"Shipping Protection"?

Peri

Two things I've ordered lately had a "shipping protection" charge added on to regular shipping. One had a way to opt out but with the other one you are stuck paying it...and that one still said something along the lines of "if you don't receive your package check with the shipping company", as if they wouldn't get involved. So what is it even for?

What is going on?! Is that the level of trust left in the PO or other shipping companies, that we pay for shipping, but hey, pay more if you actually want it to get there?

Has anyone else come across this? When did this start? And does it make anyone else think of crime shows?

8 months ago

General

3 replies

Latest reply was from Suz

Carol

(website)

Veteran

There seems to be a lot of fees in a lot of industries that are not customer friendly. I remember vaguely hearing about a law proposed to cut down on random bank fees, because the fees did not reflect the effort or materials put forward by the company. There also seems to be a "low rate/price" of a thing to be appealing, then loading on the fees for the real cost.

But for this...maybe because online ordering is becoming popular, and they need to recoup the real cost of shipping. But that being said, no matter what company I was running, I wouldn't tell a customer to contact the shipper. I'd send a replacement.

8 months ago

Runcarla

Veteran

Don’t get me started on extra fees!

1. cost of ticket for flight
2. cost of having a bag (checked or carry on - it doesn’t matter!)
3. cost of confirming a seat on the plane

Oh! Do you want something to ea or drink? (Despite travelling over the dinner hour!) That will cost you too!

My mother is upset with her bank. They will no longer provide her with an envelope when she does a cash withdrawal at the service counter.

8 months ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I have not encountered that yet, Peri. But it sounds as if they are asking the customer to pay for insurance? Hmmm.

Here in Canada, we're more used to shipping fees and returns fees, and I have stopped being annoyed by it because it simply is; I just have to build it in to the cost of the item in my mind. But this is something different that I have not encountered.

8 months ago

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