Inflexible shipping charges

[youngoldbloke]

Just ordered a small plastic component (costing less than £2.00) for my ebike, which would easily fit inside a small padded envelope and be eligible for standard 2nd class postage. Instead the supplier is charging me £6.00 packing and delivery by courier (no faster than letter post), as is their policy for orders under £50.00. Very annoying.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Do they give free postage for orders over £50?

If so, that’s why you’re paying £6.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I suppose they justify it by saying it costs them time (and therefore money) to process the order, pack it, post it. And also a good way of making a product look cheap but raking in more money for the postage. I've seen similar stuff on ebay. A product is £10 with free postage, but another seller is doing the same product for £6 +£4p&p. It comes up as cheaper when you order by price.
Amazoon are crafty for doing this. My partner bought something for £4.99 on there with free delivery. She then found it on Temu for £1.99 + £2 p&p. All Amazoon do is import from CHina and are effectively a middle man who puts the price up. Whereas Temu (I think) ships directly from a Chinese warehouse

 

[youngoldbloke]

It's just galling when the item is so small - of course it may arrive in a large box wrapped in acres of bubble wrap

 

[T4tomo]

you didn't have to buy it from them....

 

[youngoldbloke]

you didn't have to buy it from them....

Of course not, but there are very few suppliers of this item, and all others I could find were more expensive, even allowing for cheaper carriage (and one EU supplier who no longer deals with the UK , post Brexit )

 

[Sharky]

Amazon prime gives free posting on a lot of items and I had a Wiggle subscription at one time which also gave free posting.

 

[wiggydiggy]

That CRC order of mine today is free (<£50), I don't mind paying though for postage on a order especially if they either use Royal Mail or a counter drop off. I won't have any none Royal Mail deliveries to home at all if I can help it, don't trust them.

 

[Drago]

Perhaps don't buy it then if its going to cause you mental trauma?

 

[PapaZita]

You could buy 25, and then see if there are 24 more people willing to buy the excess widgets on eBay at a price + postage that works to everyone’s satisfaction.

 

[DCLane]

You could buy 25, and then see if there are 24 more people willing to buy the excess widgets on eBay at a price + postage that works to everyone’s satisfaction.

I once had to do that with some wallpaper border. Having seen it on display in a wallpaper shop, who said "I could have sold it twenty times over if I had any left" I went hunting. The only distributor was in the USA and I had to buy a case of it.

Fast-forward a few months and the room (back hallway, downstairs toilet) were decorated with the border. Un-needed rolls were sold off via eBay and I covered most of the full re-decoration cost.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Perhaps don't buy it then if its going to cause you mental trauma?

It's bought. No choice. Essential component. No trauma.

Amazon prime gives free posting on a lot of items and I had a Wiggle subscription at one time which also gave free posting.

Not sold on Amazon. Anyway you have to pay 8.99 a month for a Prime subscription, after a free month's offer.

 

[fossyant]

Thing is, shipping charges are up, and if you need a little part, it's no longer cheap to ship it. Retailers can't carry that cost, especially if a regular bike shop.

How much is a first class stamp now for a letter - I don't know, but the last time I checked I 'swore'.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Thing is, shipping charges are up, and if you need a little part, it's no longer cheap to ship it. Retailers can't carry that cost, especially if a regular bike shop.

How much is a first class stamp now for a letter - I don't know, but the last time I checked I 'swore'.

£1.50 I've been told, might be more I don't use that many stamps and normally pre pay online or at the counter.

 

[youngoldbloke]

£1.50 I've been told, might be more I don't use that many stamps and normally pre pay online or at the counter.

It's actually £1.25, 2nd class 75p.