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Thread: Caveat Emptor re: Identification Plates Inc.; Mesquite,TX

  1. #1
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    Caveat Emptor re: Identification Plates Inc.; Mesquite,TX

    I recently placed an order for 10 - 2" X 3.5" X .025" satin black anodized aluminum business / membership card plates with 1/4" radius corners. The internet order mechanism snapped up my order without telling me the total and charge it to my account. The total for the ten plates came to .82¢ each. Total order for plates was $8.20. OK - so far so good. I even got an email telling me the net order was $8.20. I'm thinking, USPS flat rate around $5 and change for a total of about $15.00. - Now comes the bend over and take it part.

    The total for shipping and handling via UPS was $13.25! So now the total is $2.20 per plate instead of .82¢. Total cost of 10 anodized plates came to $22.05.

    I called the company and was told "that's just the way we do things." I told them I tried to find out about shipping prior to order but the internet took my money and blew me off when I pushed the order button, and the site gave me no way to check on my particular total order prior to purchase. I told them they could have shipped it to me USPS flat rate for circa $5.00 and was told by customer service I should have worked that out prior to my purchase. If you all visit their site, you'll find out if you order something.

    Bottom line, unlike most businesses whose customers come first, this place does not have the interests of its customers upon whom they rely on for their livelihood. No mention was made of crediting my account or even broaching the issue on their part. I asked, but I guess the order was small potatoes so their approach IMHO was, well you know........................

    Even their paper work smells funny. And I have the copies to prove it. Shipping date 11/19/2013 as per their invoice. But the rubber stamp marking the invoice Paid is dated 11-20-13. So tell me how an invoice gets marked paid and gets back into the invoice envelope sent out a day earlier.

    I'm not calling for any kind of boycott, all I'm saying is that it me off to the point of me advising all of you to call the place on the phone first and discuss purchase and shipping option and avoid internet orders. And I know for a fact that USPS will not only deliver the small flat rate boxes free, but will also pick them up from the supplier and deliver them to the consumer. I was told they have to physically go to the post office and mail them if USPS Priority mail is used. Uh....... did they have to physically go to UPS and mail them or did UPS come to them.

    Dear ID Plates - call me! You have my number! Put me in charge of shipping because someone there is apparently, again IMHO, not on the ball. They didn't fumble the ball, they spiked it into the ground!!

    So everyone have a nice day! I feel better now knowing I might have saved one of you from and exorbitant system that in my case almost tripled the cost of goods.
    Last edited by Mike Null; 11-25-2013 at 12:10 PM. Reason: language
    Life and death don't bother me. It's that little period of time in between that bothers me.

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  2. #2
    Greg

    I don't know of a single supplier I use who ships by USPS. They use UPS or FEDEX as do I. Tracking on USPS is not reliable enough. My guess is that they would have refused your order if you insisted on USPS.

    I am further surprised that they didn't add on a minimum order fee--they used to do that.

    I run into the same kind of shipping charges from JDS so I pick up most of my orders at their warehouse.
    Mike Null

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  3. #3
    Partly this is just the cost of shipping anything...we had to return some cables recently and the cost of shipping one cable back for exchange was more than the cable itself. We had to save up 10 bad ones before it made sense to pay for shipping, otherwise we'd be better off just throwing defective parts in the trash. I had another similar experience trying to order some electronic parts too, that you might want to watch for: a website I was using wanted about $2 per part and wanted about $3 to ship one...if we wanted 10, it was $20 for the parts and $30 for shipping...if we wanted 150 (which we did) it was $300 for the parts and $450 for shipping! They just multiplied the shipping charge times the number you ordered even though this particular part was small and they could easily fit 150 in one box and ship for $10. It was a mistake on the website but you might want to double- and triple-check all the details of an order before you hit 'submit'.

  4. #4
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    But why not give the customer the option of how he wants it shipped? Unless of course you're trying to seduce the customer with a low price only to offset the true cost of production by inflating the cost of shipping. And that, my friends, is deception; and the fact that it is being done and done frequently is dishonest and reflects on the vendor. And IMHO, you're not going to keep happy customers with sales tactics like this.

    As far as USPS not tracking as is should, if you give the customer the option of shipping costs and carriers, the onus is on him and you come out smelling like a rose. I shipped the below via USPS for $2.97 to Puerto Rico as a first class package requested by the customer. No problem so far on this one. And shipping this way was at the customers request. Now what's better for business than that? He's happy, I'm happy, I sold a great product, and I didn't do anything sneaky to make a few extra bucks.
    ship.JPG
    Last edited by Greg Bednar; 11-25-2013 at 7:37 PM. Reason: photo spelling
    Life and death don't bother me. It's that little period of time in between that bothers me.

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  5. #5
    This is a common issue. The cost is X and the freight is 2X. We all pay way too much for shipping on small orders. Orders for resin awards end up to be 20% of the cost. The freight for ceramic mugs is more than the mug itself.

    We got burned recently by Marco on an order for large metal trophy cups. They packed 7 cups each in its own box $85.00 total one day ship from Ct. When we buy them from CMA in Canada they cost $40.00 for shipping.


    I have requested vendors to ship USPS and usually are told no.
    Smith Warren Badges ships most orders USPS, with the exception being rush orders.

    The ID-Line website is not sophisticated enough, so we place our orders via telephone or fax. We sell 100's of etched "business cards" which are used by police friends and family as get out a ticket cards. I have not had a problem with them, but I can see where this would upset any of us.
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  6. #6
    I shipped a laptop a few days ago to New York, from Virginia. About 300 miles, or a 6 hour drive. Was a little stunned when the total came in at $33.

