Are Some Online Fabric Store Shipping Fees Justified?

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11-04-2011, 04:46 AM

#21

Sew N Tune

Senior Member

Join Date: Nov 2011

Location: Shenandoah Valley, Virginia

Posts: 627

I just ordered 6 yds. of Christmas Fabric from Thousands of Bolts, and shipping was only $7.99. They crammed all 6 yds. into a Priority Mail envelope. I thought that was pretty reasonable, as the fabric was all on sale.

11-04-2011, 05:19 AM

#22

DixieLee

Junior Member

Join Date: Oct 2011

Location: Northwest New Jersey

Posts: 168

I specifically look for free shipping offers. Do this on most everything ordered on line. I hope these business wake up and realize that people will not put up with this shipping nonsense. I rather seem them offer free shipping and pro-rate the shipping over the cost of the item and then we can better compare prices.

11-04-2011, 05:31 AM

#23

ywoodruff5

Senior Member

Join Date: Feb 2011

Location: CA and MN

Posts: 378

I feel your pain. When I moved from CA to MN there was a store I used to frequent around Christmas time that I missed dearly. However, when I went to order online I ran into the same situation - the shipping was either equal to or more than the products ordered. Needless to say......I still miss them....lol.

11-04-2011, 05:37 AM

#24

Daisygirl

Junior Member

Join Date: Apr 2009

Location: New Jersey

Posts: 268

I needed to order refills for my sewline pencils, the refills were something like 5.95 and the shipping was going to be over 4.00. I don't know how they justify that. Need less to say I didn't place the order.

11-04-2011, 05:51 AM

#25

jaciqltznok

Banned

Join Date: Dec 2009

Location: Enid, OK

Posts: 8,273

I have to say that I have had to shop online for many years...#1- I would NEVER pay that amount for ANY fabric...I shop around and will rarely pay more than $6 and that is for batiks. #2- many places offer FREE shipping.
#3- shipping/packaging/handling fees are all UP....it is the cost of doing Mail order...Insurance alone is now $1.80! IF they don't print their shipping online and most do not...then DC is another $.75! Like I said...shipping is NOT going to be cheap any more....remember Gas prices???? well they use gas to transport that mail...so there goes the money!

IF shipping is that much of a concern to you, then stay away from sites that charge a FLAT rate...as in ANY order for only $5.00 for a certain period..because they need to make up the difference later on!

11-04-2011, 08:13 AM

#26

Favorite Fabrics

Super Member

Join Date: May 2009

Location: Orchard Park, NY (near Buffalo, which is near Niagara Falls)

Posts: 3,884

Quote:

Originally Posted by onaemtnest

First and foremost I realize it is my option to order or not to order from an online store.

Okay I was in search of the 'perfect' fabric and I finally found it. BUT, when I went to check out the price for shipping one yard of cotton fabric was $8.99! Making the fabric in essence nearly $20 a yard!!!!

I called the store and asked if they would consider mailing 1st class and they said flatly "No". The reason? They factored in insurance with their fee to cover loss should the Flat Rate Priority envelope not make it to its destination. Plus the cost of the envelope and cutting of the fabric??? i.e. handling fee, tracking service (BTW Flat Rate Priority envelopes rates are like $4.75 and tracking free, if they purchase online).

Could it be that they just prefer not to take little orders? A large order is not much more work than a small one. A lot of the time spent processing an order is time spent on administrative tasks; typing in an order, creating a label, and processing payments take the same amount of time regardless of the value of the order.

My guess - and it's just a guess - is that the $8.99 shipping would have covered an order up to a certain dollar-amount in value, so for larger orders it would be so painful, or have seemed as inappropriate.