shipping cost?

[Neill_Prater]

That's how a free market works and if the price is too high for either the item or the shipping then we have the freedom to purchase it from someone else. 
There are plenty of times I have added items to my shopping cart at good prices and then failed to continue with the purchase once the shipping cost was calculated.

Me too. Shipping costs are going to be passed to the consumer, one way or the other, but I strongly suspect some charge considerably more than the actual costs incurred, thinking they can keep the listed price of the item lower, and make a little profit on the shipping.

The ones that really gripe me are the companies that base shipping on the dollar amount of the sale. That makes no sense to me, it should be based on the weight or size of the item(s) purchased. I mean, think about it, you might buy something for $100 that weighs 1 lb, and you might buy something for $50 that weighs 30 lbs.

[stinkpickle]

The ones that really gripe me are the companies that base shipping on the dollar amount of the sale. That makes no sense to me, it should be based on the weight or size of the item(s) purchased. I mean, think about it, you might buy something for $100 that weighs 1 lb, and you might buy something for $50 that weighs 30 lbs.

They're taking the easy way out.  I'm in the middle of the re-writing a shipping options page on a large website to handle both domestic and foreign orders for a variety of carriers with everything from simple lightweight products to heavy/oversized items...including hazardous materials, ORMD, FFL and/or Export License requirements, and so on.  It's a complete nightmare. 

[wmahunter]

To keep it simple, I charge a flat shipping price for each of my items (duck boat blinds) and while I may make 2-5 dollars in shipping on a blind shipped to the Southeast US, I lose sometimes as much as 10-15 bucks on one heading west of the Mississippi but in the long run I break even and make no profit on shipping.

What chaps my butt is the folks that charge full additional shipping on each item you purchase even when they end up sending all of it in the same box.

[deltaeta]

It's the "handling".

[longbeardlife.com]

I own LongBeardLife apparel and have a set rate for shipping and handling.  I live in Florida and when I send stuff to the west coast I loose big time. It cost me more than my rate but when I ship locally I break even.  There is no way to do it fairly but we try and send everything in one box so there is only one shipping fee.  But the with the price of fuel you are still better off alot of times to just order online and pay the shipping cost.

[Houndstooth Game Calls]

Its a double edged sword, I have mailed calls but I dont stick anything in the box at home. I drive to the PO to make sure its at the PO. I have had things get drenched in a blowing  rain in a box and if its warm outside I dont wont my call that someone has bought to sit in a hot mailbox thats just me. I just like knowing that its at the PO so I have to drive across town and drive back! Shipping costs suck no doubt I saw some mouth calls for sale for $10.95 not counting the shipping lol I have seen $12.00 shipping for a mouthcall on one website! I like minimums on orders to get free shipping usually when i order off the internet its not for just a $8.00 call it will be $20 to $50 dollars JMO. But if theres free shipping at a fair set rate well the fella shipping is loosing. Dont think anyone is gonna ever beat the shipping costs for online ordering in this day and time everyones time is worth something.