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Nov. 24th, 2010 11:19 amAn email I just sent to Fire Mountain Gems:
To whom it may concern,
I received my order of two strands of glass crow beads in the mail today, safe and sound. I would imagine they arrived safely in part because they were swaddled in several layers of advertising materials--two catalogs and a "free" promotional pin celebrating 37 successful years of business.
I had wondered why you had charged me $7.45 in shipping for $8.28 worth of beads that weigh well under a pound. Even with priority mail those would normally have cost only $5 to mail, and if you'd had a first class option, the beads could have been sent to me for two bucks. (Trust me. I'm an Etsy seller. I know more about the post office than I ever wanted to.)
So it can only make sense to me that you charged me so much in shipping because you wanted me to pay for the shipment not only of the beads, but of the various advertising materials that I really didn't ask for or want.
See, the thing is, I'm a website kind of person. I love shopping online. Some of it is convenience, but a lot of it is because of paper waste. When I go hiking, I drive through not only pristine Pacific Northwest forests, but also not-so-pristine clearcuts. That's a clear reminder to me of the cost of our continued dependence on paper.
So when you charge me extra shipping just so you can add in two catalogs made from dead trees, after I just proved to you that I am more than capable of navigating your website with the end goal of making a purchase, it makes me unhappy. Unhappy in that I could have paid significantly less than the cost of my beads in shipping if you hadn't included these materials, and unhappy in that now I have another pile of paper to throw into the recycling cycle, where it's destined to sit until someone decides that they need post-consumer paper for something (which doesn't happen nearly as often as it ought to).
And that cheap little "free" metal promotional pin? I don't even want to know about the byproducts of the mining operations where the metal came from, nor the chemicals used in embossing it with your emblem in bright colors. It's another thing I could have done without.
This is why I normally case thrift stores for secondhand necklaces to cannibalize for beads. Less environmental impact, and I don't have to pay ridiculous shipping costs (and handling, whatever that is, especially when the post office provides priority mail materials for free). On the rare occasion I need something specific, you're a great go-to source, and I'd like to continue giving you my business.
However, I'd really like to opt out of your catalogs and other promo materials. I don't need them. I just need your beads. Your website works great as a catalog for perusing. Please consider a "green" shipping option that minimizes the unnecessary resources for shipping a few ounces of pretty beads.
Thank you,
Lupa
********************
On the bright side? I woke up to my 300th sale on my Etsy store!!!!
To whom it may concern,
I received my order of two strands of glass crow beads in the mail today, safe and sound. I would imagine they arrived safely in part because they were swaddled in several layers of advertising materials--two catalogs and a "free" promotional pin celebrating 37 successful years of business.
I had wondered why you had charged me $7.45 in shipping for $8.28 worth of beads that weigh well under a pound. Even with priority mail those would normally have cost only $5 to mail, and if you'd had a first class option, the beads could have been sent to me for two bucks. (Trust me. I'm an Etsy seller. I know more about the post office than I ever wanted to.)
So it can only make sense to me that you charged me so much in shipping because you wanted me to pay for the shipment not only of the beads, but of the various advertising materials that I really didn't ask for or want.
See, the thing is, I'm a website kind of person. I love shopping online. Some of it is convenience, but a lot of it is because of paper waste. When I go hiking, I drive through not only pristine Pacific Northwest forests, but also not-so-pristine clearcuts. That's a clear reminder to me of the cost of our continued dependence on paper.
So when you charge me extra shipping just so you can add in two catalogs made from dead trees, after I just proved to you that I am more than capable of navigating your website with the end goal of making a purchase, it makes me unhappy. Unhappy in that I could have paid significantly less than the cost of my beads in shipping if you hadn't included these materials, and unhappy in that now I have another pile of paper to throw into the recycling cycle, where it's destined to sit until someone decides that they need post-consumer paper for something (which doesn't happen nearly as often as it ought to).
And that cheap little "free" metal promotional pin? I don't even want to know about the byproducts of the mining operations where the metal came from, nor the chemicals used in embossing it with your emblem in bright colors. It's another thing I could have done without.
This is why I normally case thrift stores for secondhand necklaces to cannibalize for beads. Less environmental impact, and I don't have to pay ridiculous shipping costs (and handling, whatever that is, especially when the post office provides priority mail materials for free). On the rare occasion I need something specific, you're a great go-to source, and I'd like to continue giving you my business.
However, I'd really like to opt out of your catalogs and other promo materials. I don't need them. I just need your beads. Your website works great as a catalog for perusing. Please consider a "green" shipping option that minimizes the unnecessary resources for shipping a few ounces of pretty beads.
Thank you,
Lupa
********************
On the bright side? I woke up to my 300th sale on my Etsy store!!!!