View Full Version : calton case shipping price$
drewgrass
Feb-18-2010, 6:51pm
well i spent the day searching the web looking for a calton for my f-5. i went down the list on the retailers that support the cafe. i only found only one place that had it in stock. its the white with blue interior deluxe case. i told the guy i would think about it after he gave me a price quote. and as usual as most salesmen do he said if you buy it now i will knock off $50.00. so i bit. he got all my info and gave me the total and when the deal was all but done and he told me the shipping cost and i agreed, because i need one of these, cause im driving up and down the road. every day with my gibson and and jamming a couple hours after work alot. and i got a two year old kid who likes to break stuff. the shipping cost came out to $70.00. for regular ground shipping is this right. i know how these places operate sometimes. after i got off the phone i was like dang i got rolled but i need it. i know these are heavy and if this is normal i will keep the order but if not i may call and cancel. i just hate when people pull a fast one. i know im the jackass. but i just placed this order so i can cancel it still.
Coy Wylie
Feb-18-2010, 6:55pm
I have a Calton and it is heavy but not that heavy! FWIW I just had a mando shipped from CA to TX in a standard case for $42 UPS. I don't think my Calton is $28 heavier. Of course it would depend how far you are shipping and from where (ie. Canada).
EdSherry
Feb-18-2010, 7:04pm
In my experience, there are typically two different elements of "shipping" cost: the price that the shipper pays to the carrier (e.g., UPS or FedEx), and the cost associated with packing the case in preparation for shipping. The seller can't do much about the former, but clearly has control over the latter. Depending on where you are relative to the seller, $70 seems very high to me for the former. I personally don't begrudge sellers charging a reasonable fee for the latter, but IMHO it's certainly worth negotiating.
Jonathan Reinhardt
Feb-18-2010, 7:24pm
I'm getting a cylinder head, with cams/valves, from OR for $50. Apples to oranges, but still! And again, I have learned, everyone does it differently and has different costs.
drewgrass
Feb-18-2010, 7:29pm
yeah i also just ordered a national model d round neck dobro. from upstate new york. i live in oklahoma and it was $45.00 in a case to ship it here. this place (the calton dealer) is half the distance to me and twice as much as the dobro. using the same carrier and same method ups ground. i was just glad i found one after calling six places. and ready to get the deal done. now im having a little remorse not because of the money just i dont deal with shady people im honest and up front with people. the shipping was the last thing i got told and it was one of the first things i asked. my fault totally. but i guess if my kid jumps on the case next week or i fall on the ice and drop the case in this bad weather then ill be fine.
Ron Hale
Feb-18-2010, 7:46pm
Sounds like he made up his 50.00 Buy It Now discount!
Ronnie
woodwizard
Feb-18-2010, 8:04pm
I wish I had one of those. I would go white as well. Nice choice. You never know nowadays what there going to ask for shipping. Have you tryed to talk him down?
...and Master of None
Feb-18-2010, 8:49pm
Once burned, twice shy. I hope the business owner got what he needed from that transaction because I've a sneaking suspicion he's not going to be high on your list of favorite retailers...
John
drewgrass
Feb-18-2010, 9:50pm
im madder at my self. i could have stopped it but it was the last thing the guy said and i had gave him all my info. so i just did it. the thing that sucks is i bought from this store (who will remain nameless its between me and them) because of this site. i wanted to support people who support this forum that i get a lot of use and joy from. i guess i jusr supported them more than i wanted to. i would not of had a problem if the guy said i cant make you a deal and shipping is $25.00. like i said i spent 2 grand on a dobro this morning. i had the cash to spend. a used calton went for almost $500.00 on ebay yesterday. its no big deal it just makes me mad sorry to rant.
Dr. Jazz
Feb-18-2010, 9:57pm
Handling charges are bogus. Just a way to make a few bucks and cheat the customer. ..... But I'm not bitter!
Calton ships their cases to me in cardboard boxes. - no packaging or boxes involved.
I can either call UPS for a pick-up or wait for the guy to make his regular rounds. - No other charges involved.
I'm sure I'm like most Calton dealers. I don't charge a handling charge. I can't eat the shipping entirely, but I do not make a profit on it.
Shipping for a Mando case shouldn't be more than $40.00!
drewgrass
Feb-18-2010, 10:58pm
Handling charges are bogus. Just a way to make a few bucks and cheat the customer. ..... But I'm not bitter!
Calton ships their cases to me in cardboard boxes. - no packaging or boxes involved.
I can either call UPS for a pick-up or wait for the guy to make his regular rounds. - No other charges involved.
I'm sure I'm like most Calton dealers. I don't charge a handling charge. I can't eat the shipping entirely, but I do not make a profit on it.
Shipping for a Mando case shouldn't be more than $40.00!
well what should i do cancel the order. if you dont mind tell me what is the total cost shipping and all, some of you guys have paid for your calton. i dont mind now saying the total cost of this case with shipping is $682.00. the shipping rate on this same case at elderly is around $19.00 ground. the cost listed at elderly is $660.00 same as where i bought. if elderly didnt give a discount then the price would be close but i think they would maybe give a discount. ive decided to hell with it ive wasted enough time on it i will just probably keep it.
drewgrass
Feb-18-2010, 11:20pm
i thought i would check the site i bought this from for shipping rates. it said free shipping on orders over $79.00 except cases they are $20.00 looks like im getting some money back in the morning.
banjoboy
Feb-18-2010, 11:42pm
well what should i do cancel the order. if you dont mind tell me what is the total cost shipping and all, some of you guys have paid for your calton. i dont mind now saying the total cost of this case with shipping is $682.00. the shipping rate on this same case at elderly is around $19.00 ground. the cost listed at elderly is $660.00 same as where i bought. if elderly didnt give a discount then the price would be close but i think they would maybe give a discount. ive decided to hell with it ive wasted enough time on it i will just probably keep it.
