Thank you Brandon

[Alpo]

I guess he's to blame for this.

 

I just placed an order with Sportsman's Guide. First, anything over $49 ships for free. But there is a 16-cent shipping tax. There is x amount of money as sales tax and then there is shipping tax of $0.16.

 

And there is a fuel surcharge of $1.99. The post office is going to bring it here. Why are they charging me a surcharge for fuel. They're not driving it anywhere.

 

A tax on the shipping charge when the shipping is free, and a fuel surcharge when they're not driving it anywhere.

 

Thank you Brandon.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

I never pay a shipping tax.  It must because you are so special.

[Pat Riot]

Shipping tax? Is that a state thing or a federal thing?

 

I got hit with a $900 fuel surcharge when I moved from the company that hauled my moving container across country. I raised some hell about it and they said it was in the fine print of our agreement. I asked for an itemized fuel statement and miracle of miracles! They figured out that my pod was shipped with 2 others and they were inadvertently charging me too much. It went to $290. Better than $900 but still unexpected. 

[Buckshot Bob]

29 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Shipping tax? Is that a state thing or a federal thing?

 

I got hit with a $900 fuel surcharge when I moved from the company that hauled my moving container across country. I raised some hell about it and they said it was in the fine print of our agreement. I asked for an itemized fuel statement and miracle of miracles! They figured out that my pod was shipped with 2 others and they were inadvertently charging me too much. It went to $290. Better than $900 but still unexpected. 

How do they figure the surcharge. Diff in fuel prices between time your quote was and time you’re pod was moved ? Tell them Brandon said he’s bringing gas prices down  

[Bart Slade]

16 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Shipping tax? Is that a state thing or a federal thing?

 

I got hit with a $900 fuel surcharge when I moved from the company that hauled my moving container across country. I raised some hell about it and they said it was in the fine print of our agreement. I asked for an itemized fuel statement and miracle of miracles! They figured out that my pod was shipped with 2 others and they were inadvertently charging me too much. It went to $290. Better than $900 but still unexpected. 

 

Unfortunately isn't known enough by the general public - but any time you're dealing with trucking you need to inquire about the fuel surcharge.   The price of fuel is so volatile that trucking companies cannot just change their published rates every time the price of fuel fluxuates.    This week the US average price of a gallon of diesel is $4.889.   One year ago it was $3.406.   Two years ago it was $2.394.   I should add that this year the price peaked on June 27th at $5.783.

 

A semi-truck averages 5.6 miles to the gallon.    Assuming it's around 2500 miles to cross the US, that's almost 450 gallons of fuel.  At $4.880, that's $2200.05 in fuel to get across the country.   Considering the price of fuel has over doubled in the past two years (meaning the trip only cost $1100 in fuel in 2020), $900 is not unreasonable.

 

And although the price of trucking prior to fuel surcharge has gone up in those two years, repair costs, truck replacement costs and labor have also shot up.  

 

I reckon you can guess what business I'm in.   I will give you that the company I work for puts emphasis on making first-time customers very aware of how the fuel surcharge works.  Whoever you were shipping with should have pointed that out up front (although I've found most trucking companies don't).

 

 

[Bart Slade]

4 minutes ago, Buckshot Bob said:

How do they figure the surcharge. Diff in fuel prices between time your quote was and time you’re pod was moved ? Tell them Brandon said he’s bringing gas prices down  

 

Most companies figure their fuel surcharge weekly based on the average fuel price published by the U.S.  Department of Energy.  It's then applied a a percentage increase to your quoted rate.

 

Which is why it's important to ask if the company quoting you doesn't make it clear up front.    The company I work for uses $2.20 as the base price of fuel.   The price of fuel was down under $2.40 per gallon at a few points in 2020.   

[irish ike, SASS #43615]

Shipping logic;

Filled a small box with goodies to send back east. Go to local pack and post. Well if we use your box it's $24.75. But if we put your box inside a USPS A box it will be $13.79??????

Wanted to order some salsa on line. $26.50 for a case of 6 jars. Their shipping was $16.80. I canceled the order.

