Lumiere's shipping costs and MMU companies' responsibility for lost items

[icecookies]

Originally Posted by missnadia /img/forum/go_quote.gif The equation goes like this from what I rememberrofit = Revenue - Cost

Let's assume for example's sake that it costs her 20$ (big overestimation) in materials + packaging for an order that she will sell me at 80$.

Profit = 80$ - 20$ = 60$

If a package gets lost, she will have to spend 20$ twice to replace it. So then

Profit = 80$ - (20$ x 2) = 40$

That's still 40$ of profit that she will make. It's not a loss. A loss occurs when your profit is negative, that is, when your cost is bigger than your revenue.

Unless there's some accounting factors that I am not aware of, she is still making a considerable profit even if she decides to send out a replacement package for every order.

I am sorry that you have no awareness or interest in the nature of the companies that you do business with, nor whether your money is being spent wisely.

Not sure what your gripe is but allow me to correct you on a few points so that you can relax.
1.I own and operate 2 very successful businesses - none of them are mentioned here nor do we share anything in common with the business being discussed here.

2.My money, which is substantial and dear to me, is spent wisely- thank you for your unneeded concern. Save it for someone who may need it because I assure you that I'm not the one.

3.I am not a customer of Lumiere's nor do I foresee myself ever becoming one so your point is meaningless to me.

 

[paperclip]

Originally Posted by missnadia /img/forum/go_quote.gif The equation goes like this from what I rememberrofit = Revenue - Cost

Let's assume for example's sake that it costs her 20$ (big overestimation) in materials + packaging for an order that she will sell me at 80$.

Profit = 80$ - 20$ = 60$

If a package gets lost, she will have to spend 20$ twice to replace it. So then

Profit = 80$ - (20$ x 2) = 40$

That's still 40$ of profit that she will make. It's not a loss. A loss occurs when your profit is negative, that is, when your cost is bigger than your revenue.

Unless there's some accounting factors that I am not aware of, she is still making a considerable profit even if she decides to send out a replacement package for every order..

I'm not saying she's making a total loss of $80. I'm saying she would lose her cost + profit from the sale, which she would have gotten if the sale had been delivered successfully. Also, what her cost is is just an assumption, who knows how much it is.


Originally Posted by missnadia /img/forum/go_quote.gif So you are saying that customers should be understanding of companies because what happens after they ship the package then it's beyond their control? When a package is lost, the company still gets to keep the profit that they've made off of my 80$ order. What do I get? NOTHING. Money's gone and you feel cheated because you've been stressing about your order for 2 months. And I'm still the one who should be understanding of them while they get to keep all the money without lifting a finger? I think business is business, but if you want to talk about understanding, how about they show a little understanding of me? No, I am not saying that. I am just speaking for myself. I can definitely understand how disappointing it is not to get your order, and how the loss of $ hits you. I am a consumer who orders online often too. But if the mail goes through USPS, it really is no longer under the control of the company we ordered from. I would be disappointed if my package was lost, I would appreciate the company resending my order, I would also appreciate them doing the best to check with USPS what happened, and showing me evidence that they mailed it out. But, if they really couldn't replace my order, esp if sent first class, I would personally not hold them responsible. Depending on how they dealt with the whole thing and their attitude, I may or may not shop with them in future.
When one shops online, there is always a risk of not receiving our packages. On the other hand, for these businesses, they have to deal with the risks of lost mail and selling off the internet. To have delivery more certain, registered or insured mail are good options if shipping costs can be kept reasonable at the same time. I believe there must be business insurance plans which could cover for lost orders too? If the companies are covered for losses, then I would expect them to replace my order.

And again, there really are dishonest people out there who might lie to get freebies. Not saying that you or anyone else is such a person.

However, I understand your feelings, individual opinions vary and I respect yours.

Originally Posted by missnadia /img/forum/go_quote.gif Lastly, I believe that companies can get deals on shipping as well as insurance. Paula's Choice ships Priority International to Canada, and they don't have the ridiculous "I'm not responsible if it gets lost" policy. They're probably insured and they probably got a deal on shipping because of the amount of packages that they ship. Certainly I agree with that. Sounds like Paula's Choice would have some sort of insurance shipping Priority International. Then they'd better replace my order if it's lost

Just that most of us want affordable shipping too. I've never ordered from PC, is their Priority International shipping charge reasonable?
I also agree with you that there are cheaper and better options Lumiere should look into. They are coming across high-handed in the way they state their new shipping policies.

