I really don’t want to ruffle feathers here, but I have a question I sincerely need answered.
A couple of weeks ago, I needed and ordered a new extension cable for my X-50 Journeyman. It was $13.50 which is reasonable. Before that, I needed one of the more realistic updated holders for my 10" display. $19.50…
Neither package weighed over 6 ounces, both were shipped from KS to Florida and the shipping costs should have been more reasonably around $6.00 each. Literally all they did was stick a bag in a box and let USPS pick it up.
Onefinity being a closed, single-source system however, charged $19.00 EACH for these two packages to be shipped INSIDE the US. I understand if we’re talking about a 150 pound machine costing $500 to ship. That’s not outrageous. $19.00 to ship even the cheapest accessory (Oops clamp nuts for example) which weighs less than 3 ounces is crazy, and it’s that sort of thing that makes me question doing business with Onefinity at all in the future.
Like most things, the question might offend some, and I may be petty, but am I wrong?
I have purchased hundreds of components from all over the world these past years in order to build my CNC mods, enclosures, etc, and I think the simplest answer is shipping was and continues to be a significant cost of doing business.
To you specific example, I have many of my own from a Canadian perspective. Last year I wanted to buy 2 additional M6 fixture pins to add to my SMW fixture plate. The cost through FedEx was $50 US (I contacted them to see if there were other options but was told no. They also stated that they dropped USPS/Canada Post due to too many complaints of lost or damaged product). Then, happily, there are my recent Carbide 3D purchases which shipped free - orders over $50US if in USA or Canada.
I think it really depends on what service a company chooses, which I imagine varies depending on what they ship, how fast they want customers to get their packages, reliability, etc… Once locked in there are most likely set fees for everything, which won’t change and which we may or may not agree with. I do not believe any companies are making profits off their shipping arrangements.
Also, I am not sure whether Onefinity having a warehouse/distribution presence in the US would have any impact on shipping costs - it would really depend on the logistics and details of how and where things are shipped from.
Perhaps some forum members who are also business owners can provide insights, but it may differ from the shipping realities and circumstances of a growing company like Onefinity.
One of the well-known implications of the deals that Amazon/Walmart/other giant retailers made with UPS/FedEx is that costs for using these services have shifted to smaller retailers and consumers. Even USPS’ larger flat rate boxes are near $20. For small volume shippers like Onefinity and related accessory companies it’s a big cost. It’s also a cost center to have multiple shipping options, which I suppose is why most companies just have one single shipping cost, regardless of size or destination.
I do think that Onefinity and other retailers could, and should, make use of the USPS small flat-rate box (~$10). You can cram a lot of stuff in it.
[Priority Mail®] From [$9.25] at the Post Office… From [$7.90] for Commercial Pricing
[Priority Mail Flat Rate® Envelope] [$9.85] at the Post Office… From [$8.50] for Commercial Pricing
In essence, Onefinity is charging an extra $11 or so just because they can.
A set of stickers from this site, which – IMHO – should be given as part of every single order, $7.00. An item which can literally be placed in an envelope and mailed for $1.35… Shipping is $19… For STICKERS…
I’m not saying I condemn their business model. I don’t. They’ve got a hell of a product which is at the top edge of hobbyist CNC machines, BUT… I simply don’t understand why they choose to gouge us when we need to support our machines with replacement parts or upgrades.
I agree that flat-rate boxes can be a good value - here in Canada our postal service has them, and not too long ago even added an ‘extra small’ version. I am just not sure how feasible it is for a company like Onefinity to add this as an option - it might add in people hours spent if it means setting up a whole new system for this, but maybe not as much once up and running. I don’t think they are ‘charging extra because they can’, rather they made a choice for how things are shipped that works with their business model, it just may not be your preferred option.
I also do not feel your comment that they ‘gouge us when we need to support our machines with replacement parts or upgrades’ is unfair. If your comment is made based on your displeasure with the shipping costs for small parts that is a separate issue. I feel the amount of components offered and the pricing is more than reasonable.
For stuff weighing just a few oz, you might be right and it would be nice if 1F would add that kind of superlight shipping. But I get why they have a standard shipping cost…they are probably losing money on shipping for the larger things, so it probably works out in the end. Sucks if you’re the guy ordering stickers, or (like me) a set of extension cables and paying $20 shipping though.
