GCU Forum - Int'l Shipping (Hate to bring this up, but...)

Corrie_131338

Gold Member

Posts: 1611

Int'l Shipping (Hate to bring this up, but...)
Oct 11^th, 2010, 8:19am

Just wanted to let artists and GCU admin know what happened to us today...

We had a custom request from a woman in the UK which required personalized illustration work. So far, so good. Design uploaded, customer contacted, she started to order the cards from GCU...then she quit and let us know she wouldn't be buying them because the shipping costs were $112.

Thinking quickly, we uploaded the design to Zazzle, which has a UK site, informed the customer, and she ordered 150 cards. Sorry, GCU. We know the shipping costs to Europe have been brought up ad nauseum, however this is an example where we would have been very happy for you to have the sale, but it just wasn't possible directly due to shipping costs.

Corrie
http://www.corrieweb.nl

Back to top

Corrieweb Card Store:
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/corrieweb

IP Logged

Elizabeth_137795 Gold Member artist Posts: 724	Re: Int'l Shipping (Hate to bring this up, but...) Reply #1 - Oct 11^th, 2010, 8:36am I agree Corrie, I have many international sales at Zazzle on my invitations and cards, many of which are from the UK. GCU has such a wonderful collection of artists and cards that sales would soar if it went international. elizabeth
Back to top	ElizDesigns: http://artist.greetingcarduniverse.com/ElizDesigns IP Logged

Linda_132742 Gold Member artist Posts: 1796	Re: Int'l Shipping (Hate to bring this up, but...) Reply #2 - Oct 11^th, 2010, 8:41am Well put, Corrie...GCU is missing the shipping boat internationally!
Back to top	Flying Horse Design: http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/flyinghorsedesign IP Logged

DENISE_132110 Gold Member artist Posts: 769	Re: Int'l Shipping (Hate to bring this up, but...) Reply #3 - Oct 11^th, 2010, 10:22am i am always amazed how many sales i have internationally, many go to the UK on Zazzle. Never happens on GCU, shipping has always been the hangup here, even on some of the domestic shipping.
Back to top	db visual arts: http://artist.greetingcarduniverse.com/dbvisualarts IP Logged

Joan_135833

Gold Member
artist

Posts: 591

Re: Int'l Shipping (Hate to bring this up, but...)
Reply #4 - Oct 11^th, 2010, 11:17am

Corrie, I am very glad you recounted this story. I've been hoping for a long time that this matter would receive some additional attention. There was a happy day awhile ago when Canada and Mexico were finally accommodated on shipping in a more friendly fashion, and this continent (speaking for Europe, if I may) awaits a similarly appropriate break...

Back to top

MissPrinteditions:
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/missprinteditions

IP Logged

Shaun_131054 GCU Administrator artist Posts: 2482	Re: Int'l Shipping (Hate to bring this up, but...) Reply #5 - Oct 11^th, 2010, 2:28pm we won't be able to price our shipping as low as companies that have printing facilities in Europe, but thanks for the feedback, I'll pass the comments along. We are keeping a closer eye on shipping costs now with our new print partner, so the prices may change at some point in the future.
Back to top	IP Logged

Eve_138255 Ex Member	Re: Int'l Shipping (Hate to bring this up, but...) Reply #6 - Oct 11^th, 2010, 2:43pm It sounds to me, an Australian, that I would be better off putting my cards on Zazzle, especially if I want my family and friends to afford my cards.
Back to top	IP Logged

Joan_135833

Gold Member
artist

Posts: 591

Re: Int'l Shipping (Hate to bring this up, but...)
Reply #7 - Oct 11^th, 2010, 2:47pm

Quote from Shaun_131054 on Oct 11^th, 2010, 2:28pm:

we won't ever be able to price our shipping as low as companies that actually have printing facilities in Europe, but thanks for the feedback, I'll pass the comments along.

Thanks for your comment, Shaun - it's always encouraging to notice that GCU is listening in. Certainly no one wants this company to lose anything due to shipping costs, but pricing a bit closer to actual cost would be great.

Just for the record: although "Z" of California has various international (such as the above mentioned U.K.) domains for ease of ordering and dealing with cross-border tariffs, everything sold by them is produced in, and sent from, the U.S. of A. No European printing facilities for that company, and their shipping is not inexpensive (though they've recently switched over to a flat rate fee for invitations, which tend to be ordered in larger quantities), but could perhaps be called slightly more conducive to ordering.

Continuing to hope and thanking you again,
Joan

Back to top

MissPrinteditions:
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/missprinteditions

IP Logged

Joan_135833

Gold Member
artist

Posts: 591

Re: Int'l Shipping (Hate to bring this up, but...)
Reply #8 - Oct 11^th, 2010, 2:50pm

Quote from Eve_138255 on Oct 11^th, 2010, 2:43pm:

It sounds to me, an Australian, that I would be better off putting my cards on Zazzle, especially if I want my family and friends to afford my cards.

Not necessarily, as single sales/low multiples are quite reasonable to post overseas from GCU. Corrie's original story was more to do with a much larger quantity of cards.

Back to top

MissPrinteditions:
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/missprinteditions

IP Logged

Shaun_131054

GCU Administrator
artist

Posts: 2482

Re: Int'l Shipping (Hate to bring this up, but...)
Reply #9 - Oct 11^th, 2010, 2:54pm

Quote from Joan_135833 on Oct 11^th, 2010, 2:47pm:

Just for the record: although "Z" of California has various international (such as the above mentioned U.K.) domains for ease of ordering and dealing with cross-border tariffs, everything sold by them is produced in, and sent from, the U.S. of A. No European printing facilities for that company, and their shipping is not inexpensive (though they've recently switched over to a flat rate fee for invitations, which tend to be ordered in larger quantities), but could perhaps be called slightly more conducive to ordering

good to know, thanks for pointing that out Joan.

