I have a little request for retailers in the USA. I'm a Canadian, as most of you know, and a quilter. I do try to purchase things from the US via the mail and I have to say that a lot of US retailers make it hard on your northern neighbors :-( Today I wanted to purchase a really cute pattern from a small US company. The pattern cost was $9.00. I went ahead and put it in my shopping cart and filled in my information and pressed check out. This is the total I got including shipping (I copied and pasted it here):
Order Summary
| 1 | XXXXXXX pattern | $9.00 |
| Subtotal | $9.00 | |
| Shipping (Priority Mail International® Flat Rate) | $32.95 | |
| Tax | $0.00 | |
| Order Total | $41.95 | |
Billing Information
Katrina Chapman
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Canada
I've blanked out the company and the pattern name etc for privacy reasons but I just wanted to call your attention to the fact that my shipping cost for 1 (as in one) single pattern was $32.95!!!!!!!!!!!! No other shipping options were listed. I sent an e-mail off to the company notifying them of this outrageous shipping charge and I hope to hear back from them about it.
This is not the first time this has happened to me. A while ago I wanted to purchase a template that was $5.00 on the website. The shipping for one small template was quoted to me as $15.00. Needless to say I didn't purchase the template. Another time it was a self-published $20.00 book that the shipping quote came up as $48.00. I just don't believe that shipping should double, triple and quadruple the cost of the item itself.
Why am I writing this? Because if you have a small pattern writing company or product company you may be losing a lot of potential sales to customers in other countries because of crazy shipping quotes. How many other non-US customers took a look at the pattern/template/book loved it and wanted to buy it and saw the shipping amount and simply did not purchase and did not notify the company directly. I'd say most of them - probably. So for everyone's sake make sure that your shipping costs are accurate or that you have us mail you for a quote if you that isn't feasible.
Alrighty! Off of my soapbox LOL!!!
Here's my challenge to you!
Can you see the mistake I made in this quilt top? Here's a hint - I was consistent in this mistake. I have now ripped the top apart and have re-pieced it but I thought it might be fun to see if you can spot the mistake.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Canada
I've blanked out the company and the pattern name etc for privacy reasons but I just wanted to call your attention to the fact that my shipping cost for 1 (as in one) single pattern was $32.95!!!!!!!!!!!! No other shipping options were listed. I sent an e-mail off to the company notifying them of this outrageous shipping charge and I hope to hear back from them about it.
This is not the first time this has happened to me. A while ago I wanted to purchase a template that was $5.00 on the website. The shipping for one small template was quoted to me as $15.00. Needless to say I didn't purchase the template. Another time it was a self-published $20.00 book that the shipping quote came up as $48.00. I just don't believe that shipping should double, triple and quadruple the cost of the item itself.
Why am I writing this? Because if you have a small pattern writing company or product company you may be losing a lot of potential sales to customers in other countries because of crazy shipping quotes. How many other non-US customers took a look at the pattern/template/book loved it and wanted to buy it and saw the shipping amount and simply did not purchase and did not notify the company directly. I'd say most of them - probably. So for everyone's sake make sure that your shipping costs are accurate or that you have us mail you for a quote if you that isn't feasible.
Alrighty! Off of my soapbox LOL!!!
Here's my challenge to you!
Can you see the mistake I made in this quilt top? Here's a hint - I was consistent in this mistake. I have now ripped the top apart and have re-pieced it but I thought it might be fun to see if you can spot the mistake.
All the correct answers will put into a hat and a winner will be drawn for a a little prize from me! now don't cheat and look at the replies before you guess!!
Have fun!
19 comments:
Still looking, but if there is a mistake, I don't see it yet!
Those shipping rates are absurd! I am sure that you will hear back from the company and this will be corrected. I too live in Canada and have come across this same problem.
As for the error in your quilt...the pinwheels in the bottom row are wrong.
The shipping is just crazy....I would also let the company know that a lot of people must be having this problem and never say anything......so they are losing a lot of business.
I cannot find any mistake it looks beautiful, but I'll still look.
It's the bottom row of pinwheels, where some of the triangles are the wrong way. I live in Winnipeg and I look, but don't buy online because of the shipping costs. I'm with you on the outrageous fees and my solution is not to buy, except maybe from Amazon when the shipping is free. sucks, eh?
I'm so sorry about your freight frustration... just another way for people to make a quick buck.
I'm kinda guessing the Pinwheels on the bottom row are white to the squares instead of contrasting they get lost. Thats all I see though....looks nice!
Some of the sixteen patches should be given a turn so that light corner squares are nestled in dark triangles and dark corner squares are nestled in light triangles. It took me a while to find those - sometimes consistancy just creates a new design.
It sounds to me like you need a US friend to be your intermediary for some of these purchases. Surely an individual would have cheaper mailing rates available.
well I say Nothing Because if your consistent in the mistake then maybe it was meant to be!.. But if I had to guess the 16 patch should be turned so the one white square does not end up in the middle of the White triangles... Lovely work!!! Leaders and enders? And I also try to only buy Cnd as the shipping is horrible.
Took me a while but I finally see...it's the pinwheels on the bottom! Good thing you found that before it was quilted.
i didn't see anything wrong with the bottom row of pinwheels. and i feel for you and your shipping problems, for i get some of the same treatment [although not so grossly wrong] from some of the merchants 'outside', for i live in alaska, outside the contiguous 48 states. they want to charge me extra, too, even though usps priority mail fees are the same for every place in the states, and that includes hawaii and alaska. when they do this, i cancel my order, and email the reason. it hasn't helped, but i feel better. i want you to know, i order from canada, too! and get reasonable shipping costs and pay currency eschange rates. the key word is 'reasonable'! hope you will get better service in the future
I didn´t see anything.
I agree ,the shipping rates are higgerest.
I have a friend in Canada who, when ordering from the States, has things shipped to me and then I ship it to her... and she reimburses me the postage. She's saved a ton on shipping that way...
Hi Katrina, I have had this happen often. Once I ordered a mat from
Accuquilter . The mat was $18 the mailing charge was $45, for some reason the person sent it by airmail.
This has happened a lot and I haves stopped ordering as much unless it is something I can't get in Canada. I find the Esty shop owners are a lot better then the Quilt shops.
It's the dark corner squares are in the dark corners of the hst's, instead of the white. I hope that makes sense. LOL!!!
I know exactly what you mean about expensive shipping. The first thing I look at is the shipping when I shop in US shops. If the shipping is too high, I don't even look at their shop items.
thanks for updating your class list Katrina!
(still can't find the mistake - I even made the picture bigger!!)
Because you were consistent, it is hard to be sure. But I think that every other 16 patch is rotated 1/4th turn (i.e. dark to dark instead of dark to light corners.
But I think it looks interesting this way. I probably would not have changed it.
I think everyone should offer patterns as digital downloads and eliminate shipping on them! Of course they could also sell hard copies.
Your quilt is really beautiful. The pinwheels on the bottom have the placement of the white and colors reversed but I really don't think I'd have unsewed all those seams, it still looks beautiful! And I agree, those shipping charges are insane!!!
It looks great here but did you mean to turn the direction of the small white patches in every other block so that a white square ended up in a color triangle??
Those shipping charges are crazy! I hope you hear back from them and that they will ship for less. Makes me feel good about what I charge! Love your quilt and I don't see the mistake!
I'm with you on the ordering from U.S. sites!! I have not ordered items because of the high shipping costs. With respect to the mistake, in every other row (1, 3, 5, etc. the side triangles are on the wrong sides (i.e. the white triangles in the top right and bottom left should be moved to the botton right and top left to create two sides of white and two sides of colored triangles).
Post a Comment