Engraving Supplier Shipping Cost???

[Albert Nix]

I know where you are coming from!!! But remember their are more than one way to recover operating cost. Used to the mark up on goods was enough to cover boxes and freight. Now suppliers are so competitive they would scare you off if they added it in. I know I go through 3K - 4K in boxes tape a year so it makes a difference in your bottom line.

[Tim Bateson]

There is a massive UPS Hub just a couple miles south of me. However my zip code is within the delivery area well north of here. The system works most of the time, but once in awhile, I see a package tracking that says it's out for delivery from the closer hub. What happens is they realize it's the wrong delivery area, back to the hub, sent north and the next day gets delivered.

Sometimes - like yesterday I see a package was on the truck at 06:30 am for delivery. This morning it's on the truck... again. I guess they missed a 99 lb package the size of flat screen TV. It's a new drywall lift - been dry walling 8 ft ceilings in my new workshop & it's not that easy without one of these puppies, but that's for a future thread.

[brian fithian]

I recently ordered a 100ct box of 1" Brass S Hooks for a couple of projects. The cost of those hooks was $32.97. The box was 3" long, 1 1/2" wide, 1"" thick. When they e mailed my invoice, it was a total of $49.32.......$16.35 FOR SHIPPING a 1lb box you can fit in a shirt pocket. Just went to Lowes and bought some more S Hooks, three to a pack. 99 hooks ended up costing $35.64

[Liesl Dexheimer]

What I found out yesterday enraged me a little. I was waiting for a package from TN shipped USPS . I checked tracking on Sunday it said departed Phoenix 9:32am. Well I assumed(yes I know)that it was going from Phoenix to my local PO, So when it wasn't delivered on Monday I went to PO to see if the truck was late and it didn't make my mail truck . They said no it hasn't got to the PO yet. So I asked were it was they said that it goes from Phoenix to the County hub then to your local. I said what,!! So basicly what happens is the truck with my package drove right past my PO another 70 miles to a PO unloaded scanned and loaded on to another truck to be driven back 70 miles to my PO. This happens with all mail coming to my PO from Phoenix. You wonder why the po is going broke and they keep raising prices. Talk about inefficiency .

I know what you mean. Even if I mail something locally it has to go through Providence, RI (which wayyyy out of the way, about 40 miles from here).

[Don Williams Michigan]

Well I have sent a couple of E mails back and forth to the company in question. I was impressed with how quickly they responded to my concerns. Basically, I gave them my example and said that on occasion, it would be nice to have options? What I suggested was give me the option of choosing USPS priority mail for certain orders. I ship using USPS priority mail almost daily. It includes package tracking and the boxes are free. Even if the company in question placed a $2.00 surcharge for choosing the priority option, I would have saved more than $6.00 in shipping on my small order! I do try to economize and place large orders whenever possible. However, I needed samples for a customer and did not have a choice.