larso
Sergeant Major
- Joined
- May 2, 2008
- Messages
- 1,565
The following was recently posted by Nick at TSSD on his websiteA WORD ABOUT SHIPPING COSTS
NOT A SUBJECT THAT I LIKE, BUT I FEEL COMPELLED TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
THIS WEEK WE LOST A "$ 100. PLUS" SALE TO A LONG-TIME CUSTOMER.
AFTER SPENDING A BIT OF TIME EXCHANGING NUMEROUS EMAILS TO PREPARE AN ORDER FOR THIS CUSTOMER ..... OUR ORDER WAS "CANCELLED" BY THE CUSTOMER.
WE GOT CANCELLED BECAUSE WE DO NOT OFFER FREE SHIPPING.
I UNDERSTAND THAT "BUSINESS IS BUSINESS" .... AND "MONEY IS MONEY".
BUT .... BUT .... BUT .... TO BE 100% HONEST WITH YOU, WE CANNOT AFFORD TO SPEND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS MAKING BRAND NEW PRODUCTS, AND THEN GIVE AWAY OUR PROFIT.
I MAY BE CRAZY ....
I KNOW I HAVE BRAIN DAMAGE FROM THE STROKE ....
BUT
TO GIVE AWAY OUR HARD-EARNED PROFIT WOULD BE INSANE, IN MY OPINION.
"NON-MANUFACTURING DEALERS" PERHAPS CAN MORE EASILY AFFORD TO GIVE AWAY 10's OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN "FREE SHIPPING" - BUT I SERIOUSLY DOUBT IT.
I WAS BORN AT NIGHT, BUT NOT LAST NIGHT !!!!
I HAVE SEEN PLENTY OF BUSINESSES FAIL AND DISAPPEAR, OR EVEN WORSE, THEY REMAIN IN BUSINESS....BUT DO NOT MAKE A NORMAL AND REASONABLE PROFIT. IT'S JUST "TRADING DOLLARS".
COLLECTING TOY SOLDIERS IS A "HOBBY".
MANUFACTURING TOY SOLDIERS IS A "BUSINESS".
( AND AN EXPENSIVE ONE AT THAT !!!! )
DEANNA AND I HAVE BEEN DEALERS AND MORE RECENTLY MANUFACTURERS NOW FOR OVER 17 YEARS.
WE KNOW NEARLY EVERYONE - METAL AND PLASTIC PEOPLE - IN THIS VERY SMALL HOBBY.
I WISH THAT WHOEVER STARTED THIS CRAZY-NESS OF "FREE" AND GIVING AWAY THEIR BUSINESS AND MUCH NEEDED INCOME.....TO FEED OUR FAMILIES, PAY OUR BILLS, WORK AND EARN A FAIR AND MODEST INCOME ....
... I WISH THEY WOULD CONSIDER THE DAMAGE THEY HAVE HELPED TO PROMOTE.
THE LAST TIME I CHECKED ..... THE LOCAL GROCERY STORES, DOCTORS OFFICES, DRUG STORES, STATE FARM INSURANCE AGENT, MY HOSPITAL, THE GAS STATION, ETC., ETC.......NONE WERE "GIVING ME" ANYTHING.
JUST THE OPPOSITE; EVERYTHING HAS GONE UP.
WE CANNOT "GIVE IT AWAY".
WE WILL NOT GIVE IT AWAY.
IF WE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO MAKE NEW ITEMS, DUE TO THESE TYPES OF BUSINESS PRACTICES ( which cost us ALL money ) THEN WE WILL HAVE TO STOP MANUFACTURING NEW PRODUCT.
IT'S JUST THAT SIMPLE.
I WELCOME ANY REASONABLE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
THANK YOU AS ALWAYS FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
I think we're incredibly fortunate to have TSSD doing such fantastic new product. I'm happy to pay the postage and would even pay an extra 'handling' fee if it was the difference between him being able to continue or not. I guess those who offer free postage are trying to make their money back through volume, and there's probably a benefit in claiming the expense as a tax deduction but I am aware of cases where the undercutting simply hurts everybody. I've posted this here in the plastic section because I think the set up to produce plastic product is so different to that for metals.
