Pet Peeve with Vendor Sites - Vendors, you should read this

[BillyTheWild]

I can't find any appropriate forum to post this so I will just do it here.

It's just my pet peeve that a vendor requires me to register and fill out so many damn things b4 it will tell me how much the shipping is. I hope all of you vendors are reading this. Dude, I just want to know what the TOTAL cost is before I commit to buy from you. If you do flat rate, say it up front. If you do variable rate, put a shipping calculator in the shopping cart. The worst is some vendors even asks you for address and the c.c. info before it will tell you the shipping charge. Man, I was just on a site which has a really great price on a piece of hardware I want but you know what, as soon as they require me to register and check my email for verification, go back to login, etc., etc., I've had it. Just ordered it from another vendor. Pay a little more but save myself some irritation.

Vendors, trust me, I am telling you for your benefits. If your site is like this, change it immediately.

 

[TrainingDummy]

I totally agree. It annoys the crap out of me to have to jump through hoops just to figure out shipping cost.

 

[grandmato5]

If I can't easily figure out what shipping is going to be I simply move on to another site. Too many vendors out there to waste time trying to figure out something that shouldn't take so much time and effort.

 

[LeFaerieLady]

3 things make me go to another vendor regardless of prices or anything:
1.) can't find shipping rate or need to register to even know the cost.
2.) Out of stock, out of stock, out of stock.
4.) Constant age verifications. Seriously, I told you when I entered that I'm legal. If I want to look at a few items, I'm aging as I go, not growing younger, so you shouldn't need to KEEP verifying!

 

[Unhooked]

I have quite a lot of background in setting up eCommerce sites and while as a consumer I totally share these frustrations, let me tell you why these things are happening. A fair percentage of the folks who sell ecig equipment and juice are mom and pop online shops. They go out and buy an online store template and fill in the blanks for the photos and prices and blah blah and logos and all that. Depending what ecommerce store and particularly shopping cart software they choose, they may or may not have the option to do things like let you see the shipping cost before setting up your account. I suppose some of them are lazy but others either would not know how to change the default settings or the shopping cart won't let them or they are operating on a small margin and can't afford the extra $500 to have a ecommerce expert make it work optimally.

 

[LeFaerieLady]

That's totally logical and makes sense, Unhooked, thanks!!

 

[Faylool]

I cant tell you how many times ive loaded a cart and if shipping is high i exit. I simply change my mind.

 

[Ryedan]

I suppose some of them are lazy but others either would not know how to change the default settings or the shopping cart won't let them or they are operating on a small margin and can't afford the extra $500 to have a ecommerce expert make it work optimally.

That makes total sense to me and explains why so many have their sites set up that way. Unfortunately for them, I still prefer to do business with the ones who have done what it takes so I can see their shipping costs before I give them personal information.

 

[DavidOck]

Good point about the template - but it should be pretty easy for the shops that have flat rate shipping to put that info on the front page...

 

[BillyTheWild]

I have quite a lot of background in setting up eCommerce sites and while as a consumer I totally share these frustrations, let me tell you why these things are happening. A fair percentage of the folks who sell ecig equipment and juice are mom and pop online shops. They go out and buy an online store template and fill in the blanks for the photos and prices and blah blah and logos and all that. Depending what ecommerce store and particularly shopping cart software they choose, they may or may not have the option to do things like let you see the shipping cost before setting up your account. I suppose some of them are lazy but others either would not know how to change the default settings or the shopping cart won't let them or they are operating on a small margin and can't afford the extra $500 to have a e-commerce expert make it work optimally.

