Just a quick question for you all. Do you all think that it is fair for a seller to charge over 40 dollars just for handling?

Thanks
Michael

I do not recall any vendor charging for handling.

I would not pay $40.00 for handling.

I paid 58 dollars for shipping of 17 plants.
When I received them I noticed the shipping was only 17.60.
I emailed the seller to ask why there was such a large difference.

This is the reply that I got.

Well shipping is $10 for first plant and $3 for each one after. This covers shipping and handling/processing and I wish it said that on the auction. You have to take in account the orders have to be pulled, unpottedand dumped or dugand then washed and then boxed up so the shipping covers this not the actual shipping.   I have no way of knowing what the shipping will be before I ship as there are rate increase depending on where it goes and it would be impossible to try and figure that up for each person and then charge that. Some orders I actually lose money on with shipping.  Looking at quite a few of the other sellers on the auction they charge the same (and some even more) and you have had orders come from this same area with the same shipping so it should have been no surprise as to the amount charged.     

Does it really cost over 40 for this?

Michael

Wow! That is a LOT. $40 for shipping and handling might be acceptable if you were ordering numerous clumps of daylilies if the shipping is based on weight and size of package. I don't know your location, so if you are outside the USA, then $40 might be correct.

We cross posted.

I have to tell you that often the shipping/handling charge is the deal breaker for me when bidding on the LA for plants. I think some sellers do charge a bit more than I feel is necessary. In all honesty, I have found better deals through online daylily nurseries/gardens and the shipping is much more reasonable. I rarely purchase plants on the LA unless I feel like I am getting a good deal including an appropriate shipping charge.

The purchases that I made on LA had shipping cost of $10.00, and that seemed reasonable for me. I've looked at some where the shipping was $15.00 for a $7.00 fan, and $2.00 for additional fans. The $15.00 seemed unreasonable to me, unless there were other items from the same seller to bid on.

I have had orders with around eight different people on-line for Daylilies. Two have had shipping well beyond the actual shipping price for what I ordered, but both included several bonus plants, one (Maryott's, chose with a eye towards what I purchased), and the other (Blueridge, lots of bonus plants, but most not similar to what I ordered, and I never would have ordered). If you add those bonus plants, then the shipping was reasonable. I new the shipping, and a general idea of what to expect for bonuses from other ATP members before ordering, so I have no complaint. I will not order from Blueridge again, I think, their prices are a little high, and although they are generous with bonuses, when you order 10/11 eye/edged Daylilies, you would think that the bonuses would be eye/edged Daylilies. There was also one plant, that was obviously not what i ordered, perhaps I should email them, but I actually like the fact that it has instant rebloom, although, it is shorter and not a color I care for.

This was suppose to be Bertie from Blueridge, it is obviously not, but had short instant rebloom scapes this year, first year blooming.

I must have been spoiled by my previous online purchases and from some great purchases here on ATP. I have to look for a deal or the price is outta my league. I don't think I have been overly lucky, I think I am just more selective about what I spend my limited budget on. If the shipping costs more than the plants, then that is a deal breaker for me.

I did win 2 different seedling auctions from Rich. And of course, he sends two seedlings of the same cross. The shipping was equal to the plants. I almost didn't go for it, but both crosses had some neat genetics in them, so I really wanted them. They also had no other bidders (much to my surprise!). I have not been disappointed in the blooms of those seedlings as they were unexpectedly beautiful, but the foliage on one of the crosses leaves a lot to be desired. So I will be using the genes of that particular cross with some better foliage daylilies in a future cross.

But my best purchased deals came from some folks here and a little known daylily garden seller who sells her fans for an amazingly low price. On that deal, I REALLY did get LUCKY and got several bonus fans of other cultivars (which was a fluke as she was packing two orders and had the extra fans from the other order she had dug). So I can thank my lucky stars! I have also had another really generous member here send me a couple of daylilies that I am excited about. I owe her big time!

After this year's acquired daylilies, I would probably balked at high shipping and handling charges. You can always find the plants cheaper somewhere else if you look hard enough and another seller might be more reasonable with the shipping too. That has been my case this year. The LA doesn't always have the best deals, IMHO. I typically buy seeds from the LA and keep my maximum bid pretty low. If I don't feel I am getting a deal, I don't bid. And I have gotten seeds here on ATP from Cindy for postage (and I have purchased seeds from her on the LA, too). You can't beat that! I could honestly list 5 members here on the daylily forum who I got a great deal from. Check the classifieds here on ATP. You might be very surprised at the daylily sales going on!

