Today's Special Value

[Sooner]

QVC charges a FIXED RATE per item.  Most retailers assess shipping using weight, number of items, areas you are shipping to, etc. and can't calculate the amount until you are checking out.

QVC charged a FIXED RATE for EACH item.  I can't think of many retailers who do that.  Especially for clothing.  So it is EASY for QVC to show and be up front about shipping costs as they display each item.  They just don't want to.

[Icegoddess]

---

@Caaareful Shopper wrote:

---

@Kachina624 wrote:

---

@Caaareful Shopper wrote:

All other retail sites where I shop, and I shop at many, never reveal the shipping costs until you are checking out of your Cart and ready to Checkout.  I only see s/h with the initial item page on other TV shopping sites.  

S/h at Checkout:

Nordstrom

Chicos

Macy's

JJill

Land's End

Anthropologie

Dillards

etc.

It seems QVC is just getting in line with other online retailers.  A change some may not like?  Yes.  

But nothing shady or unethical about it at all.

---

@Caaareful Shopper.  It may not be illegal but it's more than a little shady.  All fees should be revealed upfront except tax which must be computer on the total.

Just 'cause everybody's doing it, doesn't make it right.

---

@Kachina624  But whose definition of "up front?"  If s/h is indeed listed before you click Checkout, that's up front.    Just because it's not listed on the item description page doesn't make it shady to me at all.  

I care much more about the fact that QVC charges s/h for each individual item.  Unlike other sites that charge one s/h fee for the total.  

---

And that's also one reason the other retailers can't show you the s/h up front.  They'll pack all your items in one box and the s/h is based on the weight of the the box.  QVC charges per item, so there's no reason for them not to show the s/h up front.  

I don't normally buy more than 1 item at a time from QVC and I have been kown to back out once I find out how much s/h and tax is going to add to my bill.  

[Squirrels Are Trash]

---

@Estellee wrote:

It's true, all the online retailers are doing it but why would QVC change something that was already working for the customers.

---

Because they study at which stage their shoppers abandon their purchases, they must think that moving to what is frankly an industry standard will decrease the likelihood of abandonment.  

It matters not at all what is "working for the customers."

[4kitties]

@RespectLife 

I am not at all limited in my shopping.  Every site I shop will offer free shipping at some point.  I take advantage of free shipping offers at every site I shop!

[Etoile308]

But it's not an industry standard to charge for each individual item.

[Sooner]

QVC makes sure they make a shipping profit on everything they sell.  Other retailers average it into costs, therefore not identifying a specific shipping charge but figuring it up with the checkout. 

QVC always makes a profit on shipping by specifying that in a per-item cost.  They don't average it out, give discounts for multiple purchases, bundle for lower shipping and such.  They guarantee themselves that every purchase has a profit for the shipping cost.  No matter how many units you buy. 

[Sooner]

After I posted I thought about QVC profit on shipping on everything, and they have no rewards program, few specials and sales.

Makes me think they aim to be a one-and-done seller of smaller items to many buyers rather than working to build a solid and repeat customer base when you think about how they treat customers as opposed to other reatailers. 

[PamHeet]

I also noticed that the shipping prices went missing on the website. Interestingly enough, if you go through the app, they do still list a shipping price for every item. I’m not sure if it’s a glitch with their website or what.

With regards to other websites not listing shipping prices, most online retailers charge one shipping fee for a whole order. The shipping cost in that case is usually dependent upon things like the amount you spend, the weight of your order, your shipping location (for sites that allow international shipping), etc. For this reason, there is no way to get an accurate shipping quote until you have added items to your cart and/or entered your shipping info. Since QVC charges separate shipping fees for each individual item, it is helpful to see those fees listed along with the prices of the items.

[PansyBoo]

The real point of all this is that they were there before and now they took them away. Why? Why did QVC do this? Why was this needed? What sense does this make to remove it? How does this benefit the customer?  

[cjm61]

@Sooner I have to disagree with your comment regarding the treatment by QVC to their customers.

Just because the S&H is not included is not a mistreatment by any stretch. In addition, I have been with QVC since 1986 and have always been treated very well. ANY and all problems I had, which are very few in all the years, were resolved quickly and no questions asked. Their return policy is outstanding. You have 30 days, used or not, to return. 

I really don't get the outrage over this since nobody is forced to purchase before knowing the shipping rate. Yes, there may be a slight inconvenience because you have to do one extra click (add to cart) to get the shipping but all in all, it really is not an issue in my opinion.