Why is a handling fee added when shipping is advertised as free?
On May 15, 2006, after 10 days of notice, U.S. Wellness Meats instituted a handling fee to cover rising costs in the packaging process up to the point of shipping the package. We have absorbed two price increases from the shipping container manufacturer, fuel surcharges have escalated dramatically from Omaha processing center to the Ames, Iowa cold storage that prepares and places the order into the shipping system and more labor has been employed to make the pic and pac center more punctual. Rest assured we debated this issue for 6 months before deciding we had little choice. Consequently, we decided to add a flat fee (one per total order) that rewards the larger order versus raising the price of all products across the board. Shipping charges are 100% included in cost of beef which has been the case since inception of the company. We appreciate your understanding as we attempt to make ends meet.
The U.S. Wellness Meats handling fee covers the labor expense of the person filling your order on the day of shipping. Keep in mind this person is working for you in a very cold environment of minus 10 degrees! We do our best to limit the expense by making it a flat fee, which means it is a minimal percentage of the overall cost of larger orders. Shipping charges have been included in the cost of meat since we started our company. IMPORTANT: Your handling fee will never exceed $7.50 per complete order no matter how many items you add to your shopping cart.
