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Shipping Devaluations

Toubab

Toubab

ToubabExotics.com
Someone wrote today offering $50 for a snake we have listed elsewhere at $100. His cause was that shipping was going to cost $100. I replied (in short) that if he could get FedEx or UPS to accept half of THEIR normal rates, I would cut the price on the snake to $75 + Box and heatpack.

Why do people think that a snake which cost $25-$50 as a hatchling is now going to be worth a whopping $50 as a proven, mature adult? It's great when people offer up their excess breeding stock so reasonably, but that's not an indication of their absolute value.

I have no problem with someone making a REASONABLE counter-offer, but asking me to accept half because the shipping company is going to charge $50 is not reasonable.

Perhaps I should have agreed, and then hit him up for another $50 for Handling and $15 for the box, insulation, sack and heatpack?

None of us likes the cost of overnight shipping... but that shouldn't be used a a devaluation of the animal. It's not the seller's fault you live somewhere too far to drive to come get it.

Thoughts?

JT
Toubab Exotics, LLC
Northern Colorado, Southern Wyoming
 
I tend to agree, you can't expect a breeder to reduce the price of an animal because of the cost of shipping. Shipping is seperate from the animal, it's an unfortunate necessity in which neither the breeder nor buyer profits.
 
You don't reduce the cost of groceries because the sales tax is high.

You don't reduce the cost of items because the gas money to get to the store was expensive.

You don't reduce the price of an animal because the person buying it needs it shipped.

End of story, as far as I'm concerned... can't afford the animal AND the shipping to get it, can't afford the animal.
 
There are times when I get request such as yours and it can be insulting. Especially when you know the animal for sale is worth at least what you're asking if not a little more. Typically people that do this type of thing are out to just buy a cheap snake. They don't care about morphs or value, just what they can buy with the few dollars that is burning a hole in their pocket.
 
I agree. I just purchased my first corn and paid $50 for shipping. I had no issues paying the shipping fee. I feel it is well worth it to get a quality snake from a reputable breeder. In the long run it could save me tons of money, ie vet costs for a sick snake. Just my 2 cents.
 
Agree with all of the above. The cost of the snake is a separate issue to the cost of shipping. One is under the seller's control, the other isn't.

I once made a twelve hour round trip by train to collect some Corns - the journey cost more than £100, but that's what I had to do if I wanted them. The importer didn't ship within the UK and I'd ordered them on that understanding.

If you can't afford snake + shipping (or what it takes to collect it), then you can't afford the snake, full stop. Who needs customers like that anyway?
 
I completely agree.....the shipping is a seperate issue. (and is to be expected when you choose a superior animal from a superior breeder)

If I want it, and I have the money for it, I get it.
If I want it and don't have the money for it, I save my money and then I get it.

Once I wanted a very expensive morph....unaffordable to me for weeks.....so, I contacted the breeder and instead of trying to get them to lower their price, I asked if I could send them money until the animal and shipping was paid for. They did not have to agree, because keeping track of that was most likely a pain in the butt...but they did it!

I like money...but the stuff it buys is soooooooo much more interesting!!!
 
It's like the time we purchased an entertainment center and some lamps on line. I don't remember them reducing the price of the items, because of the shipping. That was an added expense.

Snakes are no different!

Wayne
 
I think that is just RUDE and Presumptuous on That person to ask you to cut the price of your animal in HALF only be cause of shipping charges. I think anyone who orders an animal online knows OR should know shipping costs are OVER and ABOVE the cost of the animal.
I do hope you didn't agree to his/her conditions.
 
starsevol said:
I completely agree.....the shipping is a seperate issue. (and is to be expected when you choose a superior animal from a superior breeder)
Click to expand...

I agree too. I might make a lower offer to a breeder IF the snake has been for sale for quite some time & hasn't been sold yet. But I am not going to reduce my offer by the $50 I estimate for shipping, 10% maybe & my offer would state that I am open to negotiate.

I don't mind asking for a better deal but I am not going to try to rip someone off!
 
I think the breeder should hand deliver the snake to the customer's door at their own expense. While they are making the delivery the breeder should spend at least an hour or two educating the new owner on the snake and then take the customer out to dinner. So....who needs a new customer?
 
When you buy a candy bar at the store you may not realize it but part of the price is shipping. I like Midnight Milky Way Bars. In the gas and go type places they cost a buck, more or less. Some part of that buck goes to the shipper because they are not made in my town and not in my state. The store doesn’t break it down and tell me how much but it is there. What if the shipping were five bucks. The store wants to make 0.25 and the manufacturer wants 0.50 so now the candy is going to cost 5.75. Well I don’t like it that much, I won’t buy it. If I don’t buy it the store can’t sell it and the shipper can’t ship it and the manufacturer will go broke.

Same with snakes. The price of the snake is set by what the buyer will pay. That has got to include shipping. If a buyer is willing to give $100 for a snake, the breeder and the shipper are going to have to share that money. If I take $100 for the snake and the shipper wants another $50, the snake will not be sold and neither I nor the shipper will get any money.

