First up, I completely messed up the name of the Barbara Pym novel I am reading. I said it was called Almost An Angel.

It isn’t. The book is called “Less Then Angels” which is about as different, in terms of meaning, as it could be.

Ok, now to the big AWK!.

As I mentioned last night (OK, crowed about) I sold 4 books to a new customer in Australia. I was jazzed that my books categories were doing so well.

She bought :
Bargello: An Explosion in Color by Margaret Boyles

Beth Russell’s Victorian Needlepoint

Erica Wilson’s Needlepoint

Free Form Bargello by Gigs Stevens.

The automatic module which should have charged her an additional $10.00 for International Shipping did not work when the sale was made.

What could I do? Go back and say “ahhh, you see my web site screwed up so I need another $10.00?” I think not.

I had not sold books to an international buyer yet, I figured how bad can it be? I will “eat” the cost.

(can you imagine the hysterical calls to poor Zac The Tech on Friday? He, of course, responded immediately and fixed it)

So, I wrap them all nicely in tissue paper, I package them in a nice big padded envelope. I do one of my very cool NewNeedlepoint.com colorful mailing labels. Good to Go.

We get to the post office this morning 20 minutes before it is to close, all good so far.

I get to the counter and I ask the nice postal clerk for the cheapest price to mail this 7.5 pounds of books to Australia, without doing the 3 month ground post.

She tells me the “slow boat” is not an option anymore. She says the cheapest way to send them will be $61.00.

AWK $61.00?

For books whose total retail cost to the buyer was $72.00?

Not only would I not make any profit (AWK) it would cost me substantial money to sell these to her.

AWK. I came home and emailed her. I apologized, repeatedly and explained the situation.

She is being very nice about it. She says she had been surprised I sold them to her without the surcharge for shipping

She said she could only afford one book, with appropriate shipping and she asked how much to ship The Margaret Boyles book, Bargello: Explosions in Color.

A good choice, I love the Margaret Boyles books.

Ok, it is the biggest of the 4 books but I do not want to be piggy here so I told her $40.00. $28 for the book and $12.00 for the shipping. The shipping will be more like $15.-$16 but I want to try and make up for my mess up.

She happily agreed and bought the book.

I have spent this evening changing the text in the listing of every single book I have for sale on NewNeedlepoint.com

I now say that I can’t offer International Shipping for a flat fee. I put in my email and asked that anyone wanting books shipped outside the USA should email me with the book(s) name and destination. I will then get back to them with a cost based on weight and delivery address.

Then we come to AWK #2. (should it be AWK, AWK?)
Friday night I sold 3 books. One of them was the out-of-print and never ever to be re-printed Father B’s wonderful book of stitches, the one based on the ANG’s Stitch of the Month History.

The Beatrix Potter book

And Sandy’s Finishing Touches

I told the customer I would ship Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation since the Father B book was kind of costly.

I had (doh) forgotten to put it in a fixed rate Priority Mail box, the nice clerk told me it would be $16.70 (seventy cents for delivery confirmation).

AWK, AWK, AWK

Even in a flat rate box it would have been $10.70. These shipping costs are killer.

So, now each book listing on nn.com says “All books will be mailed using USPS Media Mail with Delivery Confirmation”.

The reality here is I mailed those 3 books to California for $4.00, including the Delivery Confirmation fee with Media Mail. So, even if I have to wait in line each time I ship books (you can’t do Media Mail from the automated Postage machines), it is worth it.

That is some reality. I can keep selling these fine books because Media Mail exists. I could not afford to if it did not.

AWK, AWK, AWK indeed.

Business Minded Postscript.
I have another copy of the Margaret Boyles book, it is not in the exact same condition as the one I sold. I will photograph it and list it after I move.

I have a 2nd copy of Sandy’s Finishing Touches, it is a newly published book.

I have another Beatrix Potter on Order. Father B’s book is gone, I can’t replace it. I am placing a big new order of books, they will be listed when I settle back down.

I am having them send to my folks house. Handy huh?