Lumiere's shipping costs and MMU companies' responsibility for lost items
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I didn't know what Paula's Choice is but I checked. The reason why PC can do bulk shipping is that this is a huge company compared to the indy companies that you are unhappy with their shipping policy/pricing . You can't compare a company like PC, BE, etc to these indy ones in terms of shipping, profit, costs etc. These big companies get bulk discounts because they are buying HUGE amounts of raw materials and in this case bulk shipping. I know for a fact that this bulk shipping sometimes holds up the packages because I remember checking on a BE package from QVC and the post office saying that their (QVC) stuff arrives as all kinds of boxes on PALLETS- so they may sit before they "open" the pallet and start sending this stuff to you.
As far as insurance, to have a specific insurance for lost packages sounds like an expense that a small company couldn't afford if there is such a thing. These small companies pay more for raw materials and everything else because they don't have the volume that these titans have. If you want the titan shipping price then you have to order from them. There is only so much a small independent business can do about that issue. Their hands are tied by the USPS because no one wants to pay UPS/FedEX prices for MMU because once again they aren't getting bargain pricing.
As far as insurance, to have a specific insurance for lost packages sounds like an expense that a small company couldn't afford if there is such a thing. These small companies pay more for raw materials and everything else because they don't have the volume that these titans have. If you want the titan shipping price then you have to order from them. There is only so much a small independent business can do about that issue. Their hands are tied by the USPS because no one wants to pay UPS/FedEX prices for MMU because once again they aren't getting bargain pricing.
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I have just learnt from other forum that the new Lumiere shipping policy is probably caused by the problem with some frauds.
I've heard that there is a group of people from Israel who make a giant cosmetics orders and than claim they never got them and claim for the refund from american express.
I also heard that Kim from Lumiere has a problems with such fake orders, or rather fake claims for refund. I now more understand Kim, but still disagree that this is a reason "to punish" other people with the much higher shipping rates and no liability for delivery.
I've heard that there is a group of people from Israel who make a giant cosmetics orders and than claim they never got them and claim for the refund from american express.
I also heard that Kim from Lumiere has a problems with such fake orders, or rather fake claims for refund. I now more understand Kim, but still disagree that this is a reason "to punish" other people with the much higher shipping rates and no liability for delivery.
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Admittedly, I'm definitely put off by the new shipping rates. However, I've never had a package not arrive from lumiere, so I may still stick with the cheaper shipping.
I definitely agree that the lumiere forums are ridiculous. You can't even complain about the smallest thing, or comment about problems with lumiere, there's always someone "patrolling" around.
I definitely agree that the lumiere forums are ridiculous. You can't even complain about the smallest thing, or comment about problems with lumiere, there's always someone "patrolling" around.
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Originally Posted by agatapas /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have just learnt from other forum that the new Lumiere shipping policy is probably caused by the problem with some frauds.
I've heard that there is a group of people from Israel who make a giant cosmetics orders and than claim they never got them and claim for the refund from american express.
I also heard that Kim from Lumiere has a problems with such fake orders, or rather fake claims for refund. I now more understand Kim, but still disagree that this is a reason "to punish" other people with the much higher shipping rates and no liability for delivery.
I read that also and Kim said she had a 3000.00 I would think if someone bought that much I would check a little farther into it. Also this is just my opinion, if you have an order that large international or here in the USA wouldn;t you insure it yourself. I would assume there is enough profit to insure thepackage against loss. But maybe these companies only see $$$$ and just don't want to lose the order. I know a few other had this problem also.
I've heard that there is a group of people from Israel who make a giant cosmetics orders and than claim they never got them and claim for the refund from american express.
I also heard that Kim from Lumiere has a problems with such fake orders, or rather fake claims for refund. I now more understand Kim, but still disagree that this is a reason "to punish" other people with the much higher shipping rates and no liability for delivery.
I read that also and Kim said she had a 3000.00 I would think if someone bought that much I would check a little farther into it. Also this is just my opinion, if you have an order that large international or here in the USA wouldn;t you insure it yourself. I would assume there is enough profit to insure thepackage against loss. But maybe these companies only see $$$$ and just don't want to lose the order. I know a few other had this problem also.
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Originally Posted by agatapas /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have just learnt from other forum that the new Lumiere shipping policy is probably caused by the problem with some frauds.
