da Rock

Jon,
Thanks for bringing up this deal because I just found out about the lousy, one exclusive dealer, setup on MVVS engines. Not a snowballs chance in hades that I'll ever consider buying one now if they were made from gold and were $5.00 each.

Rcpilot

My Feedback: (78)

Why didn't you snip the rest of it where I stated that I can shop in my sweatpants and a T-shirt--without ever even putting my shoes on?

Your makin' me look like a wierdo. [sm=thumbdown.gif]

jonkoppisch

My Feedback: (162)

lol, I figured you'd set it straight.... Still to much info, lol

[8D]

Gizmo-RCU

My Feedback: (27)

Go on the MVVS site, bet you can get a lot better price from overseas. Bought an entire new carb for $24.00 including shipping(MVVS).
The other route is contact Morris and talk with them directly, they once sent me some similar small parts for actual cost. If you haven't done a one on one you should not condem Morris Hobbys. I have had similar with Global Hobbys over a $.50 gasket that shipping was something like $3.50. They conceded that was excessive and mailed for actual cost. Good companys do that.

jonkoppisch

My Feedback: (162)

I talked to morris on the phone. Let them know that I wasn't to happy about the $8 shipping, the lady just laughed. I said that if it was going to be that much I'd hope that they could at least get it to me quick... Been a week, I'm 2 states away, still no needles.. Next time I'll definately do it the way Gizmo suggested. For a couple of dollars more I could have had the whole carb!!!! NO MORE MORRIS

carrellh

There's actually no limit on number of items or price, it's determined only by whether the item is a "parts express" item or not.

If you order a single item that doesn't have the "parts express" check mark the whole order switched to 7.99 shipping.

You could order 100 OS Type F glow plugs and pay 3.99 shipping for a 749.00 order

piper_chuck

My Feedback: (12)

And even if you did include a non-parts express item, the shipping would only be $7.99.

depfife

My Feedback: (14)

It is funny how some don't consider a 20 mile (or in my case a 160 mile) trip to the hobby store an expense. I wonder how many of us can make a round trip to the hobby shop for less than $8? Remember fuel is not the only expense involved in driving. Uncle Sam says here in the states the average total cost of operating a vehicle is almost fifty cents a mile.

If the cost of the trip was magically added to the LHS sales receipt I wonder what the customers reactions would be?

$8 is still a lot to ship a needle.

Mike in DC

What do you think means more to the company? The fact that you indeed paid the $8, or the Internet lynching you're trying to hold?

I'd say that the money speaks louder, so if you really feel strongly, you should take your business elsewhere. THAT they might notice.

Personally, I think any shipping charges are deceptive. When you go to a retail store, they don't tack on $8 at the register for ringing it up, putting your purchase in a bag, renting you the shopping cart, allowing you to park in their lot, etc. Those are all included in the posted price. I think we allow Internet businesses to destroy our LHS, and indirectly, our communities, by allowing 1) deceptive business practices such as this, plus 2) not enforcing state sales taxes.

jonkoppisch

My Feedback: (162)

Well, I paid the $8 as I didn't think that I had a choice being a mvvs and all. It was either $8 for shipping and $5.95 for the needle valve or buy another engine for $130.... Once again, glad that gizmo mentioned that there is another place to buy mvvs parts and for a much more reasonable price. My money will definately be going that direction from now on. As for the lynching thing, not really. Just making people aware of the $8 policy from morris that I believe is hiway robbery. If they want to continue to pay that amount shipping that's fine... Even though the local hobby shop doesn't have everything that I want and definately not at the price I'd like, I do like to go once and awhile and look around at the new items, find something to put on the wish list!!!!

piper_chuck

My Feedback: (12)

I suspect some places charge high shipping, even on small items, because they don't want to be bothered by small orders. Not saying it's good business, just a thought I had.

carwood444

Steve you are right,but i think the gentlemen that started this thread is probably a little tired of being taken advantage of. I would rather just have these places jack up the price and not try to take advantage of me on the shipping end. It is an insult when they try to make someone believe it costs 8 bucks to ship a 2 dollar item, when that item would fit in a envolope, and cost 37 cents to mail it. Make your profit on the items you sell.

Grampaw

When Duke Fox was still alive and kicking I had an occasion to call Fox Engines for a Needle Valve and wound up talking to Duke himself (he was answering the phones during noon lunch time so his girls up front could get a break.) When I told him what I needed he said he'd send it right out First Class Mail. I wanted to know the costs so I could send him payment. "Don't know right off he told me, but I'll enclose a bill. It won't break you!" he laughed. Two days later I got a small white envelope in the mail from Fox with my needle valve inside. A small slip of paper enclosed had a message written in pencil that said "Thanks for calling. So's you won't loose this one I've enclosed a longer spring clip to help keep it on. Duke" No mention of cost or shipping. He was one of the best. A great guy.

Now as to Tower's "Parts Express Shipping" mentioned. I'd never heard of it until today right here on these Posts. So I got my handy dandy Tower 05 Wish Book and looked over it real good and finally noticed those little green Check Marks on certain items in the catalog. I'd seen them before, but never did know what they meant. I finally found the explanation at the bottom of Page 1 of the catalog. It explained what the check marks are. Some of them are to be found on high priced items too. My ole Grandpa used to say "You learn something New every day!" and today I did. Thanks gentlemen. I've been wanting to get a small part from Tower but have ben putting it off until I needed some other stuff, but now, this is like going to the local Casino and being handed a free bucket of Quarters. Yes, there is an RC God!

