[CR]Re: CR Shipping solution

(Example: Framebuilders:Mario Confente)

From: <CYCLESTORE@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2005 01:35:11 EST
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Re: CR Shipping solution

In a message dated 2/7/05 2:16:32 PM, classicrendezvous-request@bikelist.org writes:

<< >
> PBridge130@aol.com wrote:
> snipped:
> "Recently a guy on the bicycles marketplace
> newsgroup wanted $65 bucks to ship a frame..."
>
>
> it costs $62 to send a frame box from ct to
> cal, ins included. that's ups' fee. the box,
> tape, labor is "extra".
> maybe the rbm guy was losing money at $65!
> e-RICHIE
> chester, ct ============= >>

Citizens,

On solution to the problem of something like this above, offer to send it Freight Collect! Of course it will cost even more.

Another is to offer to bill their business account and have them arrange pickup when it's ready.

Frankly, when Shipping Companies come by and offer to sell their services they always suggest marking up the actual billable freight cost. It sounds criminal but isn't everything you buy marked up? Ever pay interest or a late fee on a credit card... seem fair?

Frankly I don't have any free time during the day so I send an employee to the post office for some shipping. 16 minute bike ride roundtrip; never back in less than 45 minutes total even with one small package. My accountant says this guy costs me $32 an hour with overhead even though he's in the minimum wage bracket. Most bike stores have a similar problem. There are no profits shipping in my world. We spend more on shipping than we collect some months than we pay in rent. Often shippers have hidden costs that are not on their shipping websites though this is getting better.

One smart person mentioned that at lot of the handling is built into retail cost of goods but an auction is somewhat devoid of any handling cost adjustment in the world of $. 99 auctions. ALMOST EVERYTHING WORTH BUYING COSTS MORE THAN THAT but you see and some of us offer .99 auctions all the time and Ebay fees can exceed this if you are not careful. World fixed shipping of say $10.00 be out of line on a new handlebar stem that was offered for .99. It would be bad for me if a stem I offered recently sold for the first offering price without it.

Then again my shipping was listed at $5.00.........

Yours in Cycling,

Gilbert Anderson

North Road Bicycle Company

519 W. North St.

Raleigh, NC 27603

USA

Toll Free Ph: 800-321-5511 Local Ph: 919-828-8999

E-mail: cyclestore@aol.com