We love and listen to our customers and always welcome your feedback. And while there are some things we cannot change (yes, that would be shipping fees, see comment at the end), we strive to introduce the items that we can!
The most requested item we have received in the last year is the ability to shop by color! We will now list all new collections in a color category as well as by designer and by collection!
As time permits, we will also go back a color categorize existing collections.
Shop by color now.
So since we brought it up.....
Our shipping fees- I do get the occassional comment or complaint about shipping fees, so here goes:
I don't make money on shipping..period- it simply doesn't happen! Occasionally its a tad more and occasionally a tad less, but all in all we are right on the money with what the post office charges us. There is no mark up or attempt to gouge anyone on shipping charges in any way. A couple points you should know:
- The cap on first class is 13oz, so that leaves out the "cheap" way to ship. Parcel Post doesn't really come out any cheaper until you start passing 10 pounds.
- My shipping charges are very much in line with what I get charged from the Post Office. I tracked the fees versus the customer payment for 6 months to confirm, and adjusted my shipping charges accordingly.
- Many other stores charge you more per item, so when they end up adsorbing the additional cost of shipping , they have already made up for it financially in their product charges.
- Many other stores, and I am not knocking them in ANY way- cram as much as possible in those paper priority envelopes. The US Post Office has warned us that this is not appropriate, that these envelopes are for flat items only and it is up the discretion of the local Post Office whether they wish to mail them or return them. I have a rigid Post Office- they refused to accept them, especially for international parcels.
- The US Post Office is in financial distress, so I am not sure I would attempt to use those flat rate envelopes inappropriately anyway- I want to see them succeed they are a part of our history! They are already having to cut their service to five days a week after the first of the year.
- Burgundy Buttons charges less per item, but we must charge shipping charges that are equivalent to what we have to pay- we could not afford to stay in business otherwise!
- We have comparison shopped the other online stores many times, and typically equivalent purchases end up cheaper at Burgundy Buttons when you calculate the items and shipping.
- We have started to use the padded envelopes more and have begun tracking the costs.
- The Post Office has recently released "Regional Rate" boxes, and we have started to track costs on those as well.
- International shoppers experience the biggest financial impact, so we "hold" packages for many of them while they shop over a period of time to completely fill up their box.
- Neither UPS or Fed Ex was able to beat the Post Office prices for our average amount, weight and size of our shipments.
So shop the place that feels best to you! But all in all- that's why our shipping charges are higher than some. I hope that helps!
