Playbill Store International Shipping - Overcharge and Inconsistent

[db92]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 11:06pm

Hey, posting here to see if anybody else has had experience and hopefully get some action or good advice where to take this as I have had no luck previously. 

 

When ordering from Playbill store, shipping internationally is absolutely insane cost! I’ve raised this before with them and have had no luck, I’ve even highlighted that similar items provide drastic different changes to the postage cost. These costs are also insanely high compared to all similar shops, leading to believing that they are over charging international customers. 

 

Further to this, when looking at their current one day sale as was thinking may take a shop when there is somewhat of a drop, when the discount code is applied the shipping cost increase by almost $100 with no change to the products in the basket! I get that shipping may be not completely cheap going international but these prices are insane, and further to it make no logical sense. 

 

Anybody have any advice or help where may be able to get something happening on this for us all international buyers? When I’ve raised this previously with playbill it has gone silent with mostly if any “oh it’s weight based” responses and lack of any further investigation. 

 

(Yes I have people in USA I can ship to and get shipped out, but this won’t change the prices for us all if we constantly do this!) 

[spicemonkey]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 11:16pm

Sorry to say this , but I really do not think here in the US there are merchants that are willing to charge less if they can charge more not illegally 

 

unless their practice  is prohibited by law (oh well) there’s nothing you can do about this

Updated On: 6/7/25 at 11:16 PM

[db92]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 11:31pm

That I get they will charge the most they can and also not expecting shipping to honestly be cheap but what they are doing does appear to be going against law. From my understanding USA law with shipping is that it can not be charged more then they are charged for, however when a discount is applied currently the cost goes up for shipping. This shows the calculation isn’t correct, or legal as a discount on the product should have no impact on the cost of shipping. 
 

Order with discount code

order without discount code 

[TheatreMonkey]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 12:04am

db92 said: "That I get they will charge the most they can and also not expecting shipping to honestly be cheap but what they are doing does appear to be going against law. From my understanding USA law with shipping is that it can not be charged more then they are charged for, however when a discount is applied currently the cost goes up for shipping. This shows the calculation isn’t correct, or legal as a discount on the product should have no impact on the cost of shipping.


Order with discount code

order without discount code"

Two things come to mind...

1) If you want results, and regular email contacts aren't working, post and tag their official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, X, or any other more, ahem, popular social medias. Public shaming sometimes works more effectively. 

2) Having been in a few positions that touch on these matters, the shipping costs are not always related to the price of the items; size, weight dimensions, and delivery needs matter. Playbill is contracting out their domestic and international shipping orders -- and that contract dictates rates that both parties agree upon for certain locales -- to successfully fulfill their delivery needs. And based on your exact country, those rates may widely vary -- and then you have to add in the physical shipping costs of the items being shipped. Even though you're getting a discount on the price of the item, they are still the exact same size to ship. 

[db92]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 12:36am

TheatreMonkey said: "2) Having been in a few positions that touch on these matters, the shipping costs are not always related to the price of the items; size, weight dimensions, and delivery needs matter. Playbill is contracting out their domestic and international shipping orders -- and that contract dictates rates that both parties agree upon for certain locales -- to successfully fulfill their delivery needs. And based on your exact country, those rates may widely vary -- and then you have to add in the physical shipping costs of the items being shipped. Even though you're getting a discount on thepriceof the item, they are still the exact same sizeto ship."

Thank you for your insight, and might like chat further with you if you have more detail. I get the public social may offer further results. Shall see how we go with current attempts first. 

Though could you please clarify your second point? I get that there is cost for shipping, and it varies according to location, size, weight and all that - I have examples on how this doesn’t align correctly. Though you say a discount on the price of the item but shipping is the same… I’m not sure what you mean by that as I applied a discount to the order and the actual cost of shipping increased (not stayed the same when everything else was the same items, shipping location - the code just added and it increased shipping costs) and that’s the latest issue I’ve discovered. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 7:52am

Quite frankly, this needs to be dealt with directly with the Playbill Store. No one here needs to provide you with detailed speculated information. The entitled tone that someone here needs to have answers for your questions is quite off-putting. Speculated responses were given but oh no, that’s not enough. You won’t stop until you get the info that suits you AND magically fixes your problem. We’re not the Playbill Store. 

[Bwaygurl2]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 8:02am

BrodyFosse123 said: "Quite frankly, this needs to be dealt with directly with the Playbill Store. No one here needs to provide you with detailed speculated information. The entitled tone that someone here needs to have answers for your questions is quite off-putting. Speculated responses were given but oh no, that’s not enough. You won’t stop until you get the info that suits you AND magically fixes your problem. We’re not the Playbill Store."

There is no one who posts on this site (with one exception) who is more off-putting than you, dude. 

[db92]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 8:12am

Deleted 

Updated On: 6/8/25 at 08:12 AM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 8:32am

db92 said: "Deleted"

[inception]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 10:18am

Shipping internationally from the US has gotten very expensive.

Last November when I visited NYC, I was browsing in the Book Culture store at Broadway & W114 which has a lot of kids books, and I found some cute stuff for my nieces.  Then I thought to myself wouldn't it be a nice surprise for them if this all arrives in a package postmarked New York City!  So I found the closest post office, stood in line for like 30 minutes,  then was a given a form to fill out for an international package & told to get back in line once the form was filled out.  Finally I was able to get a quote on the price - & it was a couple hardcover kids books so it was a bit  heavy - but it was double just paying for a checked bag on the flight home.  So that's what I ended up doing instead.