Buying Tools

[CompressorPros.com]

Ok...here's another question...

If you buy any tools or equipment online, if the end price was exactly the same, would you rather get free shipping or a lower price with a fixed shipping cost?

 

[lotsoftools]

If the price is the same, I don't care either way. I would probably go with the company I trusted more, or the one that will ship the fastest.

 

[franzdom]

People love free shipping.

 

[John in OH]

If the price is the same, I don't care either way. I would probably go with the company I trusted more, or the one that will ship the fastest.

+1 Or, if price + shipping is "close", go with the company that I feel more loyalty to .... such as HJE.

 

[sberry]

There is a lot to be saved doing it on line. Its worth shopping around. Its hard to beat Tooltopia and the like for some brand name specialty stuff. It gets way more competitive with knockoffs when the vendor is willing to sell it cheaper.

 

[Hiball]

Most of today's consumers are Sheep, they love Free shipping and Coupon codes, so go ahead factor shipping into the price then add 10% to that, then make available a 17 digit coupon code for 5% off, and I would say you are about set.

 

[404]

Ok...here's another question...

If you buy any tools or equipment online, if the end price was exactly the same, would you rather get free shipping or a lower price with a fixed shipping cost?

Lower price. On a combined purchase I will save more.

Free shipping means the shipping cost is built into each item individually, if I buy 2 items and they ship together I have paid more.

Offer inexpensive post office shipping for small item like jig saw blades for example. I dont want to pay 11 dollars UPS for a blade.
Cripe Distributing is good on this when I call them on the phone. Also there is a 10 percent discount for calling the order in (just did this last week)

Vendor will sell more items because I will look for extra stuff to buy to maximize my saving on the combined shipping. Be sure to have a working shipping calculator (RockAuto has a good system) So I can play with different scenarios on what I am going to order together.

Regards,
404

 

[Davefr]

I don't care but I hate companies that sell small/lightweight items and then charge something like $15 for uncompetitive/slow UPS!!

For small items I want the option of USPS. Much faster and cheaper then UPS.

I've cancelled many orders right at checkout time when I see expensive UPS rates as the only shipping option.

 

[Dust Devil]

Hate coupons and coupon codes. Lame time waster.

I love free shipping. I really like a cheap upgrade to overnite. Example: I ordered a ton of backpacking gear from moosejaw.com yesterday. I shopped them because their prices are in line with just about anyone on-line, they have everything I want and free shipping. For $30 (small price to pay IMO) I upgraded to Overnite shipping. Thats $30 for a HUGE box of gear. As a busy person that procrastinates I find tremendous value here.

Tools are the same way. when you need them you need them. If there was a way for you to offer overnite shipping for reasonable rates you would add value to doing business with your webpage or business.

 

[plinker]

I prefer free shipping, mainly as I see the total dollar amount right away so it's easier to budget. That said fairly priced shipping rates are fine. The exception to that would be a single socket that cost 10-15$ to ship.

 

[BirdMobile]

Free shipping is nice... but...
I can't stand companies *cough Amazon cough* that sit on your order for 5 days before they get around to shipping it. I'd rather pay shipping costs.

 

[Dust Devil]

Oh companies that don't ship same day can forget about it.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

Put the deals on the scale and see how they balance... I look at other items the seller has to offer for savings on combined shipping... Buying from a trusted seller also weighs into my outcome.

 

[jjjrmx5]

I don't care but I hate companies that sell small/lightweight items and then charge something like $15 for uncompetitive/slow UPS!!

For small items I want the option of USPS. Much faster and cheaper then UPS.

I've cancelled many orders right at checkout time when I see expensive UPS rates as the only shipping option.

C'mon Davefr.

UPS (aka brown) is trying to recoup those Millions upon Millions of dollars they have paid to Scuderia Ferrari F1 for the HUGE spnsorship on the car and team, so they need income somehow. LOLOLOLOLOLOLZZZZZZZZZZ.

UPS used to be the middle ground between USPC and Fed-Ex.
Now they are like a ship whith no rudder.

Only companies that deal in MEGA bulk shipping can really give you "free" shipping.

In the end, none of it is free. But we all knew that. Or I at least "I" know that.
Carrier does make a difference tho. BTDT.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

With a username like CompressorPros.com i'm guessing you're talking about large items like compressors so I'll respond with that in mind.

