you pay for shipping with money. how much i can give you in shipping has to do with how much i get from you.
you know prices so you know what to do to get free shipping. how would you figure out when it is free based on weight and volume? how would I? i would prefer you paid actual shipping as well, but that is harder to do when the paradigm from the big guys is "free shipping." even at $99, we would get killed any time you order coolant or exhaust. we largely deal with this by negotiating flat shipping fees with vendors as they are better able to pool this risk given their higher volume. as for prices being "padded" to cover shipping costs, I wish it were that simple. prices are really more a function of the competitive market than any sort of recovery of costs and a fair profit. if we need to sell something for 12 bucks to make this "fair profit", but johnny come lately is selling it for 9, we are simply not going to be able to sell it for 12 to most customers, even many of our most "loyal" ones. this is why i find it ironic when people criticize walmart as everyone seems to want to be playing the walmart game. the real challenge is figuring out how to give a customer base that insists on walmart pricing with worthwhile service. the struggle is being "mom & pop" in a walmart world, while being sandwiched by big corporate types on one side and fly by night guys on the other. every dollar spent spent with either of these damages the few legitimate small vendors who can provide you high quality service at low prices over the long term. outside of any personal interest i have in this, i have to encourage you to support what is left of mom & pop as we will not be happy when we kill them all off and have only walmart to turn to. On Feb 12, 2008 11:42 AM, Chuck Landenberger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Tom, > > You are right on target! Remember TANSTAAFL? > > "Free" is one of the most overused terms in all advertising! The > more appropriate statement would be "Orders over $99 shipped at no > direct charge to you." We all should know that those $'s are > somewhere in the "cost of doing business" and incorporated into "mark > up". > > Personally, I would rather just pay the product price plus the going > UPS/USPS/FedEx shipping cost. > > As a business owner, I certainly would want to know how much my "free > shipping" costs are (% of total $'s of orders over $99) and spread > that cost when pricing my products. > > One more thought - Actual shipping costs are based on weight and > volume (size of box). Why is "free" shipping based on order amount? > Just an inquiring mind! > > Take care, > > Chuck > Phoenix AZ > On Feb 12, 2008, at 8:53 AM, Tom Hargrave wrote: > > > There is no such thing as "free shipping". Regardless of the business, > > shipping is paid by the customer or it is absorbed by the seller and > > paid for indirectly by the customer. > > > > Thanks, Tom > > 256-656-1924 > > > > > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ > For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
