DSF

A customer asked if I did printed dog collars - so having seen some in the recent Magic Touch catalogue I decided to try and purchase a few. So going through the cart after selecting three collars (just enough for a test run) I end up at the P&P section.... and was astonished at the cost of P&P.... £7 for 2/3 day UK mainland delivery! The items werent even that much to buy and I'm guessing didnt weight that much either. Gobsmacked I was. So I decided to look around at other suppliers costs and some were reasonable (£7 for 2 boxes of 36 mugs), some were *unreasonable*... £2.35 in one case for a single sheet of A4 transfer paper for uninsured UK Royal Mail first class postage. It just seems that some suppliers are trying to help customers out and some just seem entirely too keen on pocketing every penny. Sorry end of rant

I know what you feel buddy. Only resonable suppliers that dont charge to much are coralgraph and yolo. Rest of tuem overcharge you. And as you said they try to pocket every penny.

you could think of it as a small order surcharge.
it is much easier to just have 1 cost, which becomes free after you spend a certain amount.
Small orders carry the same admin and processing costs as large, but with less margin to absorb it .......
I think it is completely reasonable, even if I don't like it

there was a post on the shop forum which said why do so many ppl abandon the process when it comes to the P+P section

i for one always check out the prices as you say some are really expensive which adds so much to the order

phoenixalpha;39521 wrote:A customer asked if I did printed dog collars - so having seen some in the recent Magic Touch catalogue I decided to try and purchase a few. So going through the cart after selecting three collars (just enough for a test run) I end up at the P&P section.... and was astonished at the cost of P&P.... £7 for 2/3 day UK mainland delivery! The items werent even that much to buy and I'm guessing didnt weight that much either. Gobsmacked I was. So I decided to look around at other suppliers costs and some were reasonable (£7 for 2 boxes of 36 mugs), some were *unreasonable*... £2.35 in one case for a single sheet of A4 transfer paper for uninsured UK Royal Mail first class postage. It just seems that some suppliers are trying to help customers out and some just seem entirely too keen on pocketing every penny. Sorry end of rant

Why would anyone buy a single sheet of transfer paper anyway ?

If you post things out to your customers do you cover every option of what they may buy or do you have 1 or 2 standard rates ?

Many suppliers will post small items out cheaper if you ask them, but it's not easy covering every option on a website.

I wasnt *after* one sheet of paper. I decided to do a test run of all the major suppliers with a variety of orders and was actually taken aback by some of the postage costs for some. As I said a single sheet at £2.35 was a lowpoint as well as the £7 P&P for a dog collar which only cost less than £1.50 to buy. With other suppliers for that £7 I could get a box of 36 mugs and 10 shoulder bags, 20 phone covers and a partridge in a pear tree (only joking about the tree).

So if I buy 72 mugs from a supplier it costs the same to post as a dog collar? The same P&P? I think it's companies pocketing the money, which in this "environment" (a term I absolutely loathe) isn't good PR.

My own P&P has a sliding scale which is commensurate with the items being posted, the postage cost and the cost in packaging. I dont charge a flat rate, I charge a rate that is fair and reflects the items being posted and if I say it will cost £2.96 for a mug it means that the postage is £2.48 for the item, 40p for the polystyrene mug box, 8p for the label, printing & tape.

Customers will go elsewhere (as I will) when they meet the P&P section if it seems unfair. Thats a couple of suppliers that have lost a sale (not an invaluable one to be sure) but in the future had it taken off, I could've easily been ordering dozens maybe hundreds a month as that customer I mentioned at the start, owns 4 dog grooming salons and was so impressed with the mugs I had made her, she asked what else I did and if I could do customised dog collars for a range in her shop.

Mugs would be a courier, dog collar would be Royal mail - I do know where you're coming from but sometimes RM prices are ridulous, compared to a courier, and the supplier then gets it in the neck just for passing these on.

What's the weight/size of the dog collars?

I hear what you say but it also stops people ordering lots of small orders I would guess. I have no problem with the charges as long as you know what it is when you order and you can make your own mind up. Personally I always try to make sure that I cover the costs on the item and divide the delivery charge by the amount of items.

I used to have supplier who was free delivery BUT you had to spend £3k a month or you were removed as a customer (Not the print trade)

phoenixalpha;39540 wrote:Customers will go elsewhere (as I will) when they meet the P&P section if it seems unfair.

Best form of protest to me

I think this is simply coz somone is better customer if order more. if you like me and order only little bit then you less important shame... I always treat this same xustomers who pay for my templates and those who download free ones! customer is a customer imo.