Back to top

IP Logged

Randall_140313

Gold Member
artist

Posts: 1013

Re: Int'l Shipping (Hate to bring this up, but...)
Reply #10 - Oct 11^th, 2010, 5:40pm

Yes,
I have to agree with some of the grumblers here... putting it kindly, GCU is a bit stubborn on their shipping costs! For one thing, Media rates are quite reasonable if they can use media for cards(I'm not sure on that one)but, Priority Flat Rate for bulk orders is not bad either - for example the 150 card order to the UK - I'm sure 150 cards would fit a medium sized flat rate priority box quite easily and shipping for that is right around $35 overseas and $12 to most anywhere in the U.S. with shipping times of 2-3 days domestically and 6-10 days internationally. I've shipped packages to the UK and Australia that only took four days.
Shipping is a big deal to a lot of people and if they think you're gouging them with extra shipping costs, they'll go somewhere else. I commend Ebay for clamping down on sellers there who tried to make up profit by charging over-the-top shipping fees. It seems like it would be a personal business choice, but hey realized that the few who tried to take advantage of buyers with such practices were unfairly hurting other sellers and company sales as a whole.
GCU charges actual shipping for shipping one card to a customer, so why tuck a tidy side profit into shipping larger orders or is it just that they've been content with letting us absorb the cost of whatever shipping means is most convenient or to make up for the "Free Shipping" offers?
Hopefully they'll do more than stroke the cat's fur with 'looking into it' and really do something to bring the shipping charges into the realm of reality.
Best always, Randy

Back to top

Kind Xpressions:
http://artist.greetingcarduniverse.com/KindeXpressions

IP Logged

Joan_135833

Gold Member
artist

Posts: 591

Re: Int'l Shipping (Hate to bring this up, but...)
Reply #11 - Oct 11^th, 2010, 5:57pm

@Randall - This question has existed just a bit longer than your membership here. You haven't provided any unknown facts about what is available, and you also don't know what the situation is between GCU and their fulfillment partners, past and present, unless you've read every bit of history, which I can't help doubting. I, for one, would appreciate it if you watched your language and avoided saying harsh things such as "gouging" and "wimping out" (the latter from an earlier discussion). I find disrespectful terms like these exaggerated and inappropriate, despite one's right to one's opinion. Thanks.

Back to top

MissPrinteditions:
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/missprinteditions

IP Logged

Randall_140313

Gold Member
artist

Posts: 1013

Re: Int'l Shipping (Hate to bring this up, but...)
Reply #12 - Oct 11^th, 2010, 6:28pm

Joan,
The cards aren't my only business even if I've been here at GCU only less than a year. However, the facts are when I checked on ordering cards for my kiosks, I couldn't justify buying here simply due to the cost of shipping. My apologies if you took something personally! I wasn't directing the term 'gouging' at GCU and if I inferred that they were 'wimping out', I didn't mean it that way. It was just for lack of a better word describing what these sellers at Ebay were doing and if it strikes a sore point, I'm sorry! I'm sure the sellers who did that there didn't look at it as gouging, they were only trying to make up for time and energy spent packaging, shipping or to make up for lost profit, but that's not the way a buyer sees it and in business, the customer is always right and their perception is the success or failure of your business.
Still, I know how tough it is to try and change things when you get used to doing them a certain way, however the marketplace changes constantly and if you don't change, you'll just get mowed under.
Shipping charges are a critical issue and wouldn't even have been brought up if not. The preception is that GCU isn't doing enough to accomodate card buyers in this area and since it's been an issue since you've known how long as well, then let us know why it costs $112 to ship 150 cards to the UK or let us know how GCU is going to fix it.
I don't know how to beat around a bush, rather like to run straight through it in case you couldn't tell. LOL
As my grandmother always admonished, "Don't get your panties all up in a wad!" Wink

Best always, Randy

Back to top

Kind Xpressions:
http://artist.greetingcarduniverse.com/KindeXpressions

IP Logged

Joan_135833

Gold Member
artist

Posts: 591

Re: Int'l Shipping (Hate to bring this up, but...)
Reply #13 - Oct 11^th, 2010, 6:52pm

Randy, your reply is much appreciated. It's not the least bit personal for me - it was an objection to the manner of presenting things. If we offer feedback and criticism, I believe we have to remain civil and not use overblown, accusatory phrasing - that's all. I have been a "nudge" (an old New York term) on the very subject of this thread since I don't know when, and I nagged for months to have GCU put visibly - as they now always do - next to a free shipping offer that is in the U.S. only, because people were receiving unpleasant surprises at the last moment. And so on. Shaun inserted something promising into his post, I noticed. There have been countless improvements here, and I have high hopes. It was just the tone, as I said. So, thanks again for answering, and best to you, too.

Back to top

MissPrinteditions:
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/missprinteditions

IP Logged

Eve_138255

Ex Member

Re: Int'l Shipping (Hate to bring this up, but...)
Reply #14 - Oct 11^th, 2010, 7:23pm

Quote from Joan_135833 on Oct 11^th, 2010, 2:50pm:

Quote from Eve_138255 on Oct 11^th, 2010, 2:43pm:

It sounds to me, an Australian, that I would be better off putting my cards on Zazzle, especially if I want my family and friends to afford my cards.

Not necessarily, as single sales/low multiples are quite reasonable to post overseas from GCU. Corrie's original story was more to do with a much larger quantity of cards.

Recently I have had several large quantity invitation orders, none outside the USA. All for which I am grateful for, but many of my cards are of an Australian nature and perhaps better suited to Australian viewers. So, if they are able to pay less postage on Zazzle, it makes sense that is where I should be selling my cards.

Back to top

IP Logged