The Cost to Ship is Part of the Price As Well

In an earlier post about the ongoing saga of the MGB's run of lousy luck, I mentioned that I needed to order a new choke cable. Now MGB owners are really spoiled for choice when it comes time to order parts. There are many good choices of parts suppliers ranging from the small-fry to some truly international operations. For most of us, it comes down to who has it and how much.

Being of a thrifty nature (as opposed to just a cheapskate), I check for selling prices from several suppliers and usually go with the lowest one. This time, however, I checked the prices of a new-to-me vendor to add them to the mix. They did have the lowest selling price, but the shipping charges added to the total were staggering. Here's what I found in my search for an MGB tee handle choke cable:

• Supplier A  - Selling price: $18.00.   Shipping and handling: $14.69.   Total: $32.69
• Supplier B  - Selling price: $19.95.   Shipping and handling: $7.75.     Total: $27.70

As you can see, the difference is over 15%. And the choke cable will fit in a medium-sized envelope.

The lesson here is the check the complete cost. Don't be too quick to enter your payment information if you're buying on the Internet or when ordering over the phone, get the customer service rep to quote the freight and handling as a separate item and if it sounds high ask for a cut rate. You might get it.