Gravityisnotmyfriend

My Feedback: (2)

I'm with you guys on making large orders to save on shipping - but it's not always a good thing. I needed a $4 item from tower and it was a parts express item. I needed a few other small things, so I added them to the order. Then I noticed that one of the things I needed was not parts express, so I'd be charged $7.99 for shipping. Obviously the smart thing to do at this point is to add other large items to the order to justify the shipping. Long story short - I ended up paying almost $200 for a $4 part[:@] This hobby really is a sickness

Montague

Ordering from Tower can be something of an art form. You also need to watch thier sales, which change on a regular basis. "normal" is about 10% off, a "real sale" is anything bigger. It pays to watch the price points where the higher discounts kick in. (If I'm ordering $90 of stuff, and there is a 10% off $100, I pick out a "free" $10 item, you'd be foolish not to).

A while back, I was ordering about $300 worth of stuff. It turned out that Tower had a sale going for something like $20 off $150 (better than that 10%). I split the order in to two orders, and put all the parts express items in one order and all the non-parts express items in the other.

I could have paid: $300 - $20 + 7.50 = 287.50

I did pay: $150 - $20 + 7.50 + 150 - $20 + 3.99 = 271.49

(You think that's bad, you should see my wife with cupons at the grocery store. It's amazing what she can do. I'm surprised some of the local places still let her in the building ).

Tower's sales are also good for covering the shipping. I also shop at a number of places that do free shipping for over $100 on an order, and once in a while some places do free shipping as a sale.

But for a small part you need now for an uncommon brand, you're pretty much stuck, and it sucks. It's not stealing, IMHO, but it's not great business practice either.

(another side note, I actually try to order as much stuff from non-hobbico-empire companies as possible. I'll buy dubro or sullivan hardware over great planes as well. And I do buy stuff at the LHS that I could get through the mail. For small things sales tax and shipping are a wash, and it's nice to have a LHS stay in business, even if they tick me off once in a while. But I don't like throwing my money away either...).

piper_chuck

My Feedback: (12)

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who invests so much time optimizing my Tower orders, and intentionally chooses non-Hobbico brands when possible. :-) Something I don't think I saw mentioned it that you sometimes have to look for the sale prices. I've seen plenty of cases where the navigation pages at Tower would show the regular price even though there was a lower price on one of the sale pages. If there's something I need I always take a look at the 3 or 4 different sale pages to see if it's there.

quist

My Feedback: (198)

You order non Hobbico items when possible? Just who do you think owns Tower? HOBBICO!

depfife

My Feedback: (14)

I think he was talking about the brands he buys, not where he buys it.

piper_chuck

My Feedback: (12)

Exactly.

quist

My Feedback: (198)

But the profit is still going to Hobbico. It is just the price we pay to have efficient distribution of Hobby products. it is nice to buy from the LHS, but remember, hobbico is getting a piece of that action also. I am not saying its bad, it is just the nature of the beast.

Back to the thread topic, it is hard to compare Morris shipping to Hobbico shipping. Hobbico has negotiated very low prices for shipping. They has shippers trailers on site. They pay a lot less for shipping then you or I do. they are doing such a large volume that they can afford to do parts express shipping. If you do enough business you can have dedicated people just on that item.

I doubt that Morris does enough volume to have a dedicated shipper. I bet if it is an item going USPS and he drives to the post office to mail it. The $8 minimum charge is the only way he can justify doing mail order at his volume level.

piper_chuck

My Feedback: (12)

SOME, but not ALL of the profit goes to Hobbico. If you buy Dubro, Sullivan, or many other products, someone other than Hobbico profits from the design, manufacturing and/or importing of the product. It also helps keep more competition in the marketplace. It would not be a good thing for any of us if only one company, Hobbico, was in control of everything related to R/C.

BTW, not all hobby shops use Great Planes Distributors (another piece of the Hobbico empire). If they did, you wouldn't see Saito engines or JR radios in any hobby shops.

Oh, and if Morris is driving his shipments to the USPS, he's a bit foolish. Anyone with an inkjet or laser printer can print their own prepaid shipping labels and the USPS will pick it up. UPS will also do pickups.

Montague

In point of fact, if I can order the same products from a non-Tower source and get a price that is within a buck or two of Tower, I order from the non-Tower source, and I get a lot of small stuff from the LHS.

If I order from Tower, I try to optimize the discounts, which is good for me. So it's a trade off between supporting non-Hobbico companies and wasting money.

Tired Old Man

My Feedback: (1)

Most companies today operate with what they call "profit centers". They may also be called "cost centers". Each stop in the company process is another profit center. Shipping and handling are not services anymore, but just another profit center. If it only cost them $2.00 in postage, parts, and labor to ship something to you, charging you $8.00 leaves them a bit of profit, correct? Perhaps a bit more than we think they should have made, tho[&o]

Just remember the lesson you learned, and note that the Evo line of engines that you can now purchase though H-9 is also MVVS. Competition is a good thing, I hope.

jonkoppisch

My Feedback: (162)

Well, here it is Jan 1st.. of course no mail will run today but still no needle valve. Lousy service for $8 shipping!!!!!!

dirtybird

My Feedback: (5)

No mail tomorrow either!