Are you sick of add on fees?

[Sigarms]

Hate to break it to you, but excessive shipping charges are still with us, especially with the smaller vendors who don't offer free shipping. Online specialty parts suppliers (ie-parts for ATVs, snowmobiles or small engines in general) are particularly bad for this...charging $20 to ship a $5 gasket that could have been put in an envelope and mailed for 50｢.

It would be nice if the fees (be it airline, hotel, cable company, whatever) were disclosed up front, especially the ones that are not optional instead of springing them on you at the end.

I always just considered the "buy one get one 50% off" as a semi-scam to get you to buy 2 of something you only needed one of.

I hate to break this to you but nothing in life is free including shipping, and the reality is shipping charges have skyrocketed by the general carriers over the 20 years (Fed-Ex, UPS).

20 years ago, anything (say around) in a 6"X6"X6" box, under 5 lbs you could ship next day air for a max of $50 pretty much anywhere in the US. I had to have a commercial relief valve for a boiler shipped in next day air for a school district just a couple of weeks ago. From South Carolina to North Carolina (max drive time about 4 hours from the location it was being shipped directly to the jobsite) was over $100. Pretty much anything that goes out UPS in any size box you can figure $15 and start out from there on standard ground. I had the operations manager warn me that ANYTIME I think next day air, get ready to be bent over and start at $100.

I guess my other point is that I don't believe most sellers mark up the freight making a profit, only charge you what they are being charged because they do want to sell you.

Take that $5 gasket you talked about. Seller makes $2.50 in gross profit dollars with a 50% mark up. The seller could put it in an envelope, but what happens if you don't get that envelope, and neither of you have any idea of where it ended up? Would you want your money back? If you do, now the seller is out $3 out of his own pocket paid more money that the product was worth to keep you happy.

Generally when shipping as a business, you like to keep track of where the product is sent, when it got there, and who signed for it (proof of delivery). I don't blame shippers, they are in business to make money as well.

Time, gas and vehicle ware all come out of your pocket when you go to a store to actually buy something. Why would someone deliver it to your house for free?

I've learned a long time ago when giving pricing on emergency work with parts that need to be shipped, you INLCUDE the shipping in the price and note the shipping is included in the cost. You aren't getting the part for free, you're getting it with the freight cost rolled into it.

 

[ultrarunner]

I would send US mail packages to Austria to friends every Christmas... the shipping got out of hand at $800 for the if it fits type boxes... so I stopped. California Almonds and Mixed nuts from Costco... just for fun some Hawaiian Macadamias added... all from Costco

Easier to give them a Amazon Gift Certificate online at face value and still come way out ahead.

25 years ago the hospital received at least two full totes each day of US Mail and our postage meters were humming.

Most days the entire mail is less than 10 pcs... not counting notices that sometimes come in bulk... oh, and no more postage meters... just stamps when needed.

 

[Oaktree]

I hate to break this to you but nothing in life is free including shipping, and the reality is shipping charges have skyrocketed by the general carriers over the 20 years (Fed-Ex, UPS).

20 years ago, anything (say around) in a 6"X6"X6" box, under 5 lbs you could ship next day air for a max of $50 pretty much anywhere in the US. I had to have a commercial relief valve for a boiler shipped in next day air for a school district just a couple of weeks ago. From South Carolina to North Carolina (max drive time about 4 hours from the location it was being shipped directly to the jobsite) was over $100. Pretty much anything that goes out UPS in any size box you can figure $15 and start out from there on standard ground. I had the operations manager warn me that ANYTIME I think next day air, get ready to be bent over and start at $100.

I guess my other point is that I don't believe most sellers mark up the freight making a profit, only charge you what they are being charged because they do want to sell you.

Take that $5 gasket you talked about. Seller makes $2.50 in gross profit dollars with a 50% mark up. The seller could put it in an envelope, but what happens if you don't get that envelope, and neither of you have any idea of where it ended up? Would you want your money back? If you do, now the seller is out $3 out of his own pocket paid more money that the product was worth to keep you happy.

Generally when shipping as a business, you like to keep track of where the product is sent, when it got there, and who signed for it (proof of delivery). I don't blame shippers, they are in business to make money as well.

