I recently created some calendars at lulu.com: an excellent print on demand service – I was experimenting with some options, and had some proofs printed and sent to me. Excellent quality – really happy with them. Then a week later I did it again with some different images and as I was checking out to purchase I realised the shipping prices had gone up by more than 4 times – charging me $110 to ship to Australia rather than the $15 it had charged me for shipping multiple copies only the week before.
After trying a couple more times thinking it must be a mistake – I searched the site for some information and when there was none available I searched the forums – and it seems there is some major anger out there by international users of lulu. With crazy prices being charged for international shipping and no explanation about what is going on. There is no official response from Lulu and anger that lulu have appeared to have abandoned their international customers.
One user says that their postage has increased from 4.99 to 71.00 euros – when they asked the help desk whether or not this was a mistake the reply was ‘This is not actually a mistake. Admittedly, we are checking to see if we can do anything to offer less expensive or cheaper shipping services.’ Another user shipping to Slovenia says their postage went up from US$10 to $166.73 for a standard book.
Speculation abounds about what is going on – ‘they either operate in a realm of fantasy, or are about to go out of business, or are giving up on the International market, or are just cynical.’
So at the moment I don’t recommend using lulu if you live outside the US – I am currently also investigating other options.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
No one is immune to our current economy. With the rise in cost of raw materials, freight and shipping, we have had to make some pricing adjustments. Others in the self-publishing business have as well. The difference is, at the same time, we are now offering you more value options. What hasn’t changed is that publishing process with Lulu remains absolutely free; meaning you can publish your book and make it available to your readers at no cost to you. Additionally, we are always looking for ways to make publishing more profitable for you.
Hi,
I also use Lulu but recently I only have PDF files for sale on there so I hadn’t noticed the shipping changes. I did however have this email last month stating that there would be changes, there is no mention of the shipping though. It does sound like they have gone lulu! the email…
This is also about what happens when your customers buy one of your books. The pricing rules at Lulu are changing significantly. As a Lulu user with content available through the Lulu Global Marketplace, your Lulu marketplace royalty will remain the same. The only change that will affect you is that your Lulu marketplace purchase price will change depending on the binding and interior colour choice of your book. You are able to adjust your book’s purchase price in accordance with our new pricing structure to maintain your current creator revenues, if you so choose. Please refer to this chart to see how prices will change effective 28 October 2008.
Aaah crap. What about blurb? Hey did you get my email response? I did send you one from my phone….
When I went to the USPO to ship gifts to the UK they told me I could no longer ship surface mail. The cost quadrupled. Still, only about $40 for a small package. But packages leaving the US have to go priority now.
There were a lot of changes effective last Tuesday. I ordered a proof copy of a new edition of my book and noticed shipping had gone up quite a bit. And I’m in the US.
Very strange…especially since they have printers all over the world. Shipping to Australia shouldn’t be that much, I am pretty sure LuLu has a printer right there in Melbourne. Doesn’t make sense to me at any rate. Time to check out Blurb.com. *sigh*
Hmm, with that kind of bad customer service I don’t US buyers should use it either. I was also going to suggest blurb. My husband had been using it quite happily but I’ve not checked the shipping prices.
You need a US friend to take delivery and then send them on to you – That postage is beyond insane!!1
I’m so confused… OK.. Lulu obviously increased their prices at a cut-throat percentage.. um… aren’t there laws about increases like that?
But I’m confused. The USPO, is that the USPS, United States Postal Service, their prices have gone up 40%?
What is going on in the world of logistics and shipping? I know the oil came down recently… where are these rates coming from to essentially halt trade? Is it going to filter to all sales.. or is this limited to private shipping?
I’m really confused now.
I just used LuLu for the first time a few weeks ago. After placing my order i received an email about the price raises from the CEO. I would be more than welcoem to forward it.
Unfortunately I was not please with my product…I made a portfolio… softbound twenty page proofbook for a client and I was a little disappointed with the quality…
let me know if you want the email.
oh that is a real shame!! .. i have used blurb before and was really pleased with the service.. although i haven’t looked at their shipping prices recently
oh noes! I was going to make some calendars and have them sent to Australia, but looks like I have to make new plans :(
They might have had a contract with DHL which withdrew from the US market around that time. Well, DHL must had their price calculations wrong, or they would have made profit and would not have needed to close down in the US. I was surprised at some point how cheap shipping was in comparison to sending one book to Europe by mail.
It will get worse, too. China closed down some container factories and shipping facilities in the crisis – now shipping there has not only tripled but you have to make bookings much more far in advance. All this stuff trickles through to the US, Australia and everywhere else. There are more price rises on the way on all fronts. Complaining about it does not make any dent. Send a thank you note to Wall Street for plunging half the world into a crisis. Won’t help, but tickles the evil roots of a crisis from which the world will not recover in the next 30 years! Thank you Wall Street!