Minimum spending required for free postage at Wiggle

[Spoked Wheels]

I noticed that yesterday when I ordered 4 gear cables for under £7.
Postage would be £1.90. Spend another £3 for free postage.

Bought a few things from them in the summer and I don't remember seeing this new rule.

Parker International requires a minimum of £30 so £10 doesn't look so bad.
CRC still has free post but their prices are a little higher for what I wanted.
So I added a silicone cover for my garmin edge to the order and I got free postage.

I wonder if this will become a trend with cycling stores.....

 

[djb1971]

The cost of posting stuff has gone crazy just lately so I can't blame them for it.

 

[ianrauk]

Still, 4 gear cables for less then a tenner. That's still pretty good.
As @djb1971 has said, the cost of postage, especially for small parcels has rocketed recently.

 

[SquareDaff]

I noticed the same thing yesterday and hadn't noticed it before. I added a set of lizard skin leather patches to my order. Will now start keeping a list of little "sundries" that I'll always need as I can never think of them at the time!!

 

[Koga]

Plenty of other online suppliers who do not have this restriction, so just use them (Evans, Chainreaction just to name a few).

 

[Spoked Wheels]

Never buy from evans, probably the most expensive of them all.
I agree, still good value, even if I have to spend a tenner to get free postage.
Postage keeps going up, something we have to get used to I think.

 

[StuUngar]

Still, 4 gear cables for less then a tenner. That's still pretty good.
As @djb1971 has said, the cost of postage, especially for small parcels has rocketed recently.

It's not recent. Probably last 12 - 18 months the RM have increased their prices at least 40% overnight throughout. Which is why Amazon in the last few months introduced a £10 minimum spend.

There are many Amazon haters out there. Ebay do exactly the same by being based in Luxembourg so paying f all tax. Tax avoidance isn't illegal. If I was a huge global business I'd want to ensure I had the best accountants & lawyers to ensure I stayed within the law but paid as little tax as legal.

The difference between Amazon & Ebay & then the Royal Mail which has implemented these increases is CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Amazon CS is exemplary. Ebay & the RM is either non existent or useless.

I get at least 20 - 30 load of junk mail from the RM that probably weighs over a kilo - every week. If I was to send that through their "service" it would probably cost me at the least £10 a week based on weight and size.

Wiggle have always been excellent with me. All I am saying is that the blame needs to lie firmly at the door of the RM.

A 40%+ overnight price increase is way beyond inflation & smacks of greed. Lo & behold - the company is now up for sale!

 

[ayceejay]

I ordered a helmet from PBK that they sent post free, I sent it back and it cost me $35.

 

[StuUngar]

I ordered a helmet from PBK that they sent post free, I sent it back and it cost me $35.

This thread is about Wiggle who, like CRC have free returns via Collect +.....

However, I agree that PBK are a terrible company to deal with & that they don't offer free returns & will make out you haven't sent things back when you have.

They are part of "The Hut" umbrella group. A thoroughly shonky company that aren't worth the hassle even if they advertise too good to be true prices.

Once they have your £ it will be a nightmare getting it back if, as often, they take your money & then let you know they don't have the item in stock!

 

[Davidc]

Just do total costing.

If things are 'free postage' it just means carriage costs are rolled up in the price, so if a supplier charges it separately add up total costs to do your comparison.

Do that and half the time you'll end up buying from mainland Europe with a higher carriage cost and much lower goods cost.

 

[ayceejay]

I was pointing out the cost of postage rather than how terrible PBK is.

 

[Spoked Wheels]

A 40%+ overnight price increase is way beyond inflation & smacks of greed. Lo & behold - the company is now up for sale!

Maybe that was the reason to put the price up, to be more attractive to potential buyers.

 

[SquareDaff]

Plenty of other online suppliers who do not have this restriction, so just use them (Evans, Chainreaction just to name a few).

But the trend appears to be the introduction of a minimum spend for free postage. Now the big players have started doing this how long before the rest follow suit?

 

[Koga]

But the trend appears to be the introduction of a minimum spend for free postage. Now the big players have started doing this how long before the rest follow suit?

You are probably right, but the two I quoted are pretty big to (if not bigger) and they are both good on parts.

 

[Tcr4x4]

Don't know how CRC can make any money. Ordered a new helmet and some arm warmers on Thursday. The helmet was £30 cheaper than on wiggle, and the arm warmers were £5 cheaper.

Both turned up today.. In separate parcels via Royal Mail. The arm warmers packing box was as big as the helmet box!