[OP]
Contributor
Is it me or is their shipping cost off the charts? A router table, fence and lift has a shipping cost of $74? That seems insane considering I get two 30 pound bags of dog-food that cost about $98 shipping to my house for FREE!
Is it me or have other's seen this with woodpeckers?
Contributor
Not just Woodpeckers. I was shopping for shellac flakes recently. Found something I wanted to try on shellac.net. Check out the shipping prices for $13 (1/4 lb) of flakes. Needless to say, I didn't complete that transaction.
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Last edited by Brian Tymchak; 01-06-2021 at 10:02 AM.
Brian
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger or more complicated...it takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." - E.F. Schumacher
Moderator
Someone is paying for the shipping cost and insurance as well as the cost to pick and pack the order...even when the shipping is "free". If you check out what it would cost to ship a package or packages yourself of the size and weight for your order, you may find that the $74 is lower cost than what W'Peckers is charging. Shipping rates have increased in the marketplace, too. So again, keep in mind that these businesses that choose to have a shipping/handling charge are doing so and not bundling it into a higher cost for the product and it's more than just the carrier cost.
That said, my method is to compare "actual, out the door" cost, whether or not the shipping is bundled or added on.
Last edited by Jim Becker; 01-06-2021 at 10:08 AM.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Contributor
Originally Posted by Jim Becker
I agree shipping can get expensive(boxes,packing material,shipping rate itself, plus labor to pack item) But I have stopped a purchase with them because of shipping. I wait for the woodshows to buy their stuff usually.(unfortunately they are virtual this year)
Moderator
Yes, you have to make your decision on total cost...if the product plus the required shipping/handling is more than the worth of the product to you, then waiting is a good idea.
As an aside, the only time I've ever bought from Woodpeckers to my memory was at a show for a discount, etc. I'm that way with a lot of places I buy from...must be on sale and have other promotional benefit to me. I bought three flannel shirts this morning from Duluth Trading, my favorite source for them. All were on sale/clearance and because the total reached a reasonable level of just over $50, my shipping was free. If I need "one something" from a vendor that typically doesn't offer free shipping directly, I check Amazon...you can buy almost anything on there, and often the unit price, while higher than direct, is still less from Amazon with Prime or other free shipping than buying the same unit direct and paying shipping. Etc.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Member
There was an advertised 'overstock' 'clearance' deal on some Bessey clamps at WP (which are not in stock for another two weeks....so how is it overstock?). Clicked through, indeed, marked down $40. Ok, let's see. Put them in the cart, total cost $111, then there's the shipping, etc, suddenly it's $136 out the door. Then found the same clamps at Rockler for $90, free shipping, done deal. $46 difference for exactly the same item. Shipped same day...
Contributor
According to Woodpecker's webpage, they simply charge UPS/USPS rates. So they're not "eating" any costs by providing free shipping, and instead they pass it right on to you. I've ordered some things from them in the past (e.g. router lift), and I can only assume I accepted their shipping costs. I don't ever remember getting free shipping from them under some kind of deal.
And there was trouble, taking place...
Contributor
As far as I'm concerned, everything is off the charts with Woodpeckers.
Friend of the Creek
Poor Woodpeckers. I've refrained from commenting on any Woodpecker Thread until now. I own none of their tools, but the last two months seems like a dog pile on Woodpeckers.
Regards,
Tom
Member
I don't think most people understand you ALWAYS pay for shipping. Whether it's free or not, no smart company ever eats the shipping cost. They either have the customer directly pay for it or they mark it into the product price. Marking it into the product price is just the latest thing companies are doing.
The reason you can find products for about the same price on Amazon as in stores, is most manufacturers sell directly on Amazon (Amazon also has incredibly cheap shipping rates for sellers). For Example, a 30lbs bag of IAMS dog food probably costs $3 to manufacture but they want to sell it for $15, so they sell it to Petco for that, and Petco will mark it to $35. IAMS then makes $13/bag. Petco probably needs to charge another $30 to ship it.
On Amazon, they sell it for $15 + the $14 to have Amazon ship it, plus the minor fee of about $5 and suddenly it's for sale on Amazon Prime for $35 with free shippingSame price as in stores, and they still made about $13/bag. But guess who still paid to have it shipped, you
One way or another, buyers always pay shipping costs, free or actual.
If Woodpeckers offered free shipping, that router table, fence and lift combo would be $74 more.
Last edited by Stewart Lang; 01-06-2021 at 12:40 PM.
Contributor
Woodpecker can also be had from other suppliers at the same price with free shipping. They're quality tools that are expensive but only relatively. there's others out there that are much more expensive. I like the anodized aluminum Ive seen enough rusted squares in my life.
[OP]
Contributor
Yup - I agree someone has to cover the cost of shipping, and like ordering from Amazon, sometimes an item is a few dollars more with PRIME but still cheaper than buying elsewhere + shipping. However what I think is going on with Woodpecker is they just don't have a good shipping agreement in place with any of the shipping carriers. They can't compete with Amazon for shipping since Amazon has a huge shipping network in place, however other small companies do have shipping agreements. I guess that is how my 60 pounds of dog food shows up with free shipping, and actually what I pay for the food is the same price i'd pay if I picked it up in the store. So that shipping cost is being spread somewhere.
I was curious and put together a UPS shipping estimate from my house to Woodpecker's address and guessed at the shipping weight/package size and did get a similar $70 shipping cost - just like I don't have a shipping agreement with UPS, I could understand.
I have a few tools from woodpecker and didn't mind the $10 or $15 shipping fee. When I ordered my drill press table and all of it's accessories it was at a woodworking show and they had non left on hand so it was drop-shipped without shipping fees. If we had a woodworking show this year I would have purchased in person and saved the shipping fees. Oh well.
Contributor
It bites to pay $15 shipping for a square, or the rules I bought, since They’re only about 50 miles from me. But on the flip side, it’s not convenient to get to them and I have no reason to be out that way to pick them up 99.9% of the time, so it’s $15 we’ll spent and I begrudgingly pay it. I don’t find anything I’ve ordered to be terribly unreasonable compared to other products ordered and shipped- I do get sticker shocked when looking at shipping rates in general though.
The only product I think I’ve ever saw free shipping advertised for is their 1281 square when it goes on sale.
But, you can find some of their products for sale on Amazon they are seller and you get free shipping. For the same retail price as their website too I believe.
I find most of the products they sell that are not their brand are a bit higher than you can find elsewhere. I have a bit of a soft spot for supporting them since they are quality products made in my backyard. Always nice to see
Member
I always get a kick of how people will spend big money on something but for some reason a shipping charge is a deal breaker.
"Remember back in the day, when things were made by hand, and people took pride in their work?"
- Rick Dale
Contributor
The one thing I don’t love is companies that offer free shipping on a minimum purchase. We all know they are making it up on the cost of the products, but for those times the minimum isn’t hit and I’m paying shipping, it’s not like the products are 5-10% less. Just one of those things.
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