Having prints shipped directly from lab unprofessional?

I dont buy any materials... I drop ship everything. I charge $1 less than my actual cost for shipping. I think $3.99 sounds better than $4.99 for clients so I cover a $1.

Exposure Manager ships to my customers but with my name on the paperwork and on the back of the shot. On occasion I will receive the package and repackage the prints before I hand deliver them to the customer. Once, because of a deadline, I had to use Costco. I got there 15 min before they closed, explained my urgency and they took care of me, also they didn't put their name on the back. My monitor is calibrated for EM and the Costco prints were a bit darker. I would use them again if needed.

Okay, no flames here. I shoot for free or for cost for charities and non-profits. They want pictures and I don't want to pay for them. I process the photos and trust Costco to do the job well, or else, I get my money back. I've ordered from Costco many times, but I cannot see the final product if shipped to the organization. So, I just trust them. If the client is unhappy, I send them the files and they can do whatever, but most are grateful. Now, if it was for a paid shoot that the final product is most important to do perfect, I'd probably print it at home. If a large poster, I'd trust Penn Camera locally. But Costco posters are amazing, just don't ship until I've seen it.

eigga wrote in post #5821546
Drop shipping with WHCC is expensive too.

$5.00 is expensive? ?

WHCC is free 2 day shipping to my house with a $12.00 min order. $5.00 drop ship with no minimum

Greg

A lot of places have a minimum $12 order requirement. An amount of $5.00 for Sh/handling is not unreasonable. The postage/packing portion - not counting labor - is easily $4. - Stu

g-money wrote in post #5833879
$5.00 is expensive? ?

WHCC is free 2 day shipping to my house with a $12.00 min order. $5.00 drop ship with no minimum

Greg

I read that drop shipping was $7.50 .....and the $12 minimum order is WAY to much for the way I conduct business. Most of my orders are in the $40-$50 range which does not equal $12 in products. Most of my invoices are $7-$9

But again... that's just me. We all have to find what works for our business.

sapearl wrote in post #5834091
A lot of places have a minimum $12 order requirement. An amount of $5.00 for Sh/handling is not unreasonable. The postage/packing portion - not counting labor - is easily $4. - Stu

Oh I agree 100% I just found it odd that eggia thought $5.00 was high. I still plan on passing this expense down to my customers and have them shipped directly to me. This will help offset the cost of the decorative packaging and my shipping cost to deliver to the customer all nice and pretty.

Well I read the WHCC pricing last week and drop shipping was $7.50 and $12 minimum order. If that is wrong then they need to update their site cause I was looking into using them...

eigga wrote in post #5834444
I read that drop shipping was $7.50 .....and the $12 minimum order is WAY to much for the way I conduct business. Most of my orders are in the $40-$50 range which does not equal $12 in products. Most of my invoices are $7-$9

But again... that's just me. We all have to find what works for our business.

Using the Print fullfillment system which is seperate from the regualr ROES system. It is only $5.00 for USPS shipping. Pass the fee on to the customer. I have never had one complain about shipping costs.

Here is what you most like read for priority mail drop shipping. From their site I never use priority mail and prints usually get here to Arkansas in about 4 days.

Our Print Fulfillment program is the perfect solution for small
orders of small format prints, or orders of small format prints
you would like drop shipped directly to your client. There is no
minimum order, only a $5 postage/handling charge for USPS
shipping within the United States. A $7 shipping option will
guarantee the package ships Priority Mail.

It is interesting to see how other people do this. I go with a local lab. I upload my images to them. The client goes in with a password, sees only their album,picks the prints they want and they are shipped to them. It is $2 to ship no matter where it goes or what size the order.

tim wrote in post #5816672
I think it's a bad idea. Put yourself in the customers position: they order prints and pay say $10 for a 6x4, then their print arrives in an envelope that tells them you paid about $0.30 for the print. They'll feel ripped off, even though the value is in the making and processing of the photo. If it turns up in plain packaging or packaging branded with your studio name then they'll assume it was done somewhere expensive, and assume greater value.

Incidentally I won't use a lab that puts their name on the back of the print for the same reason.

What lab do you use that doesn't print on the back?

bglawilliams wrote in post #5859527
What lab do you use that doesn't print on the back?

Queensberry print in Auckland, New Zealand. They sometimes print on the back, if asked, but not the lab name - just file details.

Costco will print my name on the back of an order, I've no qualms using their service but I would rather not have them ship to my customer.

BJ - once the client makes their final selection among the online proofs, do you do any additional PP on the images before the lab prints and ships to the customer?

BJ Pulsipher wrote in post #5859090
It is interesting to see how other people do this. I go with a local lab. I upload my images to them. The client goes in with a password, sees only their album,picks the prints they want and they are shipped to them. It is $2 to ship no matter where it goes or what size the order.