'$100 for two toys': Big W slammed over 'crazy' shipping fees

Big W has come under fire after their online system started charging shoppers sky-high delivery prices, seemingly at random.

As online shopping peaks during the coronavirus lockdown, it seems shipping has become a hot commodity, or so the pricing would suggest

A concerned mum took to Facebook with a jaw-dropping delivery charge of $90, for just two kid’s toys.

Her order came to $40, but the price more than tripled when the exorbitant delivery fee was tacked on the end, leaving her to chose between either ditching the order or forking out $130 for two soft toys.

“$91 delivery of two $20 toys,” the mum wrote, sharing a copy of her bill to the page.

“Is this normal, or am I doing something wrong?”

The mum explained she was trying to buy a soft toy, and a snuggle blanket, two items she said could ‘fit in a shoebox’.

Furthermore, she shared that she did not live rural, negating any obvious reason her price would be so high.

Big W tells Yahoo Lifestyle the store has a flat delivery fee structure for online home delivery orders, which varies according to location and preferred delivery timeframe.

“For customers purchasing bulky or fragile items, delivery fees will vary depending on the weight and size of the items being purchased and the delivery location,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

“If ever our customers are concerned about the delivery charges, we would encourage them to contact our Customer Service team.”

Other shoppers report same sky-high delivery price

Other mums reported similar situations.

“I had this a couple weeks ago and I all I had was clothes and I don’t live rural!!” one wrote, sharing her bill which demanded a whopping $106.90 for delivery.

Another mum placed an order for the same kid’s toy and revealed that she too was being charged through the nose, with delivery priced at $102.90.

The delivery remains sky-high with a test on Friday confirming the toy would cost almost $70 to be delivered to an inner-city Sydney address.

Inconsistent pricing raises eyebrows

Even more bizarre is the fact that plenty of other shoppers shared online that they had paid minimal delivery fees for far bulkier and harder to transport items.

“That seems very strange considering I only paid $27 delivery for a TV,” one person wrote.

Another ordered a printer and coughed up less than $10 for the item to be delivered.

“My postage was only $9.90 and a printer [weighs] a tonne,” she wrote. “I live rural too.”

Many concluded it may have been a glitch in the system that charged the outrageous fee, with many people who tried to order the same toy experiencing something similar.

“It's the activity toy that's bringing up the delivery price,” one observed.

Shoppers slam ‘crazy’ charge

The yo-yo pricing left many fuming at the budget retailer.

“F*ck that,” was one shopper’s strong response, while another person said: “Wow that’s gotta be wrong.”

“That’s crazy,” agreed another shopper.

One Twitter user described the service as worse than her maths exam.

Eventually, the woman after the toys used the store’s click and collect option to finally get her hands on them without paying an arm and a leg.

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