Delivery and Postage Costs

Mankind is part of the Hut Group. Notorious for customer service being a shambles. I've had countless problems with myprotein products - orders wrong, not being sent etc all part of the same group. I'd sooner spend a few pounds more and give my cash to the 'little man'.

Although I don't agree with companies profiting out of p&p costs. I sent a tub of shaving cream 1st class last week and it cost £2.50 in a jiffy bag. I would assume that the likes of Executive Shaving, Connaught etc would have a franking/postage machine making postage costs cheaper.
 
We believe that our shipping prices are competitive.

Our shipping price for standard shipping (£3.50) has not increased in 3 years despite the significant rises in Royal Mail charges in that period.

We also send every order over £20.00 by recorded delivery which we feel is important for both you the customers and ourselves to offer a trackable method and limit the issues of lost parcels.

As mentioned earlier, we offer a discount to members and would not be able to continue trading if we offered free shipping on top of that.

Ally
 
I often wonder how some companies survive while offering free postage. If they can make a profit on an item, selling it at the same price as in a shop, with the expense of postage, packaging, and the time taken to pack something up and get it posted, is their margin cheekily high to begin with?
I'm happy to buy from the vendors on the forum, as the products are usually a little bit of a luxury - I could get by on derby blades and rsc shaving cream til I drop, but choose not to. Postage is just one of those things I accept as part of that luxury. Plus it saves me having to go into shops. Hate those places :icon_razz:
 
Anyone who sells stuff on eBay soon realises that postage eats into your profits considerably. I like free postage as much as everyone else but I honestly don't know how those companies can make a profit. I was going to pop into ToBS as I'm in London at the moment, sadly work commitments are going to prevent that from happening. Even so, with the tube fare there and back I'd save money ordering what I wanted online and having it delivered. Especially as some of the vendors offer us a discount.
 
Of course, there's really no such thing as free delivery; all costs have to be built in to the total price (or you go bankrupt :-/).

What can happen when the seller charges a flat delivery rate (rather than e.g. priced by weight) is that some orders appear to be a 'better deal' than others, i.e. if you order multiple items you still pay the same delivery charge, but if you only order one low value item then the delivery charge can be off-putting. Just like if you work out the relative petrol costs to drive to the shops to buy a pint of milk instead of doing a weekly shop! The advantage of the flat rate to customers is that it's easy to understand and you get a very good deal on larger orders.

Free shipping looks attractive, but it's not always the best deal. Going on the principal that all costs are built into the price and that there's no such thing as free delivery, you could end up effectively paying for delivery several times over if you order multiple items. Sellers who offer free shipping on orders over a certain value, e.g. over £50, (reckoning that the free delivery offer will be a strong incentive for you to increase the value of your order) are usually giving you a good deal because shipping hasn't already been factored into their item price. In effect, they are genuinely reducing their margin to pass on to you as a thank you for a larger value order. Sellers who then offer a discount to TSR members on top of this really are to be cherished :)

On eBay, delivery costs are sometimes skewed by sellers who are trying to reduce the fees they pay to eBay. They lower the 'item price', then bump up delivery charges to compensate. By law, eBay can only charge their % fee on the item cost. What these sellers save in fees, they lose in reputation, though, imho.

If your main criteria in choosing where to shop is price, then you need to compare the total price for your whole order. In practice, it's often 'swings and roundabouts'; different sellers are slightly cheaper for different orders. All the more reason to base your buying decisions more broadly, looking at the expertise, service and ethos of the seller. When you do this, sellers who are genuine enthusiasts about what they sell start to look like great value.
 
I have bought a 'set' of Marvis toothpastes. Two companies charging the apparently standard £5.50 each wanted a small amount to cover p&p - had to pay p&p twice to get the various flavours. Only 'Ginger Mint' remained - which I found not only 5p cheaper but with free delivery. Arrived this morning in a cardboard box with air bubble packing and a couple of small free samples including a different flavour of Marvis.

I'm pleased to give a heads up to "His Essentials" of Glasgow.
 
For things the size that we typically buy Royal Mail has a bit of hump in the pricing. For 2nd class, the price jumps from 69p to £2.20 if you go over 25mm thick. Virtually everything is over that thickness so it's immediately expensive. For 1st class the price jumps similarly from 90p to £2.70 if you go over 25mm thick.

As for sending recorded mail over £20, Ally, why don't you put the threshold a bit higher, at say £60? The way I understand things you get £46 cover for 1st or 2nd class if you get proof of posting. Perhaps there's some catch with that though, that I'm not aware of?
 
Another thing many don't realise is that if you are VAT registered company and the items you are selling are VATable, then so is the postage so you lose 20% of the postage price to the VAT man, so £2.31 for a franked 1st class packet has to be charged out at £2.77, that's not making anything on the postage and that still does not account for packaging, time, labels another 30-40p, so charging £2.99 is still is loss making excise and don't get me started on Ebay, & Paypal commissions all of which come off the gross price too.

Only thin items like blades or combs can go large letter (max exterior thickness 25mm) which is a lot cheaper. Some cheap stuff and heavy items like tubs of hair gels often cost more to send than to buy.

Rant over........... for the moment.

Paul
 
With the Royal Mail price increases earlier in the year all small packets up to 750g is charged the same price (over £2.00). So I can send 1 razor or 5 for the same price. It can be really difficult to decide upon the cost of postage, to try and please everyone especailly like Manmachine said you loose out to VAT. On my website I charge free delivery (or delivery inclusive postage) because I want to make it easy for customers to know the price they are paying and not get any supprises when they get to the check out.

The Groomed Man
 
I agree with all the above, and a pet hate is excess postal costs. I will also look and Mankind now I know about it.

It's also worth mentioning Amazon and Ebay, as its possible to get free postage with both most/sometimes provided you don't mind a wait.

One shop (online fishing store) told me they have a deal with one company that regardless of the weight or amount brought you will never pay more than £6 shipping cost?

Yes they all have to make a profit, but WE also have free choice. Why pay more if you don't have to?
 
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