Shipping Costs

Up until my lovely wife put the kibosh on my spending I purchased a lot of stuff on-line, especially from eBay. It's fun to shop on-line. It's peaceful, quiet, there's no crowds and I can shop in my underwear. Try that in Wal-Mart! I can most often find things on-line cheaper than I can in retail stores. The trouble is that they slam you with shipping charges! The shipping charges are usually more than the item that I'm wanting to buy! It's ridiculous! And it will vary from vendor to vendor. One place will have the item for X dollars while another place will have the exact same item for the same X dollars yet one place charges $10.00 to ship the item while the other charges only $2.00! Come on, the Post Office charges both vendors the same amount to ship the same item to the same place. So why such steep shipping charges?

I think that a lot of hidden 'handling' charges are tied up in the so-called 'shipping' charges of some vendors. They want a higher price for the item but can't compete with other on-line vendors so they 'sell' the item for the same amount or less then jack up the shipping cost to cover the remainder of the real price of the item. Or perhaps they can't buy in bulk like the other vendor. They are charged more so they have to charge more. But again they couldn't compete with the other vendors if they did. So again they advertise one price but recoup the rest of their profits by charging the customer such outrageous shipping charges. In some cases I think the vendor is just plain greedy. They want more so they jack up the shipping charges.

All other things being equal, who do you think I'm going to buy from? The vendor with the low price and low shipping charges, or the vendor with the low prices and high shipping charges? Duh! It's a no-brainer. Of course I'm going to buy from the guy with the lower shipping charges! Who wouldn't? Doesn't mister 'high shipping charges' know this? And just how does he stay in business? Do they ever sell anything? Of course they do, they are still in business so somebody must be buying from them! But who?

Then there is the vendor who has the corner market on an item. He knows it's a hot item, hard to find, limited edition, etc., and he jacks the price up 25% to 50% knowing that if you want it bad enough you'll pay his price. And when you do they still jack up the overpriced shipping charges on you! They get you coming and going!

Then there's the one who insists that the item has to be shipped whatever the most expensive way is then ships it a different, cheaper way! Or the one who claims that shipping by (insert carrier here) costs $X.XX. But later, when you have to return it you find out that your cost to ship it back the same way by the same carrier is a lot less!

Then there's the guy who charges an honest rate for whatever he's selling. He may charge you a dollar or two more for the item, but still within the average price range for it, but he only charges what it actually costs him to ship the item out. You got to love this kind of vendor. He's not out to gouge anyone, he's out to make a profit, sure, but he really cares about his customers and wants to have them for life. This is the kind of guy I like to buy from. They seem to be few and far between now-a-days, but Ive found a few on eBay and a few other places. These are the people I'll throw my business to, how about you?