Time, gas and vehicle ware all come out of your pocket when you go to a store to actually buy something. Why would someone deliver it to your house for free?

I've learned a long time ago when giving pricing on emergency work with parts that need to be shipped, you INLCUDE the shipping in the price and note the shipping is included in the cost. You aren't getting the part for free, you're getting it with the freight cost rolled into it.

I'll have to disagree on that. Actually, often as not that proverbial $5 gasket got shipped in an envelope...maybe not one you'd send a letter in, but an envelope nonetheless. No way did it even come close to $20 to ship it.

Yes, shipping costs have gone up and like so many other things the little guys are making up the difference for the ultra low rates the big boys have negotiated so they can offer "free" shipping. Somebody's got to make up the difference, and that's you and me.

 

[Jim Nelson]

Where we are even though we are rural ,we are on municipal water, which is terrible because of very high alkalinity. We have to pay $85 per mo., as I remember, before a drop-off water is delivered, delivery fee, meter fee, back flow device fee etc. We have a lot of water underground to access with a well but the vast majority of it is at least brackish and most just plain salty. This requires having access to the municipal supply so it's a no win situation.

Then we have the electricity situation which, because of the popularity of solar, gets a new fee added every 3 to 6 months. It's even worse farther North where Ultrarunner lives.

I firmly believe this is because the big corporations have the money to buy politicians and us commoners don't. It seems obvious that the public utilities commission is owned by the utilities they are supposed to control.

 

[radios1]

it's just not safe anymore to travel with covid19 spreading.. every clinic in my area has 50 people waiting in line to be treated!. very scary!.. it's because of stupid people that think covid19 is not real, and they throw parties!..

 

[bunyip]

We get multiple taxes on our fuel for cars, a tarriff, levy, fedearal tax, state tax and now they are going to tax the electric car users by way of log book mileage, there is just no escape.

 

[mikester]

OK, my wife and I are bored. We've been sitting around all year with nothing to do because of the virus. We're dying to get out and do something. We worked all our lives and saved up to see the world when we retire. Now we're retired and love cruising but there are no cruises this year and at least some of next year so far.

We want to book a flight and a hotel to go somewhere, any where, to enjoy ourselves a little while before we are too old to travel due to medical conditions. We check out a flight for $99. Then there are add-on fees for pick your seat, checked baggage, carry on baggage, food, drinks, internet, movies. Suddenly the flight is over $800 for a return trip.

We go to book a hotel. Great news, it's only $18 a night. But then in the fine print it's $45 a night resort fees, 28% taxes and mandatory minimum 20% tipping the room maid who only comes every other day. And lord help you if you smoke in the room because that cost you an extra $300 cleaning fee. Lots of more optional fees which we are luckily able to avoid.

The sightseeing bus is very inexpensive and you can get off and on at every stop and get back on at the next bus but each time you get off they expect a 20% tip so if you get off at 6 stops the tips are more than the bus fare.

All we want is to find out how much something will cost before we book the $900 trip that winds up costing us over $3000+.

Yes but you can brag to your neighbours you only paid $99 for your flight and $18/night for hotel.

If you were in Canada you could also brag about your $75/month cell phone bill thats really $150 after all the hidden fees.

 

[Redbug]

I will absolutely never fly again. Ever. Anywhere. Air travel adds far too many complications and levels of stress that take too long to relax from.

Much of what was discussed is why I'll probably never travel anywhere again. If I do, it wouldn't be to a tourist trap area.

Considering that most people can drive 500 miles a day, there are an awful lot of places in the US that you can drive to in two days. I'm not sure I'd want to drive that far anymore though. Few if any add-ons doing that if you're able. Most areas have hotels in the sub $50/night range with no add-ons. National parks have now dropped or eliminated fees for military or veterans if you qualify.

It is NOT necessary to spend big bux to travel and enjoy a vacation.

You hit the nail on the head with me, too.

 

[Oaktree]

now they are going to tax the electric car users by way of log book mileage, there is just no escape.

As it should be. Dunno how it's done in your country but here fuel taxes (theoretically) go toward road maintenance. Why should EV drivers get a free ride so to speak?

 

[RickB]

As it should be. Dunno how it's done in your country but here fuel taxes (theoretically) go toward road maintenance. Why should EV drivers get a free ride so to speak?

Exactly.