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Kapidolo Farms

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I set prices to include shipping for pet tortoises or food items. It's not really free, is it?

Amazon 'prime' customers dont pay shipping either - really?

You are paying for shipping no matter. It's a 'gee whiz' bit of non sense. No freight company gives there service away. Large volume shippers may gt a break. Total purchases exceeding some amount just afford the seller to take the small loss in mark-up to say 'shipping is free' but it is NOT.

You're paying for it.

Delivered price is the cost of the item. When I sell a leopard tortoise 'includes shipping' or 'shipping included' I am reducing the hassle to get to that 'delivered price'.

You know up front. It's more honest.
 

Tom

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Because of how the system works, I've been letting buyers procure and pay for their own shipping. Allows them to shop around for the best deal, use their own existing shipping account, and feel like they have some measure of control vs. me just giving them an ever increasing price for overnight shipping. I tell them my address, box size and weight, and they email me the shipping label to stick on the box. So far, so good.
 

Kapidolo Farms

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Because of how the system works, I've been letting buyers procure and pay for their own shipping. Allows them to shop around for the best deal, use their own existing shipping account, and feel like they have some measure of control vs. me just giving them an ever increasing price for overnight shipping. I tell them my address, box size and weight, and they email me the shipping label to stick on the box. So far, so good.

"ever increasing price" you mean what the courier charges? So either way it will cost more, Yes?

Your system is more expensive, even if it is an empty box ground freight one way.
 

Tom

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"ever increasing price" you mean what the courier charges? So either way it will cost more, Yes?

Your system is more expensive, even if it is an empty box ground freight one way.
Ever increasing meaning the courier companies keep charging more and more for shipping. Just a few years ago I was shipping for $35. I charged $50 to cover my time, gas, shipping supplies etc… Now they want $70+ just for the shipping, and that is if you are using someone's high volume account. Walk into the store to overnight ship a single item and they want $120+ for a tiny little 8" box.

How is my system more expensive? I can't get shipping charges any lower than my customers can, so how are you getting a better rate than me?
 

Kapidolo Farms

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"ever increasing price" you mean what the courier charges? So either way it will cost more, Yes?

Your system is more expensive, even if it is an empty box ground freight one way.


Your customer ships an empty box to you is an expense more than shipping a full box just one way. The customer paid more.

Most of the freight consolidators get 30% to 40% off the 'retail' overnight cost. For a 3 pound box, if you just walk in and pay $70 for now costs $42.

No matter you still have to get the box to an office, and you still had to pack the tortoise even if all the 'stuff' is set and ready to go. The customer paid more.
 

Tom

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Your customer ships an empty box to you is an expense more than shipping a full box just one way. The customer paid more.

Most of the freight consolidators get 30% to 40% off the 'retail' overnight cost. For a 3 pound box, if you just walk in and pay $70 for now costs $42.

No matter you still have to get the box to an office, and you still had to pack the tortoise even if all the 'stuff' is set and ready to go. The customer paid more.
I'm not explaining something correctly…

I have the boxes and shipping materials already. I include that in the price of the tortoise. The buyer only pays for a one way shipping label. No one ships an empty box to me.

Regular retail for a walk in is now around $120 for overnight shipping. The freight consolidators like Shipyourreptiles.com, for example, are charging around $70. Are you getting a better rate than that? I'd love to share any info on how to get the pre-paid overnight shipping label cheaper with my buyers.
 

Kapidolo Farms

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I'm not explaining something correctly…

I have the boxes and shipping materials already. I include that in the price of the tortoise. The buyer only pays for a one way shipping label. No one ships an empty box to me.

Regular retail for a walk in is now around $120 for overnight shipping. The freight consolidators like Shipyourreptiles.com, for example, are charging around $70. Are you getting a better rate than that? I'd love to share any info on how to get the pre-paid overnight shipping label cheaper with my buyers.


I get you now, they buy the "stamp" and all that other stuff, the box, the bringing the box to the shipper, etc, is all "free".

What label source have you seen as a best cost?
 

Tom

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I get you now, they buy the "stamp" and all that other stuff, the box, the bringing the box to the shipper, etc, is all "free".

What label source have you seen as a best cost?
Shipyourreptiles.com is the only one I looked at, but I'm told the others are about the same. Anyone with a FedEx account can do it. The more volume you do the more of a discount you get. I was very fortunate to have a friend with an active FedEx account helping me there for a while, but he never knew how much they were charging him per shipment until the bill came. I used to just over pay him as a thanks for helping, but as the price got higher and higher, I had to find a better way to ship. When I told some people 70-80 dollars for shipping, I think they thought I was trying to milk more money out of them. When they arrange and pay for the shipping themselves, they know I'm not trying to pull a fast one, and its also a heck of a lot less work and hassle for me.
 

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