Shipping and handling at HF... bit excessive.

[jtpr]

My letter to customer service:

----------------------------------------------------------- Just so you know...

I was about to order the digital caliper for $15.99 even though the shipping was $3.95. I ended up canceling because on the last page you put in a $5.95 "handling" charge. Bit deceptive to wait until the order is almost done, don't you think. Not to mention the "bait and switch" technique of advertising a lowball price just to jam somebody for $10 in "shipping and handling".

You lost a customer on this one. I won't be back.

-Jim

---------------------------------------------------------

Anybody else order from them and feel this way or am I just over reacting?

-Jim ©¿©¬

If you want to reply by email its --> ryan at jimryan dot com Please use BCC and lets all avoid spam

[James D. Farrow]

Here's another story:

I ordered a Jet 1014 Mini Wood Lathe with Tools-Plus, CT for $209.00 which I thought was a good price. In the shipping I asked for a quote (to Ontario, Canada) before actually buying it. They e-mailed me back stating that it would cost $242.88 (brokerage included) for UPS shipping costs (for 80 lbs). And duty and taxes would be payable at the door. That's more than the cost of the lathe.

UPS costs are definately excessive!!!!!

Anyway, cancelled the order. Now I need to find another one. hopefully in Canada

James

[patrick conroy]

Yeah... Ditto, sort'a. I like that caliper - even with the added fees it ended up being cheaper than what I could find it elsewhere. So I bought it and use it, and like it.

HF may be in the "worst" offender list, but they're not alone. I had a $10 gift cert from Griz. I thought about buying some galoo - but they've got a six or seven dollar minimum S&H charge too.

Sounds like there's no HF retail store near you. They'll match the 'net and catalog prices in store, you just have to bring in the ad.

Hmmm - wonder if there's a biz opportunity here. I'll run down and buy it for $15.99 + tax, and resell it for $15.99 + tax + real shipping + $1.

[Tim Douglass]

I always wait until I have enough stuff I want to get the free shipping, then you only pay the 5.95 handling charge. I could drive across town and browse the store, but they never have the giz I'm looking for on the shelf.

Tim Douglass

[AAvK]

to customer service:

On the one and only order I have ever done with HF I ran into that, I thought it was rediculous but i did it anyway. I bought ten 1/2" pipe clamp fixtures for $2.99 each but even with that charge it's still a huge savings compared to buying jorgensens. You could consider that ideal on other kinds of purchases and not about the small stuff. The clamps work really well. You'll always pay around $20 for the same on eBay:

the cheapest way is to go into an HF store.

Alex

[Greg O]

Free freight for orders over $50! Just buy more!! Greg

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I don't readily see it on the web page, but their magazine ads plainly state a haadling charge for the order. If you go to the FAQ page, there is a button for the shipping terms and conditions.

IMO, it should be on the front page.

While it does piss you off, they really do have to make a charge to handle a $3 order. The amount of paperwork processing, packing labor, packing materils, etc. do add up.

Last Monday I wanted a knob for a fixture I was making. I could have ordered it for 99¢ and paid shipping and handling charges. Did I save anything since I chose to drive 80 miles round trip to go get it? I later saw a smilar knob at a local hardware store and they wanted $4 for it. Talk about markups! That still would have been cheaper than my 80 mile jaunt. Muchcheaper because since I was out, I ended up going another 20 miles and buying a $200 drill.

[Silvan]

No, I don't think so. I completed the order, got shafted on the absolutely exhorbitant shipping, and then it took like three weeks for the damn thing to get here on top of all that.

Ordering from Lee Valley is much more enjoyable.

[jtpr]

Right. It's not so much the money. A similar thing at LV is about $32. It's the principal of the thing, the deception. I never realized HF had retail stores, I'll look around and see if there are any in MA or NH near me.

--

-Jim ©¿©¬

[Larry Jaques]

On Fri, 15 Oct 2004 09:35:18 -0400, "jtpr" calmly ranted:

No to both states. Are you not worthy? ;) NY, PA, and MD look the closest (to Berlin?). It would cost a lot more than the $5.95 handling cost to get there, as far as I know.

------------------------------------------------------------------------- Poverty is easy. *

's Charity and Chastity that are hard. * Data-based Website Design

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Russ]

[Russ]

[tim124c41]

Yep.

Page 6 of the King woodworking flyer has more or less the same lathe (10x16"), including chisels, for C$299 or about US$239. A little more, but a little bigger and you get

8 chisels. Tegs is in Hamilton, but any local King dealer should honour this price.

[James D. Farrow]

Thanks for the link.

James