My email correspondance with ZZPerformance

[Merkava_4]

Link to ZZPerformance Item Page

Me:
Quote:
Please give my an alternate shipping method for (4) exhaust manifold studs. $20.05 for priority 3 day mail is insane.


ZZPerformance:
Quote:
Hello Vance,

Unfortunately shipping costs on the items is calculated by USPS/UPS, not by us. We do not upcharge shipping. USPS options are usually higher, I would suggest UPS options.

Thank you for your business,

Ryan Derrick


Me:
Quote:
Hey Ryan,

Even UPS Ground is $16.73. The part number is ZZ-EMS-1A at a total cost of $4.00 before shipping for four studs. The shipping cost is more than four times the item cost. I’m sure glad I didn’t try to buy something larger from you people. You could have put the four studs in a business size envelope with one 49 cent stamp and sent it that way. You people are unbelievable.



I just wanted to share that with you guys.

 

[clinebarger]

Would you speak to someone like that face to face? Why even respond to the E-mail other than to vent your flusteration?

What are the spec's on the studs you need? You can custom order ARP hardware.....

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I just wanted to share that with you guys.

Share what, your snarky response? Clap clap, you're a winner and you sure showed them.

 

[Rendezvous]

Why waste their time if you don't like the price? I am sure someone else sells them.

 

[JHZR2]

I applaud complaining and making it clear why they didn't get the sale.

They are free to charge that, likely because there is a human cost in "handling" the item, which can't be extracted from the profits on a $4 item.

You are free not to buy from them. But you should verify a lower net cost is truly available someplace else...

Your tact was a bit iffy...

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
I applaud complaining and making it clear why they didn't get the sale.

They are free to charge that, likely because there is a human cost in "handling" the item, which can't be extracted from the profits on a $4 item.

You are free not to buy from them. But you should verify a lower net cost is truly available someplace else...

Your tact was a bit iffy...
+1

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I just wanted to share that with you guys.

Share what, your snarky response? Clap clap, you're a winner and you sure showed them.



Another useless Merkava thread.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: CKN
Another useless Merkava thread.


LOL!

 

[DoubleWasp]

Suprisingly, I'm with Merk on this one. I know for a fact that a flat rate box (same price for up to 60 or so lbs.) large enough to hold 30 of those studs is only $8.

Not only are they ridiculously upcharging the shipping, but they are actually lying about it too.

I ship out a lot of cylinder head studs, and I think the most I have ever paid to ship a whole set for a QSB diesel was $12.65 by USPS Priority.

 

[dlundblad]

I see nothing wrong with this Merk. They missed out on a sale as well as future sales and were told the reason why.

Shipping can be insane at times and yes they clearly marked the shipping up here as well as lied to you.

This is why I love Rock Auto btw. No markup whatsoever. It'd cost $3-4 to ship something that small with them. You save even more by shipping to a business address. I save about 30% by doing this.

I ran into the same sort of thing with another online parts store. If a minimum is met, you get free shipping. Unfortunately, their free shipping is USPS no tracking and no insurance. I emailed the CEO saying I've spent hundreds with them in the past, but their "free shipping" is just sad. $350 worth of fragile parts and no tracking or insurance doesn't fly with me. I asked them who would foot the bill if something was lost or damaged too. I said it certainly wouldn't be their fault.. The CEO emailed me back and gave me free shipping from here on out. I've used them a lot since and have recommended them to quite a few car guys at work 2 of which have used them.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Please give my an alternate shipping method for (4) exhaust manifold studs. $20.05 for priority 3 day mail is insane.


Buying 4 manifold studs and trying to have them shipped is "insane". If you would have been smart you would have purchased everything you needed at the same time and reduced the shipping costs. As an alternative you could simply go to your local auto parts store and get what you need; no shipping involved.

 

[demarpaint]

They aren't too bright are they? Merk asked for alternate shipping rates. Priority mail would have been cheaper, a lot cheaper than they quoted. They have boxes you can stuff 75 lbs of whatever into and ship them for about $13. Priority mail envelopes are under $8 IIRC. How about a bubble wrap envelope and regular postage? Bottom line even with USPS they had cheaper alternatives, and might have kept a customer. I call it lazy and lousy CS.

 

[Trav]

I gave you the link to them because they are a good company. The pooch is screwed now and its too late to fix it next time PM instead of going Postal on a company. They are good guys over there and will always help you if you treat them like a you want to be treated. I just ordered some stuff from them and could have thrown them in with my order and mailed them to you. Oh well. BTW $7 was the actual shipping cost of the USPS priority mail.