Shipping cost is a tricky subject. As an owner of a small daylily business myself you have to take into consideration many different things. I charge $15 for up to $50 in sales, $25 for $50 to $100 and anything over $100 shipping is free. Usually I lose money on shipping because most generally people either order under 50 or over 100. It also depends on where the plants are going to, what the seller is charged for postage. If it is regional to your area, say for example I am from Michigan so anything in the surrounding states would be less than something going to say Florida, Georgia , or out west. I do think the $3 dollars for each additional purchase is a bit much. when I sell on the auction I charge $9 + $1 for each additional purchase. I would suggest that if buying on the auction limit your purchases and check out small growers and other daylily businesses websites. you will find quality plants and will be purchasing from state licensed and inspected growers.

I guess my main complaint is that it seems a little extreme to me. I completely understand the whole shipping issue. I ship out packages everyday for a living. I knew ahead that it was on the high said. However It would have been nice to get a bonus or a small refund. Instead it seems as though the seller is trying to make extra money from the shipping charges.

Michael

Michael - That is exactly what I am thinking. To be charging that much, someone is pocketing a chunk of change.

When I post on the auction it states you pay $15 shipping no matter how many daylilies you buy form me from beginning date to ending date (several weeks), when I start selling in the fall that $15 is good until I start shipping in March. If you buy one daylily the shipping is the same as the person who buys ten daylilies no matter what it cost me to ship the daylilies. As Wal-Mart and my wife says, the more you buy the more you save.

Fred!

I had the same experience a couple of years ago - most likely from the same person (it sure sounds like). I had $455.00 in auction wins. Then I paid nearly $40.00 in shipping costs and the actual cost was less than $13.00.The auctions I won from him were all single fans, and that's exactly what I got - single fans of each win, no bonus, not even a thank you e-mail or note. By rights, I got what I paid for, so some might say I have no room to complain. But I'm not complaining; just saying that this seller got the last dollar he will ever get from me.

judydu2 said:I had the same experience a couple of years ago - most likely from the same person (it sure sounds like). I had $455.00 in auction wins. Then I paid nearly $40.00 in shipping costs and the actual cost was less than $13.00.The auctions I won from him were all single fans, and that's exactly what I got - single fans of each win, no bonus, not even a thank you e-mail or note. By rights, I got what I paid for, so some might say I have no room to complain. But I'm not complaining; just saying that this seller got the last dollar he will ever get from me.

I would have thought if you spent so much money that shipping would be free or the fans more plentiful. If it was me (i no buy from you again) would be the answer. I am all for people making money off plants because some of the best sellers may be hybridizers or at least growers of the latest and htf cultivars.
But there are those who are only interested in todays sell and not tomorrows sell from a loyal customer. Like plants all business must be grown and you have to earn a loyal customer base. The customer is the life blood of any business. Ignore this and you run the chance of sowing a bitter harvest.
So what he said was "i soaked you once and figured i would do it again". Sorry you had this bad experience. He just lost a valuable customer and maybe someday he will know why.

Exactly, Kevin!

I think what we all should do is read the terms of the sellers auction (shipping is $10 for first plant and $3 for each one after) before bidding, sounds pretty straight forward to me, if we don't like the shipping charges do not bid on the plants. If you buy a collection from a major hybridizer for $2500.00 chances are you will pay the shipping, there are not very many free rides in todays world.

I sell, so I have first-hand knowledge of shipping costs (and all that goes into preparing a daylily for shipping). I did read the auction listing. I agreed to the shipping costs. Yes, I did. The difference between what I paid and the actual costs were only a notation, not a complaint. And bonus plants are just that - bonus plants. Never expected, but always a pleasure to receive. Most sellers of daylilies will not cut off any increase after a fan is purchased; this one did. He said one fan and by gollies, that exactly what I got. My real complaint is this - when I spend nearly $500.00 on daylilies, I would at least like to have a "thank you for your business" gesture, such as an e-mail or hand-written note...something! Heck, I didn't even know these had been mailed until the day they were delivered. Maybe I have been spoiled by the majority of sellers I buy from...

I've found that shipping and bonusses are often negotiable....

I'm not too squeamish (sp??) or too proud to ask politely if shipping is free with an $600 order, and if, IF they plan on sending a bonus, they can choose one that is in line with my order of one from my wishlist
Communication is key!

The only thing that can happen is that they refuse, as is their right


Mayo