Livorsi shipping charges...
 

Anyone bought from them and thought the shipping charges were out of line ??

I bought 8 sending units for two engines from them and the freight was 25 bucks, Im in KS and their in IL, one state in-between us MO.

USPS is 7 to 8 bucks............ keep in mind total weight including packaging was less than 2 lbs. I shipped 20 lbs from Cali to KS and it was 28 bucks using the same company.

Was it shipped UPS ?

S&H charges are a big moneymaker today..

yes, ups...........I agree that their making money on the shipping, initially before I called they had changed my card 35.00 for the shipping. Then I was told that the total charged was to secure the payment on the card and the shipping would be reduced. BS........as if their pricing isn't high enough ??

The companies that still have to ship the old fashioned way (nonautomated) are losing big time as given a choice I'll gravitate towards free shipping. CP Performance charges a ton for shipping even though I'm only an hour away, and that alone makes me look on Amazon first.

Ir costs me more to ship in state or 1 state away than to CA. I.m in the NE.

All depends on what it costs UPS.I guess.

Anyway, reason I asked is UPS had gone sky high past yr or two. What was $8 -$12 is now $15-$20 and my customers have accused me of price gouging for shipping. Has forced me to use USPS, which luckily is fast shipping. 2-3 days.

UPS suks the big hard one. I think they are charging the smaller places much more now to help offset a little from the crazy low deals they've made with the giants like Amazon and the likes.

Imco is no different. Bought a small brass gear lube fitting piece for my transom assembly. Showed up in a thick padded package. Website wanted $25 to ship it but I called them and got a smoking deal of only $17 to ship... Got hosed shipping two bolts from fastenal as well. I keep an eye out for free shipping adds

Amazon prime is nice

It's not terrible.
Shipping supplies cost money.
Insuring the shipment costs money.
Paying the person that packs them costs money.
Paying the person that enters all the shipping information in the computer and insures it gets out the door costs money.

I know a lot of companies charge by the percentage of purchase for small low profit items.

I don't have any problem pissing away money on parts/supplies/toys/etc.....but I am a mega tight-ass when it comes to shipping.

Amazon Prime for the win.

or eBay fast n free

or any other place that offers free shipping....even if the product costs more because of it.

All the overhead you've mentioned is why we pay the high prices of these parts ($110 for a small brass fitting, $1200 for a LED indicator). A company should not be trying to pay their bills with their shipping charges. I understand if they're passing along what the shipping company charges them. UPS and FedEx need more compition like in the LTL world. I can ship a 1200lb motor for less than $150 freight but it just cost me $155 to ship a box with a 74lb lower in it.

I disagree. It costs just as much to list and market a $.30 part as it does a $300 part. Actually, probably more in some cases for the little parts due to the fact they require more measurements and specifics sometimes than the larger "complete" items.
(A 5" monster gauge is a 5" monster gauge. A small stainless elbow has at least 6 or more dimensions that have to measured and detailed for retail.)


If you have someone that walks in and purchases products, should they pay the same as you do with your shipping charges built in? No.
What if someone has their own shipping account, and provides this as a backcharge for shipping (to/by a boat manufacturer for example)?

Latham Marine is even worse. The only ship COD........at least last time I ordered from them. A $24 trim switch cost me about $68 shipped.

Yes I get the walk in vs Internet or phone sales and "handling" charges. But it sure seems to me that very recently shipping charges have gone way up. Is this the shipping company or the "handling"?

All the marketing that goes into a $.30 part vs $3000 part is part of using the invaluable marketing and sales tool of the internet. If the company wants someone to be able to place an order with a couple of clicks and be happy when they get the right part then they have to market it correctly. That should have nothing to do with shipping charges.

Bottom line is ridiculous "shipping" charges have been a deal breaker for me more than once and I'm sure that won't change, but what can you do?

All that was mentioned is the cost of doing business and should be loaded in the cost of the parts, not to gouge people on shipping cost,

Smart business owner would mark up the part and provide free shipping. All about perception.
I will price shop shipping if I feel it`s high, I may not bother and pay more for a part if it`s free shipping.

I understand high shipping charges as I've quit doing eBay selling because it's such a pita to pack, price, etc, but when I get charged over $20 for two AN fittings that show up in a bubble envelope I start shopping Summit when I can with free shipping over X amount.

