymore of a beating than mail to anywhere
else. I have volunteered at military post offices before and am aware that
mail is dropped directly into the mailbags assigned to various international
airport hubs such as Atlanta, Boston, NYC, and St. Louis to name a few.
This is the same practice as a stateside PO uses. Mail is then driven by
truck to an airport and shipped to the distribution hub and then flown on to
the next place. Mail coming to Alaska or an APO travels basically the same
as mail going from say NYC to San Francisco. At most APOs and Alaskan
destinations, it is placed directly into drop boxes and never even leaves
the PO till the box owner picks it up. The chances for mail to be damaged
in transit is the same for mail in CONUS as it is for APOs, FPOs and Alaska
in my experience, can't say about the others as I have never received mail
in those locations.

Thanks again for taking the time to answer me and give me something to think
about. I learn much more than quilting from this great group.

Anita in cold, non-snowy Alaska


"SNIGDIBBLY" wrote in message
newshmIf.88857$4l5.32683@dukeread05...
Can't say why others do it but I charge an extra $1 PER ORDER - NOT ITEM -
for water proofing materials. APO, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico mail all
take a real beating in transist. In order to insure safe shipment I need
to use extra packing supplies. If anyone wants to take their chances I
will be happy to drop the extra charge at their request but it's at their
own risk. Hope that helps answer your question.

--
http://community.webshots.com/user/snigdibbly
SNIGDIBBLY
~e~
"
/ \
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/snigdibbly.
http://www.ebaystores.com/snigdibbly...ox&refid=store
"Harry and Anita" wrote in message
...
I have a question concerning shipping and handling charges and I hope I
don't upset anyone with it. Why do people charge extra for post going to
Alaska, Hawaii, APO's and FPO's? All of these mailing destinations are
serviced by the US Postal Service. I am now in Alaska and have spent the
last 12 years receiving my mail at APOs and have always wondered this.

When we want to ship items to folks in CONUS (the regular 48 states) we
are not charged any extra nor is there any reason the Post Office can
find for us being charged extra to receive items at these locations.

I would appreciate any input to my ponderings. Just one of those
questions that has always bugged me. Oh to clarify, I mean on items
going Priority or regular US Mail, not heavy items. I fully understand
the reasoning behind prices when shipping computers and furniture and the
like as they often go by container service in some form or another.

Anita in Alaska wondering if the East Coast has any snow it would like to
ship up here since it seems the Spring is trying to arrive ahead of
schedule.



"SNIGDIBBLY" wrote in message
news:bK4If.88582$4l5.32672@dukeread05...
That's exactly why I ship my FQs free. Shame on them for gouging people
on shipping cost.

--
http://community.webshots.com/user/snigdibbly
SNIGDIBBLY
~e~
"
/ \
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/snigdibbly.
http://www.ebaystores.com/snigdibbly...ox&refid=store
"lisa skeen" wrote in message
ink.net...
Surfing around ebay this afternoon I found a FQ I liked, but the woman
wants $2 to stick it in an envelope and mail it. I emailed her and
said she could put it in an envelope and mail it for 39 cents, could
she be more reasonable on the shipping price. She said her prices were
lower than anyone elses, and she wasn't going to lower the shipping
price.

It seems to me in the last six months or so, there have been more and
more people on ebay price gouging in the shipping department. Week
before last I calculated the shipping on a 5-ounce book via media mail,
$1.52. The guy wanted over $5 for shipping!

I can understand adding a bit in the shipping department if you have to
do a lot of packing, like I have to do for my pottery, but shoving a FQ
into an envelope, or a book even, that's a no-cost proposition other
than the postage. It's getting to the point where people want more for
shipping than you pay for the item. sigh I hate price gougers.

--
L. P. Skeen, Summerfield NC
Organized people are just too dang lazy to look for things.