Because it costs them nothing for the packaging right. Nothing for someone’s time to enter the shipping info in the carrier’s software, print a label, match the label to the items, fill the package, label the package, bring the package to the shipping pickup point (even if it’s just across the office).
So let’s say they’re paying their folks $20/hr. That’s not much for skilled office work but maybe they don’t care to pay a living wage. Add a dollar or two an hour for benefits (not many - maybe sick time and a few company holidays - real benefits will cost a lot more). My office admin cost me $48/hr.
Maybe that $11 is equal to a half hour of work. Did all those things take a half hour? Maybe not, maybe only 15 minutes. So maybe they’re screwing you out of $5 eh? But I’ll bet it’s more and all those labels & packaging materials aren’t free.
USPS (don’t know about FedEx) give you big bins to toss the packages in. They walk in, pick the bins up, and walk out as part of the Commercial shipping. Gratis. Free.
Look, I’m not suggesting that this should all be free. There IS a “handling” part to “Shipping and Handling”. I’,m simply pointing out that a flat rate of $19 to ship out a 3 ounce cable, or 1 ounce sticker is bad business practice and does NOT encourage happy happy joy joy feelings on the part of their customer base… In my case, it makes me want to not deal with them and to look for external solutions. Especially when there’s a problem with my machine and I’m gouged for $19 for a bloody cable.
All I’m suggesting and yes, recommending, is that they re-evaluate the way their site/software is set up to be more reasonable than a flat rate $19 for frickin stickers and cables… You can defend their practices all you like, but I’m not wrong…
I think the part being lost in all of this discussion is, there is still a shipping cost to get it to the US warehouse, depending on where they are sourcing the parts from… If I sell something on the web using a dropship site, I am still paying to get it to the drop ship site then from there to the end user. it may be a bit cheaper if I stock/ship in bulk, but the additional cost is still there.
That’s a fair point Dean, but if that’s the case and they’re outsourcing all these parts to ship inside the US, it would probably benefit them to look for local options.
Likewise, is it still $19 to ship from UK to UK, or from the source of the parts to the same country?
Other companies, like BambuLab have set up distribution points within almost every major country, or at least on almost every continent they do sales on. That way if I – in the US – buy filament or parts from them, they are shipped from the US to me, for minimal cost.
They can ship “1000” replacement cutters from “China” to their Arizona distribution facility for almost nothing and they tend to pass that savings along to us as the customers.
As I said in the beginning, I’m not trying to slam anyone here. Supporting the platform is just part of the business… I’m just pointing out that $19 flat rate shipping for a 3 ounce box (cable) or a one-ounce envelope (labels) seems to me as though they have no idea how to handle shipping.
I can see your point, as well. However, I was just pointing out that shipping of $19 from Canada to Texas, I don’t see as being outrageous, but it is way out to whack if you only need a 3 oz. cable… IF you consider they may ship everything from Canada to a US distribution center for certain parts, then have to ship from US to Home there are costs associated at both destination points. JTech for instance is $10 for a small item, and they are only about a 2 1/2 hour drive from me, but I would spend 4x that in Gas to go pick it up. $10 does not seem so bad…
Also, when I order from them I tend to try to save up my order, or grab a few spare parts, as it usually works out if I add more the cost per item is much less. It looks like the way they do shipping is 19 for the first 4 smaller/lighter items then the fifth item costs 47. I actually included a stiffy to the list after I hit the $47 mark and there was no increase, but adding multiple big things, like 2 stiffys/linear rail bearings did increase it to like $70.
Same dynamic if you are buying from MASSO direct… Spent a good amount to ship my Pendant, but when I did I picked up a few spare parts without much difference in shipping costs.
@Dustoff00, Maybe I’m completely wrong, but I would have bet good money that the two tiny packages I paid $38 to receive were postmarked from Kansas (US), not somewhere in Canada. Wish I’d kept the envelopes now…
Yes. If it were crossing country borders with customs and all that, yes, it might be a bit more reasonable, but not $19 to ship stickers or a single cable reasonable… :D. Sheesh…
