clephan

I was talking to the lovely Jo, and we had a thought. However, someone must have suggested this before. Or Beth has thought of it but it's not doable.

Given that the quotations for international shipping seems to be a bottleneck for the Lab, why don't they publish a scale of shipping fees on the site for us to figure out ourselves and just add to the cost of the oils?

Probably easier if I illustrate what I mean. This sort of thing. I've completely guessed the costs, ignore the actual figures. But if knew we were ordering 5 5mls, 3 sets of 6 imps and a 10 ml, total up the amount for our own region and just add that to the order cost!

This could be expanded, of course, to include different prices for different shipping option - insured, signature etc. I'd anticipate this would also include a bit extra for the wonderful goodies that Beth so kindly adds in, but I'd imagine she already does this in the shipping quotations to individuals.

Go on, tell me why it's a wonderful idea but can't be done! I can take it

(Many thanks to Jo for the regional suggestion.)

I have to disagree.  I work until well past the last delivery of the day and there's nobody around in my three unit apartment building to sign for packages.

If viable, having the option to require that packages could be signed for, rather than making it a blanket policy should mean that everyone's happy?

As it came via the regular Royal Mail van I expect if it had been too large to go through the door it would have been taken back to our nearest Royal Mail sorting office (Snodland - about a twenty minute car ride away.)

Aaaah. Thank you. That's fantastic news, and very happy-making.

Nowadays they HAVE to take the parcel back to the sorting office and you have to go there to collect it, taking the delivery slip plus proof of identity.

Have any of your BPAL parcels had to go back to a sorting office / depot yet? If so, where did it go?

The reason I ask is because I know some carriers take parcels back to a depot miles and miles away - a missed Business Post parcel means a 2 hour drive! However, the City Link depot is just up the road.

I don't know what USPS equates to when it gets to the UK.. are there special USPS depots? Who knows!

I just wanted to clarify, if you need a signature to get your package, if you don't sign for it, does it get sent to the nearest post office? I'm just wondering, because I live in a dorm and I get in a slip in my mail box when I get a package and I have to sign for it before they give it to me, but it's not a USPS thing. I don't know.

I guess in your situation whoever collects the post for your dorm and writes the slips for you all would sign for and hold the parcel for you as long as the signatory does not have to be your personally.

But I'm going on British postal arrangements here, do the USPS require it to be signed for only by the named recipient? Anyone else help?

I'd say yes: I'm so used to everything I order requring a signature that it wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

But as not everyone would feel that same, can you allow each customer to choose individually whether a signature is required for their order, or not if they're prepared to take the risk that it might go astray?

You would also then have the get-out that if someone didn't opt for signature-required, and the order went astray, you shouldn't have to resend it: it was their choice. Of course, if it goes astray and it's been signed for, you (or the customer) could then persue the postal service and find out who signed and go and shout at the them. Or something.

Frankly, anything that increases the security/reliability of the shipping process will get my vote.

Thank you for your suggestions!

I'm feeling much better today

Whew! Am very relieved to see you're back online, and gladto hear you're feeling better

Grooh. I have a cold. The first one in months, so I have got off quite lightly, I guess.

I know I'll be better by the time I could get my hands on any more oils, but it's got me wondering. Are there any BPAL oils that are good for unblocking stuffy noses and fuzzy cold-filled heads? My sense of smell is all muted at the moment, and that's horrible :/

I thought Absinthe would be good for this, and it wasn't bad, but does anyone have more ideas?

Otherwise I'm going to be stuck with my new signature scent. Olbas Oil.

Beth, sorry to do this here but I guess that my emails aren't getting through to you again...

Any progress on why my parcel was sent back to you? Has it been re-sent now?

I've just received some birthday money, and am thinking about placing another order soon, but obviously want to get this sorted out first

Drop me a line?

Owwww!  *clutches her lower abdomen in sympathy*  Poor dear.  The things women have to go through, I swear.  We need to get some women scientists in the fertility field and find a similar set of alternatives on the male end.  It's only fair!

LOL, how to phrase this? As male fertility bits are more 'external', I doubt anything designed to affect them would have the whole-body pervasiveness of cramps.

It does remind me of an old Ben Elton sketch, where he was joking that if men had periods, they'd be competing to see who would brag most about the amount they bled! 'You should see my sanitary towel, it was like sitting on a breeze block'

Quick note...

 

Five orders came back today. Steph, one of them was yours. I'm going to try and get this sorted out on the way home from the doctor's tomorrow.

What a nightmare for you - you so don't need this!!

I've replied to your PM, Beth, but I just wanted to reiterate that if you need some more money to upgrade to a more reliable form of shipping, my finger is hovering over Paypal as we speak.

Good luck at the docs!

I shall think of you lots, and send lots of healing wishes your way

Take care of yourself!

No problem, re-sent.

*hugs*

Name: Clephan / Stephanie

URL: My Website / My Livejournal

Photo:

Link to decent-sized version here.

Sin of choice: Envy

Virtue you embody: Patience

Astrological Info: Pisces

How you found out about BPAL: Through the Gothfash Livejournal community, specifically this post led me to the auctions, and the description of Samhain, and I was hooked from that second on!

Comments: I cannot praise Beth's imagination, talent and care for her customers highly enough. This store is a gem amongst all the dross that is Goth shopping.

As I'm an international customer, and can't use the USPS tracking, I'm hoping to hear from Beth personally soon to confirm when my package was re-sent.

I've taken this week off work so I can be at home to receive the package as our depot can be rather naff if you go to collect things. I so hope it turns up this week...

[deleted duplicate post ~qs]

I suppose this is a... presentient rather than a review, but are any of you familiar with the Kirsty MacColl cover of 'Miss Otis Regrets'? Every time I hear that song it makes me think of the Bordello scent description. I'm not sure about the history of it at all, but it seems to me to be about deep-south passion, lust and murder. So kinda appropriate I guess.

I'll edit this with a real review when my eagerly-awaited 5ml arrives, hopefully this week!!

Oh, and yes, I'm a huge KM fan. Along with various other obsessions

I'm planning on getting a custom scent for our wedding (it's ages away, so there's no hurry at all!) but of the scents I've tried, Rose Red or Unseelie would make lovely wedding day scents.

Fantastic! See, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Happily, I have all of next week at home, so I can keep my eye out for my parcel so it won't vanish into the depths of the local collection depot.

Thank you, again and as ever, for sorting all of this out. And for the link. *glows*.

I feel guilty asking them to correct the info. =/

Don't. They made a factual error that might end up meaning that you lose money, they need to correct it. Their high opinion and the wonderful glowing review won't change, but the details really should be right

Looks like the link's been hyphenated as it's gone over a line-break - that's naughty of whoever edits and proofreads the magazine.

It's a wonderful review though! Here's hoping it brings in just enough (but not too much!) new business for you!

Edited: Thanks for for the message Elizabeth. Oh, and I can't wait to read more about the new scents

Does anyone on here know? well, ok, yes Beth will of course, but I was wondering if one of you guys who have been BPAL customers for a long time know rather than pestering her with my ponderments at this extremely busy time...

Is it because the ingredients were only available for a short while, because the manufacture process is too fiddly to do regularly to keep these lovelies in stock, or just to give a frisson to us when we see the site has been newly updated?

I ask because I can't think of a single LE scent that people haven't expressed a desire to see again. Therefore, it would seem to make business sense for them to re-appear, so it must be a different reason that means they're only available for a short time... oh, and I'm a continually curious person!

Thank you

They're beautiful, you are extremely talented

thanks, clephan, for the instructions

Ooh! You're very welcome