Go Dive - rip off shipping charges?

Am I the only one who gets a bit peeved with online retailers who charge
extortionate amounts for delivery in order to make the prices on their
products look cheap? Take Go Dive, for example - visited their website and
noticed that they're knocking out Apeks DS4 first stages for £69 so I
decided to take the plunge. Added one to their shopping cart and noticed
that it automatically stuck a £10 delivery charge onto the order. Ok, I
thought, I'm ordering two anyway so I can live with that but when I added a
second DS4, guess what? Yep - the shipping charge suddenly jumps up to £18!
£18 to deliver two first stages?!!!!!! Yeah, right - pull the other
one!!!!!!

As a result, I shall be taking my business elsewhere. Why they simply
couldn't be honest with their prices is beyond me - do they think the
average consumer is stupid?!

"Bardo" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:c0dk84$1628k4$1@ID-115313.news.uni-berlin.de...
>>
> As a result, I shall be taking my business elsewhere. Why they simply
> couldn't be honest with their prices is beyond me - do they think the
> average consumer is stupid?!
>
>

Yes, they do think we are stupid, and they are too often right.

"Bardo" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:c0dk84$1628k4$1@ID-115313.news.uni-berlin.de...
> Am I the only one who gets a bit peeved with online retailers who charge
> extortionate amounts for delivery in order to make the prices on their
> products look cheap? Take Go Dive, for example - visited their website and
> noticed that they're knocking out Apeks DS4 first stages for £69 so I
> decided to take the plunge. Added one to their shopping cart and noticed
> that it automatically stuck a £10 delivery charge onto the order. Ok, I
> thought, I'm ordering two anyway so I can live with that but when I added
a
> second DS4, guess what? Yep - the shipping charge suddenly jumps up to
£18!
> £18 to deliver two first stages?!!!!!! Yeah, right - pull the other
> one!!!!!!

So that's 26% off retail rather than 34%. And that's assuming they pay £0
for postage.

View from a retailer.
--
Regards

Kevin
www.fishinthecity.co.uk

Bardo wrote:
> Am I the only one who gets a bit peeved with online retailers who charge
> extortionate amounts for delivery in order to make the prices on their
> products look cheap? Take Go Dive, for example - visited their website and
> noticed that they're knocking out Apeks DS4 first stages for £69 so I
> decided to take the plunge. Added one to their shopping cart and noticed
> that it automatically stuck a £10 delivery charge onto the order. Ok, I
> thought, I'm ordering two anyway so I can live with that but when I added a
> second DS4, guess what? Yep - the shipping charge suddenly jumps up to £18!
> £18 to deliver two first stages?!!!!!! Yeah, right - pull the other
> one!!!!!!
>
But where else can you pay those sort of prices? They are the cheapest
company
that I have found for most stuff. I have used them for quite a lot of
equipment
purchases and they are always quick and helpful.

Just my 2p

Rod Bateman

"FISHinthecity" <shop@spamless.fishinthecity.co.uk> wrote in message
news:c0dpe6$qd$1@titan.btinternet.com...
>
> "Bardo" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
> news:c0dk84$1628k4$1@ID-115313.news.uni-berlin.de...
> > Am I the only one who gets a bit peeved with online retailers who charge
> > extortionate amounts for delivery in order to make the prices on their
> > products look cheap? Take Go Dive, for example - visited their website
and
> > noticed that they're knocking out Apeks DS4 first stages for £69 so I
> > decided to take the plunge. Added one to their shopping cart and noticed
> > that it automatically stuck a £10 delivery charge onto the order. Ok, I
> > thought, I'm ordering two anyway so I can live with that but when I
added
> a
> > second DS4, guess what? Yep - the shipping charge suddenly jumps up to
> £18!
> > £18 to deliver two first stages?!!!!!! Yeah, right - pull the other
> > one!!!!!!
>
> So that's 26% off retail rather than 34%. And that's assuming they pay £0
> for postage.
>
> View from a retailer.

I've got nothing against a retailer making a profit - I just take exception
when they hide their profit in things like shipping charges. They should be
honest with customers by selling products at their real price!

I recently bought a pair of latex wrist seals from another well known
online shop. I was charged £6 P&P. When my small jiffy bag arrived I
noticed the 42p stamp on the front. I wrote a letter of complaint to
the retailer as I thought they were taking the piss. Additionally they
sent me the wrong seals and used staples to secure the package. They
did send the correct order in the end but they supplied no explantion
for the high p&p costs.

Needless to say I won't be spendinding any money with them in the
future.

Regards,

Mark.

"Bardo" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message news:<c0dk84$1628k4$1@ID-115313.news.uni-berlin.de>...
> Am I the only one who gets a bit peeved with online retailers who charge
> extortionate amounts for delivery in order to make the prices on their
> products look cheap? Take Go Dive, for example - visited their website and
> noticed that they're knocking out Apeks DS4 first stages for £69 so I
> decided to take the plunge. Added one to their shopping cart and noticed
> that it automatically stuck a £10 delivery charge onto the order. Ok, I
> thought, I'm ordering two anyway so I can live with that but when I added a
> second DS4, guess what? Yep - the shipping charge suddenly jumps up to £18!
> £18 to deliver two first stages?!!!!!! Yeah, right - pull the other
> one!!!!!!
>
> As a result, I shall be taking my business elsewhere. Why they simply
> couldn't be honest with their prices is beyond me - do they think the
> average consumer is stupid?!

