Fashion

[Tuppermore]

A couple of weeks ago, I purchased a Liz Claiborne top that was a Lunchtime Special. It was lost when the USPS delivered it to the wrong address. The local Postmistress has been trying to locate it for me. In the process, I was given the Intranet tracking information that was printed out from the post office website.

What a shock! The top was $11.27. The cost, with S&H and tax, was $18.47. The actual cost of shipping that was paid to the Post Office was $1.29!!! It's official--QVC has inflated their shipping charges. I don't mind a fair price, but $5.72 was the S&H charge. $4.43 was the amount of the extra charge. Almost 25% of the total charge was the cost of handling my top.

I have decided to cut back considerably on my QVC shopping. I will only be buying clothing that is a "can't live without" item. By the way, I still don't have the missing top. So now I will have to deal with that too. It just isn't worth it anymore!

[bluejeansluvr]

It's a lot they charge for Shipping.

Many websites, ship at a flat rate for everything you order.

I think Loft charges $8.95 for everything you order. You can order one top, or 10 and it's still $8.95 and then Shipping is free over $125, if I recall. (not a great deal if you're ordering only one top, but not that much more expensive than what Q charges to ship a top, which is now around $6-8 a top or sweater, depending on weight I guess).

Most clothing websites have free S&H deals like this. Nordstrom ships for free, any amount, any time.

QVC is making a LOT of money from shipping, and they don't even give cart discounts for items on the same day like HSN does.

It's very expensive, when you add it all up.

I also think that because QVC ships so much with the post office and UPS, they cut a deal with them and get a shipping discount. So it doesn't cost them as much to ship something as it does the general public.

[Iluvlucy]

S&H is one reason I'm cutting way back on my QVC shopping.

[lulu2]

Shipping costs are outrageous period. Recently I was sending a $7.99 Valentine plush animal, 3 states away. I went to UPS first. They wanted over $11. I then went to the post office (which I try to avoid due to the lines) The $6.10 they charged seemed like a bargain. I also mailed a 9x12 envelope. That was $2.25. What could you possibly mail for $1.29?

QVC or HSN return labels are a bargain and a great convenience.

[Allegheny]

I know, sigh...I was considering some plants from Cottage Farms, but the S&H was almost half the cost of the item.

I understand that the handling includes all sorts of costs for packaging and labor but with the Q's volume, one would think it wouldn't be so high.

Interesting I recently returned an item. The charge to send it to me was $7.99. I used their label to return and the cost printed on the label was $6.99.

What irks me is companies that charge S&H by the dollar amount of your order. If your orders total $20 they charge a set amount, no matter if the item weights a few ounces to a pound.

[Lipstickdiva]

Most businesses get a discount on shipping. I work for a very small law firm and even we get a reduced rate with UPS and FedEx so I can imagine the discount to the shopping channels.

Someone fairly recently posted an article about QVC and in the article they admitted that they make a profit on s/h. I think we all knew that. LOL

However, I do agree that s/h is expensive if we as individuals want to send anything anywhere. I see people all the time posting that they sent something back to QVC for a buck or two. But they are putting postage on an envelope, dropping it in the mail and hoping for the best. If you want tracking and or insurance and or delivery confirmation, it isn't cheap. I generally figure return shipping and at most, I might save a buck to ship an item back myself over using Q's return label. If the item has any weight to it at all, I am much further ahead using their return label and having the s/h deducted.

Yes there are a lot of companies that offer free s/h but somehow, I never seem to find them. LOL I find a lot of shoe places that offer free s/h but not clothing. Or they will offer free s/h with a purchase of X amount of dollars and I'm not going to spend that much.

[Tuppermore]

On 2/3/2014 lulu2 said:

Shipping costs are outrageous period. Recently I was sending a $7.99 Valentine plush animal, 3 states away. I went to UPS first. They wanted over $11. I then went to the post office (which I try to avoid due to the lines) The $6.10 they charged seemed like a bargain. I also mailed a 9x12 envelope. That was $2.25. What could you possibly mail for $1.29?

QVC or HSN return labels are a bargain and a great convenience.

I know from a discussion with an employee at the local grocery store where I shipped a package to a business in California that businesses received special rates on their shipping because of volume. My QVC purchase was a cotton t-shirt with smocking. It didn't weigh much, but I still don't have it.

[Sooner]

Sure. That's why they don't offer ""free"" shipping. They can make you think the item is a bargain and a lot of the cost of the item is pawned off as ""shipping and handling."" Retailers like this get HUGE shipping discounts.

[PamB226]

Unless the top AND packaging weighed less than 4ozs, there is no way it cost $1.29 to ship, even with a USPS discount! And, $7.20 is pretty normal for S&H plus TAX. But the main thing so many of you refuse to take into account is the handling cost! You are paying for the cost to ship as well as the cost for someone to package it up!

[mercyMe]

Tuppermore,

I share your pain ... and reading QVC's quarterly profit report, I ponder their "huge margins" from cost-of-goods sold. I'm with you .... "only necessities will I buy from now on." I am not against equality in salaries, but some Q show hosts are paid more than the President of the U.S.