Outrageous Shipping Charges for Replacement Parts - My Experience with P3

[Shari in TX]

I'm sure no one wants to pay shipping on anything if they can avoid it. Isn't that why we always try to spend $25 at a time on Amazon?

That said, I went to a Tastefully Simple party on Sunday and placed an order. It was a little over $100 and I paid over $13 in shipping. I looked at the chart and up to $59.99, shipping is 6.99. $60 or more is 12%. Of course, it will be shipped directly to me, so that's a plus, but I was a little surprised at the shipping cost. It made me appreciate a flat $4.75 rate a lot more.

I know that doesn't help with the replacement parts issue, but since the topic seemed to turn momentarily to shipping in general, I thought I'd share my story.

Shari in TX

 

[BethCooks4U]

I'm sure no one wants to pay shipping on anything if they can avoid it. Isn't that why we always try to spend $25 at a time on Amazon?

That said, I went to a Tastefully Simple party on Sunday and placed an order. It was a little over $100 and I paid over $13 in shipping. I looked at the chart and up to $59.99, shipping is 6.99. $60 or more is 12%. Of course, it will be shipped directly to me, so that's a plus, but I was a little surprised at the shipping cost. It made me appreciate a flat $4.75 rate a lot more.

I know that doesn't help with the replacement parts issue, but since the topic seemed to turn momentarily to shipping in general, I thought I'd share my story.

Shari in TX

So ANY order up to $59.99 from TS is at least $6.99 shipping? Even $5 or $10? Their items are food and none a heavy like our stones and cookware and dinnerware. Yes, our $4.75 to host option is a steal! In some cases though the shipping with TS would be less than ours with the delivered right to guest option.

 

[heather223]

When they pulled it they said it was due to inconsistent quality on the ones they were getting in. I would bet that they were getting a lot of returns back in the time period that ended up being recalled and on top of that, customers who were upset that they couldn't get it replaced when someone put it in the dishwasher or left it in a hot pan of water. So I'm thinking they had been looking at a replacement for some time and then the luck of the Irish, this happens. Looks bad but it was not planned.

I've noticed an awful lot of hating on PC lately from some consultants here lately. That will show through to your customers. I don't like every decision they make either but it is what it is. While we should let HO know our feelings and opinions and it's nice we have this place to vent with each other, we need to resolve our issues before we are in front of our customers or decide if we really still want to keep doing this.

Thank you for saying this! I understand being upset about the changes, as I am and I don't think they are communicating them to us very well, but I would never bad mouth PC. I certainly don't think they "planned" for the ice cream scoop thing to happen. I feel that it just happened. (I am talking about it selling out early.)

I am in awe of the people bad mouthing our company. If you don't like the way they are doing things, then speak up and let them know. The other choice is to stop being a consultant. Either you are part of the solution or you are part of the problem.

 

[Chefgirl2]

I agree with Beth. Let's become a part of the solution. I've been in contact with home office several times over the last week. They are considering if adding the part to a show in a way similar to the guest special where neither the host or the consultant gets credit.

As for the ice cream dipper. The defective ones were only sold for a very short period of time July 1- Aug 30 2010. I think HO probably tried to work with them and decided it wasn't worth it. We sell kitchen products, so it only comes naturally that they've probably have been approached by vendors many times over the years. My kids love the new scoop and I haven't had to yell at anyone for placing it in the sink or worse, the dishwasher.

Find what you love about this business and focus on that. I love helping hosts with our great show benefits, helping guests get dinner in a dash, and our return policy still rocks (just take care and read the use and care cards). Most of all, I love our business opportunity! Anyone can succeed with our new consultant kit and taking advantage of all of the training opportuntites! I still review the online trainings and listen to other downloadable trainings.

What's your passion?