Seems simple, if you don't like the delivered price don't order.

Does this mean I can start charging for "office personnel"?

I have to pay a person to take the call
I have to pay someone to input customer into system
I have to pay someone to schedule the appointment .


It`s overhead and the cost of doing business, when you have a online business shipping is part of running that business and should be reflected in the cost of the parts not marking up shipping.

You cant go to Ebay, Amazon ect to get new Vivorsi sending unit's, if they had the competition of those suppliers it would be a different story, if you want their parts to go with the gauges you have in the boat, you buy from them because the senders are calibrated for their gauges. They have you by the shorties and they know it

It seems that someone in their shipping dept is not using all the tools of the trade available. For us in Cleveland shipping to West Coast is 3-4 days thru USPS and Saturday counts, UPS its 5-6 business days and Saturday does not count. When shipping a fitting, throw it in a USPS flat rate, charge for insurance and you have inexpensive shipping. BUT its possible they have had a ton of theft so shipping UPS signature required, ground service to a residential address with insurance from East to West coast will add up costs. Their credit card merchant services might also be requiring them to ship a certain way to retain their 2-3% rate on phone and internet transactions to provide coverage in case of a charge back or theft.
We deal with it everyday, it's a kick in the nuts when you get a charge back for a customer claim "not delivered" and your shipping guy forgot to check the signature required box. Credit card company takes the $ out of our account and you lose the product.
We have had to tighten up all aspects of selling on line and over the phone, sounds like Livorsi had to do the same, but they are not finding the cheapest solutions for their customers and will lose business because of it.

Shipping/handling is a BIG pia, I have 2000$ worth of junk I sold on Ebay in past week, the only thing that will fit in USPS flat rate boxes is snowmobile belts and they only weight 2lbs so I mailed them by weight, about 8$ cheaper each to send to the buyers. The rest of the stiff does NOT fit in a flat rate box, with my ups discount its CHEAPER and much more convenient to use UPS but it still takes 10 minutes to fill a label, print it, box stuff up. The flat rate USPS boxes used to be a good deal, now they are about double of what they were just a few years ago, small box was like 4$ is now almost 8$ or something? I too have bought from companys that pretty much charge 25$ S/H, the shipping was prob 4$ so the HANDLING is a rip off although the prices look better when you are putting stuff in cart and s/h is not built in!

Bought a $50 (overpriced as it was) steering reservoir cap, shipped was $98

Don't get me started on the "signature required" stuff. I've had some stuff show up the past couple months, that was signature required, and it's SO infuriating for me. My wife and I both work...so nobody is home to sign. I end up having to drive 30 min each way to the UPS hub to pick up that stuff.

Voodoo outlined why companies do it, and i understand, but I wish there was an option to say "I will take responsibility for these packages if they get stolen....leave them on the porch of my house in BFE"

I completely understand the shipping charges on a large part. The part that gets me, and I think the same for the OP, is when something could be dropped in a padded envelope or very small box (and many times are) but still costs $20+ to ship.

I'm glad to read I'm not the only cheap bstrd that's decided they don't need something once they see the shipping charges...

The worst is when they make you sign in with an account before they give you a shipping estimate. Shady bastards. lol.

Please use UPS, my son just started working for them as a delivery driver.

Mine didnt require a signature nor was I told what the shipping would be, believe me I asked, they said they wont know until its boxed and headed out the door, then I see the charge on my debit card, that's when I called them.............350 bucks ( 8 senders ) worth of parts that will fit in a bubble wrap envelope 35 bucks shipping, at the end of the day its not about the money, its the principle, I made it clear to them that I would avoid buying from them again.

I've noticed cpperformance is high also. I order from them frequently however do try and get everything I can think of placed under same order but there's been numerous times when I forget that one little part that you need also so you place another order and then get charged near the same amount for shipping. It eats my azz a tad bit. I have no problem paying fair prices but do not like being taken. Like Icdedppl said I'd rather them increase their price points and have free shipping but then I could see where you get a low price somewhere else and get raped for shipping at the very end of your order.

