AHBS shipping increase

[JnJ]

I was on AHBS's site today to check out their sale and noticed they raised their shipping from $5.99 to $6.99. That will off set some of the savings you might get during the sale......... Still I guess it's not to bad.

 

[Ó Flannagáin]

Northernbrewer just bumped theirs from 5.99 to 7.99

 

[rdwj]

Northern also raised many of their prices when they went to the flat shipping rate. I was looking at an older version of the catalog and some things are as much as $10 more now.

I guess they have to pay for shipping somehow

 

[ohiobrewtus]

$6.99 is still a heck of a flat shipping rate if you ask me.

 

[Ó Flannagáin]

Actually, NB was doing the 5.99 flat shipping for a while too, they just upped it 2 bucks recently.

 

[the_bird]

From what Forrest of AHS says, they are subsidizing about two-thirds of the shipping cost. As always, consider the total price after shipping, compare that to the local guy if you have one (factoring in the value of your time and gas to get there) and make your decision from there. Whenever I've looked at Austin, it always seemed that the base prices were higher than elsewhere, but that might just have been the items I was comparing.

 

[JnJ]

Well for me it makes it tougher to buy from AHBS because besides the shipping, I have to pay taxes since I'm in Texas. Depending on the amount ordered, these added together could cost more than buying somewhere else and only paying shipping.
Some times normal shipping to me from AHBS is less than their flat rate, but they don't offer that as an option.

 

[Lil' Sparky]

FYI - you only pay taxes on equipment. Ingredients aren't taxed since they're like food.

I placed an order last night. Total was $130, and tax was only $1.13.

 

[Austinhomebrew]

Well for me it makes it tougher to buy from AHBS because besides the shipping, I have to pay taxes since I'm in Texas. Depending on the amount ordered, these added together could cost more than buying somewhere else and only paying shipping.
Some times normal shipping to me from AHBS is less than their flat rate, but they don't offer that as an option.

You do have the option of selecting regular ground shipping if it comes to less than $6.99.

 

[JnJ]

You do have the option of selecting regular ground shipping if it comes to less than $6.99.

I could have swore on one of my orders, when I got to shipping options the ground was cheaper but X'ed out as not an option.........

 

[david_42]

Heck, I burn more than that in fuel to get to the nearest 'L'HBS. And the same to get home.

 

[Sea]

Heck, I burn more than that in fuel to get to the nearest 'L'HBS. And the same to get home.

Yeah, I'm in the same boat, but do we really want to live in a world where the local guy isn't even a choice? I love that I can go get the ingredients and brew on the same day, even if it does cost a little more. Convenience is worth a little extra.

Then again, I'll pay $0.25 more per gallon if I don't have to wait in line at the gas station.

 

[EdWort]

UPS and other shippers are tacking on fuel surcharges to their normal rates, so it's not a surprise anyway.

 

[mrk305]

You do have the option of selecting regular ground shipping if it comes to less than $6.99.

Hey Forrest. I have been watching your posts for a couple of months, and I have noticed that you only post when it is apropriate. You also identify yourself as Austinhomebrew. I think it is great the way you participate in HBT. I usualy only buy local, but as a "not local" home brew supplier, I think you have a lot of class.

 

[adx]

Yeah, I'm in the same boat, but do we really want to live in a world where the local guy isn't even a choice? I love that I can go get the ingredients and brew on the same day, even if it does cost a little more. Convenience is worth a little extra.

For some people there isn't even a local guy. I would probably never buy local if a LHBS wasn't on my way home from work. There is no way I put up with the traffic around here and the distances involved (~30 miles) just to shop locally. And it's not like I'm living in the middle of the sticks either.

 

[z987k]

Hey Forrest. I have been watching your posts for a couple of months, and I have noticed that you only post when it is apropriate. You also identify yourself as Austinhomebrew. I think it is great the way you participate in HBT. I usualy only buy local, but as a "not local" home brew supplier, I think you have a lot of class.

I've seen that also, and while I like to buy from the local guy, they just don't carry enough variety in things. They can get yeast strains I want in, but if I want hops that they don't carry(and they don't carry many), I order from AHS...so I usually get hops, yeast and some small amount of obscure grain the local guy doesn't carry as well.