Exorbitant post and packaging charges

[Romeo Whisky]

I am getting heartily sick of being cheated by model shops who are making extra margin by inflating postage charges for mail orders.

 

Like many in our hobby I have no choice but to purchase most items by mail order, and when doing so I always ask what the postage cost will be.  Invariably the shop staff assure me they only charge what it costs, yet when the inevitable "Jiffy Bag" arrives with the postage clearly indicated on the franking label, and even allowing a generous 10p for the cost of the Jiffy Bag, I find that the charge deducted from my Credit Card is  anything from 25% to 100%+ more than the actual charge.

 

As an example I've jsut received an Irvine spinner (costing £9.99 - which itself must represent a colossal mark-up!) from Moor Models (who gave me same assurance, as above) yet they charged me £4.00 postage - ie. 40% of the cost of the item.  The franking label - including the "Sign For" charge was £2.03, so that is almost 100% overcharge. 

 

Similarly an order received from ModelPower earlier this week represented a 33% overcharge in postage.

 

Needless-to-say I feel cheated, and I can't believe I'm the only one being cheated in this way.    

 

If it's happened to you, how about naming and shaming the offenders?

 

 

[Former Member]

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[Former Member]

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[Tim Mackey]

Not sure you can call them "cheats" Romeo - and I find the best method of protest is to shop elsewhere that doesnt overcharge on the P+P issue. remeber its not just postage, the firm have to pay someone to get the stuff packaged and addressed etc.

I am amending your thread tilte .

[Former Member]

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[andy watson]

You the consumer can easily ask for a final total before placing the order, and there is no need to place the order until they give you this information.

I agree with Timbo 100%, if you feel it's too expensive, shop elsewhere; but I do think you are being a bit harsh.  The cost of the item is irrelevant to the price of postage.  I can also tell you that 10p is very cheap for a Jiffy bag- the last one I bought cost me 50p. 

 

The other issue with buying mail order from a model shop is you cop for it both ways. We all accept that a "traditional" model shop will have higher overheads than a warehouse style internet only shop like Giant cod- hence their higher base prices.  But mail order shops must add postage.   If you buy mail order from a model shop I presume most take the item off the shelf and pack it- so you pay both the postage and the increased mark up to cover the higher overheads.

 

Buy it somewhere else if you can find it cheaper.  Simples.

Edited By andy watson on 31/07/2009 22:30:18

[kc]

Surely Polyphilla's comment would mean you would also have to pay extra for the shop assistant's wage as an extra cost to the marked price in the shop!  The seller knows that either the assistant serves a customer or has to prepare the packaging.  The cost must be about the same or less for mail order so it should be included in the advertised cost

 

Charging over the cost for mail order is a 'stealth charge'  .

[Former Member]

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[David Ashby - Moderator]

I agree with you Romeo. I've had this too. It's easy for people to say 'shop elsewhere' but if you're miles from a shop then mail order may be the only option and trying to find something specific may mean you have no option but to bit the bullet and buy from a certain shop (item unavailable elsewhere). 

 

Finding that you're forced to pay a fixed postage charge of say £4 for a tiny item feels like the shop is raising margins in an underhanded way - which to be frank it is!  

 

I tend to make sure the retailer knows how I feel and that I'll be telling my flying buddies too!

 

Edited By David Ashby - RCME moderator on 01/08/2009 05:32:44

[BB]

It is no doubt true that some retailers have put up their postage rates.  Some have not,  some will keep postage to a minimum, even zero, as a 'lost leader'.  Others have 'over-guestimated'  their postal charges.  Whatever reason a retailer has, fair or otherwise, we still have a choice.

 

I know a shop owner who works 6 days a week inhouse.  Designed and launched a website for online retail.  Stacks, packs and wraps orders made via shop or online.  Never without a warm welcome and good advice and a cuppa !  Admits postage isn't cheap.  But then the warm welcome, good advice and cuppa are free.

 

Not forgetting that mainstream 'branded' products across the board have gone up over the last year by anything between 15 - 30 %.

[Romeo Whisky]

I appreciate the above comments, and I understand that there are different viewpoints expressed here.

 

However, there are some red herrings too.  Mail order gives shops access to a market which would otherwise be unavailable to them, and staff usually do the packaging etc during slack times in the shop.  It's the same staff who serve in the shop.  Most of the shops also have web-sites so mail order is presumably a significant part of their business.  And by the way you can buy 10 Jiffy Bags at Poundland for .. er .... £1.  (I ran my own business for 15 years until quite recently and they are much cheaper than that if you buy in larger quantities).  Large sizes might cost a touch more.

 

And these are not isolated incidents - it is very common for the postage charged to be considerably more than the cost.  And most (say they) cannot give a total price at the time of placing the order but simply say they charge "what it costs" which they patently don't.  I take David's point about letting them know, and some have apologised when I have done so, but remember that to do that costs an additional long-distance daytime 'phone call!    As David says, it's also true that it is often difficult to source particular items and sometimes you just have to buy where you can.

 

We ought to praise the good guys too however.   BRC, Puffin and Gliders UK immediately spring to mind as being honest and fair in this regard, and many others are reasonable.  Some others have a "minimum postage charge".  I don't like this but at least I can make a commercial decision whether to buy or not, and I don't get a nasty shock when it arrives.