I've heard that there is a group of people from Israel who make a giant cosmetics orders and than claim they never got them and claim for the refund from american express.
I also heard that Kim from Lumiere has a problems with such fake orders, or rather fake claims for refund. I now more understand Kim, but still disagree that this is a reason "to punish" other people with the much higher shipping rates and no liability for delivery.
Originally Posted by TDZ /img/forum/go_quote.gif I read that also and Kim said she had a 3000.00 I would think if someone bought that much I would check a little farther into it. Also this is just my opinion, if you have an order that large international or here in the USA wouldn;t you insure it yourself. I would assume there is enough profit to insure thepackage against loss. But maybe these companies only see $$$$ and just don't want to lose the order. I know a few other had this problem also. I agree with both of you. Something is not being done right with her shipping policies. You know, running a good business is all about profits, and about being resourceful. I don't buy the story that we should keep paying high shipping fees just because we should be 'understanding' towards a business that deals with fraud and that supposedly there's no way around it. Big news, all businesses deal with fraud. It's part of the cost of running a business.
What I dislike is how they disguise those costs of running a business under "oh we didn't have a choice, please be understanding and pay this 25$ unreasonable fee" policies, instead of leveling their prices to include the cost of dealing with fraud and such. The reason they don't level their prices is that then we would all see how much overhead they charge us compared to other mmu companies. Now THAT is deceptive and dishonest!
They are in there for the money, otherwise they wouldn't be around. As a customer I'm in there for the product and value for my money, so as somebody who cares about that, I am taking my business elsewhere!
Originally Posted by hmcvision /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am very sorry to hear about your shipping nightmare!
The company I get my minerals from, Affordable Mineral Makeup, charges a flat rate of $5.50 for packages, no matter what size the order is. They also include delivery confirmation and email updates so you know where your package is and what is going on with your order. Unfortunately, due to the insane shipping rate increases, orders are sent via regular mail(not Priority) for Canada orders. Also the one time I had a problem with my shipment they were very quick to resolve it to my satisfaction! Maybe it would be a good time to check out the customer service of some other companies that have high quality mineral makeup
I don't appreciate you coming into a thread that deals with value to the customer, and doing shameless self-promotion of your own mmu company, pretending to be one of its customers! Shame on you for assuming that we are stupid enough not to make the link between your post and your signature!
I've heard that there is a group of people from Israel who make a giant cosmetics orders and than claim they never got them and claim for the refund from american express.
I also heard that Kim from Lumiere has a problems with such fake orders, or rather fake claims for refund. I now more understand Kim, but still disagree that this is a reason "to punish" other people with the much higher shipping rates and no liability for delivery.
Originally Posted by TDZ /img/forum/go_quote.gif I read that also and Kim said she had a 3000.00 I would think if someone bought that much I would check a little farther into it. Also this is just my opinion, if you have an order that large international or here in the USA wouldn;t you insure it yourself. I would assume there is enough profit to insure thepackage against loss. But maybe these companies only see $$$$ and just don't want to lose the order. I know a few other had this problem also. I agree with both of you. Something is not being done right with her shipping policies. You know, running a good business is all about profits, and about being resourceful. I don't buy the story that we should keep paying high shipping fees just because we should be 'understanding' towards a business that deals with fraud and that supposedly there's no way around it. Big news, all businesses deal with fraud. It's part of the cost of running a business.
What I dislike is how they disguise those costs of running a business under "oh we didn't have a choice, please be understanding and pay this 25$ unreasonable fee" policies, instead of leveling their prices to include the cost of dealing with fraud and such. The reason they don't level their prices is that then we would all see how much overhead they charge us compared to other mmu companies. Now THAT is deceptive and dishonest!
They are in there for the money, otherwise they wouldn't be around. As a customer I'm in there for the product and value for my money, so as somebody who cares about that, I am taking my business elsewhere!
Originally Posted by hmcvision /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am very sorry to hear about your shipping nightmare!
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Thanks for the info. I know that I won't order through them, no way am I spending $20 on shipping!
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She has the right to run her business the way she wants. We have the right to shop where we want. I for one will not be purchasing from Lumiere. If I feel a company does not have good customer service, I choose not to shop there - even if it means I spend more elsewhere.