NICK / TSSD
NOT A SUBJECT THAT I LIKE, BUT I FEEL COMPELLED TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
THIS WEEK WE LOST A "$ 100. PLUS" SALE TO A LONG-TIME CUSTOMER.
AFTER SPENDING A BIT OF TIME EXCHANGING NUMEROUS EMAILS TO PREPARE AN ORDER FOR THIS CUSTOMER ..... OUR ORDER WAS "CANCELLED" BY THE CUSTOMER.
WE GOT CANCELLED BECAUSE WE DO NOT OFFER FREE SHIPPING.
I UNDERSTAND THAT "BUSINESS IS BUSINESS" .... AND "MONEY IS MONEY".
BUT .... BUT .... BUT .... TO BE 100% HONEST WITH YOU, WE CANNOT AFFORD TO SPEND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS MAKING BRAND NEW PRODUCTS, AND THEN GIVE AWAY OUR PROFIT.
I MAY BE CRAZY ....
I KNOW I HAVE BRAIN DAMAGE FROM THE STROKE ....
BUT
TO GIVE AWAY OUR HARD-EARNED PROFIT WOULD BE INSANE, IN MY OPINION.
"NON-MANUFACTURING DEALERS" PERHAPS CAN MORE EASILY AFFORD TO GIVE AWAY 10's OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN "FREE SHIPPING" - BUT I SERIOUSLY DOUBT IT.
I WAS BORN AT NIGHT, BUT NOT LAST NIGHT !!!!
I HAVE SEEN PLENTY OF BUSINESSES FAIL AND DISAPPEAR, OR EVEN WORSE, THEY REMAIN IN BUSINESS....BUT DO NOT MAKE A NORMAL AND REASONABLE PROFIT. IT'S JUST "TRADING DOLLARS".
COLLECTING TOY SOLDIERS IS A "HOBBY".
MANUFACTURING TOY SOLDIERS IS A "BUSINESS".
( AND AN EXPENSIVE ONE AT THAT !!!! )
DEANNA AND I HAVE BEEN DEALERS AND MORE RECENTLY MANUFACTURERS NOW FOR OVER 17 YEARS.
WE KNOW NEARLY EVERYONE - METAL AND PLASTIC PEOPLE - IN THIS VERY SMALL HOBBY.
I WISH THAT WHOEVER STARTED THIS CRAZY-NESS OF "FREE" AND GIVING AWAY THEIR BUSINESS AND MUCH NEEDED INCOME.....TO FEED OUR FAMILIES, PAY OUR BILLS, WORK AND EARN A FAIR AND MODEST INCOME ....
... I WISH THEY WOULD CONSIDER THE DAMAGE THEY HAVE HELPED TO PROMOTE.
THE LAST TIME I CHECKED ..... THE LOCAL GROCERY STORES, DOCTORS OFFICES, DRUG STORES, STATE FARM INSURANCE AGENT, MY HOSPITAL, THE GAS STATION, ETC., ETC.......NONE WERE "GIVING ME" ANYTHING.
JUST THE OPPOSITE; EVERYTHING HAS GONE UP.
WE CANNOT "GIVE IT AWAY".
WE WILL NOT GIVE IT AWAY.
IF WE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO MAKE NEW ITEMS, DUE TO THESE TYPES OF BUSINESS PRACTICES ( which cost us ALL money ) THEN WE WILL HAVE TO STOP MANUFACTURING NEW PRODUCT.
IT'S JUST THAT SIMPLE.
I WELCOME ANY REASONABLE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
THANK YOU AS ALWAYS FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
I think we're incredibly fortunate to have TSSD doing such fantastic new product. I'm happy to pay the postage and would even pay an extra 'handling' fee if it was the difference between him being able to continue or not. I guess those who offer free postage are trying to make their money back through volume, and there's probably a benefit in claiming the expense as a tax deduction but I am aware of cases where the undercutting simply hurts everybody. I've posted this here in the plastic section because I think the set up to produce plastic product is so different to that for metals.
NICK / TSSD
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