Lulu - arbitrary pricing increases?

[Alliance]

I have had a book in development for some months. The Lulu production system, print quality and turnaround are OK, but I find the pricing increasing almost by the day

For two copies:

2012-02-08 price £11.44 shipping and handling £3.99 total £15.43
2012-03-18 price £13.72 shipping and handling £3.99 total £17.71
2012-03-26 price £13.72 shipping and handling £7.49 total £21.21

Am I alone in being pushed to other suppliers due to these increased charges? Is this last increase in shipping and handling a mistake?

Denis Postle

[Ken Anderson]

Have you checked the Project prices?

Did you use a different shipping method or a different location? 

Where you buying on your own account? 

[Alliance]

Thanks for taking an interest in this.

All these prices are as invoiced.

The Book cost calculator quoted £4.43 manufacturing when I last looked.

I used the cheapest shipping, to a UK address only 50 miles from the Lulu fulfillment agent, Anthony Rowe

I was buying on my own account. Except for minor text updates the books were identical

Am I not right in thinking that £7.49 shipping and handling on two (326pp) books is excessive/unsupportable?

Denis

[Ken Anderson]

Never mind the book cost calculator.

What prices have YOU set for your book.

My guess would be that YOU chose a different shipping option. 
It doesn't matter how close you live to who YOU think is the printer there are standard charges and you would have seen those at Checkout.

[Alliance]

04-09-2012 12:45 PM

Never mind the book cost calculator.

If so, why I wonder why it is there?

What prices have YOU set for your book.

I haven't set any price for this book, it isn't quite ready for release these are privare author purchases.

My guess would be that YOU chose a different shipping option.

That's just possible but I have bought a dozen development copies from Lulu over the last six months without these inconsistencies of price and delivery costs.

It doesn't matter how close you live to who YOU think is the printer there are standard charges and you would have seen those at Checkout.

Too simple a solution Ken, and the fulfillment agent is no mystery, their address is on the packaging.

However I will have more development copies to print shortly and we'll see if the cost escalation continues. If so this otherwise very fruitful connection with Lulu is set to fade. Disappointing.

Thanks for your attention

Denis

[Ken Anderson]

Denis,
But you do have to set your prices.

If you revise your book project you will see the selling prices.

It is up to you to adjust or set them to what you want.

Have a look and see. 

[Alliance]

Denis,
But you do have to set your prices.

If you revise your book project you will see the selling prices.

It is up to you to adjust or set them to what you want.

Have a look and see.

OK looks as if there is something I don't understand/haven't seen.

FWIW The over-arching issue has been - what is the basic pricing for purchase and delivery (that would be maintained over the next few months) of say 50-200 copies of the book

This has been very helpful I'll get back to the conversation when I have more evidence.

Thanks

Denis

[Ken Anderson]

Dennis,
When you revise your book project you will see something like this:

You can edit that price for standard distribution sales and also set a discount for local Lulu sales:

Until recently there price bands used to be

1-25 copies
26-100 copies
101-250 copies.

The discounts are those have remained static for several years.

After the recent software upgrade those bands may have changed but I have not determined what they are yet.

As I have told folk scores of times over the years the best way to determine the costs once they have set the pricing is by raising a dummy order. In doing so the the quantities and shipping methods can be played with to find the actual costs in making a purchase. As long as the final Buy button is not pressed one can play to ones hearts content with the numbers.

In my long experience with Lulu those costs including shipping rarely change and one can be confident in relying upon them throughout a 12 month period. 

[Alliance]

Again, thanks for this

Until recently there price bands used to be

1-25 copies
26-100 copies
101-250 copies.

The discounts are those have remained static for several years.

When I enquired about bulk rates a week or two back the response was that they were no longer available.

After the recent software upgrade those bands may have changed but I have not determined what they are yet.

As I have told folk scores of times over the years the best way to determine the costs once they have set the pricing is by raising a dummy order. In doing so the the quantities and shipping methods can be played with to find the actual costs in making a purchase. As long as the final Buy button is not pressed one can play to ones hearts content with the numbers.

I'll follow through on this with the next order and if the recent high rate applies to the author single copy purchase price I'll let you know.

Denis