posted
Hi Everyone. I was just going over my books comparing supplies ordered from 2 years ago and this year. In the last year, my supplier has started charging me shipping for UPS and then a handling fee on each order placed. Does your supplier charge you S&H on every order? If an order is over $100, do they pay the shipping? Do you pay a handling charge on every order you place? Do any of the larger suppliers run their own trucks? What if your local supplier is out of something and you need it the next day, who pays for the S&H? Do you pass the extra cost on to your customer if they are in a hurray? Thanks to everyone who gives me an idea of what others are charged. Just want to make sure I am getting a fair deal.
-------------------- Cynthia Pack 246 Diamondview Loop Galax, Va. 24333 Posts: 659 | From: Galax, Virginia USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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The majority of my supplies come from Aluma Panel. They deliver every Thursday here. If I order over $200 it is dropped here for free. Most customers understand the once weekly delivery and I rarely need to pay for shipping. Aluma Panel is the bombdiggity.
-------------------- Mike gatlinburg Sign Crafters Posts: 1051 | From: Gatlinburg, TN | Registered: Oct 2005
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We never Pay Shipping or Handling on any UPS Items. There is enough Suppliers out there looking for your business.
Ask your supplier for free shipping on orders over $75. If they refuse tell them Thank you and we will find a new supplier.
I know it sounds Like I'm an ass about it but I am. As for Large Items like HDU and MDO we have 2 suppliers that deliver to us Weekly for free now so it works out real well..
I figure we save about $5000 to $8000 a year on shipping. And we now pay for all our bills on my credit card that gives me a percentage return Each month. Havent figured that out But its a few Hundered a Month. (Just make sure you pay that card off monthly)
posted
With Fellers I am set up that over $50 it's free shipping. With SignSupplyUSA they deliver with their own van and the highest charge is $10 for me. With my Dibond/Aluminum/MDO supplier, they deliver with their own truck twice a week and it's $25 for an order under $150 and free if over.
-------------------- Dana Blair Blair Signs Wooster, OH www.blairsigns.com
If sign makers go on strike, is there anything written on their picket signs? Posts: 835 | From: Wooster, OH, USA | Registered: Jul 1999
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posted
Whether the order is small or large, whether the shipping costs are billed separately or just built into the final price of the product, believe me, you're paying for shipping one way or another.
I pass shipping costs onto customers, I usually factor them into the total I pay for the materials. In other words, a $40 roll of film that costs me $12 in shipping becomes a $52 roll of film, so as I'm pricing work and add my material mark-up, the shipping is part of that.
If someone has to have something right away it depends. If it's something I usually carry or should have on hand most of the time but just happen to be out of it through no fault of the customer, I probably wouldn't charge extra. If it's not a regular item I probably would charge extra. Of course that all depends how much of a hurry they are in. I have a local supplier where I can pick up some stuff otherwise I order it from a place that's just 3 hours away. I can get pretty much any material I need at my door within 24 hours without any expedited shipping charges provided I get the order placed by noon. If I don't get the order in by that time, it will arrive the 2nd day.
That appeases most of the rush orders I have to deal with.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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Harbor Sales, and N. Glantz offer free next day shipping in my area, no minimum order. I also have two local suppliers that I can pick up from if I need something really quick.
Eric
-------------------- Eric Houser Eric Houser Signs Richmond, Va Posts: 74 | From: Richmond, Va | Registered: Feb 2004
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I appreciate what you're saying Mike, but, often times you can negociate free shipping and the product price stays the same. Case in point:
I called my sales rep from my main supplier and simply asked for free shipping over $50. He said "I thought you already got free shipping" Uhm....no, I don't. OK, sure. My vinyl price stayed the same, but now free shipping. I also notice Fellers does free shipping over $50, but you gotta ask for it.
Wensco delivers free over $250. Small orders are $7 delivery. They do not negociate on shipping for UPS orders, so it is to my benefit to wait for the weekly delivery truck.
""Good judgment comes from experience; and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" - Will Rogers Posts: 3484 | From: Beautiful Newaygo, Michigan | Registered: Mar 2003
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Rick, I know you can "negotiate" , but in the end, nobody's sacrificing their already tight profit margin to offer truly free shipping to anyone.
They'll just take that additional operating expense and roll it right back into the prices at their next quarterly, 6 month or annual price review. At least some part of those regular price increases are to cover the costs of benefits like "free" shipping.
Nothing is really free. In the end, everything must balance out.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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I live more or less in the weeds and have almost everything shipped here. On rare occasions, I'll make the 2 hour trip each way to the nearest supplier, but only if I can group a number of jobs together and make it worth the time.
My two main suppliers are out of state and will ship orders over $100 for free. I usually get them next day without additional rush charges...second day at the latest...so turning over a job quick isn't usually too much hassle. Between them, I can usually find what I need in stock most of the time. Both are also very good at letting me know if they are out of stock and need to back order materials. I usually know before I hang up the phone and leave myself a few days buffer for those instances.
If it's a rush job, additional rush shipping fees are usually included in the overall price...AKA :"rush order charge".
Rapid
[ November 01, 2007, 09:27 PM: Message edited by: Ray Rheaume ]
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
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""Good judgment comes from experience; and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" - Will Rogers Posts: 3484 | From: Beautiful Newaygo, Michigan | Registered: Mar 2003
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I buy all my vinyl supplies from Gregory. Free freight on orders over $100 and their prices are the lowest I've found.
Midwest offers free freight on $1000 & up orders. Same price whether you pay for freight or not. So when I have a $90 freight bill on a couple sheets of Alumalite, I add the freight cost to the job. Freight is always added on big & heavy items.
I've started adding a handling charge on crated items. I've spent over an hour un-crating an electric sign or a post & panel system.
-------------------- Dave Sherby "Sandman" SherWood Sign & Graphic Design Crystal Falls, MI 49920 906-875-6201 sherwoodsign@sbcglobal.net Posts: 5396 | From: Crystal Falls, MI USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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Do you pay a handling charge on every order you place? Do any of the larger suppliers run their own trucks? What if your local supplier is out of something and you need it the next day, who pays for the S&H? Do you pass the extra cost on to your customer if they are in a hurray? Thanks to everyone who gives me an idea of what others are charged. Just want to make sure I am getting a fair deal. ![[Thanks]](graemlins/thanks.gif)
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