If a website has the cheek to charge you for shipping, it should be next day delivery

Nilrem

terra_ferma wrote: »

Exactly, there's no free delivery, it's just a business/marketing decision how the courier/RM charges are apportioned, either through product price, or delivery costs.

Aye it's always slightly amused me the number of people that don't realise that.

It's a little like the way people might go for the free shipping somewhere, then moan that the company is using yodel or one of the other poorer delivery services for the free delivery (or complain that company B charges more for delivery than company A, without taking into account that B is using a better/more reliable courier).

Free delivery is great if the product is the same price as somewhere that doesn't offer it - but there is usually a catch in going with a company only because they are the cheapest/offer free delivery (be it expensive phone lines if there is a problem, poor packaging/delivery, or bad CS).

I used to always go for the cheapest if I could, these days I'm more likely to pay a little extra to get it from a company who I know offer good CS, or who I know use a good delivery company* - free delivery isn't worth it if you end up having to spend ages on the phone chasing up a lost/damaged package or it doesn't arrive when it should.


[edit]
The likes of amazon can offer free delivery without it affecting prices too much because they're working on slim margins, send out millions of items a day across multiple couriers (thus get some amazing deals compared to what we would pay - and their contracts will require a minimum number of packages per week), and their whole system is set up to shift as many items a day with minimum downtime (hence why super saver shipping times can vary so much - they do them when they have slack in the system, or the item is nearly at the end of it's shipping window).




*These days anyone who uses DPD gets a much higher chance of my custom even if they charge an extra couple of pounds on a £50-100 item (largely because I can go out and get stuff done, instead of waiting in from 7am to 8pm as can happen with some delivery companies).

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Jeff_Bridges_hair wrote: »

LOL.


And another thing - when compaing to high street stores and their over headds being factored in yet prices still the same, is Azari claiming that high street overheads are the same as a £3.50 delivery option?

now that there, is down right comedy gold.

Over heads in a store are much, much higher than online, rates, rent, staff, security, utilities, shrinkage, if the online shop charges the same as the high street likelihood is the online store has a much better profit margin (or the shop is making very little).

There may be cases where as an individual purchase you do benefit from free shipping or lower charges but overall each and every cost is factored in somewhere.

If you take Amazon Prime, I've had £3 items delivered by Special Delivery, no way Amazon covered their costs, in fact they most certainly made a loss on those sales but the loyalty gathered through offering the program means the average shopper isn't shopping around and overall they'll buy other items that cost more on Amazon than other retailers to benefit from the reasons for their loyalty.

Overall everyone pays for all costs, individually you may benefit on some purchases.

The OP's expectation of next day delivery if there is a delivery charge is stupid.

PLog86

goater78 wrote: »

I see your knowledge of business has not improved!

If you've got nothing else to add to the argument apart from the same ill thought out statements then really you should leave the thread alone!

You're contributing nothing new to what you said days ago!

Goater

You still seem to be struggling and it's very clear that it's you who does not understand some very basic business logic. Let's see if we can make it any easier for you to grasp.


Mr X sells item Y for £10.

The courier charges £3 to deliver.

Mr X offers free delivery so the item costs the customer £10 delivered and Mr X, after paying the courier has £7.

OK so far?

Now, supposing Mr X decides not to offer free delivery. He's still happy to get £7 for the item so he offers it for £7 with an at cost delivery charge of £3.

In each case, the customer pays £10, My X gets £7 and the courier gets £3.

So, rather than just accusing other people of not understanding business, why don't you explain to us, using the above example, just how the delivery is 'free' in the first case?

System

PLog86 wrote: »

Goater

You still seem to be struggling and it's very clear that it's you who does not understand some very basic business logic. Let's see if we can make it any easier for you to grasp.


Mr X sells item Y for £10.

The courier charges £3 to deliver.

Mr X offers free delivery so the item costs the customer £10 delivered and Mr X, after paying the courier has £7.

