How Much Is Too Much? When it comes to shipping and handling charges, there are no rules.
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Q: What are the guidelines for charging shippingand handling fees to a customer?
A: This question has an interesting answer. Afterseveral calls to various agencies, including the U.S. PostalService and the Federal Trade Commission, the answer is: There areno guidelines. Companies can charge whatever they want for shippingand handling with impunity.
This explains why many companies collect a shipping and handlingcharge that's more than 10 percent of an item's purchaseprice. In fact, I noticed a piece of exercise equipment being soldon television with a $75 shipping and handling charge. Theadvertisement provided a 30-day money-back guarantee, less shippingand handling, of course. This high charge covered the cost of theitem as well as the actual shipping and handling charges!
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