Page 2 of 7 FirstFirst 1234 ... LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 69

Thread: Hallmarking charges nearly doubled

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Posts
    177

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by SteveLAO View Post
    ah, 6 earrings.....so 3 pairs! I thought you meant 6 pairs of earrings!

    I don't think I can do anything about the P&P charge nor the VAT

    The net charge then is £42.00. You requested early hall which incurs, as it always had, a 50% surcharge. Of course, that's not a compulsory charge...

    The general charges have actually stayed pretty much the same for many years without even inflationary rises, and so the price list was well overdue for an overhaul. We elected to introduce a completely new way of charging to make things easier, and yes it did include a modest general price rise, the first for many years.

    Of course you're welcome to continue to mark your own items if you wish to, but there is no financial advantage for doing so. I have to say though that I don't think the all inclusive price including the application of the sponsors mark is unique to our assay office.

    I'm sorry that you feel that we should have kept the pricing about the same. Everything has gone up over the years, apart from our general prices, and clearly this could not go on for ever. Sooner or later the prices had to go up, and over the last years, when business had been tough for everyone, we deliberately kept our prices unchanged to try to help the trade with their costs.

    We did give all our customers for whom we had up to date contact information fair warning, so it should not have been too much of a surprise that there was a price increase.
    The letter from Goldsmiths which I had on February 25th informed me as a "valued customer" about 2015 Price Adjustment. I am not so stupid as to assume or expect prices to remain the same or not to increase but for a similar parcel in 4 weeks to go from a charge of £48.00 to £87.72 is I would say more than a modest general price rise.

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    London
    Posts
    502

    Default

    You're right, in this case it is quite a jump. The general price rise is intended to make life simple for everyone, so that every item, regardless of metal or type or method of marking, would be the same price and so there are no extra hidden charges anywhere. All the costs are upfront and transparent. It's so easy now to predict what the charge will be. In a great many cases, the charges are similar, in some cases they are even less than before, but there will inevitably be cases where the charges will jump, due to having to simplify what was historically an extremely complicated price list and to obtain an unified unit charge. Part of this project also involves streamlining the process, so you shouldn't need to have your items "early halled" as much which of course will save you the 50% surcharge.
    We value all of our customers, and are responding to repeated requests from thousands of them over many years to simplify the price list as much as possible, and the new method of charging has been generally very well received.
    I do appreciate though that not everyone will be happy all the time with all the charges especially as many have been used to sending items in specific ways in order to get the best value.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Posts
    177

    Default

    You've had 2 responses from 2 customers on here and I can't speak for Wallace but I don't think the charges are being well received. You as in Goldsmiths' know you have us all over a barrel and there's not a thing we can do about it.Yes we can alter things slightly but we still will be charged for services we are not using. All for simplification but not when that's a euphemism for unfair charging.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    London
    Posts
    502

    Default

    There is no extra charge any more for the application of the sponsor mark, it's a single unit charge. Of course it would be unfair to charge you for services you are not using but the extra charge for sponsor marking has been scrapped.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Finland
    Posts
    724

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Anna Wales View Post
    4 bracelets,2 pendants,6 earrings and 18 rings in silver £87.72.
    Less than £3 quid a piece, what are you moaning about?
    If you figure your retail price properly, you don't worry about a hair less of profit.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Posts
    177

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by SteveLAO View Post
    There is no extra charge any more for the application of the sponsor mark, it's a single unit charge. Of course it would be unfair to charge you for services you are not using but the extra charge for sponsor marking has been scrapped.
    No just a higher overall charge for ALL services whether you use them or not.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Posts
    177

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Gemsetterchris View Post
    Less than £3 quid a piece, what are you moaning about?
    If you figure your retail price properly, you don't worry about a hair less of profit.
    So discussing something that I disagree with is now classed as "moaning" is it? Not very politely put if you don't mind my saying so.
    Last edited by Anna Wales; 24-04-2015 at 03:48 PM.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Posts
    1,086

    Default

    Whether you figure your prices properly or not, you can price as high or low as you like, but the right price is the price someone will pay...and adding a cost doesn't help. You either put your price up or absorb and make less because the customer could not care less that hallmark charges have increased.
    £3 for a simple silver ring which you might sell for say £20 is a big chunk. If you are charging £500 then it isn't such a big factor. It's all relative.
    I wonder if income will go down for the assay office as people now carefully weigh pieces and don't send low end stuff which they might have sent in the past?
    I love you dearly LAO but I wonder if this was designed to increase revenue or decrease volume? certainly I suspect it will do the latter but not the former. Simplification of charges will be a good thing though. I once took one of your invoices in to my accountant and it took them (that is a them not a she) at least 15 mins of head scratching to understand it.
    Last edited by pearlescence; 24-04-2015 at 04:47 PM.
    Author: Pearls A Practical Guide
    www.pearlsapractical.guide
    www.Pearlescence.co.uk

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Posts
    177

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by pearlescence View Post
    Whether you figure your prices properly or not, you can price as high or low as you like, but the right price is the price someone will pay...and adding a cost doesn't help. You either put your price up or absorb and make less because the customer could not care less that hallmark charges have increased.
    £3 for a simple silver ring which you might sell for say £20 is a big chunk. If you are charging £500 then it isn't such a big factor. It's all relative.
    I wonder if income will go down for the assay office as people now carefully weigh pieces and don't send low end stuff which they might have sent in the past?
    I love you dearly LAO but I wonder if this was designed to increase revenue or decrease volume? certainly I suspect it will do the latter but not the former. Simplification of charges will be a good thing though. I once took one of your invoices in to my accountant and it took them (that is a them not a she) at least 15 mins of head scratching to understand it.
    Well put. Agree with all you say.

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Scotland
    Posts
    3,392

    Default

    I picked up my parcel from Edinburgh 36 pieces, laser marked because I felt too tired to confidently mark them myself, £32 which was a pleasant surprise

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •