How free shipping might support “modern slavery”?

Questions that we get most often from our dear customers are:

1. Why are shipping rates high?
2. Have you considered free shipping?
3. Is there any way to reduce shipping costs

Let’s think for a second about all these questions.

First, we need to analyze shipping as a term. It basically means that you get a delivery service (to another country or even continent) while you’re still at the comfort of your home. So, in the process, there are people who need to transport products you ordered, using either ship, plane or any other form of transport.

Logically, these employees NEED TO GET PAID for their work. So, what would it actually mean when shipping is entirely free or, at least, reduced?

There are two options:

• It’s either an act that could support “modern slavery,” where employees work for free or are super underpaid
• Or shipping costs simply get calculated into the regular price (without mentioning it) – which is a non-transparent behavior

Example:
A. Cost of goods – $200.00 + shipping costs $30.00
B. Costs of goods, $230.00 (incl. free shipping)

Which option looks more honest and transparent? It’s A, of course.

Let’s talk more deeply about both circumstances mentioned above.

Why could free shipping stand as a part of “modern slavery”?

Unfortunately, so-called “modern slavery” exists in all stages of the supply chain, including the later stages of shipping and delivery to consumers. However, in today’s world, customers are less and less supportive of companies that practice such harmful behavior towards employees and other companies.

Even before becoming a climate-neutral company, we deeply cared about our environment, and logically, about people. That being said – we cannot support free shipping because it would basically mean that we support work without monetary compensation, which in today’s world could be called “modern slavery.” In addition, we also believe that free shipping is also not beneficial for the environment and climate. But this will be discussed in another post.

Let’s try to illustrate it with an example. Then, It’ll be much clearer to you:

Imagine a woman named Johanna. She is a single mom with two kids and works hard as a shipping employee to support her family. Then, one day, her boss comes and says that there will be some free deliveries – that obviously nobody paid for, and adds that, according to that assignment, there’s no money to pay for her work. So, which choices does Johanna have in such a situation?

1. Quit her job
2. Ask why the producer doesn’t pay her and other workers, where the answer is simple – producers are not supposed to pay for shipping costs. They sell products and pay their own employees within the company – that’s it. In the end, they need to earn money to survive as a business, so any unnecessary additional costs are not an option.
3. Ask why her boss doesn’t pay for that – a similar answer to the previous one

In other words, her life is RUINED because of free shipping! And you know what’s even worse? There are MANY Johannas in this world. They all need money to live, and more importantly, they deserved it for their hard work. There is just no alternative to do that. And there shouldn’t be.

So, next time when you think about free shipping, remember the story of Johanna or any other person in a similar situation.

Why can free shipping imply disrespect?

Countless shop owners, bigger or smaller, throughout the world, blatantly use “free shipping” as a “benefit” while calculating it into the price (some bigger companies use it to ruin competitors). That’s just not fair to customers who actually believe that they pay only for their ordered product. When such information is presented as “free shipping” without indicating the exact truth – it simply implies disrespect towards customers.

It’s needless to say that Swiss Made Direct, as the oldest and leading Swiss online shop that sells authentic Swiss quality products, doesn’t want to utilize this type of service.

Throughout all these years, we created special relationships with our loyal customers. And there are three reasons for that:

• We sell quality, original products coming directly from Switzerland.

• We respect our customers and always try to find solutions to our mutual satisfaction. 

• There’s nothing masked or hidden on our platform and in communication with you as our customers. We work as transparently as possible.

These are also huge reasons why we’re not supporting free shipping because, in our opinion, it’s dishonest.

What is the bottom line here?

As a company that cares about the environment, people, and sustainable planet as a whole, we will keep being honest with you, and hence, we don’t want to support and abuse the free shipping thing.

Remember:

1. Every company needs to earn money so they can pay their own employees
2. Shipping company owners are also not supposed to pay these costs out of their pocket. If they would work this way – they would be bankrupt.
3. The only way for shipping employees to regularly earn money is to get paid by customers who need their service

We hope this article gave you a new perspective on “free shipping” and its deficiencies.