We actually lose money on shipping. Let's take the Papillon 26 we have listed currently for an example. We only ship FedEx, as the tracking on USPS is not reliable or detailed enough for what we ship. So, we ship FedEx standard. We'll be shipping a 2 pound box that is 10 inches by 10 inches by 12 inches from Beverly Hills, CA 90210 to Cambridge, UK CB8, using our own box and using a self service drop off for the pick-up. We'll value the bag at $400 and check FedEx for yourself... the total is $135.18 http://www.fedex.com/ratefinder/standalone?method=goToResultSummaryPage (I don't know if that link works... but enter the information in the rate calculator- and you'll come up with the same number I did). We'll only charge the buyer $75 (or roughly £37.50 to our British buyer).
We get a nice shipping discount from FedEx, since we ship so much, but still... we aren't making any money off shipping. I really wish we could get quality shipping/tracking for cheaper.
We lost 2 bags via USPS Global Express Mail, and could never track them down. We were insured, but making a claim is a nightmare, and that didn't make our buyers feel any better.
We have several regular international buyers who are fine with the added risk/ time/ lack of tracking with USPS, so we us it, and they get cheaper international mail.
Sarah
I think I can explain this. Altho the prices may be over retail prices in the US. For other international locations, it is still cheaper and these international customers have no way of buying from LV directly in the US to get the actual retail price. So they buy from people like Fashionphile or ebay. You may feel they are ripping people in the US off, but for international customers especially in Asia, the bag is still cheaper. The customers in the US can buy from anywhere they want to, and shld do research before bidding and buying anyway.
I've read this thread from start to finish. In Fashionphile's defense, I must say I've bought from their website and their eBay auctions, with nary an issue. I only get items that are in good overall condition. That Neverfull the OP mentioned would not have passed my "good overall condition" test. This is a relatively old thread, the OP wrote this in February 2008, well before I became addicted to LV. In addition to getting items that are in good overall condition, I usually go for LEs, something that has been discontinued, or is very difficult to come by on eLuxury or louisvuitton.com. That is when using Fashionphile makes sense to me. I am comfortable with their authentication process. They've removed the "what if it's fake?" worry. Peace of mind, when purchasing online, is priceless. Happy shopping!