In my opinion, it is poor customer service.
Luckily, I've never placed an order for something and not received it, but I have had missing mail. (I do not do a lot of online purchases) You never know when it could happen. I wouldn't take the risk of ordering something and having no options (except dispute with credit card company) if I didn't receive it.
In my opinion, it is poor customer service.
Luckily, I've never placed an order for something and not received it, but I have had missing mail. (I do not do a lot of online purchases) You never know when it could happen. I wouldn't take the risk of ordering something and having no options (except dispute with credit card company) if I didn't receive it.
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The problem for me is that I have a debit card, not credit, and I don't think it works the same way--I don't think you can dispute a charge on a debit card if the package never arrives. So I guess I just don't take that risk at all. What a shame, I really like their brushes and I was just about to buy the flat-top. Anyone know of any comparable alternatives? Lumiere's brushes were the softest I ever found.
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I just wanted to make a few comments. USPS is very funny about international shipping and how it's handled. They will tell us at our post office that once it leaves the country, it's out of their hands. That's one reason why they won't insure to many countries. As Hoozy stated before, you can only insure through USPS via Priority Mail International. Their insurance process is also very tedious. I've had to claim insurance on an international package that I sent to family in Canada. That was not a fun experience.
Now, there are other ways to insure shipments that are not through USPS. We use an outside company for insurance on packages where insurance has been purchased (international and domestic). Claims for international packages can only be placed 30 days (or even 60 days depending on the country) after the order has been shipped. Therefore, one can end up waiting months to receive an international order. I know how frustrating that can be. Also, it can take up to 30 days for a package to arrive in certain countries.
USPS does not offer discounts (that I know of) for large amounts of shipments, but FedEx, DHL, and UPS may do so. The only discount one may get through USPS is by using USPS online Click-N-Ship for a 10% discount. We don't use that because there is no First Class option.
I like to offer international shipping because I have family overseas and I know certain products are not available in many countries.
Now, there are other ways to insure shipments that are not through USPS. We use an outside company for insurance on packages where insurance has been purchased (international and domestic). Claims for international packages can only be placed 30 days (or even 60 days depending on the country) after the order has been shipped. Therefore, one can end up waiting months to receive an international order. I know how frustrating that can be. Also, it can take up to 30 days for a package to arrive in certain countries.
USPS does not offer discounts (that I know of) for large amounts of shipments, but FedEx, DHL, and UPS may do so. The only discount one may get through USPS is by using USPS online Click-N-Ship for a 10% discount. We don't use that because there is no First Class option.
I like to offer international shipping because I have family overseas and I know certain products are not available in many countries.
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Originally Posted by oceanmist /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just wanted to make a few comments. USPS is very funny about international shipping and how it's handled. They will tell us at our post office that once it leaves the country, it's out of their hands. That's one reason why they won't insure to many countries. As Hoozy stated before, you can only insure through USPS via Priority Mail International. Their insurance process is also very tedious. I've had to claim insurance on an international package that I sent to family in Canada. That was not a fun experience.
Now, there are other ways to insure shipments that are not through USPS. We use an outside company for insurance on packages where insurance has been purchased (international and domestic). Claims for international packages can only be placed 30 days (or even 60 days depending on the country) after the order has been shipped. Therefore, one can end up waiting months to receive an international order. I know how frustrating that can be. Also, it can take up to 30 days for a package to arrive in certain countries.
USPS does not offer discounts (that I know of) for large amounts of shipments, but FedEx, DHL, and UPS may do so. The only discount one may get through USPS is by using USPS online Click-N-Ship for a 10% discount. We don't use that because there is no First Class option.
I like to offer international shipping because I have family overseas and I know certain products are not available in many countries.
Are you from Ocean Mist? Well I just did a sample cart with 3 foundations to see what the shipping cost would be. To ship to Canada with insurance, it says it would cost 8 bucks. Now unless your handling fee is another 5 bucks, the 8 dollar shipping rate is very reasonable. And since it's insured then it means that you are taking responsibility for lost packages, right? Well that's what I expect. Lumiere does not have these options for some reason.
Now, there are other ways to insure shipments that are not through USPS. We use an outside company for insurance on packages where insurance has been purchased (international and domestic). Claims for international packages can only be placed 30 days (or even 60 days depending on the country) after the order has been shipped. Therefore, one can end up waiting months to receive an international order. I know how frustrating that can be. Also, it can take up to 30 days for a package to arrive in certain countries.