 

[goddess]

Originally Posted by paperclip /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think there are slightly cheaper shipping options. For international, there's first class mail + registered which should end up 15 thereabouts, or priority + insurance which would be around 20. For domestic, I don't get why they're stating so 'loudly' that there's no replacement/guarantee unless u take the express $20 option, that's really high for domestic. Wasn't the lack of tracking what Kim said was a problem? Don't u get delivery confirmation available with USPS in the US? Yes, it may still be delivered wrong, but the seller is pretty protected that way. Doesn't UPS have pretty reasonable domestic shipping fees with tracking?
Personally, I do understand how there may be honest people who really did not get their package, and dishonest people who're trying to get free stuff. As long as it can be proven to me that you sent it out, I will trust that you did, and not hold you responsible for lost mail if it happened outside your sphere of influence.

Yes, if it was an $80 order, and did not arrive, it doesn't mean it's an $80 loss to the company. But, it does mean a loss of the cost, and the profit the company would have gotten, a total of $80. To us, it's a total loss. For them, they can write off the profit. To replace, they would lose another $80 of cost + profit. I have no idea what their cost is, that would be the crux I guess.

Of course, by replacing the package we did not receive, we would be very happy with their service, but is it really right to expect them to be responsible for what is beyond their control? An online business with items to be shipped is different from buying from a brick and mortar shop.

I think they should buy insurance against such business losses. Are there such insurances out there for companies?

Tell me, do the big companies selling online replace lost mail? Is this expectation more for the small businesses? I have no idea, but am curious about that.

In summary, I don't really have a problem with Lumiere's new policy for international. I will just be more worried about my packages not getting here. At least I still have the choice of cheaper shipping. If it was only the $25 option available, I would probably never buy from them again. And yep, I would never opt for that ridiculous shipping option for such small and light items, unless it was a really huge order.

Lumiere is a very interesting company. They have really made it big. In the beginning, they had wonderful sales (when Kim was clearing out her old MHM jars) with free shipping, and prices were really very low when she started Lumiere. Then she changed the sample sizes, they used to be all in baggies and were very generous samples. I regret trying to save and not ordering more samples during that time. The e/s baggie samples were supposed to be changed to just 1/16 tsp!! I see that she doesn't offer e/s samples in baggies at all now, just the jars with 1/8.

Then she raised her prices when business got busier and better. And she said, costs going up (which is true) but it's still free shipping, just the shipping is incorporated into the prices of the products. But, I'm international, I said. I don't have free shipping.

( I am paying for more expensive products, but I'm still paying the same $6 shipping. My stuff is still coming in envelopes which cost much less than $6. I feel that's not too right somehow.

Ok, her prices are still good, though they were wonderfully much cheaper before, so there I was regretting again that I didn't purchase more (esp those 10 e/s sets) before prices went up.

Then she changed her shipping policy to charge for domestic below $25? Hmm that must mean her free shipping thing and her theory about how she likes a what you see is what you get price is not working out. But international shipping became cheaper, and I appreciated that.

And the latest is this no guarantee thing. Of course, there were other changes in between too, I don't claim to remember all accurately (please correct me if I stated any wrong info). We had those try me kit deals with no free int ship change to free int ship, a min domestic order imposed, the try me kit price increased, pre-buy brushes, her shop being set up, them moving, and did she take away the smaller jar sizes somewhere? I liked those....

Lots of changes, and I don't believe she's not making money, if she can set up a shop. I don't really understand the pre-buy brush thing too. Some people claim she's doing it as a favour for us. Others who dare to say she's making money out of it are quickly shot down. I totally don't believe she's not making money. Yes the brushes are really cheap (which makes me wonder what is their actual cost) and I'm happy and grateful I get to buy such cheap brushes, but who in their right minds would do such a thing, (which needs alot of work and coordination) as a favour? This is a business she's running. I can see several obvious reasons. First, by doing these pre-buys, she's getting funds months earlier which she can make use of, probably before she settles the full bill with her supplier. That's smart. Then, she's getting more traffic to her site, more promotion, some people will surely look around and order other stuff. I know she had some brush losses etc. but I still think her cost was probably low enough for her to make some profit on the brushes, or else no business would do such a thing. So hopefully she could cover her brush losses with her profit.

Lumiere has a huge international customer base, I believe, due mainly to their reasonable international shipping rates. They have also gotten less nice as they got more successful, but I guess that's not too unusual. Their forum is quite a joke, it's not a company forum but people can't complain or rant there, or they'll get hammered.

