Shipping Prices!!!!

[markarich159]

i understand the cost of doing business, but if ecig vendors want us to cut them slack for everything else they 'don't do because we are small industry" then quit acting like you're big boys with your prices and shipping costs.

Juicefreak, thank you for pointing this out. E-cig suppliers can't have it both ways. They act like they're a poor ole', undercapitalized, undermanned "cottage Industry" when the situation suits them. Then , on the flip side, they want to be treated as if they're bestbuy.com when the situation dictates that line of behavior. In either case, it seems that the consumer gets the short end of the stick.

This is, again, why I have a very short list of e-cig vendors with which I choose to do business.

 

[radicaljd]

When I decide to make a purchase, I look at the bottom line cost. If Vendor a charges $5 for product X plus $20 shipping, I will still buy from them if the next best deal is $30 with free shipping.

Of course, the above assumes identical products and service.

RadicalJD

 

[skydragon]

It's called FLAT RATE SHIPPING.

Flat rate shipping does not cost seven dollars. They also get the supplies free and a discount for printing labels off the internet. Many also get a "business" discount. There are other cost involved but nothing that comes close to seven dollars. That is a rip-off.

 

[karmatized]

if a product does not fit in the 5 dollar flat rate box the next size up is $10.20 . Anything in between you must use your own supplies and it can range from 7 - 10 dollars.

Everyone really needs to stop quoting prices they think and simply check to see what the real costs are USPS.com

As a supplier i can tell you, in almost every situation 11 dollars is just about the max you should pay for even a big order. To cover flat rate shipping and bubble wrap.

 

[juicefreak]

Juicefreak, thank you for pointing this out. E-cig suppliers can't have it both ways. They act like they're a poor ole', undercapitalized, undermanned "cottage Industry" when the situation suits them. Then , on the flip side, they want to be treated as if they're bestbuy.com when the situation dictates that line of behavior. In either case, it seems that the consumer gets the short end of the stick.

This is, again, why I have a very short list of e-cig vendors with which I choose to do business.

here too. short list of tried and true. prices are all over the map, quality has gone downhill so you have to be even more careful where you put your $. most of us know the true wholesale costs that the suppliers pay, confiscation is a thing of the past, so the excuses have kind of become so lame they are insulting lol

i've learned when someone wants to be my 'friend' in business, it's usually one to watch out for. there seems to be too much of that going around. "trust me i'm a nice guy! screen name fill in the blank vouched for me and so did so and so, so you know i'm cool". But the first sign up trouble for a purchase and it's all business and pound sand. That's why vendor reviews on here are so important. Regardless of who may/may not be at fault, it lets us know there are legitimate concerns that buyers need to be wary of.

i just shop carefully, read reviews and try not to get burned. we're in a recession and most ppl have better uses for their hard earned dollars.

 

[juicefreak]

$7 to 10 for homebrew ship supplies? no way. I have a friend that we ship ecig stuff back and forth often. $3. avg for a little less than a pound package in a 5 for a dollar padded envelopes. 8x11's i think.

if a supplier is in the mail order business, he's going to the post office daily anyway

 

[karmatized]

Its all about weight, You can ship something real light cheap, but once you get over 13 oz the price goes up a lot

 

[karmatized]

i can ship something from ny to cali for 5 dollars with a small flat rate box, but the same package with my supplies shipped priority mail non flat fate and it costs me 6 dollars because weight and distance takes over as the basis for shipping charges.

Its all about what u can fit in the flat rate box. If you cant fit it then weight takes over along with distance. Then its no longer flat rate until you get to the next box size or amount.

Its a tricky calculation but everyone should be doing it.

a supplier has to with every package try to get the best and cheapest shipping available.
If someone orders too much stuff and it will no longer fit inside a flat rate 5 dollar box then i can 1 either pack it my self and ship it non flat rate for around 7 dollars or i can put it in a flat rate medium box for 10 dollars. Well obviously the cheaper way for shipping is the non flat rate. But that also requires more work. You can not simply say this price is to much or this price is too little or anything like that.

Its a situational based thing depending on whats ordered. Even the item price does not fully reflect its weight or size in terms of shipping.

 

[Lezil]

yeah i got an order from esmokeytreats and it was over 10$ shipping

 

[markarich159]

Its a tricky calculation but everyone should be doing it.

Then why are there a small handful of suppliers(i.e. rockymountainvapor, et al..) that can afford to ship anything over a certain small monetary amount($14 to be exact) for free(1st class parcel) but also offer upgraded shipping(still only WHAT USPS charges, nothing more) if necessary; And still stay in business and make money.

