Not happy with my supplier

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dbloomingdale

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So, the supplier that I have used faithfully for the last fourteen years has sneaked in a new charge. They advertise free shipping for orders over $40. But now they are charging a handling fee of $5.00. Really thinking about giving another supplier my business. Anyone have a favorite that they can go to for almost all their soaping needs?

diane
 
I use Brambleberry for my fragrance oils and essential oils and columbusfoods.com for my base oils.
 
I like Natures Garden, Fragrance Lab, Elements Bath and Body and Rustic Escentuals. They all have great fragrances and other supplies. I don't order from Brambleberry too often as their shipping is slow to my neck of the woods and they are a bit more price wise. WSP only when they have a good sale.
 
I used to use a supplier for my olive oil, coconut oil, paper bags and other stuff like that, but the last time I went the worker was so unforgivably rude that I haven't been back. The only thing that I cannot easily find another supplier for is coconut oil but I am looking. So I empathize with what happened. I use columbus foods for several things, the lye guy is good, too.
 
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Galaxy posted the other day that Big Lots has coconut oil, 1 gal, for $12.00. Who knew? So I popped in to our local store and sure enough, there it was. They were also having a 20% off everything in the store sale that day so I cleaned them out. Took every one they had and came home with....ONE. But I ended up paying $9.60 for a gallon when I usually pay $20. Now I have a new, local, supplier for CO without paying shipping and no waiting. Another bonus for me is we have no sales tax on food items so it was just $9.60.
 
Yes, it took me a bit to get used to that extra $5, but with the sales they've been having, I can stock up on FOs, and at the sale price, it doesn't bother me overmuch.
 
I'm assuming you are talking about WSP. I'm not in love with the handling fee. But they've got SUCH a good variety. I don't think anybody else carries the huge variety of tools, FOs, molds, containers, oils, butters, preservatives, etc that they do.
 
WSP!! It is taking FOREVER for them to ship my order! It has been 5 days already and it still has not shipped. Not happy with them now.
 
Yeah they added another charge to get 'priority processing' so that your order goes out faster.

I plan to never pay the priority processing charge. Their shipping is usually fast unless there is a sale. Once I have loaded up on sale items, I am even less inclined to pay extra money for processing.
 
I've never bought a lot from WSP, but they do carry a few of my standard FOs, and the Nag Champa that's better than any I've found elsewhere. So, i'ts not as if Soaper's Choice, or the Lye Guy started making these changes, (I'd be devastated if they went this route) but they're still enough to irritate me. I remember when their magazine was on line, and I used to get an email saying the new one was available, and I'd always look at it. Once in a while I'd be inspired enough by something I'd seen, to actually buy the ingredients and try it. Then came the day when it was no longer free, now you have to pay for it. Is it me? Moves like this just seem designed to aggravate people and lose sales. Having a free ezine, with pictures of products made with your supplies, and recipes to make them, seems like a fantastic way to increase sales! Why, oh why would you change that? And then of course, the big spike in prices, and the new shipping scheme. I never took a business course in my life, but all of these moves just seem self destructive to me. And big sales every few days, just make customers wonder what's going on.

If I were the owner of a business selling supplies to soapmakers, you can bet I'd be lurking in every soapmaking forum, to see what soapers were up to, what's the latest trend, what will they be looking for, and what do they say about suppliers. I'd find out what my customers want and do a better job of giving it to them than anyone else. Or at least try. People talk. Especially when they're dissatisfied, and word gets around fast. I'm really surprised that WSP just seems to be going hell bent in the direction they're going, and nobody's putting on the brakes. But what do I know? Maybe they're making more money than ever. Just seems kind of fishy to me.
 
Yup, I ordered in the sale on March 31st - still waiting on my FOs to ship. So far the only time I buy from them is when their fragrance oils are on sale. I can get soapmaking oils way cheaper at Kroger, given the eeny infrequent batches that I make.

I like some of the FOs I got last time they had a big sale, like the sea salt and driftwood, and freesia dupe but I totally wouldn't purchase anything from them at this time outside of their sales.
 
If I were the owner of a business selling supplies to soapmakers, you can bet I'd be lurking in every soapmaking forum, to see what soapers were up to, what's the latest trend, what will they be looking for, and what do they say about suppliers. I'd find out what my customers want and do a better job of giving it to them than anyone else. Or at least try. People talk. Especially when they're dissatisfied, and word gets around fast.

