Parcel Price Problem

Fat Bus Bloke enjoys reading books about bus and rail transport, and is always ready to extend his substantial collection.   So the new on-line bookshop from Ian Allan seemed worth a try.   An advert delivered with "Modern Railways" looked very promising, especially as two titles with London bus interests were offered at a significant discount.  [£19 instead of £31].
Caveat emptor - always read the small print!   Postage and packing was 10% of the total book price with a minimum of £4.   A bit steep thinks fbb - but then reads further.   There is a SURCHARGE on p & p of £3 to a whole range of postcode areas, including the whole of the Isle of Wight (where stands fbb's palatial residence in PO34) which, when we were nobbut lads, was always part of mainland Britain.   The island has not yet succeeded in seceding from British Rule!

That makes £7 p & p for two books weighing 900g in total!

Are they having a laugh?

Bulk metered packet post with the great and glorious institution we know as the Royal Mail is just £2.18 for the same weight - for delivery throughout UK except Channel Islands!

So someone, Ian Allan or its chosen distributor, would have ripped fbb off for an unnecessary £4.82.

How does the competition fare in this cut-throat mail order business?
Amazon offered the same two books for a total of £17.68 with FREE post and packing.   So you have three guesses as to where fbb's hard earned cash was spent!   Perhaps one guess would be enough.

Ordered on Wednesday, the goods were delivered on Friday, and not by Royal Mail either!

Clearly it is not our place to try to manage Ian Allan's business but something's wrong when they are charging £7 for a service which should cost £2.18.   Maybe Ian Allan should consider using a different contractor; they're not going to sell many books to fat bus bloke?

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