Shipping costs

When you live in Alaska, every time you order ANYTHING, from ANYBODY you just automatically bend over for the shipping costs, no matter who shipps it. If you can get them to ship USPS flat rate, you are better off, but lots of places won't.

I even had a place in Ohio charge me "customs charges" for an order my wife placed a while back (related to her hobby, not mine).
 
You have no choice in Alaska but even in the lower states it makes sense to order mail. Last week I ordered a part that cost $8.00 and $8.50 to ship but even if I could have bought it locally how far can you drive on $8.00 worth of gas plus finding the time to go get it. Overall we have some pretty good options nowadays.
 
How about this Just paid 30.00 shiping for 1 part , part sent was not part # I ordered , sent back cost another 30.00. they will send out the part i ordered orig. For another 30.00. Thats 90.00 in shiping for a 85.00 part i have not seen yet . Ordered in November. :-( Cant win
 
Can someone please explain why the UPS drivers are making $90K to throw the boxes off a truck? A close friend of mine is a FedEx driver who told me he makes OVER 90K. He's home every night for dinner and no weekend work. All the power to him, but is this where a lot of our shipping costs are going???
 
Some one has pay the cost of shipping and packing. It is always somewhere in the price. It is part of doing business.

If I drive to Winchenton MA (Langs) to get parts for my T instead of having them shipped costs me about 4 hours and 8 gallons of gas round trip. At $3.50 a gallon that is $28.00 not counting my time. Paying $10.00, having to wait a day or two, and spending the 4 hours on something else makes sense

If I order from NY, or Texas the shipping cost vs pick up the differential is even more.
 
I live less than 10 miles from Bill's Model A Acres in Watsontown, PA-mentioned above. Great place-nice guy. But, even in a Prius that's $.50-60 per mile plus my time. With time wasted, easily an hour. In the end, it probably cost me more to go get it (though i enjoy the trip).And no one ships for free-you're paying for it somewhere or the folks wouldn't stay in business.
 
Most of you can be thankfull that you don't have to pay international shipping from the US!

I ordered a set of custom/short bicycle spokes from a US Vendor, cost US$27 to ship to me, via USPS, it's been 5 days so far since they were picked up, and they are currently in Chicago, according to the tracking site.

At the same time, I ordered a new 26" rear rim, and 2 brake setups from UK vendor (Obvioulsy the box is FAR bigger maybe 28" x 28" x 6") and it cost =US$11.50. It also arrived 3 days after being shipped!
 
Allanw said:
Most of you can be thankfull that you don't have to pay international shipping from the US!

I ordered a set of custom/short bicycle spokes from a US Vendor, cost US$27 to ship to me, via USPS, it's been 5 days so far since they were picked up, and they are currently in Chicago, according to the tracking site.

At the same time, I ordered a new 26" rear rim, and 2 brake setups from UK vendor (Obvioulsy the box is FAR bigger maybe 28" x 28" x 6") and it cost =US$11.50. It also arrived 3 days after being shipped!
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I hear you!! International postage is a killer but much more expensive out of the States than to the States . I ordered a diode for my previously converted cut out -Dumb I know I should have just included it in my next order. Postage was about 10 times the cost of the Diode. I spoke to the supplier and was told to take it up with UPS. I didn't but what I did do to make my point was to ship my old diode back to them for 1/8th of the outward postage cost . Never heard from the supplier and they have never heard from me since !

Karl in New Zealand
 
mass A man said:
Can someone please explain why the UPS drivers are making $90K to throw the boxes off a truck? A close friend of mine is a FedEx driver who told me he makes OVER 90K. He's home every night for dinner and no weekend work. All the power to him, but is this where a lot of our shipping costs are going???
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That's the reason for high shipping costs. A couple of my relatives worked for the USPS and they also had a pretty good gig.
 
And for those shocked by a "box dropper" making something like 90k salary, keep in mind, that's just his salary. On top of that he (the individual) costs his employer even more in Gov't mandated costs for SSI/Medicare, unemployment ins., disability, and on and on depending where in the country he is. Add to that benefits/contract costs and that 90k guy could realistically cost the business 110k or even more. That's not counting what he costs in mistakes or doggin' it on the job.

I feel for the local, legitimate storefront nowadays. When as a consumer I factor in my fuel cost and sales tax (bumping 10% where I am), the offset for shipping doesn't pencil out so bad. But then I value the availability of a local source for "short notice" needs..............it's a balancing act.
 
leo said:
Hey, how about this. Parts suppliers could ask for an annual membership fee like Amazon Prime and then ship anything you buy for free. Don't know how it works for Amazon but like any other everybody pays routine the people who order less subsidize the ones who order more. Please, no death threats....
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Amazon not only has their own warehouses but also uses distribution hubs provided by the major shipping companies... so the cost to deliver the item is greatly reduced by it's proximity to the destination. (Have you ever noticed that the shipper address is usually close by?)

If the A suppliers could put together a network like that we could see the same type of shipping services and costs. Alas, we are a vertical market and as such this could not work for us.
 
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