patronizing advertisers

[sweettractors]

Some companies offer TBN member specials. We'd like to get more to offer specials in the future. A lot of times on things like parts and attachments, margins are low so there isn't a lot of room for us to negotiate deals.

We just started this offer after Muhammad made the suggestion. Hope this helps a few TBN guys. Ken Sweet

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/169028-3-discount-tractorbynet-members-till.html

 

[packrat001]

I can remember NOT ordering parts from SearsParts because I couldn't justify their minimum S&H for a $2.00 part. Usually, I'd just wait till they had a "free ship" deal (NOT very often, though), or I could come up with a few more items to order at the same time.

Most places have a min S&H... I try to shop places that offer FREE SHIP (like a lot of on-line places.)

 

[Whatswrong]

"Pine " I'm sure I would feel the same,but the UPS comes to their door and your's probably the postman comes to yours but Messicks probably would have to pay a Hotshot driver/Courier to get the parcel to the post office so the savings is gone anyway.I work a parts desk phone job ,shipping is insane,also there are only about 1 customers in 200 calls who ask for mail in Canada and I have 1 in USA that always does because his mail happens to be better due to his particular location.Just my thoughts, I'm sure it won't make you feel much less disulussioned.

 

[/pine]

Messicks probably would have to pay a Hotshot driver/Courier to get the parcel to the post office

...what? they don't get mail from the USPS 6 days a week?...eventhe USPS television advertising says they (USPS) will come to you and pick up flat rate packaging...


OK, just to clarify...not being asked and automatically charged $12.75 to ship 6 oil seals (less than 8 oz) was what irked me about Messicks..

since then I have ordered 6 radial bearings (from Tractorsmart)..the bearings weigh about 20 times what the seals weigh and the the shipping for the bearings is only $9...

 

[deepNdirt]

...what? they don't get mail from the USPS 6 days a week?...eventhe USPS television advertising says they (USPS) will come to you and pick up flat rate packaging...


OK, just to clarify...not being asked and automatically charged $12.75 to ship 6 oil seals (less than 8 oz) was what irked me about Messicks..

since then I have ordered 6 radial bearings (from Tractorsmart)..the bearings weigh about 20 times what the seals weigh and the the shipping for the bearings is only $9...

A think a lot of Vender's will eat the Handling cost to get and keeps people coming back for business, so I believe the handling cost is what runs of the prices, shipping cost is what it is and no getting around it.... it depends on if the seller wants money for the handling or not! If I were to have take time out to package something and this time took away from my earned income then of course I would need to be compensated.. Lets say I earn 20 bucks an our, it takes me 30 minutes to package and get the package off for delivery.... this would be $10.00 of the $20.00 that I would have made in 1 hour.... see where I'm going with this but! if I were to have employed a person specifically to do the Handling/ packaging of items and pay this person say 10.00 hour and it takes 30 minutes.. then I have paid this person 5.00 to package the item for me, thus leaving me to making my 20.00 per hour less 5 bucks I paid them, so now I'm down to making only 15.00 hour .. now I'm not happy making 15.00 hour so I up charge extra 5.00 for the handling to get me back to where I'm happy making 20.00 an hour
But Now You not Happy its a Cruel world :confused2:

 

[/pine]

IMO..."shipping and handling" charges for companies doing business on the Internet is a crock of bull...

If a user buys something on the Internet and unless the item is marked "free shipping" the user should be aware of the additional shipping costs...

However, any and all "handling" charges from an Internet based retailer is nothing but gouging the public....packaging is part of any catalog or Internet retailer's overhead and should be included in the listed price of the inventory...

I seriously doubt that any retailer's business model relies on revenue derived from their packaging department based on a perentage of the weight of the merchandise packaged...(a brick mason gets paid by the hour...not by how many bricks he lays)...Go to Sears and buy a big flat panel TV...I bet the associate spends a lot of time with you and will probably spend even more time helping you get it out to your truck and loaded etc...they don't add on anything to the price for this service to compensate whomever is paying the associate's salary...

Up until recently when the USPS started offering their flat rate parcel boxes...if you bought and item via a catalog or the Internet...you expected to pay a rate based on what an item weighed...there is no excuse for any shipper not to offer these savings...statistics indicate that the USPS loses no more packages than any of the other carriers with similar volumes...

 

[deepNdirt]

Let me ask this Pine/..... did you save any money by ordering these parts on line?........ I always seem to have more concern about why I cannot go into a local retailer and buy something as cheap there as I can on line, Same business same part... but Buying things on line seem to give a % of discounts.
for instance back last Holidays I shopped from home on line looking for the best deal on a GPS I found one on walmt website, instead of ordering it and waiting or taking chance it would get tied up it delivery and not show until after Christmas I decided to drop in at the local walmt and buy it, well they inform me it was only that price on the net and in order to get it for that price I would have to order it.......... OK now my point is---> if a business can lower there price selling on the net then they must try making up the difference in another way? Ahhhh! by handling charges perhaps?
Oh! BTW I probably spent more money in gas going back home Printing the ad
bringing it back in to them and showing the manager the part in the ad that stated can be ship to store to be picked up....... well I told him I would save them that hassle, and that I'm there now "to pick it up" Duh! whats the difference other than walmt having spend time and money to ship & handle the item out to me and for a lesser profit to them and then them to try and make up the difference in another sale...:confused2:

 

[/pine]

If I worked at an Internet shipping company and I was being paid..
when I retrieve the parts for the order, place the parts in the box, label it, setup shipping and then complete the order in the order management system I likely would take 20-30 minutes.

If someone is paying you... or anyone and you took 20-30 minutes to do this 20-30 second job...they would be out of business in a heartbeat...

And you think I have no business acumen? guess again...

 

[/pine]

whats the difference other than walmt having spend time and money to ship & handle the item out to me and for a lesser profit to them and then them to try and make up the difference in another sale...

Most Internet retailers charge a premium for telephone orders simply because they require two different people... pure Internet orders are usually handled by only one person..the shipping clerk...the same software that prints the shipping lables and postage codes does everything else...

In most cases of general retail merchandise...there is already enough profit margin written into the consumer price that it covers most shipping...

 

[MikePA]

However, any and all "handling" charges from an Internet based retailer is nothing but gouging the public....packaging is part of any catalog or Internet retailer's overhead and should be included in the listed price of the inventory...

Businesses are free to define their pricing any way they want to and include, or not include, costs as they see fit. A smart shopper adds the cost of the item plus all other charges and compares that to the alternatives before buying. If they determine it's gouging, they are free to buy somewhere else. Not to mention, in this situation, Messisks is also a brick and mortar store. What are they supposed to do, charge people who walk into their store a price that has an online 'handling' charge built in? :confused2:

On the same page where your shipping charges were displayed, there were several other options, two of which were to pick up in one of their 2 stores. If I chose to 'save' the delivery charge by providing my own 'pick up' service, why should I pay an 'online handling' charge? Ans: I shouldn't.