I still like their products and prices, and if I can ignore that no guarantee, I will still buy as long as her prices remain at this level. I just find the whole development from MHM to Lumiere, and all the changes Lumiere went through, and how they achieved their success, pretty amazing, seeing how many mmu companies are out there.

omg you pretty much summed up everything about lumiere's history. I totally agree about the forum thing. Sorry I cant help but to metion it everytime. It really bothered me that 'fans' would go to her defence so quickly.

 

[agatapas]

Maybe I do not understand US Postal system. However in Poland, when you order something you send it by registered post. The local shippment fee is low and it's about 4 $ for priority package, which should be at you home within 48 hours. All such packages are isured to the certain value like 25 $, if you want more insurance, you pay a moderate fee depending on the value of the package, however we use insurance only if we order something very valuable, or we use courier companies than.

Basically if the order is lost after 14 days, the sender may file a complaint to the post office and the post office is obliged to respond within 30 days and explain what happened to the package. If this is international package it may take a bit longer. However all the packages are registered, but they do not offer tracking number, unless you use a very expensive option.

I'm really surprised that US postal system does not offer this. In Poland if you send something with registered mail you will always know that it was delivered. And all packages are registered, non registered is only offered to the letters.

 

[missnadia]

Originally Posted by paperclip /img/forum/go_quote.gif Certainly I agree with that. Sounds like Paula's Choice would have some sort of insurance shipping Priority International. Then they'd better replace my order if it's lost

Just that most of us want affordable shipping too. I've never ordered from PC, is their Priority International shipping charge reasonable?
I also agree with you that there are cheaper and better options Lumiere should look into. They are coming across high-handed in the way they state their new shipping policies.

PC's shipping to Canada is 7.50$ for an order of 35$. Shipping price is proportional to the amount of money that you spend so it increases (but not my much) for larger orders.
We agree then that there are options for businesses that would allow them to be insured against lost packages. Well let me ask you this, why isn't Lumiere or other businesses with the same policy looking into purchasing insurance against lost orders? Could it be because they just don't want to spend the little extra money and instead prefer the customer to bear the monetary and emotional burden of dealing with lost packages? As a customer, let me tell you that I do not appreciate the lack of effort from them in that department, and will not be dispensing any understanding towards them! If other companies (like Paula's Choice, and I'm sure there are other smaller ones that do this) can take responsibility for lost packages and spare me the money loss and headache, then I prefer to order from them!

Originally Posted by agatapas /img/forum/go_quote.gif Maybe I do not understand US Postal system. However in Poland, when you order something you send it by registered post. The local shippment fee is low and it's about 4 $ for priority package, which should be at you home within 48 hours. All such packages are isured to the certain value like 25 $, if you want more insurance, you pay a moderate fee depending on the value of the package, however we use insurance only if we order something very valuable, or we use courier companies than.
Basically if the order is lost after 14 days, the sender may file a complaint to the post office and the post office is obliged to respond within 30 days and explain what happened to the package. If this is international package it may take a bit longer. However all the packages are registered, but they do not offer tracking number, unless you use a very expensive option.

I'm really surprised that US postal system does not offer this. In Poland if you send something with registered mail you will always know that it was delivered. And all packages are registered, non registered is only offered to the letters.

USPS Registered mail costs 10.15 (on top of the initial shipping cost for a regular parcel, for example for 1lb it's 4.66$) and covers you up to 45$. So in total to send 1lb via registered mail would cost 14.81$.

 

[Aprill]

Originally Posted by icecookies /img/forum/go_quote.gif Not sure what your gripe is but allow me to correct you on a few points so that you can relax.
1.I own and operate 2 very successful businesses - none of them are mentioned here nor do we share anything in common with the business being discussed here.

2.My money, which is substantial and dear to me, is spent wisely- thank you for your unneeded concern. Save it for someone who may need it because I assure you that I'm not the one.

3.I am not a customer of Lumiere's nor do I foresee myself ever becoming one so your point is meaningless to me.

