I feel so defeated

someguy said:
I noticed that also and was thinking the same thing. One thing that drives me nuts about buying online is when you go to check out you have to input all your info to get a shipping cost. Not all sites are like that , but there plenty that are. I hate going through all the trouble of finding what I want and putting in my personal info just to find out the shipping is outrageous. I then leave that site pissed off and didn't order anything I wanted. 
 
To all vendors who sites don't let you calculate shipping before I type in all my info PLEASE CHANGE IT. Thank you.
Just a quick note about this, and related to my previous comment.....

When I first launched my website I had calculated shipping. You had a preview of costs before checkout, just like you are demanding.

Mind you this was actual USPS shipping. I made $0.00000 profit on shipping. I lost $ because packing materials are not free, but I accept that as the "cost of doing business".

And my conversion rate sucked. Moreover, I'd receive angry emails accusing me of "ripping them off" on shipping - because glass and liquid aren't cheap to ship since they're bulky & heavy.

So now I use flat shipping rates and I discount the shipping prices. If a single bottle costs $6 to ship, my customer pays $4.95 because that's what I have it set to. 7-packs cost me $16 to ship and the customer pays $10.

I haven't had a complaint since. And I don't expect to go back to calculated shipping any time soon.

Two sides to every coin my friend.


On another note, this topic is all over the place. Pex latest meltdown turned into a total free-for-all.
:rofl:
 
Calculated not the issue, knowing before you enter all your details the issue.

And calculated doesn't necessarily mean the exact rate the company is being changed. You can have a flat rate for US, and a flat rate for every country, etc. Not many places use one flat rate for everywhere. Enter your zip and you get the rate.

Point being though, we like to see what we're paying before all the steps of checking out. :)

I hate when it asks for CC info etc and hasn't even told you the shipping rate. I've left many websites.
 
Yeah - unfortunately I'm a bit limited by what my website will allow me to do. If I recall correctly my site shows you shipping prior to entering all the stuff, but PayPal users are directed to the PayPal interface for payment. I'll have to fake an order to check.

I also like knowing my shipping before I enter data when I buy stuff online. But if I get to the end and the price is reasonable I'm ok with that too.

And if it's not I close the window and don't purchase, then shop elsewhere.

I don't get quite as emotional as some apparently do about it. Maybe it just takes more than that to piss me off. Life's too short. ;)
 
Emotional lol... don't insult your customers. ;)

Happens more with non-hot sauce websites when you are comparison shopping on a few websites. How much is this TV with shipping? Let me look. Gottdammit I have to enter all my info just to see the price at this website? You get the idea. When comparison shopping you want to know fast. If it's only on one website, it's not as big of a deal but still annoying.
 
images-6.jpeg
 
The Hot Pepper said:
Emotional lol... don't insult your customers. ;)
Im not insulting anyone. Someone here said they "get pissed off"

Anger is an emotion. I don't get that emotional.

Nothing about shipping for a product elicits that reaction in me. I make a decision to purchase or not, and form an opinion about a company for
The better or worse.

I was speaking purely for myself. I'm a consumer also.
grantmichaels said:
We're lazy (for not capitalizing words in the address) AND emotional now =)
Ok, the not capitalizing thing still bugs me a little.
:rofl:

.
 
grantmichaels said:
Sounds like a challenge.

I posit that I could infuriate you in one sentence - brb, let me whip up a run-on sentence lacking commas ...

LOL.
Context is everything - I was talking about shopping.

Grammar is a whole other animal. I definitely would get angry about that. Lmfao!
 
Lucky Dog Hot Sauce said:
Just a quick note about this, and related to my previous comment.....

When I first launched my website I had calculated shipping. You had a preview of costs before checkout, just like you are demanding.

Mind you this was actual USPS shipping. I made $0.00000 profit on shipping. I lost $ because packing materials are not free, but I accept that as the "cost of doing business".

And my conversion rate sucked. Moreover, I'd receive angry emails accusing me of "ripping them off" on shipping - because glass and liquid aren't cheap to ship since they're bulky & heavy.

So now I use flat shipping rates and I discount the shipping prices. If a single bottle costs $6 to ship, my customer pays $4.95 because that's what I have it set to. 7-packs cost me $16 to ship and the customer pays $10.

I haven't had a complaint since. And I don't expect to go back to calculated shipping any time soon.

Two sides to every coin my friend.


On another note, this topic is all over the place. Pex latest meltdown turned into a total free-for-all.
:rofl:
I didn't demand anything. I used the word "Please" .
 
and then there are us semi-website-inept who are trying to do their own thing, .....
not willing to pay the website host people to figger it all out.....
 
 
 
Are we derailed yet?????

PEX~  I'm hoping this discussion will inspire you to persevere, and get your sheit out there.  Whether it's the honey as previously mentioned (which is a VERY good commodity) or hot sauce,  keep at it.
 
With the retail side of the fence, go to some medium to small chain supermarkets.  Talk to the manager, and ask if they have a "Local Product" display, or if they allow products made locally in the store.
 
Chances are, chains are controlled by a corporate headquarters, which they may give you the contact of a buyer for condiments/commercial foods.  Give this guy (or gal) a call and introduce yourself.
 
Another thing, is they may simply NOT deal with local products but pull items from a distributor's catalog.  Find out the name of the distributor (have the buyer give you a contact as a reference, so you can use their name when talking to the distributor account manager).  Be nice, know your product and be prepared to send them a choice of products you think that 'average joe/jane' would buy.
 
It's doubtful you'll move something with brainstrains in a Supermarket.  Your window of demographic is very small for that.  In fact, you may get backlash from people buying it thinking it's Tobasco and suddenly filing a complaint that the product ruined their meal/kid's life/vacation.  But send the product anyway.  Give them 2 samples of each bottle, plus a thoughtful writeup of each product and why you make it.  Give a description of your company, what sets you ahead of the pack and your company vision and what PexPeppers brings to the table.  Follow up with a call, if you say you will, and don't forget.
 
Be eager, but not aggressive, listen and be prepared to deliver a substantial product quantity if they want.  What if they want 300 boxes (pallet) of product by next month?  Can you deliver?
 
Get your foundation down and work with what you have.  I hope it helps.  I'm just starting to cross these crazy waters of distributors and retail myself.  It's scary.
 
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