Outpost.com Adjusts Shipping Policy Yet Again
Less than a month after increasing its shipping charges a second time, online vendor Outpost.com has again adjusted its shipping rates to try to win back customers stung by the previous changes (see "I Saw Free Ships…" in TidBITS 567 and "Outpost.com’s Shipping Charges Increase Again" in TidBITS 574). Outpost.com now offers second-day air shipping starting at $3.95, and overnight delivery starting at $5.95, depending on the weight of the items being shipped. This means reasonable shipping costs for lightweight items, but reasonable revenue when the company must ship heavier items. Company founder (and returning President and CEO) Darryl Peck said, "We think we have finally found a plan that works for everyone. We believe that while the shipping is no longer free, it is still far less expensive than is available anywhere else." Darryl also said that the company will no longer be staffing its phones from midnight to 8 AM Eastern time, when there were too few calls to warrant the required staff.