 

If I buy a new model by mail order, I know the box will be big, and I know it will cost a few quid to get it to me.  What I object to is being ripped off for the smaller bits and bobs that can just be popped in a jiffybag and dropped in a pillar box.   

[001]

On Friday 24th July at about 1'oclock I ordered a diaphragm (£1.50) for the carburettor of an old Briggs and Stratton motor mower engine , through ebay from a business in Newcastle, the seller emailed me to say that it he was sorry he couldn't post it to arrive before Monday, yet it arrived on the Saturday, securely packed in hard cardboard, postage £1.
If they can do it, why not model shops/businesses? And I am still waiting for the washer for my O.S. engine, ordered in May!

[Bryce Allcorn - BritFlight.co.uk]

Postage drives us all up the wall.  Last week I had to despatch items from the factory (due to relocating to a new factory 200metres or so from the old one, so went to the nearest post office (Leominster).  Where I was told the he (post office manager) could only accept some of the parcels due to size and they would have to go Parcel Force 48h at a cost of £10.99 per parcel.  We only charge £8.00 for plane only parcels and I've done the break down of costs elsewhere on the forum.

 

I had no choice so had to send them at a loss to us (£2.99) + box and packaging and my time/fuel etc.

 

Worse was the one sent via BFPO which the post office manager REFUSED to take because he "didn't know exactly where it is going".  

 

Back in Farnborough now so I can be assured things will be back to normal but postage is a nightmare...

 

Cheers,

 

Bryce.

Edited By Bryce Allcorn - BritFlight.co.uk on 03/08/2009 11:01:57

[Olly P]

Bryce,

Ref the BFPO issue please write to the Post Office and complain. I know it seems a silly thing but it is a real irritation to not be able to order things due to jobsworths like this one. The BFPO Postcode is all he needs to process it. it is none of his business where Her Maj. has sent that person.

 

Olly

[Bryce Allcorn - BritFlight.co.uk]

Ok Olly, i will do so - was rather infuriating and I can understand the annoyance

 

Cheers,

 

Bryce.

[Olly P]

Thanks Bryce.

[Erfolg]

I have said the same things before, but so enjoy saying them.

 

The PO charges to much, has a charging regime which is far to complex, and provides an indifferent service.

 

Yes, some suppliers do charge to much, relative to the postal cost. However some ,such as GC and Robotbirds, seem to minimise charges whenever possible. A supplier with high charges, did enclose a "promotional keyring", which helped ease the pain. Sometimes, you do have to pay more than you would like, why, because you can not purchase that item anywhere else. In that instance that is the price, take it or leave it.

 

My final thought is this, it seems that Chinese/HK suppliers can get their goods here, almost as fast as the UK based business. It often seems that just like the Eurostar used to be, you travel really quickly until you hit the UK shores.

 

I preffer a rant at the PO, because they need reforming, and nobody does anything about them. Retailers, well, if they do not provide a satisfactory service, they normally go out of business.

 

Erfolg 

 

  

[Nobby159]

You want to live north of Inverness (the Highlands) and have a KW post code (KW is for Kirkwall on Orkney), but I live on the mainland and its one straight (well not so straight) road. When I have to pay £8 and £15 postage for a £5 item it really gets my goat.

Even worse are the companies you place an order with, that accept your money then you have to wait in for the goods that never arrive, only to be told when you phone up that they have not dispatched because you owe more postage. What book of customer service is that from.

Or, pay for 24hr delivery only to find out your goods are sat in some depot in Inverness for the last 10 days “till we get a truck full”, 10 days! its only two hours ten minutes away.

Must stop now blood pressure way up

Nobby

[Erfolg]

Well, I really do sympathise with you..

 

My daughter lived in Inverness, you would think it was another planet, not just another part of the UK (important as it is). Many other    European countries have the population density of rural and Highland Scotland, yet are treated as another region to be served. Where as the overcrowded UK regions are treated as normal. By the way Aberdeen is treated in a similar way.

 

At least you will have less issues when and where you fly you models.

 

As for postage charges, they are to high and service poor.

 

A few years back, whilst in the USA on holiday, I ordered a kit from Texas, which arrived overnight to Jekyl Island, South Carolina. Woooo a good few thousand miles between them and the P&P was negligible. 

 

Erfolg

[Nobby159]

Thanks Erfolg,

Try this one, Post office no longer sort mail at Thurso and Wick for local non-local, it all gets sent to Inverness, as I say 2 hours 10min away, gets sorted and the local letters are then sent back up, 2 hours 10min, to be sent out, reason its more environmental friendly!! How!! (reported in the P&J and local press)

Someone is off their trolley and it ain't me.  

 

PS No one was made redundant at the Wick or Thurso sorting offices so it was not even financial

[andy watson]

It is worth noting that every post from Bryce's onwards has nothing to do with any model shop.

 

I still think the matter is simple- get a full price including postage before you order, and that's the "actual" price.  Remember shops that offer "free" postage have simply added that into their price.  If you don't like the price- buy from elsewhere.  If you can't buy from elsewhere- well that's the benefit a company has for being a monopoly.