 

[sandilou]

Just ran into this again today at a show. Guest places a nice order, and then asks about her FC -- the clear collar is broken and it is not under warranty anymore. I tell her I can get one coming for her, and that there will be shipping. In front of averyone she says, I have to pay shipping on my order and again on this $9 item??!? :grumpy: She has that look that says if so I am going to cancel my order. I say, oh, you know, I have a supply order going in pretty soon, if you are not in a hurry I can put it on that. Oh how I wish it could just come with her stuff! Ugh! Now I have to deliver it or pay to ship it to her. I hate this way of doing replacements!! :yuck:

Sandi

 

[BethCooks4U]

We can't put it on a supply order yet. Not till the new web.

 

[sandilou]

Double ugh! That thought crossed my mind as I was typing this. So it would cost $6.75 for that $9 item and she just paid $4.75 or her order. How can we tell people this?!? :cry:

Sandi

 

[SpiritdancerIA]

The way I've been handling the whole situation (at this point) is to say "I can get that replacement part for you for $X, or if you'd rather get a new ($product), it would be $Y. Which would you prefer?"The price I'm quoting either way includes sales tax and direct shipping, along with the product/replacement price. This way, I'm only giving them two numbers that can be compared equally, and not confusing anyone with the added tax/shipping charges on top of the product price. Most folks in the past have told me they just want a total cost, so this works for me Oh, and they're usually happy when they hear it will come directly to them!

 

[Bren706]

The way I've been handling the whole situation (at this point) is to say "I can get that replacement part for you for $X, or if you'd rather get a new ($product), it would be $Y. Which would you prefer?"

The price I'm quoting either way includes sales tax and direct shipping, along with the product/replacement price. This way, I'm only giving them two numbers that can be compared equally, and not confusing anyone with the added tax/shipping charges on top of the product price. Most folks in the past have told me they just want a total cost, so this works for me

Oh, and they're usually happy when they hear it will come directly to them!

This is exactly how my hospitality director (a NED) explained how to handle it as well, at our cluster meeting yesterday.

It costs money for Pampered Chef to ship those parts, and they been subsidising (sp?) those costs for years.

 

[ShellBeach]

They were "subsidizing" the shipping merely because replacement parts weren't allowed to be added to show orders all these years. Which would not have been difficult to implement even before the PC ordering software! I still have no idea why the parts were never able to be put on a show order as a non-commissionable/total guest sales item. It didn't make much sense when I started selling, and still doesn't. Saying they were subsidizing the replacement parts program for years so now they have to play catch-up doesn't fly.

This isn't bad-mouthing PC. It's discussing the business.

SpiritDancer, thanks for the idea of how to handle the situation - just offering the two choices of either a replacement part or a new item with S&H figured for both. I emailed Solution Center and suggested it be put in a PC Newswire.

They really could have been a lot more proactive about this whole situation. Which reminds me my director never answered my emails about the whole situation back in early March. Typical.

 

[BethCooks4U]

They were "subsidizing" the shipping merely because replacement parts weren't allowed to be added to show orders all these years. Which would not have been difficult to implement even before the PC ordering software! I still have no idea why the parts were never able to be put on a show order as a non-commissionable/total guest sales item. It didn't make much sense when I started selling, and still doesn't. Saying they were subsidizing the replacement parts program for years so now they have to play catch-up doesn't fly.

This isn't bad-mouthing PC. It's discussing the business.

SpiritDancer, thanks for the idea of how to handle the situation - just offering the two choices of either a replacement part or a new item with S&H figured for both. I emailed Solution Center and suggested it be put in a PC Newswire.

They really could have been a lot more proactive about this whole situation. Which reminds me my director never answered my emails about the whole situation back in early March. Typical.

Exactly!
..

 

[cochef]

The way I've been handling the whole situation (at this point) is to say "I can get that replacement part for you for $X, or if you'd rather get a new ($product), it would be $Y. Which would you prefer?"

The price I'm quoting either way includes sales tax and direct shipping, along with the product/replacement price. This way, I'm only giving them two numbers that can be compared equally, and not confusing anyone with the added tax/shipping charges on top of the product price. Most folks in the past have told me they just want a total cost, so this works for me

Oh, and they're usually happy when they hear it will come directly to them!

If they want a new product, do you do an individual order or put it on a Host order?