i was gonna add a profile plate to my renzetti vise as a back drop for taking photos until i came to the checkout part of the order and noticed the shipping charges for something that weighs 2 pounds and that could be shipped in one of those padded manila envelopes we use to ship out fly boxes for fly swaps. they could also use the usps. note the “sticker SHOCK” and the “shipping SHOCK”.
I guess its because renzetti calls it a “Visual Enhancement Backdrop”
hold on here it comes
Those shipping rates are ridiculous. Those prices far exceed actual shipping costs for an item like that (especially if it fits in a Priority Mail box and weighs two pounds). But businesses don’t call them Shipping and “Handling” charges for nothing. They can charge whatever they want for handling.
So does that mean you’ll be building one instead of buying one?? That’s what I did.
I built my own for about $2.00. Its just a piece of colored foam made out of a 12 inch square piece of foam I got in the craft section of wal mart.
I didn’t check shipping for a packet of 20 tippet rings I ordered recently. they came in a regular snail mail envelope. I was charged $12.00 for the shipping.
I should add that it was not a Sponsor of faol.
I will not buy products from businesses that charge exorbitant amounts for “handling.”
And simply wish that more people would not use companies that feel the need too. Hit those that do in the pocket and they will change there policies.
You can go to the Post Office and get a good sized Priority box, anything & everything you can stuff in the box they will ship for $8.95.
You can go to the Post Office and get a Priority mailing box for free, anything and everything you can stuff in the box regardless of weight they will ship for $8.95, they will even give you a roll of tape to seal the box!!
I could not believe that Renzetti would do that, so I went to their site and went through the motions of ordering the same item, only to come up with the same outrageous S&H charge. I deleted the item from the basket and sent them a note on their contact form expressing my displeasure with their S&H fees. We’ll see if they even care enough to reply.
This has become a HUGE “pet peeve” of mine!! (so MUCH SO, that I even named my “pet Peeve”, Rover!).
"Ebayer’s are the WORST for this and I’ve passed up a ton of decent deals, just because of their shipping prices. And, I’ve sent countless emails, to fly shops and box stores, as well, over the same issue.
A few fly shops, have actually written me back, apologizing and agreeing to ship an item “Priority Mail”, instead of “UPS Ground”.
My bride and I, do a lot of eBaying at times, as well as her Goat’s Milk line of soaps and lotions, so we ship out several hundred pounds of goods every year.
RAY, hit it, exactly on the head, when he mentioned “Priority Mail”, the boxes and even the tape.
We only, use, Priority Mail to ship out anything we sell. If you go to the USPS website, you can order bundles of boxes in 7 different sizes,(bundles are 25 boxes each), shipping labels, 3" sealing tape and it’s ALL FREE, even the shipping to send it to your house, (or to your fly shop, or store).
There are “Flat Rate” boxes, in a couple of sizes, too and anything you can put into the larger of the “Flat Rate” box, (it’s about 12" X 12" X 8"), UP TO 40 POUNDS in weight… will ship anywhere to the lower 48 for only $8.95!!
“Flat Rate” envelopes, (8.5 X about 13"), are $3.40 anywhere. “Regular sized” Priority Mail, boxes go by their dimensions and actual weight, but are STILL cheaper than 99% of any of the UPS charges.
I've had fly shops and sellers on eBay also try telling me "Well, we don't HAVE THE TIME to "go stand at the post office, to mail things out!", Bull!! USPS will also PICK UP these boxes, at home or a business, FREE of charge as well!
“$12.00” to ship LEADER RINGS"?? Via Priority Mail, they could have shipped you a FLY REEL, for $3.40!! I just shipped one, out, 4 days ago, for that exact price, to a guy in Florida!!
yup!!!
ya didnt believe me?? i should have done the same thing!
i did end up making one by using a coat hanger, foam sheet and tape. took me 2 minutes and it was virtually free! i like that.
So it’s 40 lbs now? It used to be 70lbs. We once bought a 50 lb garden tractor wheel weight off Ebay and had it shipped PM in a Flat Rate box. Best shipping deal ever, for us anyway.
Flybinder, I’d like to know more about your wife’s soaps. I’m a soapaholic. Can you PM me your Ebay ID? Thanks!
That’s crazy! I made my backdrop. It’s just colored styrofoam and a bit of Zap-A-Gap. It cost me under $2.00 to make and about 5 minutes to install. I just glued it to the back of my Fly-Tying Bench.
Support bacteria! It’s the only culture some people will ever have.
I think that “shipping fees” are not considered taxable income, so they can make a lot of money without claiming the income. Not sure. I see this a lot on Ebay. Trout bookends for $3.00 with $12.00 shipping that would actually cost a lot less.
Backcastwards;
Was looking at a current fly reel on eBay, just today and almost bid, until… I saw the “freight” wanted for it: $10.00. Sorry, we personally ship way too much stuff, ourselves, to know what it costs to ship something like a fly reel.
Flat rate Priority Mail, would still be only $5.75 and the one I shipped out, right before Christmas, only cost $3.40 and that was “Standard Postage”, too, not Priority.
Sellers may often wonder, “why no bids”? If they’d only look at the freight they’re ripping off for, it MIGHT, just tell them something!!
Ho -hum!! Sorry!! End of going postal!
I, also, made my own profile plate and rigged it in such a way, that it fits onto my bobbin cradle. No extra space taken up, swings out of the way easily and cost “ziiip”, to make.
Cut a circle of cardboard from a white gift box, punched a hole in it, with a paper punch and hung it on the rear of the bobbin rest shaft!
Is “stickershock” or shippingshock" related to DShock?
“Sticker Shock”, is DShock’s, ex wife’s adopted cousin’s 1/2 brother, who was once married to Abel’s step sister, until he found out that she was actually her own aunt, (twice removed).
“Shipping Shock”, USED TO BE, married to DShock’s oldest 1/3rd. cousin, on his dog’s side, who was also once married to DShock’s 11th cousin, Elwood.
Elwood, is from the “Whous”, side of DShock’s family, on his mother’s side.
BOTH, the Sticker Shocks, AND the Shipping Shocks, are still half related through DShock’s older sister’s husband’s adopted 1/2 sister’s 2nd. cousin on the Aunt’s side.
DShock, God love him, is also his own grandfather, through no fault of his own…
Going postal about shipping shock or sticker shock or dshock … hmmmmmm
Made several different colored backdrops from foam - cut 6"x6" squares, cut a hole about half an inch from the top, at the center, and hang them as needed, different colors for different flies, on the bobbin cradle.
Then I charged myself $24.95 handling and installation and took my wife out to dinner.
I believe the reason why some sellers on ebay set the bids Low and have High shipping fees is to avoid paying ebay its commission. Ebay gets paid its commission based on the sale price dollar $ amount, excluding shipping fees. Buyers should base their bids on the total cost (item price + shipping fee), not only the item price. As a buyer, if you think you’re getting a good deal after you consider the total price, go for it. However, everyone should consider the shipping price as part of the overall price.
As for Renzetti - Shame on them.
Deezel
You are correct about people cheating EBay. There is a place to report sellers that charge unreasonable shipping fees, end auctions early to avoid paying EBay, and other violatioons. Reporting them is the only way we can keep EBay the wondeful market place that it is. We have to toss out the bad apples so the bushel will stay fresh for everyone else.