    $33 to ship a laptop UPS ground? Nothing I could really do, other than start over and drive to the post office and deal with that hassle. Shipping has gotten outrageous.
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  7. #7
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    A good word in here for the USPS. I unfortunately live in a place that is devoid of decent UPS or Fed Ex service. So, I am forced to use the USPS. I have actually been pretty surprised with their service. Say what you may, but their tracking is not that bad. Why this is, I cannot answer, but I can order something online from the West Coast, that goes in the mail, I have actually had 2-3 business day service in Alabama. Now, mind you, this is not this deal that Fed Ex has where they pick up the shipment and then hand it off to USPS, that shipping is awful. Just remember, the Post Office is not supported with tax payers money, they have to support themselves from the sale of postage and shipping. So, I for one give them as much business as I can and hope they don't close my Post Office. But I agree with the rest of you, UPS and Fed Ex charges are just ridiculous. I could be a sheet of paper and it'll be $15 bucks.
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  8. #8
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    I lived on the Big Island of Hawaii for about 12 years and companies that insisted on shipping Fedex overnight drove me crazy. The cost was insane, and you could not convince them that overnight delivery to the islands was not going to happen, let alone overnight to one of the islands other than Oahu, the shipping hub for the island group. It took me a while but I finally convinced some companies to ship to me USPS. Cost a fraction of Fedex, arrived in the same amount of time, and was a big benefit for me. Part of convincing them was showing them the shipping receipts and when things actually got delivered and what it cost, versus what I was seeing and paying with USPS.

    The difference between Fedex and USPS in shipping to HI was much greater than what you are seeing, but I understand your frustration. Good luck.

    Dave
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  9. #9
    Hawaii... I laugh every time I think about the clock showing the Hawaii time zone--- at the Greyhound bus station.

    Ok, so I'm easily entertained

    As for shipping- I use USPS every day, and Fed-ups only when someone wants me to. Right now sending an envelope across the street is well over $7 for UPS. My favorite thing is to ship small stuff via first class, usually less than $2, goes nearly as fast as priority, AND they track it now! (provided the parcel is at least 1/2" thick)

    As for ridiculous charges, my all-time favorite has to be those companies who emblazon
    FREE SHIPPING!!
    On their catalogs and ads, only to find

    we only charge a $14,99 handling fee


    hidden somewhere nearby... ewww...
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  10. #10
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    We have used ID Plates for many years and have never run into this issue, but generally we are ordering orders of 25-50 12x24 sheets and USPS isn't needed. I do agree that they have strange ways of invoicing and shipping.

    We offer a few choices for people when they order from us including USPS. We have a slight increase on the final cost of shipping, but people still call us to complain about our "outrageous" shipping prices. Sometimes it is not as simple as just throwing what you want into an envelope and shipping it for next to nothing.

    When a customer calls and asks for betting shipping rates we do the best we can to accommodate them, sometimes we will downgrade the shipping method in order to reach their price point, but sometimes it's just not possible.
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  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by matt heinzel View Post
    <snip> When a customer calls and asks for betting shipping rates we do the best we can to accommodate them, sometimes we will downgrade the shipping method in order to reach their price point, but sometimes it's just not possible.
    The main thing is you worked with the customer, and not against him. This goes toward establishing some customer loyalty. And loyal customers are more apt to take this into consideration in conjunction with looking at their bottom line. The days of "take or leave it" are over, because a customer just may flush a rude contractor down the toilet and establish another one in China in this new world economy; perhaps one who is loyal. Why put up with a supplier who doesn't want to work with you or is biting the hand that is feeding him? - Everyone answers to someone.
    Life and death don't bother me. It's that little period of time in between that bothers me.

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  12. #12
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    I ship USPS all the time and in ten years think they lost one small package/ Do the postage online and stick in the mail box 3 day across country is the norm and have had stuff make Japan and Australia in 5, Europe 10 days. Now Canada is a whole different thing 2 weeks just across the boarder. Did have to send two packages overnight to the same place one went USPS and cost under 40 and the other at less weight had to go UPS due to the time of day was over 100 to ship and had to take it across town to their pick up center.

  13. #13
    I had the same experience today with JDS!

    I ordered a bunch of items this past month and didnt think anything about it until I got my UPS invoice.... $193!!! So I go back and check the orders.... I ordered several items in one order that could have EASILY fit into one shipping box but nooooooooo they divided up the order and put a few items in each box. So this order had 4 seperate boxes! And to make matters worse... I got charged an average of $17 per box! What really ticked me off was that one box had keychains in it!!!! $17 for keychains!

    I called them on the phone and they basically told me that they couldnt do anything about it for these orders but to request that 2 boxes be "strapped together" and that would help cut costs. I have an idea... how about put everything in one box! (when reasonably able to do so).

    What a money maker!
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  14. #14
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    "What a money maker!"
    I doubt JDS is making a killing the shipping for this. We buy by the case from them generally and they strap things together without us even asking them to. Then there is usually a box with mixed parts in it, I'm surprised they don't do that for you.
    I have worked for QuickTrophy LLC since 2006.
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  15. #15
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    In Canada UPS charges incredible rates unless you ship 40 or 50 packages a day. I ship everything via Canada Post (venture1)Expedited post (only available to businesses) which is a little faster than regular parcel rate, includes 100.00 insurance and guarantees on time delivery or your shipping cost refunded. Canada post is almost always a day late, so I get back about 80% of my shipping costs every year. I know that if I'm shipping to 'middle of nowhere' Alberta and the delivery time is guaranteed 5 business days, they will take 6 to get it there and I get a full refund. I'm also not shy about claiming it either!! If your shipping in Canada, Expedited parcel is your friend.
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