I have to respectfully disagree. Part of my job is to manage and maintain a large, high volume e-commerce site (I was also involved in the initial development of it). And b/c of my experience and know-hows, I ALSO help a lot of my friends and family members to setup small, mom-and-pop type e-commerce sites. It is NOT that difficult to do. You don' have to hire a web master or site developer or IT professional to do it. I understand that some e-commerce hosting sites suck. I know all about the templates. I know some of these hosts don't allow for much customization. I know about all these things you talk about. But there are many, many, very affordable e-commerce hosts out there you can pick from. And my criticism is not directed solely to small business web sites - though, I do understand that the smaller operations will have a harder time at this - I see the same things in sites for mufti-million dollars, internationally known corporations with all the resource you can think of and yet their sites suck on the most fundamental ways.

Vendors, really, look into your options out there and if your host can't give you the customization you want, switch - just like us customers, we don't like your site, we go with somebody else, it's as simple as that. Again, trust me, I want all you vendors to be successful, especially knowing that many of you are small business owners.

 

[BillyTheWild]

4.) Constant age verifications. Seriously, I told you when I entered that I'm legal. If I want to look at a few items, I'm aging as I go, not growing younger, so you shouldn't need to KEEP verifying!

Exactly what annoys me too.

 

[DeeDee1234]

I can't find any appropriate forum to post this so I will just do it here.

It's just my pet peeve that a vendor requires me to register and fill out so many damn things b4 it will tell me how much the shipping is. I hope all of you vendors are reading this. Dude, I just want to know what the TOTAL cost is before I commit to buy from you. If you do flat rate, say it up front. If you do variable rate, put a shipping calculator in the shopping cart. The worst is some vendors even asks you for address and the c.c. info before it will tell you the shipping charge. Man, I was just on a site which has a really great price on a piece of hardware I want but you know what, as soon as they require me to register and check my email for verification, go back to login, etc., etc., I've had it. Just ordered it from another vendor. Pay a little more but save myself some irritation.

Vendors, trust me, I am telling you for your benefits. If your site is like this, change it immediately.

One of my pet peeve's is searching thier site up and down looking for thier location. I want toknow where they are shipping from first!

 

[ScottP]

One of my biggest complaints with nearly EVERY Vapor hardware site is not listing sizes/specs (length, diameter, and threading) needed to match up equipment.

 

[BillyTheWild]

One more thing, vendors, your site host should provide a reasonable amount of included tech supports for no additional charge. Is there anything you don't know how to do, don't hesitate to ask them.

 

[badbadivy]

It's funny, at work I have gotten so used to heinous shipping costs (I'm looking at you, USA Bluebook and you, Hach) that I don't even look at shipping costs anymore. :/

 

[BillyTheWild]

One of my biggest complaints with nearly EVERY Vapor hardware site is not listing sizes/specs (length, diameter, and threading) needed to match up equipment.

That too !!!

 

[Cool_K]

This problem will never go away since the barrier to entry for selling juice, gear, etc. is so low. It's survival of the fittest. Those that serve their customers and adapt well should thrive and those that don't will perish.

 

[Racehorse]

I emailed 2 vendors this morning, I needed ONE question answered to make the purchase. one was a hardware purchase, the other an eliquid purchase.

Here it is, wee hours of next day........no answers to my emails at all. 2 different vendors. Actually make that 3. there was another one 2 days ago.......and I still hve no email from them.

You think I"ll complete those purchases? No. I won't.


How can somebody run a business and not answer customer inquiries????

I run into this a lot. Mind you, they are never too busy to process a payment LOL

 

[Blurgas]

God yes I hate having to register to figure out the shipping, there's been times I skipped a site completely because of that, even if the price of the item was decent

 

[Unhooked]

...How can somebody run a business and not answer customer inquiries????

I have noticed that some ebay sellers automatically block you from bidding if you ask a question. I think they run their business by the 80/20 principle: 80 pct of your profits come from 20pct of your customers. 80 pct of your time answering questions and giving support comes from 20 pct of your customers. The theory is if you can concentrate your time on the 20 pct of your customers that bring most of your profits, and ignore the 20 pct that take the most time, you maximize your profits. My guess is they are willing to let the most time consuming transactions go. As in, maybe that is an intentional strategy?