First off I want to say I was very pleased with the first order from Global Sugar Art. I was actually getting ready to place my 2nd order for a JEM cutter and impression mat and the order was around $11 when I looked at the shipping it was more than my order. I was in SHOCK!! How come the shipping is so HIGH?
How funny....I was just going to ask if anyone knew how much shipping was! I am looking for the 5 petal cutters and wanted to see what they charge but they require you to "register" before it will tell you the shipping, which I think sucks.....but I did it.
Then I realized they wanted my credit card info before letting me see what the s/h fees will be. What is the deal with that? Please tell me I did something wrong because that doesn't sound right. So was the s/h outrageous on your first order?
I need to get a couple of the cutters and if the s/h isn't too high, I will stock up on a bunch of stuff the local cake decorating store doesn't carry...crud 
shipping = gas/airplane fuel/diesel, etc.
and we all know what's happening at the pump to us!
it's happening the same and more so to the shipping companies!
I totally see your point....I guess I am thinking that a plastic cutter and mat do not weigh more then 12 oz. or so. (The mats I have seem are lightweight plastic, as is the cutter.) So why the $11? Even with a box, you are at $4 or $5 dollars, tops.
****The following rant is directed at the "companies", not you Doug
What I am looking for is a company that understands that in this poor economy, where higher gas prices have caused everything to go up, they need to compete to keep MY business! Try dropping the "handling" fees from your shipping, because it does not cost $11 freakin' dollars to ship 12 ounces. Or offering free shipping over a certain amount - or, at the very least, be clear about your charges and disclose them openly.
These are ways to nod your head at the struggling consumer....who is struggling to decide, Should I order these cutters from this company? Do I really need them? Perhaps I should keep looking for a better deal....or save the money.
My point?? Everyone is being hosed by the economy....which is why I am not inclined to pay more then necessary for basic items, like postage. Charge a fair price with a MODEST handling fee, not a problem. Start charging me triple the postage and I hit the back button quick!
Ok, my rant is over now
shipping = gas/airplane fuel/diesel, etc.
and we all know what's happening at the pump to us!
it's happening the same and more so to the shipping companies!
I totally see your point....I guess I am thinking that a plastic cutter and mat do not weigh more then 12 oz. or so. (The mats I have seem are lightweight plastic, as is the cutter.) So why the $11? Even with a box, you are at $4 or $5 dollars, tops.
****The following rant is directed at the "companies", not you Doug
What I am looking for is a company that understands that in this poor economy, where higher gas prices have caused everything to go up, they need to compete to keep MY business! Try dropping the "handling" fees from your shipping, because it does not cost $11 freakin' dollars to ship 12 ounces. Or offering free shipping over a certain amount - or, at the very least, be clear about your charges and disclose them openly.
These are ways to nod your head at the struggling consumer....who is struggling to decide, Should I order these cutters from this company? Do I really need them? Perhaps I should keep looking for a better deal....or save the money or try to find the best deal for my money.
My point?? Everyone is being hosed by the economy....which is why I am not inclined to pay more then necessary for basic items, like postage. Chrage a fair price with a MODEST handling, not a problem. Start charging me triple the postage, I hit the back button quick!
Ok, my rant is over now
[/u]
And if you don't charge "handling" fees then how do you expect a company to pay for the warehousing, employees doing the shipping, the boxes and tape and peanuts, etc...
There is only so much margin between the wholesale price and retail price of something like a cutter in which to absorb all that overhead.
Sure it is a fine balancing act, but I think sometimes consumers forget about the amount of overhead it requires to operate a store.
Do some companies charge too much handling? sure they do. Also sometimes websites miscalculate the shipping due to any number of glitches that can take place.
The best thing to do when you get a shipping quote that you feel is too high, is to call the company and ask if it is correct.
I totally agree! I've quit buying most things online because of the shipping. I cannot find the 5 petal cutter here either but I refuse to pay the exorbitant shipping charges to get one.
And I think some companies forget how frustrating and incomprehensible it is to the consumer who is buying a lightweight, $3 plastic cutter and then has to pay $6 to ship it. I'm sure it all balances out in your profit and loss sheets but we think it sucks.