Did you check out the Stringman in Canada?
Mike Bunting
Feb-19-2010, 12:01am
Try the Acoustic Guitar Shop in Calgary, minimal shipping charges.
http://www.acousticguitar.net/home.htm
Mark Gibbs
Feb-19-2010, 12:09am
It's costing me 101.00 to have my new mando shipped from Vancouver BC to S. Oregon but half of that is for insurance. The french polish is finished and it is just a matter of installing the Waverly's and the James etc. Won't be long now. Will post photos upon arrival. It's a Blond
sgarrity
Feb-19-2010, 12:32am
I just shipped a mandolin for about $35 insurance and all. Granted it was a $700 instrument.
I shipped a 'zouk of the same value and it was over $80 for the shipping due to the box size. I about fell over!
Greg H.
Feb-19-2010, 12:45am
Tony Williamson almost always has a couple of caltons available at a good price.
http://www.mandolincentral.com/ccase.html
Of course it was a lot easier for me since he's only 30 minutes away so there was no shipping.......but still a great site.
Rooster59
Feb-19-2010, 12:49am
I'd also recommend "The Acoustic Guitar" in Calgary. I got a calton from Mike just a few months ago and he's a straight-up, good guy to deal with. A year or so ago he sent me a mando to try. He paid the shipping to send it to me and when I decided that it just wasn't quite what I was looking for I paid the shipping to return it. When I phoned him to see if it had arrived safely he said "you didn't have to do that". That kind of service sure makes an impression on me!
If you're on the US side of the border, you've got your stronger dollar working for you as well. His prices are pretty decent too.~:>
drewgrass
Feb-19-2010, 1:29am
thanks to all for the info and replies. im going to talk to a manager at this place and if we cant get somewhere i will cancel and go from there.
Ivan Kelsall
Feb-19-2010, 2:59am
I think that Mark above nailed a good point. Quite a portion of the cost of shipping will be insurance
on the shipped item. I shipped an A style Mandolin back to the store from where i'd purchased it as part of a part-ex.deal,the shipping (postage cost) was around £15 UK ($24 US), but the insurance came to £48 UK ( $78 US). However,it's sometimes possible for instrument stores to have a special rate for insurance through their store Insurance policy. I know that the main store (i was given to believe it was so) in the UK,TAMCO has such an arrangement,otherwise i'd have been asked to pay quite a bit more when my Mandolins were shipped up to me from Brighton, UK,
Ivan
DPrager
Feb-19-2010, 5:54pm
Some years ago I read a review of what was then the latest Mercedes-Benz E class sedan. The reviewers loved the style, the finish, the comfort and the handling. They then went on to provide the prices that one might expect when taking this beauty of car in for schedule service. As you might expect, the service charges were high. The reviewer then went on to write "If you can afford this car, you can afford the maintenance charges."
The same might be said for cases, mandolins, guitars, motorcycles or ........
mandroid
Feb-19-2010, 6:20pm
Well, at least fiberglass hand laid up. cases are one time buys,
, no oil-changes , water pumps, disc rotors and pads, tires , and all that stuff..
drewgrass
Feb-19-2010, 6:54pm
Some years ago I read a review of what was then the latest Mercedes-Benz E class sedan. The reviewers loved the style, the finish, the comfort and the handling. They then went on to provide the prices that one might expect when taking this beauty of car in for schedule service. As you might expect, the service charges were high. The reviewer then went on to write "If you can afford this car, you can afford the maintenance charges."
The same might be said for cases, mandolins, guitars, motorcycles or ........
not tooting my own horn but as ive said before this aint about the money. i own one of the rarer gibsons made in the last ten years. i drive a car on level with a mercedes e class. i can afford a calton or whatever case i want. and the reason i can is because i don't let people put the screws to me. like i said if the guy said the case is $660.00 i can't discount it and shipping is $20.00 i would have probably took the thing. but im not going to let someone have the satisfaction telling me im gonna give you a deal then sticking it to me. it's shady business. i dont mind pissing off money. but you aint gonna screw me. its the principle. please dont take that the wrong way
jim_n_virginia
Feb-19-2010, 9:44pm
Drew $70.00 is about $15-$20 too much for shipping. But is $15 or $20 dollars worth all the hassle of canceling the order and find a new one and waiting for it?
I'd just get it and chalk it up to experience.
Maybe you can call him back and negotiate a different way of mailing it that might be cheaper? I mean you don't have to worry as much about packing a case. And you can have it sent parcel post or something not 3-5 days and might bring the cost down.
drewgrass
Feb-19-2010, 9:54pm
jim a couple of places are shipping this case for $20 but i hear ya. thanks for all you guys help im done with this thread. whats done is done. hope i havent seemed like a whiner. i probably shouldnt have started this thread its between me and the seller but i wanted to know what these were going for. i made my point thanks again to all.
peter.coombe
Feb-19-2010, 10:54pm
You guys should stop winging and wining about a measley $70. Try shipping a mandolin internationally across the pond. $70 is nothing. Try multiplying that by 10 and you're getting warm!! It is increasingly a major problem and getting worse. Add up the shipping cost, plus fuel surcharge, plus security surcharge, plus remote area charge, plus insurance and you get no change from $700.
woodwizard
Feb-21-2010, 2:20am
Yup! $700.00 for shipping makes $70.00 bucks seem mighty slim. But we're in the states and it shouldn't be that high. Everyone knows what UPS and all the other shippers charge. It's no secret.
I always check shipping costs on anything I purchace and shop for the lowest. It's just part of it. It can be a deciding factor in a deal for sure. I can see drewgrass's point ... it's not a matter of affording the extra cost.