or does everyone else hate the astronomical shipping charges when ordering cake items off the net? I ordered two cookie cutters and the shipping was $9. I hate to complain and I usually just suck it up but I think this has been building up for a while. I think you should make your profit from your products not from shipping charges. Sorry ladies I was going to bust wide open if I didn't get that off my chest.

bikegal

Nope! It's not just you. I try not to order online if I can help it at all. Shipping prices will kill your budget adn in the end how do you ( the decorator) really make any real profit?!

Omg, $9.00? for 2 cookie cutters? were they made of SOLID SILVER? geesh. Thats a Lot. but If you ever buy anything from Abc or Ltd its the Same way, they will ship all your stuff out in boxes of 1's & 2's and charge out the Wazoo for shipping. Its just Pittiful, but if you want it bad enough you will pay the shipping, espically if its a hard to find item, I collect MARIO & LUIGI stuff for my son,, its HARD to FIND and you have to have it Shipped to you. so I am feeling your pain on the shipping.
Hopefully it will get better. At least We could HOPE! hahaha..
~Sweet~ =0)

I try not to get things shipped unless it just cannot find it in the store. Cookie cutters are pretty common in Michaels and Hobby Lobby so I just get those there for 2 cookie cutters you may only spend 2.00 versus 9.00.

I have the same problems. I live in Germany so you can imagine what my shipping costs are for me. I don't know of any cake decorating stores here so of course I have to order everything.

I hate the shipping charges also.

Have yet to order anything from those companies because of the high shipping...just make do with what is in the stores.

I think the shipping and handling charges are a bit much.... wish I could buy more stuff local....does anyone know what type of store would sell the impression mats... can't find them any where around here...
I just hate ordering off the net...ugh..

I get most of my cookie cutters from www.downtowndough.com they have a flat rate of $5.00. No matter how much you order it's $5.00.

I ordered a $19.00 cake stand from the US last year...and because the idiot who sold it to me claimed on the customs form that it was worth $190...I paid $76 in duty for it to come to Canada. I had to pay it at the door in cash to get the parcel.

Stupid me!

Shipping is only going to keep going up. It's linked to the price of gas, which will only rise further. I consider myself lucky that I rarely need to order anything online. One thing I read somewhere is to get things sent by regular US Mail whenever possible. It keeps the postage down.

Try having stuff shipped to Alaska. If they even are willing to ship it to Alaska it usually is so high it's outragous, especially if they will only ship it by Fedex or UPS! (no ground to Alaska)

Sometimes they just refuse to ship to Alaska all together like we are in a foreign country. Then if they say will ship to continental US (take a look, Alaska is on the continent) but don't mean AK. They should say contiguous but get it wrong.

My friend did actually have someone tell her they wouldn't ship it out of the country. She told them Alaska was a state and part of the US and the woman said no it wasn't! She hung up and called back.

Heehee, try ordering online and having things shipped to Canada from the U.S. You get nailed for the U.S. dollars, nailed for huge shipping fees and then you get nailed at customs if people put the insured value instead of the actual value of the item. Most things cost about $30 U.S. minimum in shipping fees. Haha, can't tell you how often I receive orders from the U.S. when the sender puts the insured value of U.S.$100 instead of the actual declared value, which is what you paid for the item and the amount that is supposed to be used. I once ordered an item that had a declared value of $5. The sender put the insured value of $100 instead in the declared value area. So I was charged customs of 15%, on the Canadian equivalent of the U.S $100 and an additional custom's handling fee of $5 and get this, the sender charged $30 shipping and handing. and $5 for insurance. So we are up to US. $40 which was costing me $58.80 Canadian plus $21 customs and the $5 handling fee for a grand total of Canadian $84.80 to receive a $5 item. Oh yes, this item came from a place only 3 hours away.
I now rarely ever order anything online unless it is from within Canada. Even then we get nailed with huge shipping fees.
Hugs Squirrelly

Factor in high gas prices. Then the handling/processing fee. It's probably easier/ cheaper to get stuff at the store. Or if you are selling cookies find a way To make it the money back LOL...

Squirrelly & Antonia it sounds like it's a shipping nightmare for you ladies up there in Canada, but if I ever need to ship anything to Canada I'll know the correct way to do it! Squirrelly, every time I see the walnut cake molds in the King Arthur Catalog I think of you! okieinalaska, my mom had a lady working at the post office tell her Alaska was a country and not part of the United States. *bangs head on desk*