to be irritated at having to "add to basket" and start the purchasing process to find out the price of postage?

[CharlieMouseWillDoIt]

Maybe I'm just being a bit dim, but it seems that many sites don't give you any idea of P&P costs until you have added to basket and gone through some of the purchasing process. Surely it can't be that difficult to include a "calculate postage" part of a website?

I'm on a site right now (I know leaving it very late for Christmas...) looking at a low-value item. If the postage if disproportionate to the cost of the item, then I'm not interested in buying it, but at no point have I been given any indication of P&P. I've added to basket and a message has come up saying "once you have clicked through to the next step your items will be picked, packaged and despatched... no orders can be deleted or amended after this point". Very helpful.

YANBU. Infuriating.

It is annoying. Some sites have a link at the bottom if the screen with delivery info but unfortunately not all.

YANBU - this is one of my pet hates!

Most sites give details in their customer service section - I don't think I've ever come across a site that won't let you abandon the order when they add delivery costs.
Name and shame?

OK for this particular example it was me being dim. There is a delivery charges part of the site which I hadn't noticed before. Delivery costs the same as the item so unless I can find a few other bits and pieces to make it worthwhile, my sister can go without her calendar.

So true. Really prefer it when it i clear from outset. Was a bit shocked at postage charge on Belle and Boo website but had ordered presents.

Also hate having to 'register'.

Yes, YANBU!

Yanbu, but there is normally a delivery and returns link somewhere on the page where you can find out the price of postage.

YANBU. Same sort of thing with Argos, you have to put your item in the basket before it will tell you if its in stock locally.

YANBU. It drives me nuts when you spend ages hunting around a website looking for the delivery charges, and it either doesn't state them or it says something like delivery charges depend on item purchased! So you then have to put it in your basket, go through the whole process and then discover its a ridiculous amount or even better, they don't deliver to your postcode!

I thought this was about ebay - their basket is useless too.

You have to message a seller first, ask them if they will combine postage, even if it says so on their listing the basket option will calculate your postage as everything separately and so you end up paying like £40 postage for what the seller would do at £6.99 (business seller with courier account)

It's crap.

mandy that's not true, there's a check stock in your area box on a product page on argos. No need to add to basket first

I also hate it when you have to register. Some civilised websites let you check out as a guest but most expect you to come up with a password and all sorts of nonsense. Grr.