The author of this post and the people that are responding have one simple complaint and one very simple point. They are consumers of a product that have a problem with the shipping methods and practices of a company. If you are a business owner as you say you are, then you should have some sympathy and compassion for customers. I certainly hope that this is not the way that you would respond to consumers that have a very valid complaint.
As for deeming posts pointless, that is my job and even if you dont like the post, you never know who you may be offending. So in the future, please keep your rude comments to yourself. MUT's policy of threads you dont like are simple. Move on to one you like. But please dont troll another thread cause this is pointless and the next one will be removed. Once again, you never know who you are offending when you say things like that^^^

 

[dlwt2003]

last time I ordered fromher, she failed to send everything, I had to email her and then she sent, so there might be more to all this really, being so disorganized doesnt help. So i dont think I will order again, love her product but.....gotta protect myself

 

[paperclip]

Originally Posted by missnadia /img/forum/go_quote.gif PC's shipping to Canada is 7.50$ for an order of 35$. Shipping price is proportional to the amount of money that you spend so it increases (but not my much) for larger orders. . That is a reasonable shipping charge.

Originally Posted by missnadia /img/forum/go_quote.gif We agree then that there are options for businesses that would allow them to be insured against lost packages. Well let me ask you this, why isn't Lumiere or other businesses with the same policy looking into purchasing insurance against lost orders? . They should

 

[makeupprincess]

in defence of luminaire i think this only applies to international shipping and that is because unless you use the international express there really is no way to track it so people can easilymake false claims.. they must have been bitten quite a few times before making that policy.. obviously in the us delivery confirmation is cheap so it should be no problem proving when it shipped and if it ever got delivered.. those complaining of the 25$ u r assuming they use the flat rate box..

 

[paperclip]

Originally Posted by makeupprincess /img/forum/go_quote.gif in defence of luminaire i think this only applies to international shipping and that is because unless you use the international express there really is no way to track it so people can easilymake false claims.. they must have been bitten quite a few times before making that policy.. obviously in the us delivery confirmation is cheap so it should be no problem proving when it shipped and if it ever got delivered.. those complaining of the 25$ u r assuming they use the flat rate box.. I believe we understand the $25 is for Express International, and not a flat rate box.
Also, go try checking out on Lumiere's site and read the shipping tnc page that comes up. It applies to US orders too, $20 Express is the only option which is guaranteed for domestic.

 

[dlwt2003]

if nobody complains than nobody can know everyone was getting rip offed, I mean you could do that just for a month and make alot of money. I ordered elsewhere~~oh well~~

THIS IS JUST MY OPINION~~

i THINK ANY BOARD should allow complaints and COMPLIMENTS.

I mean its ok to compliment but not to complain that aint right at all~~

 

[sbs4536]

I don't understand why Kim has to make it so complicated when it ust to be free and not much at all for international which I'm not.

 

[missnadia]

Well people, I think I have the answer to our problem!! As consumers, turns out we do have certain rights!

ISN'T THAT EXCITING?!

Okay so after doing a lot of reading and research, I contacted my credit card company today. Did you know that most credit card companies offer additional insurance against the things that you purchase on it. Did you know that some of them for example double up the manufacturer's warranty on certain purchases up to a year?

Well, there's also a useful little thing that they can do for you if you order something online and don't receive your product!! You can call your credit card and "dispute" the charge. They will contact the seller, and if the seller cannot prove to them that the product has been delivered, they will reverse the charge (it's called "chargeback") and you will get your money back! So, turns out we as customers already have the insurance that we expect the sellers to purchase. Woohoo, finally some people who care about customer rights!

 

[Hoozey]

Just going to put in my two cents. It sounds like it's the USPS not having a reasonable shipping program to ensure that packages arrive and not so much a problem with Lumiere. And the fact that there are dishonest people out there trying to take advantage of these mail based companies and we honest people have to pay the price for postal incompetence and fraud.

I can attest to the poor service one can sometimes get from USPS. At the last place we lived, we routinely, I'm talking more than once a week, received mail for people (or they received ours) with the same house number and the word "green" in their street name. Ours being two words and ending with green and their street starting with green. To me it didn't seem like a mistake that should be made week in and week out. The very disturbing time was when some man showed up on my door at night with a box addressed to me. This was an automated shipment with the whole bar code stuff and everything. The only things we had in common were the house number and being on the same mail route. Guy was nice enough to drive it over to my house because the USPS couldn't seem to get this simple task straight.

One the dishonesty thing, I remember a favorite company of mine was going to stop using Paypal because someone placed a large order (several hundred dollars) and the very day that the package should have arrived this person immediately filed a claim with Paypal saying didn't get it. Paypal immediately took the money away from seller. It seemed a little strange that this person filed the very day that delivery was supposed to be. Most of us wait many days for shipments to make sure we're not being overly crazed. Unfortunately there are people out there wanting something for nothing and it ruins it for the rest of us.

