Date: Sun, 3 Mar 2013 12:38:12 -0900
Reply-To: Mark Tuovinen <aksyncronaut@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mark Tuovinen <aksyncronaut@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Rock auto = smoking rock on shipping prices
In-Reply-To: <CAFnDXk18pqJh+48gCHZ9xWm0prCQg=xG+Kam=-8ZS1OSXDBWtw@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Many businesses are set up to ship only via one or two choices and that
makes it easy for them but screws the consumer. Many now choose UPS or
FedEx as both offer trackable ground shipping that is reasonably priced to
most places if the item is big enough but small items are cheaper to mail
but they wont do it. US Mail is often the most economical choice but
requires a little more work from the business and they want convenience,
after all they are not paying for the shipping we are. I needed a part
once that would easily fit in a Flat Rate US Mail box but the vendor only
uses UPS so the $80.00 part was going to cost me $44.95 to get to Alaska as
UPS Ground to here costs almost as much as 2nd Day only it takes an extra
week to arrive. We have a UPS account for our businesses and there is at
least one Vanagon parts vendor that uses UPS but wont let me bill the
freight to my account so I do not order from them much. Their explanation
was that they have done it in the past and some people did not accept
delivery so UPS returned it and charged them the freight. The cost of the
items that would have been prepaid would have been greater than the freight
charge but they did not care. Because of what we call the Alaska Tax, aka
the high cost to ship here, I never place an order without confirmation
from the vendor of the correct shipping amount and if it is too high I will
see if they are willing to ship via US Mail or for big items to my freight
forwarder in Sumner, WA. Some will us US Mail if you explain the
unreasonableness of their preferred method for the size item you need
others will not. I have even gone as far as having them use their shipper
and send the item to a friend whom then mailed it to me or held it until my
next visit. I understand business, shipping, and especially the auto parts
business and shipping having spent 27 years in it. I do not accept forcing
a customer to pay several times the amount it should cost to get their item
just because they are unwilling to use another shipper.
Mark in AK
On Wed, Feb 20, 2013 at 3:01 PM, Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote:
> Last week, someone mentioned that Rock Auto had a good price on diesel
> muffler mounts. They did. Shipping for one was a couple of bucks. Shipping
> for two was $12.00. I ordered one, and wrote it off as an anomaly.
>
> Tonight I was going to order some exhaust, intake and muffler pipe gaskets.
> I found the muffler pipe gasket for $2.51. I entered my zip to calculate
> the price. Economy shipping was $17.98!!! I called them, figuring they
> would be glad to know of the mistake, because the gasket could be shipped
> for the cost of a single stamp.
>
> It wasn't a mistake. It was the shipping price.
>
> Jim
>
| 