We've all seen the eBay shipping scams. My comment regarding cpperformance wasn't meant to be nasty but rather just stating a fact. You'd think OSO paying members would get some kind of discount or free shipping from advertising companies. We are a huge community here. Wazzup

Signature required really sucks ass, the worst by FAR shipper i ever dealt with and by far most inconvient is fed ex, i 100% REFUSE to dhip things out with them as its a big run around (i live in middle of no where) and anything fed ex means driving 20 miles each way to drop it off. My son runs my business from 8am till 11 everyday till i get there, 2/3rds of our fedex shows
Up signature required at 7:12 am before anyones at shop, sometimes several days in a row plus i have a old farmhouse at shop no one is currently living in and they will go to front porch door that involves them walking thru 50 feet of snow or mud as they pass 2 buildings with entry doors and leave a tag on a door that hasnt been used in 6 months. A kid driver showed up one day, drove up my driveway at 25 mph, drove 200 feet by both of us STANDING in shop door and drove past my two daschunds IN driveway way up near house with electronic containment collars on inches from them while i waved my arms and yelled (he had a walkman/stereo head phones on). Thing is he had 2 race car tires, geez, do i want them in shop or do i want them in the house!

There is an option, you can fill out a release on line with the tracking # on the shippers website or fill out the paper notice the driver leaves and the driver will re-deliver the next day. You know without a signature you can file a claim saying it wasn't delivered and your credit card company will give you back all your money and the seller is out.

I completely agree, taking advantage of the customer. My shop is set-up so if a customer calls an order in they get a complete cost and options for shipping, our website the same way. I call a business out that cannot give a real time cost for shipping on your order, thats bad business.

I agree on the free shipping thing, everyone understands it's not free, but in the price of the product. Love Amazon, there are very few things I have not been able to find. Have to look close though, a lot of times the first thing that shows up may not be the best deal. It's just the best deal for Amazon (closest to you).

I will place orders 1 day apart for one item each just to make sure I get the full benefit of my prime account, even though I think it is a great deal with all the extra benefits.

I have dealt personally with Amazon headquarters and they stocked my products. We have a M.A.P. ( minimum advertised price) policy. Once they stocked our products I fought with them on policy compliance on a daily basis. They have computer metrics that will auto adjust pricing at certain times of the day. The programs would discount our products sometimes over 40%. Since Amazon used their buying power to stock their shelves they were purchasing at a distributor tier and discounting the retail price in great amounts. Many instances they were selling below what my dealers were buying for. This destroys distribution/support thru a dealer network. And it also strained our relationship with our worlwide distributors who have a total of over 6,000 dealers. I cut Amazon corporate loose after much debate and soul searching. The products that I have worked so hard to develop were being degraded and the name that took so long to build. It was hard turning away from Amazon purchase orders. Now we run an Amazon store that supports our dealers with the appropriate advertised pricing. Now dealers can sell at M.A.P. and are able to sell our products confidently. Amazon is about lining their pockets, they do not have any problem doing what they do to any business.
As a consumer, purchasing on line is mostly driven by price. I dont blame anyone for searching out the best deal. This is a manufucturer/distributor/retail issue that is going to make companies like Amazon, Ali Baba and Wal Mart the kings of internet commerce smothering anyone else, even the product manufacturers.

Interesting. Yes amazon is a business and there goal is to make lots of money. I know there are products sold through amazon that are not discounted, the same price you find for that product anywhere else. Any Sonos product off the top of my head. How do you think they get amazon to comply with a M A P?

what was the cost of the order, adding insurance to cover over $100 drives cost up as does where you live, certain area's in residential get a surcharge as well, I am a UPS shipper and the rates keep rising, I agree that it's out of control, and with online shipping now they are not hurting for business

If your asking me ? see post #28..........The cost of the order should not reflect shipping cost, its weight and size I did not ask for additional insurance nor did they provide any.

Big companies have deep pockets and a dedicated legal team. GoPro has been able to hold them at bay also. Amazon uses their buying power as leverage, then corners the market on items by discounting to the point no other company can compete. The product gets devalued, brand recognition is tarnished and sooner than later the product is no longer profitable.

I've done it before that way, but that isn't always an option. This specific shipper required a person to be present, and there was a note on the UPS site saying that the shipper had elected to not allow it do be done any other way. Really frustrating.

That seller most likely was tired of getting ripped off and set a policy. It's frustrating for the honest people.