You think from a business stand point and I think as a consumer.
We'll just have to wave to each other from across the road, k?
I didn't mean to make anyone upset, but I'm trying to cut cost and $11 shipping for an $11 order seems to be a little ridiculous. It's for a daisy cutter and mat. I totally understand the PUMP being the problem, because that is why I'm trying to order online instead of driving an hour away to Hobby Lobby or Michaels and they only carry Wilton products. Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to point fingers at anyone...but if these companies start tearing at our wallets too...we don't order...they don't get our business. THEN WHAT??
Okay for me, this one is a no brainer. I just bought a bunch of stuff of the internet and the shipping was about $20, but I live out of town and the gas to get there is $30, not to metion now I have to drive and hour and a half just to get there, and the same to get home. It saves me driving time, gas money, and gets shipped right to my door. If you had to go to the store how much time would it waste and gas? Also the prices at the only store there are way more. example I bought the airbrush color for $25.75/12 pack, 9 ounces on internet, to buy it in the store was $4.25 per 3 ounce bottle. In the long run it saved me sooo much money!
Well I did place my order with Global Sugar Art yesterday, but I added more items to the order and the shipping barely went up. I'm very pleased with their customer service at GSA. I actually added more stuff today too and they added it to my order and UPS is scheduled to deliver it Friday!!!!! I'm so excited. I
t just looks like we will need to make a big order at once in order for the shipping to be reasonable...just like at the pump. We are all waiting until we need several things before venturing out to the stores.
Thanks SueBee for the information on ordering boxes. I went straight to that website and started shopping. I've been having to travel more than 45 minutes one way to buy boxes.
Cindy
i was very happy with my order. i live in new zealand and for 50 dollars my order arrived in a week, it was nearly 6 pounds!! and i also asked them if they could add something to my order after i had placed it, and they did!! i was so happy. i'm definitively buying from them again
i live in the philippines and i paid $30 for my order. it wasn't quite heavy but these were things i couldn't find here. the shipping is definitely steep but if you have no choice, you gotta pay it. trust me i'd rather pay a flat rate fee of $30 than close to $100 for 3 lbs.
and btw, i got my stuff TEN DAYS after it was shipped! that was fast! I was actually surprised when I finally received it. LOL wasn't expecting it to be that fast.
Shipping is expensive, So what a friend of mine and I did was purchase each other items and mail them out from home, my friend has a cake supply place in her town so if they had the item I needed she would buy it for me, whenever she went ( to purchase her items) she would purchased mine and shipped them to me, and I in turn did the same for her, my cake decorating supply store is only 5 minutes away from me. It saves me on the shipping cost, and since I go there to buy my supplies I am not making an extra drive, and mail it for much a cheaper price to her, we don't pay each other ( unless it is real expensive, then send the difference) we take turns purchasing, if it is more than the last items we purchased we will send out a check to cover the balance. I hope that makes sense.
I really understand about the shipping cost going up! I needed to over night something from West Virginia to Colorado and it was $80!!!! I mailed 3 pieces of paper! OMG!$!$!$! They weighed less 1 pound. I am in shock. SHOCK I TELL YOU! 
My poor credit card is still trying to recover.
It would be nice if when purchasing something ridiculously small that a less expensive shipping mode were offered.
express mail, padded envelope or box...in 2-3 days...less than 10 bucks
envelopes, packages, tubes weighing 13 oz or less can be mailed first class for average cost of a couple of postage stamps.
Although, I would like all the options in the world, I do understand limiting the options to streamline productivity..."I'm sorry boss! I accidently shipped it through fedex instead of ups" "Ma'am, one of our shipping associates accidently mailed your product with another company and their policy is 2 weeks or less" "WTF????? I needed that by Thursday!!!!!!"
Same way with most businesses...one can't get every flavor of cake...MOST bakeries have streamlined it to what sells best with an occasional far out flavor.
Because of the lack of suppliers in my area, I wait until I have a list of things I need before ordering. Sometimes, one supplier won't notify if something is OOS and I have to order those items elsewhere and weigh its' importance with the cost of shipping.
i haven't found Globals shipping to be out of line. Of course when i buy i usually buy quite a bit instead of one or two items.