Rod Bateman <rod@1stchoicedivers.com> wrote in message news:<402A6C14.6050808@1stchoicedivers.com>...
> Bardo wrote:
> > Am I the only one who gets a bit peeved with online retailers who charge
> > extortionate amounts for delivery in order to make the prices on their
> > products look cheap? Take Go Dive, for example - visited their website and
> > noticed that they're knocking out Apeks DS4 first stages for £69 so I
> > decided to take the plunge. Added one to their shopping cart and noticed
> > that it automatically stuck a £10 delivery charge onto the order. Ok, I
> > thought, I'm ordering two anyway so I can live with that but when I added a
> > second DS4, guess what? Yep - the shipping charge suddenly jumps up to £18!
> > £18 to deliver two first stages?!!!!!! Yeah, right - pull the other
> > one!!!!!!
> >
> But where else can you pay those sort of prices? They are the cheapest
> company
> that I have found for most stuff. I have used them for quite a lot of
> equipment
> purchases and they are always quick and helpful.
>
> Just my 2p
>
> Rod Bateman

My buddy got her regs rom Malta. They where far cheaper than any UK
source AND postage was free.

Nick

nickjb wrote:
> Rod Bateman <rod@1stchoicedivers.com> wrote in message news:<402A6C14.6050808@1stchoicedivers.com>...
>
>>Bardo wrote:
>>
>>>Am I the only one who gets a bit peeved with online retailers who charge
>>>extortionate amounts for delivery in order to make the prices on their
>>>products look cheap? Take Go Dive, for example - visited their website and
>>>noticed that they're knocking out Apeks DS4 first stages for £69 so I
>>>decided to take the plunge. Added one to their shopping cart and noticed
>>>that it automatically stuck a £10 delivery charge onto the order. Ok, I
>>>thought, I'm ordering two anyway so I can live with that but when I added a
>>>second DS4, guess what? Yep - the shipping charge suddenly jumps up to £18!
>>>£18 to deliver two first stages?!!!!!! Yeah, right - pull the other
>>>one!!!!!!
>>>
>>
>>But where else can you pay those sort of prices? They are the cheapest
>>company
>>that I have found for most stuff. I have used them for quite a lot of
>>equipment
>>purchases and they are always quick and helpful.
>>
>>Just my 2p
>>
>>Rod Bateman
>
>
> My buddy got her regs rom Malta. They where far cheaper than any UK
> source AND postage was free.
>
> Nick

Postage might have been included (by increasing their price before
postage, cutting their margin or whatever) but it wasn't free. My
experience of go-dive has been that their instore prices are actually
higher than their mail order ones so by the time postage is considered
these prices are similar. I've been very pleased with the quotes I've
got from them and without having to haggle.

Simon

markemery@btinternet.com wrote:
> I recently bought a pair of latex wrist seals from another well known
> online shop. I was charged £6 P&P. When my small jiffy bag arrived I
> noticed the 42p stamp on the front. I wrote a letter of complaint to
> the retailer as I thought they were taking the piss. Additionally they
> sent me the wrong seals and used staples to secure the package. They
> did send the correct order in the end but they supplied no explantion
> for the high p&p costs.

I can understand your temprament, and I agree that an online shop,
posting things every sale, should be able to do it cheaper than that.
However...

I used to work for a chain of outdoors shops which did not at that time
have a "online" or "mail order" buissness. If customers wanted something
sending out to them it was no problem, but it was politley explained
that it would be fairly expensive. The postage is a small fraction of
the cost...

You've got a fixed number of staff, generally the minimum you can get
away with. The least-well-paid is probably on about £5/ hour. If s/he
goes off to post your goods it will take them 10 minutes to package the
item, 10 minutes to walk to the post office, 10 minutes to queue, 10
minutes to get back. That's 40min, so about £3.60. In the meantime, the
shop has been understaffed for 40minutes, during which time some little
kids have come in and nicked something, a guy who wanted to spend £200
on a jacket has got bored and wandered off, and the rest of your staff
have got techy because they;re over streched.

Again, this doesn't apply to a dedicated online store... but something
to consider.

Ben

--
Ben Panter, Edinburgh
My name (no spaces)@bigfoot which is a com.

Ben Panter <See@the_end.not> wrote:
>
>
> You've got a fixed number of staff, generally the minimum you can get
> away with. The least-well-paid is probably on about ?5/ hour. If s/he
> goes off to post your goods it will take them 10 minutes to package the
> item, 10 minutes to walk to the post office, 10 minutes to queue, 10
> minutes to get back. That's 40min, so about ?3.60. In the meantime, the
> shop has been understaffed for 40minutes, during which time some little
> kids have come in and nicked something, a guy who wanted to spend ?200
> on a jacket has got bored and wandered off, and the rest of your staff
> have got techy because they;re over streched.
>
> Again, this doesn't apply to a dedicated online store... but something
> to consider.
>

Although online stores don't have the problem of having to take customer
facing staff off the shop floor they do have other expenses such as
technical staff, design staff, hosting costs, merchant costs (credit and
debit card systems and dedicated connections), warehousing, etc.

Its very easy to say "They don't have a shop so they don't have such high
operation costs so they can sell at a much lower price than a LDS" but
that is largely untrue. Internet selling only works really well in mass
markets; smaller markets such as diving goods don't have the turnover
so discounts are lower and costs similar to LDS. At the end of the day
the cost savings are down more to manufacturer discounts than lower
operational costs.

Nick