Personally I dont care either way about free shipping, unlike some of the uneducated shoppers, I know what I want and I have no problem calculating costs..so to me its all about the end price. Cheaper up front "Price" and honest shipping rates are fine by me. OR "Free" shipping is fine too.

What I really dislike is "Call for quotes" and/or "Shipping Estimate Calculators". Once I see that, I move onto another store. When I budget & Shop I want to have an Ironclad price in front of me...not a possible range of 49.99-399.99 for shipping. As with my previous statement, its hard for me to shop around for the best deal when I dont even know what shipping will be.

Just in my experience, it seems like when shopping for Freight shipped items, the "Free shipping" in lower 48 ends up being the cheapest/best deal.

 

[BirdMobile]

Yep. That.
If I don't see a price and shipping cost listed next to the item when browsing, I move on immediately to another website. If you aren't serious enough about selling it to put a price tag on it, I'm not going to be serious enough about it to go through hoops to find one.

Worst of all are the websites that want you to fill in a form with personal information before giving you a price. If I see that, I boycott the place forever.

 

[motocross77]

I always like to see the "free shipping" sign when buying tools online. It drawls my attention more.

 

[Davefr]

If I don't see a price and shipping cost listed next to the item when browsing, I move on immediately to another website. If you aren't serious enough about selling it to put a price tag on it, I'm not going to be serious enough about it to go through hoops to find one.

Worst of all are the websites that want you to fill in a form with personal information before giving you a price. If I see that, I boycott the place forever.

^^^I agree 100%.

I hate companies that don't tell you shipping cost until you get to the very end of the checkout process.

 

[nieuport17]

I don't have a preference. But I would like to know the shipping cost before I order. I do shop around. Esp online.

 

[jd_1138]

It's probably a better deal for the consumer and the seller if the actual (exact) s/h price is separated out. Adding it to the price and then offering "free" shipping might mean the buyer ends up paying more, or it could mean the seller gets soaked on s/h when someone from the other side of the country buys an item. I guess the flipside is that the seller can pad some profit in there more easily I guess.

Then lower the s/h price on combined s/h of course.

 

[wkderf]

i personally can't stand USPS, but most companies who offer free shipping use them, as its most often the cheapest. Ive had more USPS horror stories than I care to mention.

My motto is: If its more important than a Post-Card, DONT use the Post office.

I often pay for shipping even if their standard shipping is free, just to ensure they dont send my packages USPS.

 

[bobbycos]

I always like to see the "free shipping" sign when buying tools online. It drawls my attention more.

this

 

[FMC1959]

I don't mind the shipping calculators if they are in the cart. When you need to sign up and go through all the steps to know the shipping, that bugs me.

Bottom line....is bottom line, coupon codes, free shipping, whatever other promos you can think of, what counts is what gets charged on my card.

**** I leave some wiggle room to pay a bit more for good vendors with good service. If someone like Harry Epstein is a couple of bucks more, I prefer to support their place, or any similar vendor.

 

[404]

^^^I agree 100%.

I hate companies that don't tell you shipping cost until you get to the very end of the checkout process.

This. Funny thing is some of these companies have fair shipping prices. Why don't they tell us that up front?

Regards,
404

 

[logixjock]

Yep. That.
If I don't see a price and shipping cost listed next to the item when browsing, I move on immediately to another website. If you aren't serious enough about selling it to put a price tag on it, I'm not going to be serious enough about it to go through hoops to find one.

Worst of all are the websites that want you to fill in a form with personal information before giving you a price. If I see that, I boycott the place forever.

Amen brother!! Amazon prime has ruined me for that ****. You don't need anything more than a zip code and weather it's residential or commercial to quote me a shipping price.

 

[JKady]

I like free shipping, but if the money comes out the same either way it doesn't really matter. I will say I more often order things from Summit Racing lets say, instead of other vendors due to the free shipping over 99 bucks, the extra 10 bucks is easily spent on little nick nack stuff from them.

 

[wild cowboy]

Paypal acceptance is huge with me.

and free shipping after some dollar amount is good, like "free shipping on orders over $25" etc.

 

[Boiler]

on ebay my sales are about 3x higher if free ship vs calculated with lower base price. dumb

 

[kctyphoon]

Honestly what's the difference and why is this even a 2 page thread? I think the only question you should ask who pays the shipping on returns if u have an issue.