SPS retailers online with cheap shipping??

[HeadStrongGrafx]

Ive noticed more and more retailers online selling coral yet the prices for shipping keeps going up and up? I don't mind spending 100 or 150 on a order with free shipping but 2-300 most sites advertise is a bit crazy. Thoughts? Especially since I'm in FL and florida sellers still charge outrageous fees.
Any good retailers that sell colonies at good prices with cheap shipping you guys recommend?

 

[tankfly]

Unique corals shipping is only $19.

 

[Reefltx]

Unique corals shipping is only $19.

+1, UC has great shipping rates.

 

[BoomCorals]

I wouldn't get too hung up on shipping prices to be honest. The thing is, you're paying the shipping one way or another. If someone charges $10 flat rate shipping vs someone else who charges $40 flat rate shipping, the end result you are actually probably going to pay more total for your coral with the one that has the lower flat rate in many cases. The reason is because that extra shipping cost for the $10 flat rate is built into the prices of their corals. The discounts you can get with fedex can get hefty, but even at a 75% discount, shipping from say the midwest to california still will cost around $50 after shipping/box/packing costs. That price is built into the corals or built into the flat rate, with the remainder in coral margins. One way or another, the consumer is paying it.

An example, Vendor A has frags 1 2 and 3, each frag is $60. Flat rate shipping is $10. Grand total is $190. Vendor B has frags 1 2 and 3, each frag is $40, but flat rate shipping is $40. You'd be surprised how many people will go with Vendor A even though Vendor B's total price out the door for the exact same coral is $160. They go to the site with the cheaper shipping not realizing they are paying more for the coral.

And free shipping is also usually the break point where the flat rate equals out to the total cost of shipping vs profit margin, so that doesn't really mean you are paying more or less for the shipping there either. But, people demand a free shipping price, so most places offer it.

To be honest, I'd love to charge the absolute cheapest prices I could for coral, and just charge everyone the actual shipping costs - but people get so hung up on shipping cost that they don't see how much they are saving on coral when it's all added up out the door. People just seem to NEED to have a lower flat rate and/or the free shipping price point.

 

[Braves Fan]

Boom Corals is pretty spot on ,,, the reefer is going to pay the shipping cost,,, one way are the other,,, be it,,,a higher coral price and a lower shipping cost or a lower coral price and a higher shipping cost,, pick your poison ,,,

Fed Ex pretty much gets the lions share when it comes to shipping for our chosen hobby,,, either fish or corals,,, I am sure USPS has a much cheaper over nite shipping rate than Fed Ex,,, the kicker is the 10:30 am delivery guarantee by Fed Ex,,, the USPS doesn't have this,,, their guarantee is 3 pm ,,, I would rather have a 10:30 am delivery time and be done with it,,, instead of having to stick around the house waiting for a USPS 3 PM guarantee,,,

Fed Ex can charge pretty much what the market will bare ,,, I sometimes wonder how many more corals would be sold online,, if shipping rates were cheaper,, in the end,,, shipping hurts the vendors also,,,

 

[BoomCorals]

FedEx gets the lions share for sure. But with good reason. They are the best when it comes to being on time for priority overnight, hands down. But that's because express packages are on a completely different path from pickup to drop off vs regular ground. FedEx ground truck drivers can't even pick up an express package most times. Express packages get their own trucks, planes, sorting line, etc. It shows too. I get shipments from wholesalers via airline, FedEx, and ups. Ups is late 8 times out of 10.