Re: Fuel surcharge on plant orders

Xmas 2006 was the last time I did any level of local shopping. 2007 was nearly entirely online- it is just so much cheaper to ship stuff directly from the seller, even Amazon (which has expensive shipping- unless you manage to get the free deal) is cheaper than UPS,USPS or FedEx. 
Theresa

Zemuly Sanders wrote:
Kitty, that's terrible. I try to never send anything anywhere anymore. It's just gotten too expensive. 
zem
----- Original Message ----- From: "Kitty" <kmrsy@comcast.net>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2008 3:08 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] Fuel surcharge on plant orders
Another thing the Post Office did very quietly last May was drop Parcel Post to Canada. What a shocker when I went to send my sister her Cmas & Bday presents. Everything is Priority now, so 2 ordinary boxes cost me $50 to ship to her. So how is it that I'm shipping Priority to Alberta and it still has to leave here by Dec 10 to get there for Cmas? It's not Priority, they just changed Parcel Post's name to Priority! Next year I will buy her something at Amazon.ca (not .com) and have them send it to her. 

Kitty
neIN, Zone 5
----- Original Message ----- From: "David Franzman" <dfranzma@pacbell.net> 
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2008 2:30 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] Fuel surcharge on plant orders



Sorry Jim but here it's almost $3.75.  Outrageous!

As far as USPS having a fuel charge they don't need one. Last year when
they did their last increase their price for a five pound box to go from 
Ca-Fl. went from $16-31 Priority Mail. Doubled! However for the same
service with UPS or FedEx was even higher...around $45. That was one
plant for me about 5 pounds. So, we had a $22 plant being sent to the
east coast with $31 in postage you now have a $53 plant! By the way, for the size plant I grew my price was the best. There is still a guy in San 
Diego who sells a smaller plant than I do for around $30. This is why I
was able to sell out each year but to cover the cost of the propane and
electricity, fertilizer and chemicals (which have gone up as well) the
plant I sold for $22 would now have to be $32. Sorry, I just can't see
charging that much money for that fussy a plant even though they're
gorgeous. Too much guilt associated with that.


DF



----- Original Message ----
From: james singer <islandjim1@verizon.net>
To: gardenchat@hort.net
Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2008 10:55:23 AM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] Fuel surcharge on plant orders

You guys are making me feel really, really good about driving across
the country. I may have to sell Squinty just to buy gas.



On Mar 16, 2008, at 12:54 PM, Judy Browning wrote:


$3.33 here midweek. I filled my daughter's big old Chevy, $60. Ouch.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Zemuly Sanders"
<zemuly@comcast.net>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2008 8:41 AM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] Fuel surcharge on plant orders



I haven't heard of any extra charges at the post office, either.  I
must say I was appalled to read WFF would insist on a surcharge for
an MG order. They are notoriously expensive, but I didn't realize
they were that bad. BTW, I did get a "new" car -- a 2007 Toyota
Yaris.  It's getting around 40 mpg, which is a lot better than the 20
mpg I got with the Xterra.  Also the 10 gallon gas tank makes a
fill-up a little less traumatic. :o)
zem
zone 7
West TN
----- Original Message ----- From: "Kitty" <kmrsy@comcast.net>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2008 9:44 AM
Subject: [CHAT] Fuel surcharge on plant orders



I've placed over 20 orders for plants this spring, mostly for MGs.
The MG orders have to be mailed in becuase they have to pay by
check, so where possible, I used their catalog order forms.

I used the catalog form for White Flower Farm, followed instructions
and double-checked my aritmetic.  The email confirmation came
yesterday showing I owed $2.50.  ??? I rechecked the copy I'd saved
of my order, then went online to see if anything was different, and
it turns out that online they are passing on a $2.50 UPS fuel
surcharge.  I called and told her their was no mention of this in
the catalog and she replied that it occurred after the book went
out.  Right, I understand, but I don't think I can submit a request
for another $2.50 check. (oh, I could, but I don't WANT to)  She
didn't back down, said they HAD to pass on the charge.  I said,
puh-leeze - our plant total was $85, you are charging $8.00 for
fennel and single Maverick pelargoniums!, you can't absorb the
$2.50? She agreed but her hands were tied....then she said there was
a way to fix it.  She'd give us a $5.00 credit for "referring a
friend"; it was the only option she had.  So now we're getting $2.50
back.  Does this make a lot of sense?

I filled up yesterday at $3.29 gallon. That's nearly $50 for a tank
of gas. The price of cat litter is climbing fast, I assume because
it's so heavy to transport.  Target was discontinuing the Tidy Cat
line so I "scooped" up 4 pails at a nice discount.

I could understand smaller, privately owned nurseries passing on the
fuel surcharge, but the smaller ones I know of mostly use the post
office and so far I haven't heard of any surcharge at USPS.  I know
stamps are going up in May, but has anyone heard of other rate
increases or surcharges at the PO?

Kitty
neIN, Zone 5
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Island Jim
Southwest Florida
27.1 N, 82.4 W
Hardiness Zone 10
Heat Zone 10
Sunset Zone 25
Minimum 30 F [-1 C]
Maximum 100 F [38 C]

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