Shopping at Rockler.

[Lou]

If your anything like me, (and most people are not), you probably get emails from Rockler about specials. I thought, what the heck I could use this, and proceeded to order something. I get to the checkout and ran through the numbers. They are charging me 10% for sales tax. If I buy here it's 6.5%. On top of which, they where charging me sales tax on shipping and handling. I don't recall that being legal. I emailed them and told them "no thank you". Has anyone else noticed this? Lou

[Leon]

In Texas S& H is taxable, it is a taxable service.

[Max]

I ordered some hinges from Rockler and several days later realized that I needed another set. I ordered another set. Several days later I decided to check my order. Hadn't been shipped yet. Next day, I checked again. *BOTH* orders were shipped that same day at the same time. But. .......I was charged shipping for 2 separate orders. I was irritated that it took so long to ship the first order. I was pissed that I was charged 2 separate shipping charges for a shipment that could have included both orders. I won't say that I'll never order from Rockler again but it will have to be for something available nowhere else.

Max

[N Hurst]

Most of the order fulfillment process is almost completely automated, so most likely the only human logic being applied to your situation is your own. I don't think you can expect a company the size of Rockler to enact a system like you're talking about. I mean, you made 2 distinct orders, and they shipped you 2 orders.

Did you try calling them and asking them to combine your two orders or some other accommodation? I wouldn't blame the company for doing what you paid them to do, personally.

-Nathan

[LEGEND65]

You placed two separate orders, agreed to pay two shipping charges and now are mad about it. If you had called them or talked to their live help on the website they probably would have modified the original order for you no problem.

They have been slower getting things out the door lately than they used to be. Woodcraft usually ships the same day.

[Phisherman]

When you buy from a company that has an office or store in your state, you pay sales tax. Whenever you buy you must consider the cost out of your pocket and the reputation of the seller. You should be only paying your state's sales tax. You're fortunate with 6.5%, I pay

9.75% and 9% on food, the highest in the nation, thanks Tennessee. I have purchased items from Rockler in the past without any issues/complaints.

[Max]

Most of the order fulfillment process is almost completely automated, so most likely the only human logic being applied to your situation is your own. I don't think you can expect a company the size of Rockler to enact a system like you're talking about. I mean, you made 2 distinct orders, and they shipped you 2 orders.

Did you try calling them and asking them to combine your two orders or some other accommodation? I wouldn't blame the company for doing what you paid them to do, personally.

-Nathan

You're right of course. It's all about customer service. I shouldn't blame Rockler for having a system that considers efficiency above customer service; after all, it's the bottom line that counts.

Max

[Leon]

There is a good chance your order was pulled, packed ,and sealed up when you placed your second order. In many cases the package sits until the carrier actually start moving it. The retailer is not going to reopen an order and add to it. Once the package is sealed up the retailer considers the package gone whether it is still waiting to be picked up by the carrier or not.

[Leon]

While it is bothersome, I cannot name any sizeable company that does not fill the order as Rockler does. I know that 30 years ago that this was the case when I was ordering from many vendors.

[sheldon.mandel]

I've done just that. Part of an order was backordered, and they were happy to add to the box for me - no extra shipping charge.

shelly

[dpb]

Max wrote: ...

Why did you choose Rockler to begin with? Almost certainly owing to it being a "value-conscious" vendor.

If, otoh, they were to fill each order by hand and do what you seem to expect, you can be sure their cost structure would be markedly higher leading to you choosing a different supplier. So, they can't win...damned if they are efficient, damned if they aren't.

:(

--

[Maxwell Lol]

Amazon lets you modify an order that has not been shipped. But if you do, you have to wait all over again.

[Vic Baron]

Sorry Max, that is a really dumb, self serving statement -

Customer service is the reason why they use automated processes. Would you rather they check each order manually and delay the process just so they can catch YOUR screwups?

That's highly unreasonable.

Vic

>

[Tom Veatch]

I've often placed an order and later, prior to the first being shipped, placed an order for additional quantity of that item or for additional items. Every time that's happened, and with ever company I've dealt with, a call or email to customer service has met with cooperation a willingness to merge the orders into one shipment. The only times that hasn't worked has been when the original order was already too far along in the shipping process to be recalled.

Doesn't always work, but always worth contacting the vendor.

Tom Veatch Wichita, KS USA

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Some states require that you pay sales tax on the shipping and handling. State laws vary on what is and is not covered.

[tom_murphy]

The cost of having a human check for the scenario you encountered or adding some specialized module to the automated software is not trivial, especially for a smallish company like Rockler. That cost would be reflected in higher prices for everything they sell. In your situation, you should have KNOWN that you had to call them up if you didn't want to pay two shipping charges. That's just the nature of the beast.

There's a trade-off for the convenience of internet purchases: no personal attention. If you want personal attention, go to the retail store.

Tom

[Max]

The cost of having a human check for the scenario you encountered or adding some specialized module to the automated software is not trivial, especially for a smallish company like Rockler. That cost would be reflected in higher prices for everything they sell. In your situation, you should have KNOWN that you had to call them up if you didn't want to pay two shipping charges. That's just the nature of the beast.

There's a trade-off for the convenience of internet purchases: no personal attention. If you want personal attention, go to the retail store.

Tom

OK.

Max

[John Santos]

In the local store last week (Cambridge, MA), I overheard a couple of employees (one of them might have been the manager) complaining about how slow it had been recently to get new stock and special orders shipped. They were going to be taking inventory the next day and it might have been related (Rockler trying to minimize the stock on hand prior to the inventory), so the bottle-neck might have cleared up by now. Or maybe inventory had nothing to do with it, and their having some other problems. (I hope not; often this kind of problem is an early symptom of a long-term decline.)

[Maxwell Lol]

And don't forget the web site is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I would hate to be the Monday morning person.