Jesus this is the TRUEST THING EVER. Why would you NOT get the customer information, likes and dislikes, complaints and compliments, etc. etc. that you could? FOR FREE? I mean come on!

There are a couple of suppliers on other forums I am on, that occasionally or regularly post and it makes all the difference.
 
Have you ever tried Nature's Garden's Nag Champa? I use that one and it's just like the incense. I also got some once from a place on Etsy, from a supplier called Angels Candles, I believe and I think it is probably the same one as Nature's Garden. She doesn't sell large quantities, so I'm guessing that she may be buying them wholesale and then selling them in smaller bottles.

On another note, with Wholesale Supplies now charging a processing fee, then they are no longer giving free shipping. It's like a bait and switch operation and certainly doesn't feel good. I did get some molds from the sale a week ago, because the ones I wanted weren't to be found elsewhere, and they were on sale; but I do resent this new processing charge. That kind of greed really ticks me off and when I see that, I try to look for other suppliers to give my business to if possible.

I've never bought a lot from WSP, but they do carry a few of my standard FOs, and the Nag Champa that's better than any I've found elsewhere. So, i'ts not as if Soaper's Choice, or the Lye Guy started making these changes, (I'd be devastated if they went this route) but they're still enough to irritate me. I remember when their magazine was on line, and I used to get an email saying the new one was available, and I'd always look at it. Once in a while I'd be inspired enough by something I'd seen, to actually buy the ingredients and try it. Then came the day when it was no longer free, now you have to pay for it. Is it me? Moves like this just seem designed to aggravate people and lose sales. Having a free ezine, with pictures of products made with your supplies, and recipes to make them, seems like a fantastic way to increase sales! Why, oh why would you change that? And then of course, the big spike in prices, and the new shipping scheme. I never took a business course in my life, but all of these moves just seem self destructive to me. And big sales every few days, just make customers wonder what's going on.

If I were the owner of a business selling supplies to soapmakers, you can bet I'd be lurking in every soapmaking forum, to see what soapers were up to, what's the latest trend, what will they be looking for, and what do they say about suppliers. I'd find out what my customers want and do a better job of giving it to them than anyone else. Or at least try. People talk. Especially when they're dissatisfied, and word gets around fast. I'm really surprised that WSP just seems to be going hell bent in the direction they're going, and nobody's putting on the brakes. But what do I know? Maybe they're making more money than ever. Just seems kind of fishy to me.
 
I find myself ordering from WSP less and less. They have a few things I like to one-stop-shop for.... like containers that I can lump onto an order with whatever ingredients I'm running low on. The "free" shipping has always annoyed me. I know I'm paying for that shipping in the cost of each product. I price compared a few things from BB, MO, WSP and NG. WSP was higher even when taking shipping into account. Now with their packaging fee it makes even less sense to buy from them.

The fact that they don't sell FOs by weight really drives me insane. I still like their packaging for powdery things better then BB though so I get those items at WSP. BB, if you're listening - SLSA needs to be shipped in something stronger than Saran-Wrap weight baggies...

Speaking of BB (I know I'm just digressing here)... have y'all noticed their new FO packaging? It's really nice with FP and discoloration info listed on the bottle. :)
 
Speaking of BB (I know I'm just digressing here)... have y'all noticed their new FO packaging? It's really nice with FP and discoloration info listed on the bottle. :)

Yes! I was pleasantly surprised because I usually write all that info on an address type label and stick it to the bottle. They saved me a bunch of time.
 
.Speaking of BB (I know I'm just digressing here)... have y'all noticed their new FO packaging? It's really nice with FP and discoloration info listed on the bottle. :)

And on their FO pages, they also have pics of soap made with that FO so that you have a visual of how much discoloration you'll get. Like Nurture Soaps has pics of soaps made with each mica, so you know before you use it, what color it will be. These are the kinds of little things that customers appreciate enormously and make for warm, fuzzy feelings toward suppliers. It's really not that difficult to figure out how to keep customers happy. Maybe there are things going on behind the scenes at WSP that we're not aware of, who knows? But I'd still be hanging out around here and other forums to see what's being said, and take that info into consideration when I'm making business decisions.
 
I placed an order with WSP one week ago today. This was my first time ordering anything soap related since I'm a newbie. I saw the free shipping and prices looked reasonable, so I went with them. I didn't even notice the extra $5 fee until I read this thread. One week later and they still have not shipped my order. That's pretty disappointing. Maybe I'm spoiled with Amazon 2 day shipping, but over one week to ship is pretty poor service.

This will be the first and last time I order from them.
 

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