[Pat Riot]

1 hour ago, Buckshot Bob said:

How do they figure the surcharge. Diff in fuel prices between time your quote was and time you’re pod was moved ? Tell them Brandon said he’s bringing gas prices down  

 

1 hour ago, Bart Slade said:

 

Unfortunately isn't known enough by the general public - but any time you're dealing with trucking you need to inquire about the fuel surcharge.   The price of fuel is so volatile that trucking companies cannot just change their published rates every time the price of fuel fluxuates.    This week the US average price of a gallon of diesel is $4.889.   One year ago it was $3.406.   Two years ago it was $2.394.   I should add that this year the price peaked on June 27th at $5.783.

 

A semi-truck averages 5.6 miles to the gallon.    Assuming it's around 2500 miles to cross the US, that's almost 450 gallons of fuel.  At $4.880, that's $2200.05 in fuel to get across the country.   Considering the price of fuel has over doubled in the past two years (meaning the trip only cost $1100 in fuel in 2020), $900 is not unreasonable.

 

And although the price of trucking prior to fuel surcharge has gone up in those two years, repair costs, truck replacement costs and labor have also shot up.  

 

I reckon you can guess what business I'm in.   I will give you that the company I work for puts emphasis on making first-time customers very aware of how the fuel surcharge works.  Whoever you were shipping with should have pointed that out up front (although I've found most trucking companies don't).

 

 

Yep. I understood there might be a charge. I just wasn’t expecting $900. The $290 was acceptable. 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

It’s not a federal tax so you blamed the wrong bureacrap.

 

I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a fee at SG that some paper pusher just said “call it a tax, nobody questions them”.

[Pat Riot]

Isn’t Sportsman’s Guide based out of Minnesota, another bastion of Marxism?

[JP McLintock]

13 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Isn’t Sportsman’s Guide based out of Minnesota, another bastion of Marxism?

Only in the metros, pretty normal out here in the sticks!

[Marshal Dan Troop 70448]

Its one of the things many people don't check also, shipping cost. A friend in Model Railroading posted on a Forum were he won an item then complained when the shipping charges were over 70.00. The seller had specifically put in his E Bay auction what he was charging for shipping, I'm sure to make an extra buck.

[Buckshot Bob]

1 hour ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Isn’t Sportsman’s Guide based out of Minnesota, another bastion of Marxism?

MN and MI have the problem of a couple large population centers controlling the entire state . Pretty much all of MI is red. Except the capital and Wayne co “Detroit” . And they taught Cook co Ill how to fix an election. Illinois even is pretty much the same, I know most people won’t believe it, wouldn’t be a bad place to live if you could get rid of Chicago . Lots of farm country in the southern part 

[Pat Riot]

1 hour ago, JP McLintock said:

Only in the metros, pretty normal out here in the sticks!

Same in California. Unfortunately. 

[Dantankerous]

My folks live in a very red county in northern Minnesota and they love it. The North Woods,  the wildlife, the scenery, the peace and quiet and the sane people.

[Sedalia Dave]

5 hours ago, Marshal Dan Troop 70448 said:

Its one of the things many people don't check also, shipping cost. A friend in Model Railroading posted on a Forum were he won an item then complained when the shipping charges were over 70.00. The seller had specifically put in his E Bay auction what he was charging for shipping, I'm sure to make an extra buck.

 

That was several years ago as Ebay now requires all shipping fees to be posted in the listing. 

 

I remember how it was before ebay changed their rules. It wa quite common for the seller to tack on a large shipping fee to boost their profit.

[PowderRiverCowboy]

6 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Isn’t Sportsman’s Guide based out of Minnesota, another bastion of Marxism?

Yep , South Saint Paul, MN   AKA Minnecrapolis   they double billed me on the Buyers club around the mostly peaceful protests I called them up and told them to credit it all back and take a long walk off a short pier I try real hard not to do Business with Blue states 

[PowderRiverCowboy]

2 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

That was several years ago as Ebay now requires all shipping fees to be posted in the listing. 

 

I remember how it was before ebay changed their rules. It wa quite common for the seller to tack on a large shipping fee to boost their profit.

 YES , Ebay charges seller fees per selling costs , they cant charge fees on shipping