PolyPerformance and stupid high shipping

[flick2614]

I’m all for supporting the little guy in the Jeep world and it takes a lot to get my lazy ass to write a review but this one needs to be called out:

I bought a Fox Steering Stabilizer Clamp from PolyPerformance, checked out and noticed that the shipping charge was $18 (San Luis Obispo to Phx). Seen mistakes like this before so no biggie, just email and get the difference between the error and real cost refunded. I got a response back saying that $18 is the actual shipping price due to “wages and fuel cost.” I work for an auto parts company so I had a shipping manager give me the same quote for the same dimensions (UPS, 1lb, express envelope) from roughly the same area in CA to Phx, $3.

Take it as you will, I’m not supporting them anymore.

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[ScotM]

Actual ship costs, yes, but I think you are ignoring the pick, pack and shipping materials costs.

 

[huntb]

CA should have it's own currency at this point

 

[flick2614]

Actual ship costs, yes, but I think you are ignoring the pick, pack and shipping materials costs.

They picked it off the shelf and threw it in a UPS envelope. I’ll take a job there if that pays $18.

 

[ScotM]

They picked it off the shelf and threw it in a UPS envelope. I’ll take a job there if that pays $18.

It does. Warehouse employees- with the exception of Amazon are paid quite well in California. My experience was that the warehouse was tracked as a separate cost center and as a part of the business was expected to pay for itself, or in some cases actually be a profit center. So when all the labor, materials, and overhead was taken into account the shipping charges needed to match those expenses. Obviously, economies of scale for larger corporations help them keep costs lower, and third party fulfillment centers can provide more cost effective shipping, but the little guys are forced to either raise the price of the product, or charge higher shipping charges. That’s why the big guys will always do it for less. I think only the custom niche small guys will be able to survive, when you can get the same off the shelf product from a larger corporation for a lot less. But, you probably knew all that, so I’ll get off my soapbox and go back to bring a grumpy old retired Operations guy.

 

[jadmt]

I just checked their site and it shows shipping as soon as I put my zip code in and makes you select an option. shipping seems high but it was not like it was a hidden charge. did your shipping rate not show prior to placing your order?

 

[MauiSteve]

I see this all the time from many vendors all over the place, sometimes shipping is more than the item. I'll sometimes give in if it's something I must have but many times I just move on.

 

[Ratbert]

Is there a possibility the item isn't made in the US and that's how they're tacking on the cost of tariffs?

 

[flick2614]

Is there a possibility the item isn't made in the US and that's how they're tacking on the cost of tariffs?

It was a Fox product so the tariff would’ve been paid by Fox. Possibility that the insane price is an offset for some other tariff or cost though.

 

[zouch]

delivered cost includes shipping/packing/handling costs (whatever they might be) and are part of your total cost.

if you didn't notice that when you were checking it out and paying for it, that's on you for accepting it.

I’m all for supporting the little guy in the Jeep world and it takes a lot to get my lazy ass to write a review but this one needs to be called out:

I bought a Fox Steering Stabilizer Clamp from PolyPerformance, checked out and noticed that the shipping charge was $18 (San Luis Obispo to Phx). Seen mistakes like this before so no biggie, just email and get the difference between the error and real cost refunded. I got a response back saying that $18 is the actual shipping price due to “wages and fuel cost.” I work for an auto parts company so I had a shipping manager give me the same quote for the same dimensions (UPS, 1lb, express envelope) from roughly the same area in CA to Phx, $3.

Take it as you will, I’m not supporting them anymore.

 

[TrailMax]

It was a Fox product so the tariff would’ve been paid by Fox. Possibility that the insane price is an offset for some other tariff or cost though.

With the caveat that I don't have any knowledge of what the cause was (and I would think the additional cost would be reflected in the price of the product and not shipping, but there are a lot of logistics in shipping that I don't even know that I don't about), it is possible that Fox passed the cost of the tariff to Poly (and any other intermediate distributers) until the extra cost was eventually passed down to you.

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