Postage - am I just being tight?

I figured these companies set the postage at a set figure and they must win or lose depending on what's bought but it probably evens out. I dont know how equestrian companies get away with still charging postage... in this day and age most other companies just absorb the postage cost. We sell non-equestrian stuff online and we have to offer FREE postage because absolutely all our competitors do and they all offer very quick postage too so even more expensive, its sucks - one parcel today cost £17 to post!
 
When a company selects a courier they do it on ave parcel size and weight, so it may not be the best for you, in this instance, they will have to accept that and usually it is taken in to consideration in pricing.
They are not trying to swizzle you, but that will likely be their cost price.
 
Bonkers2 said:
When a company selects a courier they do it on ave parcel size and weight, so it may not be the best for you, in this instance, they will have to accept that and usually it is taken in to consideration in pricing.
They are not trying to swizzle you, but that will likely be their cost price.
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Also they really can't fiddle about seeing if one parcel should go to the postoffice and another picked up by courier, it just gets too complex, even if it were cheaper by royal mail, they need to add on for time and mileage.
 
This is why our online shop did so well we took time to charge the postage at a fair rate according to weight. So you could buy a fly veil and not expect to pay £2.99 postage.
 
When I sell on ebay, its second class recorded delivery. I have learnt to try to make the dimensions as small as possible but that does get expensive. I won't send anything that isn't signed for now though as parcels seem to disappear...
 
wills_91 said:
Don't get me started on postage. I live in a PA postcode and always get charged Highlands &Islands postage price even though I'm neither! I also go for best all in price.
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That is because half the PA code area is Highlands and Islands, if you contact them and explain their software has this glitch they may offer a discount.
 
Kaylum said:
This is why our online shop did so well we took time to charge the postage at a fair rate according to weight. So you could buy a fly veil and not expect to pay £2.99 postage.
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Yes, but if you happened to live 5 miles from a PO then you should take in to account the 30 min drive to and fro, this soon adds to costs, in this instance the larger orders end up subsidising the small orders, its OK if you are selling one fly veil to 20 rugs, but not the other way round.
 
Luci07 said:
When I sell on ebay, its second class recorded delivery. I have learnt to try to make the dimensions as small as possible but that does get expensive. I won't send anything that isn't signed for now though as parcels seem to disappear...
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See, I rarely get stuff at the moment by signed for, and my regulars often leave stuff outside as they know I like a long lie, they usually tap on the door or something, I always get my orders, its not a problem
 
chrisritch said:
I once ordered a neckwarmer from hope valley, was £2.99 with £4.99 postage. I didn't grumble as I didn't think £8 was bad for it anyway but when the parcel arrived it had 2 neckwarmers and a note saying the carriage seemed excessive so have another on us!
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Great! I love Hope Valley, they're fab.

I posted one saddle cloth via Royal Mail and the postage has gone up to £6.05 now I believe. Since then I've posted everything out via courier, much more reasonable..!
 
I used to work for a company that sent out heavy boxes and our rate with Fed Ex was under £4 a parcel - I bet Swish send out more parcels than we used to - if they arent making any profit on postage they need to have another negotiation with Fed Ex

Fed Ex is a great service but I wouldn't pay £8 postage on a rug however I would on a valuable item
 
It all depends, when I worked in a country business we were 8 miles from town, so that must have been factored in to the contract cost. There was no post office . Most of our parcels were the same size and lightweight, the quotes were quite varied,
 
LibbyL said:
I thought rideaway was only free above £75
Vio-vet is fab with free delivery over £29, very fast too
I generally use ebay because I also see postage as wasted money
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Ah you are right, I had it in my basket and went through a couple of stages of the checkout where it said the postage was FREE but I've just gone one more step and the delivery price has popped up at £4.95. So they are the same as the others.

The swish rug is the cheapest even with the postage but I'm annoyed by their blase attitude towards my polite email tbh so probably wont buy it now. Silly i know but customer service makes a big impression.
 
I can see why for some items you would be put off buying, if postage doubled the overall cost.

It doesn't really bother me to be honest. By the time I drive to nearest large tack shop with a good selection, spend an hour or more browsing, deciding and buy and drive home I'd rather pay 4.95, save my fuel and time and get it delivered to work within 5 days. Also the prices in the shop are often more than online.

