Shipping, SHIPping, SHIPPING!!!

[fish_4_all]

What is going on with shipping charges! I know the rates go up a little but have they actually gotten so bad that retailers have to compensate by charging $10 to ship a $2 item? I can't understand the explosion in shipping prices. If it is their way of saying "Well I gave you free shipping for a month now pay for it to compensate" I say don't offer free shipping anymore! If I had $50 to spend then it would be no big deal because it doesn't seem to change the shipping rates but I don't.

[rich311k]

I would think the biggest issue with increased shipping charges is the price of oil. Fedx is charging a fuel surcharge of almost 10% to cover the price of fuel for their vehicles.

[fish_4_all]

Well let's but them all out of business and start shipping solely with USPS. I can ship 10 lbs. for $8.10 through them.

Just venting, feels good once in a while. As for fuel prices, I just want to know one thing, how much has G.W. Bush made off his oil futures? And yes I did vote for him. I think we need to revoke his pay for president and let him live off his black gold.

[Jchillin]

I love the fact that no surcharges have surfaced as yet for our governmentally subsided shipping industry (aka: USPS).

*Note - Let's not turn this post into a political debate, which is best served in the lounge.

[fishfreek]

Costs to ship items are not always perportonal to the cost of the item. Its always cost alot to ship a low cost item in compairson to the items cost. A $2 item online might be $4 in the store but when your done paying shipping the local price is better. Why? Its not that they paid less shipping its that they got more for their shipping $ by ordering more than a few items.

It will only get worse as the cost of oil stays where it is. TO get an item to you oftn it has to traverse the country or even part of the globe on boat, air, and truck.

I suspect gone are the days of seeing free shipping promos every few weeks.

[fish_4_all]

No political debate, sorry Jchillin. I don't have enough time for one of those!

As for shipping, I think it is more a lack of manpower caused by high prices of everything else. The higher prices go up, the fewer people they have working for them and thus the need for a flat rate pricing because they don't have the time to go out and chage actual shipping for every order. And yes, I do believe it is a way to make more money, it just sucks but at least it isn't as bad as Ebay and some sellers there.

Oh well, I guess I should blame my LFS because if they had anything different than what I saw when I was in high school then maybe I would be able to find it locally.

[Menagerie]

I love the fact that no surcharges have surfaced as yet for our governmentally subsided shipping industry (aka: USPS).

FYI-they can't charge a surcharge without getting Congress to approve it. They took a hit last year when the private companies could up their prices on the spot; USPS raised stamp prices (along with all other services) a few months ago to compensate. For as much as the public wants to believe the USPS is not governmentally subsided.
This former postal worker is stepping down now

[verucaproduce]

It is maddening to me when companies refuse to use the USPS and instead want to charge $8 to ship a $2 item that weighs about 4 ounces.

[lando]

I was just talking about this the other day with my wife. I ordered a Mountainsmith bag from an online retailer last week and it was delivered via UPS in 7 days. At the same time, I ordered two items off of ebay from private people. Both items arrived via priority mail in two days. Half the shipping cost in a fourth of the time. How is it a normal joe blow can go to the post office and get me things faster then a comany who sends out items on an hourly basis via UPS facility pick up?

My Dad is a goldsmith/jeweler. He ships several boxes a day via various methods. His favorite, fastest and most reliable is the USPS.

[travis74]

Sadly these issues are going to have an unforeseeable impact on internet commerce for some time to come. I am sure that along with increased fees simply to garner profit from shipping (as was the norm b4 hi fuel costs) that we have not seen the last of the price hikes. I wonder if the casual consumer will indeed seek local alternatives to online purchases. For our hobby we require frequent online purchases for everything from ferts to livestock to gear. I for one do not have an LFS, or for that matter multiple LFS's, which can stock the merch neccassary to keep me going. I have become addicted to a global economy.