Weavers Sneaky Price Hike

[BAD HIDE]

Actually, 15% sounds really high to me.

Checking my last few shipments from various suppliers (never ordered from Weaver specifically, so these are other companies), and the highest I've been charged is 7% of net price. Most go by weight but don't mark it on the invoice, so it's easier to compare price ratios. Prices may also vary because I'm in a major metropolitan area and not out west in the sticks. Pulling and packaging are the cost of doing business, and I expect them to take a few dollars more than what UPS charges, but they're already profiting on wholesale markup. A box doesn't cost that much and it'll cost the same if you put $100 in it or $400 in it.

[Spence]

I agree about the 'pulling and packaging' being built in to the price. I don't really see why shipping charges should be more than what is charged the shipper. Again, a built in. The 'fondling' fee is just another gouger, as far as I'm concerned. I try to stay away from these companies. They reduce the price of the item, boost shipping and fondling fees and still call it a "Sale"? Insulting.

The 'Restocking' fee is questionable. I can see it as a deterrent, in a way. I have a friend who is a compulsive shopper. Goes out and buys anything that catches her eye and then brings it back for refund the next day. No profit motive involved. If there were a 'Restocking Fee' I doubt she'd shop there. On the other hand, if I receive a defective product, I should not have to pay a 'Restocking Fee.' I would think that the company should quietly waive that fee on a case-by-case basis.

[TroyS]

I've had pretty good luck with Weaver up until recently. The leather they are sending seems like bottom stock. The lady asks, "Is there a special note you'd like me to leave for the warehouse?" I ask for small/no holes and they show up with a 10" hole directly in the center of the hide. Scars everywhere, brands... The note is on the invoice, but it looks like it was ignored! What the ?? Why even bother adding the note? Customer Service is DEAD!

So I decided to try other sources... a friend gave me the number to Wicket & Craig Tannery.... ordered 5/6 veg-tan.... WOW!! Spectacular difference! 10 times the quality and cheaper than Weaver! Sorry Weaver, you LOSE! Hard economic times are NOT the time to start getting greedy!

[harnessman]

I'm not sure I can agree with you guys on weaver and their shipping costs. The last shipment I got from them on a June 16th order ran 14% shipping for about $200. worth of stuff.

We don't as a rule send in a order until we have at least $200. or more worth of items on it, even though weaver only requires a $50. Minimum order. We have found that not making real small orders helps to keep our shipping costs down.

My shipping cost from weaver is and has been for the past several years running 10 to 15% on orders of $200. or more. This has been the same since the fuel price jump of several years when all shipping went up.

The shipping costs from several other of my suppliers seems to run in that same 10 to 15% range, and we pass that cost on to our customers.... Jeff

Well, I for one kind of consider shipping a "customer service", not a "profit center" as the new owners of Weavers seem to think it is. I wish I could tripple my shipping cost, after I had marked up the items to cover all my cost already, but I really do not feel right about gouging my customers that way. Obviously does not bother Weavers a bit! Makes shipping a real profit center with a 200 or 300% profit doesn't it! Nice racket far as I am concerned.

I also quit purchasing leather from Weavers earlier this year and went 100% with W&C. Takes a little longer to get here but the consistency is phenominal, and when you request something special you actually get it unlike the hit or mis from Weavers. In the last year I have returned two hides to Weavers, at their cost - after much bitching - and Vern even agreed on one of them that it should have never been shipped out.

Jim - still disgruntled about the new Weavers shipping policy

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Just an observation here. Whenever I have ordered something be it on the phone, or online I was given the shipping total then. I have not ordered some items due to the high shipping costs. Do you guys just tell someone this is what I want, send it, without getting a total first?

[Lwleather]

Hi All

Just wondering if anyone else has noticed that Weavers has changed their shipping policy and thereby increased their shipping cost tremendously! Normally I just file the paperwork from weavers but I took a look at the latest invoice for a buch of high priced lightweight tools, because it seemed to be a bit higher total than I had expected. I was shocked to see that Weavers had hit me for $25 for shipping a small box of tools! This is amost three times what I had been paying for the same type of shipment and adds up to about a 10% price hike on the items that I ordered. YIKES!

I double checked and "back shipped" them through my UPS account, that is the way they came, and the same box would have only cost $9.85 to ship back to Weavers. This seems like a rather steep price hike!

I Called weavers and got the run around "it's policy" routine. I even talked with one of the Weavers, I forget which one, and he said he would check into it and call me back, which he never did, and when I called him back he avoided my call, which rather pissed me off to say the least. Looks like I may be looking for another suplier if they keep this up.

So, If you order stuff from WEavers take a look at the shipping, call them up and complain about it!

Just blowing off steam

Jim

As far as I know they got rid of the minimum order charge and went to a flat shipping rate depending on the dollar amount of your order. Yep, it bites! My orders are usually fairly small and I pay $ 15.00 a pop for shipping. I agree with looking for a different supplier but their selection is hard to beat. I have found a few others out there, but they either don't have much of a selection or their prices are quite a bit higher. Oh well.......

[Spinner]

Since the majority of the topic is shipping, I just want to give props to Springfield Leather on this area. A few weeks back I ordered some of the pebbler tools and odds & ends from SLC, they gave me the price and all was good.

I called back 2 weeks ago to order 2 extras of the tools so I can customize them into other shapes and when the girl gave me the total it didn't even equal the price of 1 of the tools. So when I asked why the bill was so low, she explained that the actual shipping charges on my previous order were less than what their shipping system estimated so they gave me a store credit for the difference. It wasn't a huge amount, but the fact that they were honest enough to give it back was enough to make me a very happy customer. That combined with the fact that I have had Kevin answer product question emails late in the evening, well after they are supposed to be closed, gives it a 'family business' feeling that I like.

[ABC3]

I noticed the same thing on my last two orders from them and did complain to one of the staff. I am replacing Weaver as one of my suppliers. Not only that but 5 of the last 6 orders I received from them had errors and like always, you can pay shipping back and take a hit on a restocking fee. GREED, PURE AND SIMPLE. Ken

Jim, thanks for the heads up.

[cem]

Lets just say I'm not particularly happy after putting in a first order with them recently, I made sure I got a quote first on the shipping as I knew as it was going to be alot as the item is heavy but the shipping was $65.00 more than they quoted, they didn't contact me to say the item had shipped even though I was supposed to get a tracking number and I had to ask them for an updated invoice with shipping included as they left that part off. There is also another problem with the item that I won't go into here yet as I haven't decided on how I am going to proceed with that yet but apart from getting a spare part for the item I bought I very much doubt that I will use them again unless their service improves.

[LNLeather]

Yep, I noticed it last week. I ordered a #2 edger for $23.90. It came in a tiny box, but the shipping was $15.00. I'm gonna call them next week & tell them they lost a customer because of their new shipping policy.

Do you get a choice of shipping methods with Weaver?

If that had been sent by US Postal Service Priority Mail in a Small Flat Rate Box, that would have cost $4.95...

Too bad all shippers are not aware of the Flat rate box - used when possible is a great deal.