For me I'm happy to pay for the convenience.

Also remember that it's not just the cost of the postage, it's packing materials, papers and invoices and staff processing time. This all adds up for a business. Derby House charge for postage but offer free returns... there are pros and cons I suppose.
 
Sign up for their emails because they had free delivery yesterday with code CAT16, don't suppose it is still working?
Mole valley have free delivery today :)
 
LibbyL said:
Sorry, Paint me Proud, that was for you! Forgot to add quote!
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Thanks, I tried it but it said my order wasnt eligible :(

I do get thier newsletter emails but have been deleting without reading all my 'promotion' emails as i'm trying to save and my will power isnt that strong, lol
 
Winds me up as well being a PA postcode. Classed as Highland and Islands even though we are on the mainland. I got quoted £13.50 postage for a bag of horse food recently. The food was only £14!
 
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Some companies charge a high fixed amount for postage to encourage you to buy more as it becomes more economic the larger your order. Not much good if you have a small one.
 
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Paint Me Proud said:
Ah you are right, I had it in my basket and went through a couple of stages of the checkout where it said the postage was FREE but I've just gone one more step and the delivery price has popped up at £4.95. So they are the same as the others.

The swish rug is the cheapest even with the postage but I'm annoyed by their blase attitude towards my polite email tbh so probably wont buy it now. Silly i know but customer service makes a big impression.
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This I don't get, your annoyed at Swish because their postage is high but not annoyed at others where the cost of the product is high. If Swish is still the cheapest all combined then I don't see the problem.

Different companies will load their margins against different areas. I just look at the total price because as another poster has said, postage is never free, it's just down to the way costs are split
 
DD265 said:
Yes it is for business sellers - although when I buy postage through Royal Mail it's exempt. I don't know whether that's because I'm buying through Royal Mail (rather than a courier) or because I'm a private individual rather than a business.



Don't forget that PayPal charge you on the £15 total (not just the £12 for the item!) including postage too. The benefit of offering free postage is you automatically get 5 stars for the postage cost rating, but you'll find buyers give the most ridiculous offers if you entertain those. List something for £10, free postage, and get offered £4. If you took it - and paid £3.90 postage, you wouldn't even cover the fees...
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Only certain types of postage is vatable - Special Delivery is one, but normal 1st and 2nd class Signed For isn't.
 
We use a reliable 24 hour carrier for items that are over 2Kg and they charge us £13.73 plus vat for any package within England and Wales.
If you want speed and reliability then you have to pay!
 
catroo said:
This I don't get, your annoyed at Swish because their postage is high but not annoyed at others where the cost of the product is high. If Swish is still the cheapest all combined then I don't see the problem.

Different companies will load their margins against different areas. I just look at the total price because as another poster has said, postage is never free, it's just down to the way costs are split
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What I was annoyed at with Swish was the blase reply I got from them when I politely inquired if they did a cheaper postage option for smaller single items.
Yes the product is still cheapest overall but I really feel like the postage is a rip off and that makes me not want to buy from them at all.

Also I've never seen one of their sheets in person so if it comes and I either dont like it or its doesnt fit and I want to send it back then I have lost £7.99 on the postage.

As I said in a previous reply I know it seems silly but that's my gut instinct.
 
The other thing that puts me off buying from certain companies is those who still use some really SHODDY couriers who charge EXTRA for delivering to NE Scotland! They always refer to regular postage to "mainland UK" and yet they then state "except for AB postcodes and Highlands & Islands" - we are VERY much part of the mainland here and not even particularly rural as up North! Drives me insane, I had an arguement with a firm the other day - they stated "free postage" everywhere then when it came to checkout suddenly it wacked in a £10 delivery charge, when questioned they just said its what their courier charges - WELL DONT USE SUCH DREADFUL COURIERS THEN! If Royal Mail and most other couriers dont charge extra then why on earth does this particular one?!
 
I'm lucky enough to have Amazon Prime and have bought stuff for Bog Hoss on there because I hate paying excessive P&P costs for small items.

That said I posted a pair of breeches in a small bag today Royal Mail first signed for/recorded and it was around the £4.50 mark...
 
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