Reason: A Super high profit margin product(which allow S & H and incidentals to be factored in beforehand while still maintaining high margin), along with ultra-low overhead owing to the type of business model they are using(i.e. direct to consumer web sales). This allows them to keep their price(with shipping) extremely low and, thus, their sales volume high(people keep coming back again, and again, and again). So they take a slight hit on their per sale margin(due to their lower prices/shipping - and the fact their margins are already so high it doesn't really matter) but more then make up for it in return sales volume.

This is the reason they are suppliers on my short list.

P.S. It's been fun guys, have a great evening and Happy Vaping.

 

[skydragon]

i can ship something from ny to cali for 5 dollars with a small flat rate box, but the same package with my supplies shipped priority mail non flat fate and it costs me 6 dollars because weight and distance takes over as the basis for shipping charges.

Its all about what u can fit in the flat rate box. If you cant fit it then weight takes over along with distance. Then its no longer flat rate until you get to the next box size or amount.

Its a tricky calculation but everyone should be doing it.

a supplier has to with every package try to get the best and cheapest shipping available.
If someone orders too much stuff and it will no longer fit inside a flat rate 5 dollar box then i can 1 either pack it my self and ship it non flat rate for around 7 dollars or i can put it in a flat rate medium box for 10 dollars. Well obviously the cheaper way for shipping is the non flat rate. But that also requires more work. You can not simply say this price is to much or this price is too little or anything like that.

Its a situational based thing depending on whats ordered. Even the item price does not fully reflect its weight or size in terms of shipping.

IF it is over a pound in a non flat rate priority box you are right in that the shipping will increase. If it does not go over a pound you can use any priority box or envelope for the $4.95. Less if you print off the internet and often less if you have a business account. You can also have your packages picked up at your place of business at no additional charge so no added cost for gas.

There are also companies that offer cheaper postal rates than the USPS site.

As far as materials. If a vendor buys in bulk it costs them pennies for the supplies. It isn't like going to WalMart. If a vendor isn't buying in bulk, to put it mildly, they aren't making a smart business decision.

Is it always black and white? No. But seven dollars is a rip-off and I think many of us are getting tired of paying even a flat rate of $4.95 and getting our product in an envelope that costs pennies and the shipping is $1.29 (as an example) The profit is supposed to come from the product, not shipping.

 

[karmatized]

exactly, not going to argue with that, the supplier takes the hit to some extent but makes it back with a markup. All i was arguing about is the same expectation with suppliers who already discount that markup and charge the fair shipping. It still costs the customer the same when everything is said and done. But the customers should not automatically assume that shipping prices are 3 dollars for whatever you ship because thats not always the case especially when a supplier offers a deep discount on the actual item.

i could overcharge everything and then say free shipping, or i could be fair with the price and charge what things are worth and let the customer pay shipping. No one really looses or gains. it equals out. But everyone should know the real costs of shipping.

Now im not in no way going to defend outright price gouging in shipping. Thats something that's disgusting. But you really cant complain when someones charging you the actual shipping costs. Thats just unfair to the people that put there time and money into this to bring these products to you.

 

[karmatized]

No reason a supplier should charge for priority mail and send something in a first class state.

 

[Kimerpuff]

IF it is over a pound in a non flat rate priority box you are right in that the shipping will increase. If it does not go over a pound you can use any priority box or envelope for the $4.95.

Yes and no, you have to factor in size as well. Most of our orders go out in 7x7 boxes. The cost for shipping then varies with weight and shipping zones.

 

[Mr.Self_Destruct]

I've only ordered from vendors that charge under $5 for shipping or free shipping. I don't make big orders ever so this is what works for me.

I really don't understand vendors that offer free shipping on everything but bless them for doing that.

I think they are crazy.

I do however like crazy people.

 

[skydragon]

exactly, not going to argue with that, the supplier takes the hit to some extent but makes it back with a markup. All i was arguing about is the same expectation with suppliers who already discount that markup and charge the fair shipping. It still costs the customer the same when everything is said and done. But the customers should not automatically assume that shipping prices are 3 dollars for whatever you ship because thats not always the case especially when a supplier offers a deep discount on the actual item.

I'm not trying to argue with you but if a vendor discounts a product because that is what the market will bear, they should not try and make up for it by overcharging in shipping. If the market no longer bears say ten dollars for cartos due to additional competition you need to lower your price to stay competitive if you have basically the same product.That is just business. And if a business discounts their price it is not often that it is out of the goodness of their heart. They are trying to compete or run another company out of business. So, no, a customer would not, should not, be paying the same thing when all is said and done just because a product has been discounted from what it originally was. Vendors should not be using shipping as a way to "even" it out.

i could overcharge everything and then say free shipping, or i could be fair with the price and charge what things are worth and let the customer pay shipping. No one really looses or gains. it equals out. But everyone should know the real costs of shipping.