As far as fees, I'll give you a little breakdown of what it cost me to mail a 2.3 oz large envelope that contained tax forms. Shipping was only $1.14. Return receipt where I had confirmation that they received this mail, was additional 2.15 and certified was another $2.65- grand total $5.84 for just making sure I had proof that it got there in case IRS said we don't have this. The actual shipping was less than 20% of the sending this package- the other 80% was to show I had sent it and they received. This does not include any insurance either. International shipping just gets crazier.

I understand your frustration at the huge cost of shipping just because you are international but many of the mmu companies don't even bother with international shipping because of the pain in the butt factor. I also did see a ray of hope in Kim's reply- she was trying to find good distributors so you wouldn't have such huge costs. Sad that unreliability of mail service and dishonest people make this situation but it could be worse- these companies tired of footing the bill to replace these lost and stolen shipments (and have to pay for shipping all over again) could refuse to ship internationally completely.

Even if it is insured, they'll get you. I had faulty coffee/espresso machine that was under warranty that had to be shipped to a certified repair person. Of course it's a weird size so I couldn't find a good box to package it in. FedEx stacked very heavy things on this box since it was big, but the contents were light and rather fragile- it got crushed. It was insured but I didn't get a dime because they claimed it was all on me because it should have been packed better. So I was out the shipping cost AND the coffee machine. Needless to say I won't ever use FedEx or buy that brand again. :-D

Anyway, just wanted to say that shipping issues aren't always the fault of the mmu company and considering MY personal experience with the mail service- they could be taking a beating on replacement orders because of that alone, not to mention those that are making fraudulent claims.

Whew- done.

 

[LisaLu]

Quote"It was insured but I didn't get a dime because they claimed it was all on me because it should have been packed better. So I was out the shipping cost AND the coffee machine. Needless to say I won't ever use FedEx or buy that brand again. :-D"

Yup. That has happened to me too. Not on MMU shipment & not with FedX it was USPS & yup, if they decide it wasn't 'packaged correctly" they will not pay. You are out the cost of the item, any replacement cost if item is replaceable ,postage & the cost of the so called 'insurance"

 

[missnadia]

I think that's a whole different issue when you start talking about broken packages and USPS being unreliable. YES it is unreliable, that's why companies get insurance against lost packages! It's a mistake to think that the company cannot do anything if a package gets lost. They CAN do something, and that's to get insurance against lost packages, so that they get reimbursed for whatever losses they incur, and are able to replace my order free of charge!!!

 

[Hoozey]

[

Yup. That has happened to me too. Not on MMU shipment & not with FedX it was USPS & yup, if they decide it wasn't 'packaged correctly" they will not pay. You are out the cost of the item, any replacement cost if item is replaceable ,postage & the cost of the so called 'insurance"

So I am not the only one that's gotten that

- it's so frustrating that they can deem it faulty packaging and get off Scott free- um, what about some common sense with their stacking the trucks and using a little care with our packages? I guess I find it amazing that we have to insure that a package will get there when you already think you pay for that, when you pay the postage.

 

[mk12]

Originally Posted by missnadia /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well people, I think I have the answer to our problem!! As consumers, turns out we do have certain rights!

ISN'T THAT EXCITING?!
Okay so after doing a lot of reading and research, I contacted my credit card company today. Did you know that most credit card companies offer additional insurance against the things that you purchase on it. Did you know that some of them for example double up the manufacturer's warranty on certain purchases up to a year?

Well, there's also a useful little thing that they can do for you if you order something online and don't receive your product!! You can call your credit card and "dispute" the charge. They will contact the seller, and if the seller cannot prove to them that the product has been delivered, they will reverse the charge (it's called "chargeback") and you will get your money back! So, turns out we as customers already have the insurance that we expect the sellers to purchase. Woohoo, finally some people who care about customer rights!

Thank you. I've been reading this whole thread thinking, there's no way I would settle for just being out $80 if I never got my package. The company I paid owes me what I paid for, and it's their problem and responsibility to make sure I receive it - or give me a refund. That's why most companies use some sort of tracking/delivery confirmation - so they can prove they sent the order and it was delivered.
If I ordered something and never received it, I would expect the company to either resend or give me a refund. If not, I would dispute the charges with my credit card.