In the case of the original post, this person was just using the shipping to try to chisel you down. Charge full price for the shipping and discount the snake. Or don’t sell it to that person, wait for someone willing to pay more. Or keep the snake and feed it for another six months.
 
The problem with your analogy

Wade, a few flaws in your analogy:

1) I'm not a retailer of someone else's product. Tell The Mars company that THEY need to include shipping to your location, see how far that gets you.

2) Unless you happen to live in northern Colorado, chances are it's going to be too far to drive, so EVERYONE is going to have to pay shipping, and it seems the barest minimum is $40 + the cost of packing materials. That's a given. You don't have to pay sales tax on out of state orders, a minor compensation.

3) The way I see it, our location is clearly posted. If the snake is at our Wyoming facility, we cover the cost of getting it to the Colorado facility that is advertised. If they don't want to pay for shipping, then go to the local pet store, see what's there, but don't bother me since you don't want to pay for shipping. But if you contact me, knowing it's going to cost $50 to ship, then don't expect me to reduce the price by the cost of shipping. On an inexpensive morph baby, I'd end up paying them to take it, by your logic.

As to keeping it and feeding it, etc., NOT a problem. I don't have any "junk" here. The particular snake is large, attractive, and has proven himself more than a few times. We're heading strongly towards intense reds, and our Cinder project, which is the only reason he's for sale. But before I'd give him away, I'd buy a couple more inexpensive normal females and make more Anery Stripe/Normal babies with him. He costs about $10 a year to feed. When we sell adults, it's pretty much just because they don't fit into our breeding plans anymore, not because they're deficient, so they can just stay here, for all I care. We only put them up so that others who want to breed that color can make good use of them. If someone doesn't appreciate the opportunity to have an instant breeding snake enough to pay a reasonable price + shipping, they probably shouldn't be wasting the seller's time. As I said in the original post, I'm fine with a reasonable offer, but "Sell it to me for half price because I want free shipping" is more of an insult than an offer.

Cheers!


wade said:
When you buy a candy bar at the store you may not realize it but part of the price is shipping. I like Midnight Milky Way Bars. In the gas and go type places they cost a buck, more or less. Some part of that buck goes to the shipper because they are not made in my town and not in my state. The store doesn’t break it down and tell me how much but it is there. What if the shipping were five bucks. The store wants to make 0.25 and the manufacturer wants 0.50 so now the candy is going to cost 5.75. Well I don’t like it that much, I won’t buy it. If I don’t buy it the store can’t sell it and the shipper can’t ship it and the manufacturer will go broke.

Same with snakes. The price of the snake is set by what the buyer will pay. That has got to include shipping. If a buyer is willing to give $100 for a snake, the breeder and the shipper are going to have to share that money. If I take $100 for the snake and the shipper wants another $50, the snake will not be sold and neither I nor the shipper will get any money.

In the case of the original post, this person was just using the shipping to try to chisel you down. Charge full price for the shipping and discount the snake. Or don’t sell it to that person, wait for someone willing to pay more. Or keep the snake and feed it for another six months.
Click to expand...
 
My dear Mr. Toubab, you missed the point. The customer has a finite amount of money for snakes. Period. He doesn’t care if they money goes to you or fed ex or your uncle Elmo with the pick up truck. X number of dollars is all he is going to spend. If your snake is prices such that when combined with shipping it comes to $X.02 then that customer is not going to buy the snake. Now you can cut your prices, find a cheaper shipper, find a buyer with more money, or keep the snake. Those are your choices.

You can stomp your feet and talk about quality animals all day long but the choices remain the same. At some point you are not going to find a cheaper shipper, or richer customer, and you will get tired of feeding last years snakes. Then you can decide if you are priced in a way that you can sell snakes.
 
Agree to Disagree

Wade,

I got your point. I just don't happen to agree with it. I'd like a new Ford Ranger Extracab 4x4, but if I can't afford a reasonable price for it, including shipping, I'm not going to go into the dealer and expect him to sell it to me for $5000. Point is, the value of the animal is not diminished by shipping costs, and should not be a factor that any serious buyer puts upon the seller. If the buyer doesn't like paying for shipping to where he's at, he can always move here.:)

I'll stick to waiting for buyers with a pair of sticks to rub together.:shrugs:

wade said:
My dear Mr. Toubab, you missed the point. The customer has a finite amount of money for snakes. Period. He doesn’t care if they money goes to you or fed ex or your uncle Elmo with the pick up truck. X number of dollars is all he is going to spend. If your snake is prices such that when combined with shipping it comes to $X.02 then that customer is not going to buy the snake. Now you can cut your prices, find a cheaper shipper, find a buyer with more money, or keep the snake. Those are your choices.

You can stomp your feet and talk about quality animals all day long but the choices remain the same. At some point you are not going to find a cheaper shipper, or richer customer, and you will get tired of feeding last years snakes. Then you can decide if you are priced in a way that you can sell snakes.
Click to expand...
 
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