Overcharge? You charge what the market bears. Yes you could increase the amount you charge for items and say free shipping but depending on how you ship, people will weigh the true cost after their first order

Now im not in no way going to defend outright price gouging in shipping. Thats something that's disgusting. But you really cant complain when someones charging you the actual shipping costs. Thats just unfair to the people that put there time and money into this to bring these products to you.

I don't think you are defending price gouging in shipping.
And nobody should complain about paying actual shipping costs. I want to stress again that there is more to the cost of shipping than just PO fees but many vendors are using shipping to make more profit. Not right. But, ultimately it is up to the buyer if they choose to allow a vendor to cheat them with shipping. I personally think it will catch up to them but that is only my opinion.

.......................

 

[skydragon]

Yes and no, you have to factor in size as well. Most of our orders go out in 7x7 boxes. The cost for shipping then varies with weight and shipping zones.

Hi Kimerpuff,

I don't know what all you ship but again, if you can't fit something in a small flat rate box yet it is under a pound in weight you will still be charged the $4.95 rate. If it is over a pound then yes it will be based on weight and shipping zone if not in a flat rate box.

Honestly, I can understand a vendor charging just the flat rate because it is so much easier than having to weigh etc but if I am charged that price, I darn well want it in a flat rate box and too many vendors are charging flat rate but shipping first class or parcel.

It also just get's too expensive if you are making an initially small light weight order.

 

[Natario]

Recently I lost a LED cup from one of my 510 battery. Found these on only one site from the South - he sells them as a pack of 4. Calculated shipping and got a $11.99for shipping! Four 4 LED cups that weight nothing and absolutely tiny. Sent email asking if it was a mistake - never got a reply. Needless to say, I would never buy on his site even he is the only one who has something.

 

[Kimerpuff]

Hey Skydragon,

Love your avi btw! We ship out DIY items.. some of which do not fit into a small flat rate box or to many items to fit properly (have to have some room for bubble wrap/peanuts).

If I use a 7x7 box the charges are based on the following.

Weight up to (Lbs.) L 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 4.9 4.95 5.05 5.15 5.25 5.35 5.55
2 5 5.35 5.95 7.5 8.1 8.6 9.55
3 5.7 6.55 7.5 9 9.95 10.7 12.7
4 6.45 7.55 8.6 11.9 13 13.8 15.3
5 7.65 8.75 9.85 13.5 14.85 15.85 17.65
6 8.3 9.65 11 15.05 16.65 17.8 19.9
7 8.95 10.55 11.75 16.8 18.4 20.05 22.4

Not the entire data, but an example.

All of our orders go priority, flat rate box or no. Any vendor can get free boxes from USPS, if they use them for shipping. My 7x7 boxes are not flat raters, but I ship most of my priority mail with them. When the cost goes above the $10 for the med flat rate box I switch over. My customer still only pays $6.00.

Also, we ship alot of heavy items.. so our shipping cost isnt really comparable to a "Juice" vendor.

I totally agree, if your paying for priority mail, you should get it! We have used the bubble mailers for replacements, free samples ect.. never an order tho.

 

[juicefreak]

natario i've run into that too. situations like that are more what i'm talking about than someone ordering bulk juice or several kits. lightweight items that they could throw in an envelope yet only offer priority.

I've also had first class mail arrive from across the country in a few days, while my 'priority' order must be sitting on a guys kitchen table until he feels like getting to the PO to mail it lol. 8 day delivery for priority, more x than i can count.

I'd love to support USA vendors, but for the most part they are not realistic in their pricing/shipping.

so i go to heaven-gifts.com, load up on drip tips, atties, multi-adapters, etc and pay $3. shipping from china. Takes 14 days to my door usually. nicely bubble wrapped and a free bottle of juice thrown in.

if i were to buy that same product here, it would be say anywhere from $1.95 to $10 for just a drip tip and $4.95 at the very least for shipping, for that one lightweight item. I'm sorry, but i don't need a drip tip that bad lol.

add to that the huge increase in the cost of dekang juice from usa vendors in recent months (ridiculous lol) and it's a no brainer for me where i'm going to buy. I did a bulk buy with friends straight from dekang and my cost was $50 (including shipping for 500 ml) There is a huge markup, in product. Don't let anyone fool you. I'm willing to pay a reasonable markup (50%), but don't insult me with ridiculous prices and shipping.

if shipping cost more than the item you are buying, something is definitely wrong. hell i've seen a trend in big ticket items online offering free shipping and they're prices are still right in line with the competition.