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View Full Version : material shipping charges - arghhhhhhh



Graham Taylor
08-04-2015, 12:06 PM
We don’t use or hold stocks of flexi brass brushed silver/black but I have been asked to do a couple of samples for small plaque engravings 4" x 2".

I decided to ask a wholesaler if they could send me an A4 sheet (or half sheet) and to let me know what the cost would be. Unfortunately they have a minumum shipping charge of £10 even on a half sheet costing £13 and there is nothing that they can do on the shipping but if I wanted to buy anything else it would be the same cost.


We only keep stock of Mylar, acrylic and MDF as these are the materials we regularly use and have recently just replenished our stocks so I decided to look elsewhere but I assume everyone will have this policy which is a bit frustrating. Surely they can send out a small A4 bit as a large letter costing approx 64p 2nd class post as a gesture to try to keep/attract business. We send stuff out with reduced shipping etc. to try to get new business but maybe we are doing things wrong which is why we havent yet mad our 1st million .............


Oh well, how sad, never mind.



Off to make a brew and continue cutting out our Halloween and Christmas stencils

Michael Hunter
08-04-2015, 12:22 PM
If it goes through the sales system, then delivery charges are added automatically.
If you ask for a *sample*, then it - and the postage - is normally free.

Presumably you are dealing with Trotec in Newcastle?
You could try CSI in Bristol - who are now apparently the "sole" distributor of Rowmark for the UK.

Mark Sipes
08-04-2015, 12:24 PM
Is there no trophy shop in your area that might sell you a sheet at retail cost + .....has to be cheaper.


.

Kev Williams
08-04-2015, 12:25 PM
Within 5 miles of me is Regional Supply (virutally all plastics EXCEPT typical engraveables, vinyl signage supplies, screen printing equip. & supplies, aluminum sign blanks etc), Delvies plastics (plex and Rowmark supplier), my New Hermes/Gravograph rep (anything to do with my machines, any and all engraving plastics and metals, tools, etc.), and even a Marco Awards warehouse.

It's all pretty handy! Of the above, Marco is the only one who won't ship in materials without a shipping charge. They have pretty much anything to do with awards in house, but engraving plastics ALWAYS have to be shipped in, and I always pay a minimum of $14 for shipping. But I don't do awards (typically), and IPI has plastics I need that Rowmark doesn't have, so I end up paying shipping, which usually adds 30% to the price. ARGHHH!

Delvies being local is great. For us locals they have far and away the best prices on Rowmark. I pay substantially less for a sheet of Rowmark than all other online suppliers charge BEFORE they tack on shipping. And if I need a special order of something, they don't charge me shipping on that either, AS LONG AS I don't mind waiting until what I want gets included in one of their normal orders. If I need it quicker, then I pay for shipping.

What I'm driving at with all this is, have you checked your area for a local supplier? There may be one or two, and if so they may save you some money!

Buying supplies for my engraving business is one area I've found where the internet is definitely NOT the best option!

Graham Taylor
08-04-2015, 1:13 PM
If it goes through the sales system, then delivery charges are added automatically.
If you ask for a *sample*, then it - and the postage - is normally free.

Presumably you are dealing with Trotec in Newcastle?
You could try CSI in Bristol - who are now apparently the "sole" distributor of Rowmark for the UK.

It was CSI who quoted that (waiting to hear back from Trotec).

The last time I asked for samples they sent 2" x 2" so not big enough and I also thought it a bit cheeky to ask as I was happy to pay a sensible shipping cost - I am not after something for nothing only a fair price.

Surly someone there could have sent it as a "sample" as good will.

i will also see if there are any places local that I could contact.