On Jan 6, 2007, at 7:55 AM, Herbert Graf wrote:

> Why are online retailers CHARGING shipping and handling
>  separately? Why do MANY of them royally rip people off?

Just for the record, I have no objections to shipping and handling
charges, even "unreasonable" ones, as long as they are adequately
documented "up front."  And in fact most online sellers, even on
eBay, are getting pretty good at that.  (Mouser was one of the worst,
IIRC; not telling me how much shipping and handling was going to be
even AFTER the order was fully submitted.  But their charges were
reasonable so all was ok...

But that's not what we're talking about here, I think.  We're
merely complaining that the minimum realistic shipping charge
(~$4 for "priority mail", $7 UPS, not including shipping supplies
like boxes and tape) is "large" compared to the price of the
actual goods when we're talking about some student's PIC project.
It really shouldn't take "heroic" efforts on the part of suppliers
to allow a hobbyist to assemble a project without "shipping" being
the most expensive component (especially when you have to order
from multiple places to get all the components you need.)  But
apparently it does.

> I search out the online retailers that INCLUDE shipping in the price.
>
Um, so one chip costs $3 and two chips cost $6 ?  A major reason
to NOT include shipping in prices is to allow the customer to benefit
from the economies of scale inherent in shipping charges...

>
> When I want to buy something from a bricks and mortar store
> down the road I ... go to the store, and buy it.
>
Too bad that electronics components don't seem to be profitable
enough to support the overhead of brick and mortar stores while
still offering "reasonable" prices (how many people buy components
at radio shack?)  I guess it would be nice if a "hobby shop" type
place could stock some electronics components, but my observation
is that electronics knowledge in general "hobbyists" is usually
abysmal, and such stores usually justify their higher-than-online
prices by having people who can answer questions...
(and buying at B&M stores does have it's hidden costs.  Gas.  TIME.
Nowdays I can usually order things online and receive them before
I'd get around to actually visiting a store that's "somewhat out
of my way.")

BillW

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