Shipping Charge Experiment

Whitney400 · ‎02-24-2013

This may sound strange, but I decided to try something when I placed an order on Saturday morning, April 1 at 7:23 a.m. Surprisingly, it worked. I ordered the Kitchen Aid Burr Coffee Grinder which is a hefty $200. Standard shipping was $13.22 and I would have gotten it within a week or so. However, I opted to request the Express Delivery which cost me an additional $5.00. Express Delivery is UPS two day delivery. I am glad that I did. It is now the 4th and it is already on the truck for delivery. It was supposed to arrive on the 5th.

I know that shipping charges vary and QVC's shipping and handling charges are high. However, in this particular case, I lucked out. I didn't have to watch the item be "in process" for an extended period of time and track it going through UPS and then transferred over to regular mail or mail innovations. I do not recommend duplicating this experiment for all situations, but I just wanted to share that sometimes it might be worth spending the extra dollars if it is a reasonable amount to get an item faster.

On It · ‎03-15-2021

@Whitney400 On a larger item with higher shipping charges that is a good idea. I hope you enjoy your coffee. You will save way more than $5.00 by brewing your own coffeehouse version on the days that regular shipping would have kept the item in transit. Smart idea!

CalminHeart · ‎03-09-2010

I managed an inbound and outbound mail dept for a huge international corporation. Every large company has contracts with UPS, FedEx, and USPS. The costs were about 13% of what it would cost you or me for ground shipping and about 25% for express.

Q's quarterly reports also show profits from shipping and return costs paid by customers.

Back when I ordered, there were many times I paid extra for shipping from Q. Speed and better tracking make a big difference sometimes.

San Antonio Gal · ‎05-18-2017

@Whitney400 - that was a good idea and definite worth a extra 5.00. Good move.

I know there are complaints about shipping, but I find 3.50 very reasonable.

nyc1 · ‎03-19-2010

@Whitney400 I hope you love your new coffee grinder. I have the KA Pro Burr grinder that I'm not sure is being made any longer. It's very industrial looking and a workhorse. It must be at least 23 years old and still going strong. I take it apart and clean it really well about 2x a year and make adjustments to the burrs if necessary (rarely do they need it). It is the most used appliance in my home, next to the coffee maker! I use it at least 5x a week.

Enjoy your coffee. Where do you purchase your beans? I send away for mine.

kaydee50 · ‎02-07-2011

I agree with @CalminHeart. Shipping is already factored into the cost of the product and s/h are pure profit. Unless I were desperate for a product I would not pay extra for shipping.

Whitney400 · ‎02-24-2013

I buy my beans from my local gourmet supermarket. The brand is Vermont Country Coffee, which is organic and deliciously bold. It comes in 1 lb. bags and costs $14.99/pound. They have a good selection of coffee on their website, but my supermarket is the only place I can get the l lb. bags. I always buy a couple at a time because I am a big coffee drinker. No more pods which are ridiculously expensive and of a lesser quality of coffee.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@Whitney400 wrote:
This may sound strange, but I decided to try something when I placed an order on Saturday morning, April 1 at 7:23 a.m. Surprisingly, it worked. I ordered the Kitchen Aid Burr Coffee Grinder which is a hefty $200. Standard shipping was $13.22 and I would have gotten it within a week or so. However, I opted to request the Express Delivery which cost me an additional $5.00. Express Delivery is UPS two day delivery. I am glad that I did. It is now the 4th and it is already on the truck for delivery. It was supposed to arrive on the 5th.

I know that shipping charges vary and QVC's shipping and handling charges are high. However, in this particular case, I lucked out. I didn't have to watch the item be "in process" for an extended period of time and track it going through UPS and then transferred over to regular mail or mail innovations. I do not recommend duplicating this experiment for all situations, but I just wanted to share that sometimes it might be worth spending the extra dollars if it is a reasonable amount to get an item faster.

It also points out when QVC does "free shipping" instead of a real sale how little they give you off the price like it's a big deal. On $200, $13.22 is almost $7 less than if they have given you a 10% discount.