USPS does not offer discounts (that I know of) for large amounts of shipments, but FedEx, DHL, and UPS may do so. The only discount one may get through USPS is by using USPS online Click-N-Ship for a 10% discount. We don't use that because there is no First Class option.
I like to offer international shipping because I have family overseas and I know certain products are not available in many countries.
Are you from Ocean Mist? Well I just did a sample cart with 3 foundations to see what the shipping cost would be. To ship to Canada with insurance, it says it would cost 8 bucks. Now unless your handling fee is another 5 bucks, the 8 dollar shipping rate is very reasonable. And since it's insured then it means that you are taking responsibility for lost packages, right? Well that's what I expect. Lumiere does not have these options for some reason.
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I don't think their shipping is that big of a deal. I mean they are giving their customers CHOICES. So you have the right to choose which shipping method you want. If you want absolute peice of mind that your shipment will arrive fast and INSURED then spend the ammount. You don't get to buy stuff on ebay and expect to not pay for insurance and expect them to give you your money back...well some people might. It's all about honestly to me. I preffer the less expensive methods, however I do realize that by me choosing these methods if my stuff does not arrive for any reason at all I won't go complain to Lumiere. I will suck it up since I chose to be a cheap ass.
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Originally Posted by itoldyou2022 /img/forum/go_quote.gif (snip) You don't get to buy stuff on ebay and expect to not pay for insurance and expect them to give you your money back...well some people might. It's all about honestly to me. I preffer the less expensive methods, however I do realize that by me choosing these methods if my stuff does not arrive for any reason at all I won't go complain to Lumiere. (/snip) See the thing with Ebay is that you can actually leave a negative feedback for all to see. Or alternatively, you can open a dispute if it is within 45 days.
I've bought from Lumiere a loooong time ago & vow never to repurchase. My items took 2 months to reach me. And this was way before she got "famous". To be honest she doesn't have the best record of shipping time (hit or miss). She seems very disorganized.
But, since that is her business she can choose to do whatever she wants. As customers or prospective customers, you can choose to shop somewhere else. I did..
I've bought from Lumiere a loooong time ago & vow never to repurchase. My items took 2 months to reach me. And this was way before she got "famous". To be honest she doesn't have the best record of shipping time (hit or miss). She seems very disorganized.
But, since that is her business she can choose to do whatever she wants. As customers or prospective customers, you can choose to shop somewhere else. I did..
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Originally Posted by hmcvision /img/forum/go_quote.gif Obviously you situation has caused you to become bitter and harsh! Yes, I do have my link in my signature, that is my prerogative to do so, just as several others on the site do! On the other hand I am interested in learning more about mmu and joined this forum to do so! I responded to your topic from my own experience as a CUSTOMER and not as someone trying to sell something! Shame on YOU for twisting this around into something it was and is not! I suggested maybe you were not getting the best value from your company, however I NEVER stated or implied anywhere that you should visit my site nor use our products! Do you really expect us to believe that you are in no way biased towards your own company? You are missing the point here, you DID pretend to be a customer of your OWN company when we were comparing shipping prices. Are you implying that, when you "buy" makeup from your own company, that you "ship" it to yourself?? Do you pay shipping fees to yourself as well? Laughable statement
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I guess I am lucky. I order all the time and get my orders in a great amount of time. Never had any problems with her at all. I do know that she's got more staff now...so that helps. Also if you did order a long time ago and I see your over seas thats probably the reason. I hear over seas shipping takes a long time, that was back when she was doing free shipping and probably shipped to you the slowest method avaliable. I know back then they had the option to ship FASTER if the buyer wished to purchase it.
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Originally Posted by itoldyou2022 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I guess I am lucky. I order all the time and get my orders in a great amount of time. Never had any problems with her at all. I do know that she's got more staff now...so that helps. Also if you did order a long time ago and I see your over seas thats probably the reason. I hear over seas shipping takes a long time, that was back when she was doing free shipping and probably shipped to you the slowest method avaliable. I know back then they had the option to ship FASTER if the buyer wished to purchase it. There never was a "free shipping" option for overseas customer. Even in the old days.
