Understanding Shipping

I TOOK the time out to write this article because most people are not aware of ALL that involves shipping costs. It is important to educate customers, such as yourself, with the ins and outs of what YOU are paying for. READ BELOW.

As an owner and a consumer I constantly have to purchase items online. Sadly no one is free of the infamous "shipping costs." There are those companies that offer free shipping once reaching a certain dollar amount but keep in mind the traffic, the amount of business they get and because of that traffic of online business their ability to arrange agreements with postal service carries i.e. UPS, FED EX, USPS etc. These agreements are business related and help both carrier and company, ONCE THAT COMPANY IS PRODUCING AT SUCH A LARGE SCALE they can guarantee a continual flow of online business which = more packages being shipped = more money for the carrier. Bigger companies definitely have an advantage in offering shipping deals as opposed to smaller businesses.

When you as a consumer make an online order, generally you proceed to checkout, pay for your order, and then see the shipping costs tagged onto it equaling your complete total amount. Before I started my business, I will honestly say that shipping costs were a nightmare and I tried to avoid them at all costs. I would buy more to get shipping deals..... Which when you think about it is not really saving if you never NEEDED THOSE OTHER ITEMS to begin with, but that’s for another article. I would get upset when purchasing something as small as a pack of plant seeds only to find out my shipping was $10!! That’s more than the actual cost of the seeds!! I will say this, there are those that charge heinous shipping fees in order to gain a profit, but for the majority of online businesses, this is not the norm.
I don’t want my customers to have to pay shipping if there is a better alternative, because I understand that most people will shy away from making a purchase just because of those fees.  Hopefully, now that you get a better picture of how that works now it’s time to understand what exactly is "shipping costs."


When paying for shipping, there are some things to consider besides postage costs. Below is a brief bullet outline of all the details that make up a shipping cost. We begin with labor.

·Labor

o   As an online business, preparing & delivering packages come with the job. So when there are orders to be filled and more than 80% of those are being shipped, it takes time and labor.

· Labels

o   Understand that labels require adhesive paper, printer and ink

· Materials/package safety

o   Every online order you make requires packing materials to ensure maximized safety for your purchases. These include bubble wrap, packing peanuts, recycled cardboard paper, plastic, shrink wrap and tissue paper to name a few.

· Postage

o   This can cost as much as $30.00 or more and this number is based on weight. With the exception of flat rate boxes, like those offered by USPS.

·  Fuel

o   Gas, who likes to think about it, yet who can avoid it? If you don’t own a hybrid then you know all too well the grueling costs of fuel.

o   I myself, make weekly delivery trips to the post office to drop off packages for customers. 


 
So you see, there is more than just the postage stamp fee that goes into sending you a secure, safe, and timely package.
The prices for all the products on this website are as fair and as affordable as I can make them. I will not deceive you buy making the prices higher so shipping looks lower. When I can, I will offer shipping deals.
If you live in the Lebanon PA area I do encourage purchasing online.There are perks for living in the same area as the business owner, ME.  When you make a purchase online and proceed to the shopping cart, there is a message box provided. In that message box if you would like to schedule a pickup let me know. Once I have responded, and approving the pickup arrangements, your shipping fees will be reimbursed and guess what that means: FREE SHIPPING. So in the end, under special circumstances (living in the Lebanon, PA area) you can get the bonus of FREE SHIPPING and EVERYONE WINS.

If you rather I deliver the products to your place of residence, within the Lebanon PA area, I will reimburse ALL BUT $1.99 of your shipping fee. The $1.99 is a delivery charge to cover fuel expenses. That is a great deal and I offer that because it is convenient for some, especially those with busy schedules, to have stuff delivered right to their door.

 

SO SHOP WITH EASE, KNOWING THAT NATURALISHIS DOES HAVE YOUR BEST INTEREST IN MIND.