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Alot of folks on here have complained about shipping charges that different auction companies charge or the company that does the shipping charges.

When I had Matthews Auctions we did all of our own shipping just like Morphy's do.

I just purchase items on a Bonham's auction in New York City, two steins with cars on them, paid $400 with the BP. The shipping company want over a $100 to shipped it.

FROM: (City/ZIP)
Freport, NY 11520
TO: (City/Zip)
Nokomis, IL 62075
Services Required:
• Packing
• Shipping
• Boxes/Supplies
Notes:
16 x 12 x 12 @ 20 lbs =
27.19 ship + 30 pack + 45 pick = $102.19
Item Specifics
Description: Weight: Value:
Lot # 31 Souvenir Beer Stein & Flask 398.44

Job Status
Lead
FROM:
Bonhams NYC Sale 22653
580 Maddison Ave
Freeport, New York 11520
United States
Map It

TO:
Daniel Matthews / Matthews Auctions, LLC
121 West Union Street
Nokomis, Illinois 62075
United States
Map It

Recipient Contact Phone:
(217)259-7059

Order
Product Qty Unit Price Price
Packing Charge: 1 $30.00 $30.00
Shipping Charge: 1 $27.19 $27.19
Fuel Surcharge: 1 $45.00 $45.00
Total: $102.19

I love the 45$ fuel surcharge! LOL

LOL. We're heading below $2 a gallon in the next month, and they're still charging fuel surcharges? Hello.

once these surcharges are in place they don't want too remove them...

Maybe its just that way for people living in Nokomis?

Freeport is near me on Long Island. It has always been expensive to ship anything out to the rest of the country from this area - what with having to pay two tolls just to get into New Jersey and then a few more tolls to navigate all the highways in the New York metropolitan area. It adds up quick.

As a vendor, I am always shipping things out. The cost is a major factor and I try to use the best and most reasonable company. Nothing is free and my experience has proven that when you get cheap shipping, usually you get cheap handling of your prized items. Too many things damaged and upset clients, do not make it a bargain. I have settled on two shippers that I am happy with. Fuel surcharges are like taxes, once they are installed, they become a cash cow and left in place. Paul www.severngaspumps.com

...$100 is ridiculous to ship $400 worth of small items...

Dan

Call them up and tell them who you are and where your work, change the price or that's the last time you purchase from them. Then see what they say ?

at that price, id tell them they can keep the steins... and also remove me from any of their contact lists.

i can understand shipping will be a little higher than what the shipper charges directly, but for $100 it better be going to a distribution center in Japan and back.

What I find interesting is the $30/pack $45/pick. You are being charged a piece charge which is ridiculous. Imagine if all the sales were exactly the same, same size boxes, etc. Lets be generous and say it takes 10minutes to pack/label the stein. That's 6x30=$180/hr. Likewise the pick, if the guy is picking one box up to go to a distribution point like USPS/FedeX it's one thing, but lets assume that 10 items are to be picked, that's 45x10=$450.

The sad part is that the auction houses are cohorts in the extortion. Some use in-house operations that may have a separate business name but are essentially child-businesses of the auction house. Alternately they must be taking kick-backs for hiring a company at these prices.

Though paying a little extra for care of service/shipping is reasonable, these charges are robbery.

I think the Attorney General for the state should be contacted to investigate such practices as they amount to extortion for services whose normalized charge would be 20% of what is being charged.

Also as a business they get a better shipping rate because of the volume than most of us