There seem to be a lot of people missing the point I am making here.
The cost of postage is one thing and I agree I had the choice. Whether the cost is a rip off is obviously open to personal opinion and would never be agreed upon in a wide forum.
I was going to keep out of this sad little argument, but feel I have to stick up for traders.
If bunkerbarge feels that Nick Tonkin at Model Dockyard was rude to him in some way, that's
not acceptable of course, but it isn't really what we're discussing here is it, and I for one would very much like to hear Nick's side of this particular story. I don't agree that "A lot of people seem to be missing the point", I'm pretty sure that most of them will get 'the point' only too well.
Let's think about the economics Bunkerbarge. You saw the terms in Dockyard's advert or on their website, you placed a small order for £5 worth of wood, and then you complain when you're charged exactly what the trading terms made it perfectly clear you would be. Presumably you have no problem with Dockyard making a few pence profit on £5 worth of wood, so let's concentrate on the £5 charge for P & P. From that we have to deduct the cost of the mailing tube that you knew about when you ordered. I think that FLJ's estimate is on the low side, but we'll say £1.70. Add the cost of postage, which will be around £1.50, the cost of bubble wrap & other items, and that takes us to something like £3.50. And there's another charge you can add, if bunkerbarge paid by cheque or credit card, an inescapable bank fee of something like 45p has to come off Model Dockyard's 'profit'. That means that you think by being charged one pound or less for all the labour involved, modellers in general and you in particular are being 'ripped off'. As has been pointed out earlier, there is rarely much profit in small orders. You started by accusing Model Dockyard of overcharging, 'ripping customers off', and you were wrong about that, so I'm sure you're big enough to apologise. I don't know Nick personally, but I know he runs a good operation, and the service he provides has often been praised on this forum.