IF you have tried shipping anything, you would see that the shipping on that site really isn't out of line. I know it cost me more to ship Xmas presents to my inlaws then the presents cost themselves.
Another option is if you know someone going to the ICES convention in July and can wait for those items is to ask them to buy them for you while they are there. Lots of the items the vendors have at the convention are way less than what they sell elsewhere.
I have to say, I was complaing about GSA shipping but the more you order, the more reasonable the shipping is. If you only order one or two things, it isn't affordable though.
I have a huge order of at least 15 different dusts and 10 cutters plus a Hex pan set and some veiners and the s/h is less than $13, which I think is really cheap.
after further investigation, GlobalSugarArt.com does, in fact, offer a lesser shipping method.
http://globalsugarart.com/?id=3
I just gotta say...
I'm sure there'll be those times when it doesn't get here so fast, but...
I placed an order with GlobalSugarArt.com on Saturday night(technically Monday morning). I was having a "Monday"(I'll leave it at that). I noticed the possibility of changing my shipping method and contacted them(okay, several times...I said I was having a Monday=Bubble head= Dee DeDe). They replied that the package hadn't been sent and that they would change my shipping method and credit my account the difference.
I received my package TODAY!!! I was ecstatic!
I just wanted to give two big thumbs up to Global Sugar Art aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand the USPS!!!!!!
I have to say after starting this thread...I've been estatic with Global Sugar Arts customer service and shipping (when ordering several items). I ordered about 25 items...a couple #2 pails of fondant, 20# pail, gumpaste, and sweetex...plus various small items, boxes, boards, americolor, sugar craft gun and pan....and the shipping was only $29. Can't wait to get the order. 
IntoTheOven.com has superb customer service and shipping too!
The time of year coupled with the increased number of cake decorators that are advancing to different forms of cake decorating have put a major demand on certain items. Throw in the increased interest in competing and those products are downright hard to find.
The suppliers with whom I do business are all doing a phenomenal job in not only staying on top of their stock(some things one has no control over) but also keeping their cool while being bombarded with buyers' demands and anxieties and deadlines.
I think Global Sugar is the best company I have ever dealt with. Living in Hawaii, shipping is one of my major issues & Global have been fantastic, their handling charges is extremely low & the priority mail is very fast, I appreciate their wonderful customer service & love dealing with Alana & Alan.
I also don't like paying crazy shipping prices (even though I know they are justified). This is why I only order online when I can get free shipping (ie. some stores (not cake) offer secret deals so I just google for them. Otherwise, I weigh how important it is to me (which it usually isn't) or wait until I need a bunch of stuff because the shipping costs are more easily justified then.
Being in Canada I find shipping crazy also. Most of the time shipping costs 3x more than product. I have found e-bay great with great shipping costs. I got a butterfly patchwork for under $13 including shipping.
Okay for me, this one is a no brainer. I just bought a bunch of stuff of the internet and the shipping was about $20, but I live out of town and the gas to get there is $30, not to metion now I have to drive and hour and a half just to get there, and the same to get home. It saves me driving time, gas money, and gets shipped right to my door. If you had to go to the store how much time would it waste and gas? Also the prices at the only store there are way more. example I bought the for $25.75/12 pack, 9 ounces on internet, to buy it in the store was $4.25 per 3 ounce bottle. In the long run it saved me sooo much money!
This is the case for me too, I don't live out of town but Houston is a big city and all the cake decorating stores are no where near me. Plus they are'nt open on weekends and a cake decorating store is no place for a 5yr old, 3 yr old and 2 yr old, they would destroy the place in a min!
With the gas I have to pay in a Suburban and the hassle of taking all three kids into the store its worth the shipping charges for me.
I also do alot of clothes shopping online for the kids, its just alot easier for me that way (gotta love Old Navy's 5$ shipping!!!).
I just wanted to chime in and say how great shipping was from Global Sugar Art . I ordered 7lbs of satin ice from them. It was shipped the same day - Friday - and arrived in Wisconsin on a Tuesday. Talk about impressive! Shipping was about what I expected for 7lbs. It my be a bit expensive, but I personally thought that the shipping time was extraordinary!
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