Shipping charges: still relevant or already outdated?

I’m going through a sheer clothing phase. It’s my new favorite thing to update my wardrobe and make everything more interesting. The MinkPink tunic caught my eye early on, but I really became obsessed with the Cheap Monday top. I mentally went through my closet, discovering dress after dress that would be totally re-imagined when paired with a sheer blouse. Oh the possibilities! It almost became mine yesterday but at the last minute I stopped short.

$12 for shipping?! What?? For one sheer blouse?! I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. The shirt was originally $50, on sale for $35, then discounted to $21, so technically I’m still paying less than full price – and less than the sale price. But STILL. $12 for shipping. That’s just obscene. And this isn’t the first highly desired item I’ve abandoned due to shipping costs.

I had also convinced myself that this Anthropologie top was essential (perhaps a precursor to my sheer phase?), but I couldn’t bring myself to pay $8.95 for shipping. So what am I willing to pay?

Mmmhmm. Victoria’s Secret and Shopbop have my online business. I might even pay up to $6, but no more than that. If SSense had free shipping for purchases of $50 or more, I’d rather spend another $30 than pay for $12 shipping. Is this crazy? I hate feeling like I could buy another item for the price I’m paying for shipping. Even if nothing else could be found for $12 it just feels like too much… On the other hand, I’m still obsessing over this top – and all the outfit transformations it would create! I’ve been watching it online for a couple of months and haven’t found anything like it (at the same or better price) in stores (or on other websites). This is quite an unsatisfactory shopping situation, no? What would you do? Do you mind paying for shipping?

Comments

11 responses to “Shipping charges: still relevant or already outdated?”

  1. ashemischief Avatar
    ashemischief

    Frankly, I’d rather have a business up the cost of fashion a few bucks and offer me free shipping than charge me for it. Not to mention, most businesses, esp. online ones who do high volume shipping get a DISCOUNT on shipping costs. So why should I pay some insane mark-up– so you can make extra profit? Eff you, retailers, that’s my response…

    1. adelle387 Avatar
      adelle387

      You’re right, I’m sure these retailers get volume discounts on shipping costs! Sales and promotions are great, but I wonder how much more product they’d move if, for example, they hadn’t done a second markdown and just had more reasonable shipping prices. I would rather have free/cheap shipping than a $14 discount.

  2. Moda Epidemic Avatar

    I agree with you completely. I hate paying for shipping more than $6. When I see a shipping charge more than $10 I always hesitate to make a purchase and I usually pass on it. E-tailers should take a note of that. Both Top Shop and Victoria’s Secret charge $10 and therefore I don’t shop on their sites anymore. I think Gilt Group does the same. What a shame. I do love Free Shipping though. I always makes me want to shop more then.

    1. adelle387 Avatar
      adelle387

      I usually don’t order from Victoria’s Secret, but I did when they had that free shipping promotion! I wanted some stuff that was only available online so I’m glad I found a way to avoid shipping.

  3. Elizabeth Avatar
    Elizabeth

    It’s a complicated problem. One reason we’ve gotten to where we are with the climate is because fuel is too cheap: somebody will ultimately have to pay to clean up the mess, but that price isn’t reflected in the gasoline. One way to make people stop and think about the energy they’re using is to make them pay for it.

    But, from the consumer’s perspective, if another retailer will sell you the same product for a cheaper price (via free shipping or otherwise), then you’d be a fool not to go with that other retailer.

    As far as me personally, I’d obviously rather not pay the shipping if I can avoid it, but I don’t think I’d be any less likely to buy a $21 blouse + $12 shipping than just a $33 blouse with free shipping.

    (But we all have our individual quirks. I would never pay a cent for a phone app or for a ringtone, out of principle. And I only grudgingly pay for unlimited texts on my cell phone plan, since there is absolutely no marginal cost to texting.)

    1. adelle387 Avatar
      adelle387

      Elizabeth you make some good points. We all want convenience – and at a low cost, but that’s definitely at odds with being green. It would be one thing if this website claimed to charge more for shipping because they were contributing to carbon offsets (for example)… but they don’t.

  4. goldenmeans Avatar

    Shipping charges are my bane. It just irritates me to pay extra for something so intangible; I’ll avoid them if at all possible. I sniff out or wait for free shipping codes, order above free shipping minimums (even if I just plan to return the rest later), or go to physical stores and order off of their in-store CS phones (Anthro and J.Crew automatically give free shipping for anything not available in store), whatever is required! And yes, unavoidable shipping charges have kept me from purchasing before. I probably only pay (minimal) shipping charges for one out of every 20 orders or so I make online.

  5. Kimberlee Avatar

    Great post! VS always has great deals on shipping charges. Sephora is another store if spend $50 (which I can easily do) it’s free shipping. Zappos also free shipping and returns! I definitely spend my money on sites with deals on shipping. Some of the prices are ridiculous!

  6. grechen Avatar

    love that you brought this up!! i recently added $68 to my $59 order at anthropologie JUST so i wouldn’t have to pay for shipping. yes…that’s a little excessive, but i really hate to pay for shipping – i just seems like you’re paying for nothing, really. shipping does cost retailers money, but not as much as lost customers because they charge $12 for shipping IMO….

  7. flyingfabu Avatar
    flyingfabu

    I despise high shipping costs. It has kept me from buying items I wanted. Especially when you think you’re getting an item at a good price, like you were hoping to, and then have the unpleasant surprise of having a high shipping cost. Super Lame! I just bought some snowboard bindings online and even though they cost more than other places I’d seen them , they were tax-free with no shipping cost. I paid exactly what the price advertised, which makes me happy!

    1. adelle387 Avatar
      adelle387

      yeah, i think that’s the crux of the issue – that nobody likes to be surprised by high shipping costs.

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