OK so far?

Now, supposing Mr X decides not to offer free delivery. He's still happy to get £7 for the item so he offers it for £7 with an at cost delivery charge of £3.

In each case, the customer pays £10, My X gets £7 and the courier gets £3.

So, rather than just accusing other people of not understanding business, why don't you explain to us, using the above example, just how the delivery is 'free' in the first case?

You've fallen into the same trap the other posters have made.

I accept to a layman like yourself this makes perfect sense. If you read through my previous posts you will see I have answered this on numerous occasions.

The most important point is the delivery can never be a fixed cost per item as if you order numerous items that have a total weight of less than 15kg it costs the same price to deliver than just ordering one item. You therefore can't charge a delivery supplement per item as you don't know if it will be ordered with other items.

The price of the item is driven by factors like competition and unit cost. Not whether there is a delivery charge hidden in the cost.

Moglex

goater78 wrote: »

You've fallen into the same trap the other posters have made.

No, goater, it's you that's wrong and everyone else who's right. The money has to come from somewhere - guess who? That's right, it comes from the customers.

Ain't no such thing as free delivery and only fools believe there is.

System

Moglex wrote: »

No, goater, it's you that's wrong and everyone else who's right. The money has to come from somewhere - guess who? That's right, it comes from the customers.

Ain't no such thing as free delivery and only fools believe there is.

Everyone else? Including the people who agree with me? How can they be right if they agree with me who you claim is wrong?

That's a bit of a riddle isn't it!

I think if you read my posts you would see I have not disputed the money comes from the customer. I have disputed the simplistic approach that has been adopted to this subject by people who have no knowledge of how this industry works.

Still it's let you imply I'm a fool and let's me honest the point of your posts are to try and slip insults in as much as possible.

At least you've not called me a plank

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Both sides of the argument hold truths, this discussion was already done in this forum over McDonalds and their free stuff.

The most important point is the delivery can never be a fixed cost per item as if you order numerous items that have a total weight of less than 15kg it costs the same price to deliver than just ordering one item.

To be fair that's as sweeping as some of the statements arguing against your point, there are many, many variables on courier/delivery charges and equally a retailer may just pocket the difference if they charge x per item but then save on actual costs. Of course most places offer some kind of offer to save you buying 10 things and paying 10 x £3.50 delivery but this is done to remain competitive.

PLog86

goater78 wrote: »

I think if you read my posts you would see I have not disputed the money comes from the customer.

If you agree that the cost of delivery is borne by the customer then the case is closed. You agree that delivery is not free.

In which case, most of your involvement in this thread has been little more than trolling.

I have disputed the simplistic approach that has been adopted to this subject by people who have no knowledge of how this industry works.

I don't know which industry you mean by "this" but you don't seem to have much idea yourself. In particular, you seem (and this is one of the things that makes me suspect you are trolling) to be taking examples that people have given, which are necessarily simplified, and then inferring that they don't know what they are talking about.

Quite honestly, this is making you look a lot more ignorant than it is them.

Still it's let you imply I'm a fool.

I don't think there is any need for anyone to imply you are a fool.

System

PLog86 wrote: »

I don't know which industry you mean by "this" .

The retail distance selling industry.

Isn't that pretty obvious as that's what we are all talking about?

I'm slightly concerned you need this explaining to you!

:rotfl:

Azari

PLog86 wrote: »

If you agree that the cost of delivery is borne by the customer then the case is closed. You agree that delivery is not free.

I think you have nailed him there.

He was obviously so confused that he didn't realise that admitting that the customers pay for delivery means it's not free.

Of course, being Goater he had to come on and try and get the last word with some irrelevance.

In which case, most of your involvement in this thread has been little more than trolling.

It does make you wonder, doesn't it?

I don't think there is any need for anyone to imply you are a fool.

:rotfl: Hard, but fair. :rotfl: