I'd appreciate a recommendation or two of the lowest shipping cost suppliers you folks use. I order most of my supplies from 1 of our sponsors and another supplier that is not a sponsor (good selection, big catalog) and the shipping costs are eating me alive. Today I received a very small package that weighed less than 1 pound, the supplies in it cost $15.00 and shipping was $9.91. I understand that someone has to pack it and put a shipping label on it, and I know bubble wrap and styrofoam peanuts cost as well, but for crying out loud, it's getting ridiculous. Thee days ago I received a 9' 2pc blank that cost $47.00, shipping was over $26.00. Nothing wrong with cost plus; but cost, plus, plus , plus is tough to swallow.

Yes I am a wholesale customer with both of these businesses, but I feel the shipping is excessive. I'm looking for somewhere else to spend my money that's not counting on exagerated shipping costs as part of their bottom line.

Thanks,

Walt Davenport
"Roadhouse Rods"

I myself have been using Utmost and @#$%& for most of my supplies and have never had a problem with the shipping cost's. Both great companies to deal with.

The cost seems high till you figure your time to leave your rod business drive an hour 1 way, 1 hour to drive back with the parts and the cost of fuel. Those rates are cheap! Your time alone is more than the cost of shipping if you have a supplier with everything you need within 1 hour drive time. I have ordered rod parts from Mud Hole to finish a rod for a customer and shipping was more than the parts that I needed. Sometimes that is the cost of doing business and that needs to be figured into the building of a rod.

I don'y know who Walt is buying from,nor do I care, but "those costs seem high until.....you buy somethign from somewhere who doesn't charge so much for shipping".
Shipping costs are killing reailers as well. I know the cost of shipping a 7' rod tube is about $15 USPS, $19 UPS. Add in the cost of the PVC tube @ $4, the time and gas to pick up PVC from Home Depot, and the time and gas driving to the post office, and waiting in line for 45 minutes.

All it takes is for you to do it a few times to understand whyteh shipping costs are what they are.

midwest rod and reel
fishsticks
mudhole

thats where I get most of my stuff and never had a problem with the shipping I've had to pay

@#$%& has good pricing also for shipping.

Scott Sheets
www.smsrods.com

Don't get me wrong guys, I have to ship things too, and I know the time it takes and what it costs me. I'm talking about an 8oz Rod Bond kit and 1 guide costing me $10.00 to get; I can ship the same package for $1.90. The 9' 2pc rod I paid $26.00 for was sent in a cardboard box, I can ship the same thing for about $16.00

I'm not tight by any means, but I think that's excessive; cost plus 20% no problem, cost plus 60%+ is tough for me to live with.

Walt Davenport
"Roadhouse Rods"

C & M Custom Tackle at @#$%& has always charged only the
actual shipping costs and not a penny more!

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

@#$%&, the best shipping prices. and if the shipping is a bit high, she calls you before hand so no surprises there.
only wish they have more blank selections.

not only the shipping, they also have the cheapest price compared to anyone else. except jonhnyspond when it comes to blanks.

Shipping is going up. It's still cheaper to ship than to pick up in many cases.

Example: It costs me $11.60 to ship a 7' rod in a PVC tube USPS. This does not include insurance. (Billy - if you prepay online with USPS they now offer a discount for online postage, plus you don't have to wait in line. Buy a pack of labels to print on, they will give you a roll of the priority mail stickers for free and you can schedule USPS to come pick the package up - no charge - or you can walk in drop it at the counter and leave).

If you calculate mileage using the allowable deduction, I could only have a round trip delivery/pickup of 22 miles and come out better.

Most of my customers and places I buy from are more than 22 miles. So shipping doesn't seem quite as bad.

Walt - might want to try ordering from some where that doesn't charge a markup on shipping. Many companies make a profit off the shipping. Some of our fine sponsors don't do that to us! I really appreciate that too.

I have tried shipping blanks by the Postal Service because they offer a lower price on shipping. I will now refuse to ship a blank by the Postal Service now because of two issues I have with them both concerning two tubes that they cannot locate. UPS is a little higher but not by much and theit tracking system and customer service is great. I've never had an issue with them yet and the two times I had to call them to find a package for me they were very helpful. One package a neighbor of the customer signed for it and another the label was partially torn off and it was sitting in a terminal the next town over for three days until I called and had them locate it, The customer got it the next day.