Sorry. I would not just say, oh gee, I trust that the company sent it even though they have no tracking or other proof, and since it was out of their hands - lost by the post office, I guess I'm just out $80 or whatever I paid. No freakin' way.

Originally Posted by missnadia /img/forum/go_quote.gif The equation goes like this from what I rememberrofit = Revenue - Cost

Let's assume for example's sake that it costs her 20$ (big overestimation) in materials + packaging for an order that she will sell me at 80$.

Profit = 80$ - 20$ = 60$

If a package gets lost, she will have to spend 20$ twice to replace it. So then

Profit = 80$ - (20$ x 2) = 40$

That's still 40$ of profit that she will make. It's not a loss. A loss occurs when your profit is negative, that is, when your cost is bigger than your revenue.

Unless there's some accounting factors that I am not aware of, she is still making a considerable profit even if she decides to send out a replacement package for every order.

...So you are saying that customers should be understanding of companies because what happens after they ship the package then it's beyond their control? When a package is lost, the company still gets to keep the profit that they've made off of my 80$ order. What do I get? NOTHING. Money's gone and you feel cheated because you've been stressing about your order for 2 months. And I'm still the one who should be understanding of them while they get to keep all the money without lifting a finger? I think business is business, but if you want to talk about understanding, how about they show a little understanding of me?

Replacing lost packages (or insuring yourself against that loss) is just part of the cost of doing business.
And thank you for pointing out that it is erroneous to think that if a package is lost, the company lost that profit. They still have your money, and whatever they are selling usually has a very substantial markup. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[Hoozey]

Originally Posted by missnadia /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think that's a whole different issue when you start talking about broken packages and USPS being unreliable. YES it is unreliable, that's why companies get insurance against lost packages! It's a mistake to think that the company cannot do anything if a package gets lost. They CAN do something, and that's to get insurance against lost packages, so that they get reimbursed for whatever losses they incur, and are able to replace my order free of charge!!! Here's the thing with international packages- you can ONLY get insurance on Priority International Parcels. SO, for a 16 oz. package that means $16 for the postage and then an additional $2.05 for $100 in insurance for Canada. The First Class International is $4.66 but you can not buy any insurance on this. To make sure that the package gets there- it's nearly 3 times more than First Class International. I've read enough posts complaining about shipping costs to know that most people are not willing to pay this amount for shipping. Unfortunately that is the cost of making sure both the buyer and seller are covered from loss on international shipping. Like I said before, it sounds more like people are upset that there is not a reasonable, cost effective way to ensure that neither the buyer not seller has to take the fall for packages not arriving. On an $80 order, because you have to go with Priority International Parcels- you've added nearly 25% in additional costs for the peace of mind that neither one loses money on this transaction. The insurance amount isn't the problem, it's the fact that you have to pay for Priority International to even be able to buy insurance.

 

[missnadia]

Originally Posted by Hoozey /img/forum/go_quote.gif Here's the thing with international packages- you can ONLY get insurance on Priority International Parcels. SO, for a 16 oz. package that means $16 for the postage and then an additional $2.05 for $100 in insurance for Canada. The First Class International is $4.66 but you can not buy any insurance on this. To make sure that the package gets there- it's nearly 3 times more than First Class International. I've read enough posts complaining about shipping costs to know that most people are not willing to pay this amount for shipping. Unfortunately that is the cost of making sure both the buyer and seller are covered from loss on international shipping. Like I said before, it sounds more like people are upset that there is not a reasonable, cost effective way to ensure that neither the buyer not seller has to take the fall for packages not arriving. On an $80 order, because you have to go with Priority International Parcels- you've added nearly 25% in additional costs for the peace of mind that neither one loses money on this transaction. The insurance amount isn't the problem, it's the fact that you have to pay for Priority International to even be able to buy insurance. How is it then that Paula's Choice is able to ship me lotion for 7.50$ including brokerage?
The point is that the rates that you see when you go to the USPS site that I mentioned in my first post are for individuals. Businesses have a whole different array of shipping options available to them, including bulk discounts. When I talk about them purchasing insurance, I am not talking about purchasing the insurance on each package, I'm talking about being insured as a business against lost packages. And yes, that is part of the cost of doing business.

Take for example a skincare company that makes facial products. If you bought a face cream that caused you a severe allergic reaction and you became disfigured, you could easily sue the company. The business would expect this and should have purchased insurance against being sued, just like they should purchase insurance against lost packages. Or find some discount rates.