Alan M
Fort Wayne,#2Consumer Comment
Fri, August 23, 2013
Up front I must add that I am not a Goodwill employee.
I agree with you on the excellent example you brought up. To pay $10 shipping on a shirt is high, without a doubt. However I also must add that the price of shipping through USPS, UPS and FedEx has skyrocketed and no end is in sight. High volume shippers do negotiate a discounted price with UPS and FedEx, and receive a discount from the USPS - but again shipping costs are well over what most people realize. I sell on eBay, I deal with this daily - and it's the lowest weight items that have been hit the hardest in terms of rate increaser percentage.
The shipping/handling fee above and beyond shipping is one that can be debated for sure. My take is that they are covering overhead above and beyond their mission to provide jobs. I accept these fees - 5% at one location I often purchase from and a fixed $2 from another... and I pickup nearly all of my items in person. I accept them and go on, but agree it would be nice to know what costs they are offsetting here.
My take overall is that, in summary many people aren't aware of the very high shipping costs charged today. Add to this, the fact that shipping is presented up front for the buyer to make a decision as to make the purchase or pass. When enough people pass, Goodwill locations with high fees should get the message.