The cost of the tube is not figured into the price of shipping the blank on my shopping cart and I refuse to add a handling charge to each package. Sometimes I break even on shipping blanks and sometimes I lose a little but one things for sure I don't make a profit on shipping them. Like Billy I also buy my tubes from Lowes or Home Depot and sometimes make two trips a day. The cost of gas adds up but I consider that another cost of doing business.

I do ship components and handles by the Postal Service because they have way better rates than UPS on items that can be mailed in a bubble envelope ot small boxes not to mention their Flat Rate envelopes are a bargain at 4.80 for shipping anything that can fit in them anywhere in the US.

On my site the shipping is calculated by UPS but if anything can be sent by the Postal Service and i can save someone a few dollars in shipping costs I will send it out by mail and refund the difference in cash in the package. All blanks are shipped by UPS.

[swamplandtackle.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/31/2008 09:15AM by Lance Dupre.

Shipping cost:

Be prepared, by next year I expect UPS, Fed-X, and USPS will increase their rates by 1/3 or more!

Not all of the "inflationary" cost have been passed onto the consumers, yet!

And yes, one line of thinking should take a lion's share of the blame!

~Mark

I don't have a problem paying the actual shipping cost. There is no whay around that.

I do have a problem with companys that charge more that what the actual cost is. Since most shippers are online, its not hard to figure out what the shipping costs should be.

The "actual" cost of shipping would include container, packaging, and the cost of travel also!! The cost of the actual "shipping" charged by the carrier is just a part (often small part) of the over all cost. I don't ship much but, like others have said, I have to go purchase a tube, packing material, take it to the shipper, buy insurance and probably spend a couple hours (at least) and use a considerable amount of gas at an exorbitant price. I'm not going to eat that cost and although I certainly don't like paying the high cost of shipping, I understand it and begrudeingly pay it.

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

P.S. to add to the previous post:

What I meant by the "one line of thinking" was political ideology, not a slam on the retailers.

And yes, in years past the "shipping & handling" charges was extra revenue.
But not anymore, it has become par or close enough to matter not.

Inflation is up and will move higher in the next year. We, the people, America has a very poor understanding of the causes of inflation, or for that matter economics. Very ironic since we live in a capitalist country!

Point in this discussion: Retailers are not the blame, they are getting squeezed very tight.

~Mark

I am extremely fortunate in the fact that I am within 90 minutes of most of my suppliers and factories of the gear I use mostly. Plus I usually (especially now with gas over 4 bucks-heading to 5) make every trip a multi purpose adventure or visit family or friends. I dont know why but I see the issure as relatively self answering. If and item costs the same at 5 different outlets and the shipping is the issue the you just shop around and get the best deal. Am I missing something. Best price gets the nod and eventually they others will either change or wither away. No one can be told how to price but if they dont get business then something has to happen. Now if we could just figure out the oil/gas situation then everyone could work on pricing. I am not taking anyones sides really just plain basic economics/math. 1+1=2 vs 1+3=4 and the winner is??? Sorry I always look for the simple answer but admit it is not always the right answer.

Back to the cave.

Walt,

The only practical advice I can offer you is to make larger orders. The more items you buy at one time, the more you can break the shipping cost down over a greater number of items.

I know that sometimes you have to have something right away. And very often it's just 1 or 2 items. But, if you know of anything you're going to be needing in the future, go ahead and order those items at the same time. Anytime you just order a few pieces or very inexpensive pieces the shipping is going to be hard to take. That's just the way it is. It's far more economical all the way around to ship a larger number of items than a very few.

.................

I only wish gas prices were $4 a gallon. Here in Canada we are paying close to $5.30 a US gallon. and climbing daily. If you find just shipping costs high add in the cost of brokerage fees and customs to get any stuff from the states.

Tom-to add to your advice about larger orders-Most vendors charge the same price to ship within a range of order cost. Example-order total$40-$60-shipping.cost $7.50 and so on . Purchase enough stuff to be at the upper end of a bracket and the % of total cost goes down.

fedex ground is the cheapest to ship rods with insurance for a person who cant get a biz account with a shipper. USPS is cheaper if your not insuring.. all of that is a joke in my opinion i have to pay them for losing my package what the heck is that. another thing when using USPS every optional service they offer is a joke. if they lose your package they are just goign to say sorry. Only thing that counts to them is insurance the other services are a waste of money.