Fee Fees
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Discussion

Glassman

Original Poster:

24,056 posts

234 months

A Ferrari parts supplier has quoted me £180.00 for a wooden crate to transport a windscreen I'm hoping to order from them. It's listed as an 'internal use only' item which would indicate it's their property and may even get re-used.

In 26 years of being in business supplying and fitting windscreens I've never seen this. When I explained that I will collect the windscreen I was told it was to transport it from Italy (it's not a stock item).

I used to get this with TVR parts, but rather than pay the £50.00 delivery they wanted, it was better to collect on my travels and at least this way if there was any issue with the glass, I could flag it at source where others would be available (usually). 180-quid for a Ferrari parts dealer to transport an item into their own stock to make it available to me seems unnecessary.

Is this a way of fluffing up the margin? We see these kind of additions when purchasing tickets online with booking fees, venue fees and service fees? We do all the work! Even with food delivery apps, there's now a service fee there too which is added to the delivery fee and bag fee (never mind we're paying more for the convenience to start with). They might as well have a fee fee. For the same reason, I do not agree with service fees in restaurants and usually ask for them to be removed from the bill.

It is almost expected for part of an order to be itemised as carriage, but 180 quid for a 'crate' shouldn't be for me to pay. I can't pass that on to my customer (they added this to the proforma by the way) and it's not for me to absorb within the scope of the estimate I provided.

If your internal costs are such that you have to charge for them, include it in the price. By charging me for what the windscreen is transported in should be within the scope of their business offer.

Ussrcossack

814 posts

61 months

It's a bit like your previous post about showing a break down

They've broken the fees down and now you are having a query

Wacky Racer

40,197 posts

266 months

Can't see a problem, If the screen was (say) £3000 plus the £180. I would think it costs £3180 in my mind,

If they want to have the crate back (At their expense) at least it saves you chopping it up, biggrin

PoorCarCollector

205 posts

39 months


Sounds like its time to consider retirement, if you're in a financial position to do so.

You're sweating the small stuff, this never leads to happiness.

Ham_and_Jam

3,212 posts

116 months

I’m not sure £3180 for a windscreen makes me quiver much more than £3000.

Maybe they should have just told you it was £3180.

Glassman

Original Poster:

24,056 posts

234 months

The point is, I asked for an estimate, they provided one. This formed the basis of my estimate going forward. When it progressed to an order, I was presented with another estimate with a payment link. There was this other fee which stood out like a testicle sack on a snake.

Rough101

2,845 posts

94 months

Should have been presented up front, I suppose though that you could maybe have five screens in the crate and indeed, your UK man may well be doing that and your are paying for the other four!

A mate has a kitchen business and always gets his spares and odds and sods added to a bulk kitchen delivery as the German packaging and shipping on a single item is extortionate, so he fills a whole truck every 10 days and now that it’s a regular driver, gets nice German beers in too!

Glassman

Original Poster:

24,056 posts

234 months

PoorCarCollector said:
Sounds like its time to consider retirement, if you're in a financial position to do so.

You're sweating the small stuff, this never leads to happiness.
Amusing comment.

You call it sweating over small stuff, I call it becoming less and less tolerant of lazy people or those trying it on.



Simpo Two

90,162 posts

284 months

Glassman said:
The point is, I asked for an estimate, they provided one. This formed the basis of my estimate going forward. When it progressed to an order, I was presented with another estimate with a payment link. There was this other fee which stood out like a testicle sack on a snake.
An estimate is by definition not a quote, it can change. If your supplier can get away with asking 6% extra, can you not do the same with your estimate? 'just passing it on at cost guv' etc.

My other thought is that if the supplier wants the crate back then you shouldn't pay for it anyway!