Description Unit price Qty Amount
Longer front brake lines + 5th brake line $75.00 1 $75.00
Subtotal $75.00
Shipping and handling $7.00
Total $82.00 USD
Amount Paid $82.00 USD
Amount due $0.00 USD


Payment sent to ZZPerformance

 

[Bladecutter]

Originally Posted By: Trav
The pooch is screwed now and its too late to fix it next time PM instead of going Postal on a company.
They are good guys over there and will always help you if you treat them like a you want to be treated.


You know, I would have to say that if Merkava acts the way he does in real life as he does online all the time, this was a great opportunity for ZZ Performance to have prevented ever doing business with a bad customer. I can't say anything bad about the company, and that they honestly dodged a bullet not having to deal with him in the future.

Reasonable adults find other products to wrap into their shipment to make shipping costs either more reasonable, or completely eliminated.
Merkava wanted a shipment of 4 studs, and wanted a discount on shipping, just because he's special, and he was arrogant and conceited in his email to the company. The company had every right to tell a potentially bad customer to fluff off.

Every now and again Merkava needs to be reminded that he's not the source of joy and entertainment to the entire world that he's convinced that he is.
This was one of those moments in his life that he will remember forever.

BC.

 

[ls1mike]

Having owned 4 3800 powered cars, 3 of them supercharged, I have always used ZZP for upgrades and standard parts. Shipping these days is pricey.

Sorry you had a bad experience, but I am here to tell you that they are an awesome company that offers a quality product.

 

[aquariuscsm]

I agree with Merk. There's nothing I hate more than people marking up shipping and profiting off it. I see eBay sellers doing it all the time.

 

[quint]

Merk's method of communication left a lot to be desired.

That being said, this company's canned, nonsense response of "We dont up upcharge shipping" is lazy and apathetic at best. Merk's "put the four studs in a business size envelope with one 49 cent stamp and send it" was spot on and is exactly what someone with an ounce of customer service skills would have done. Stupid stuff like this kind of exchange can spread like wildfire on forums and cause a lot more grief for a company than the loss of a $4 sale.

Reminds me a of a customer of a local company that wanted to return an item and was charged the standard "sorry-we-dont-upcharge-shipping" amount of $14 to return his 2-ounce electrical sensor for the correct one. He was charged this amount, and the company sent a return authorization number on "Postage paid by recipient" sticker to use to mail his item back. In other words, company will be charged for a 2-ounce envelope when they get it, even though the customer was charged $14. So he dropped three rusty, cracked 305 Chevy cylinder heads in a box, tossed the electrical connector in there, and slapped the return postage sticker on the box next to the company's address and sent it. Dont know if the story is true or not, but it drives home a point. Make it hard for your customers to do business with you, and they'll make it hard for you to do business with them too.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go take a Tylenol and have my head examined for getting involved in a Merk thread...

 

[E150GT]

Shipping can kill an order. I once tried to order a couple of shirts online. I didnt need them but I wanted them. Got to the checkout and the shipping was almost the same price as the shirts. I just closed out the browser and said oh well. No shirts for me.

 

[oilpsi2high]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Link to ZZPerformance Item Page

Me:
Quote:
Please give my an alternate shipping method for (4) exhaust manifold studs. $20.05 for priority 3 day mail is insane.


ZZPerformance:
Quote:
Hello Vance,

Unfortunately shipping costs on the items is calculated by USPS/UPS, not by us. We do not upcharge shipping. USPS options are usually higher, I would suggest UPS options.

Thank you for your business,

Ryan Derrick


Me:
Quote:
Hey Ryan,

Even UPS Ground is $16.73. The part number is ZZ-EMS-1A at a total cost of $4.00 before shipping for four studs. The shipping cost is more than four times the item cost. I’m sure glad I didn’t try to buy something larger from you people. You could have put the four studs in a business size envelope with one 49 cent stamp and sent it that way. You people are unbelievable.



I just wanted to share that with you guys.

The shipping most likely includes tracking and insurance and other fees (calculated by the shipper, not ZZP) to protect the company from morons like yourself who will claim that they never received the item. They likely use some kind of auto-calculator embedded on their website.

ZZP is a great company and has one of the best customer service reps in the industry.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: E150GT
Shipping can kill an order. I once tried to order a couple of shirts online. I didnt need them but I wanted them. Got to the checkout and the shipping was almost the same price as the shirts. I just closed out the browser and said oh well. No shirts for me.


I've never understood the crazy expensive prices to ship clothes. For example,a 99 cent t-shirt on Ebay costing $12 to ship.