Shipping woes (1 Viewer)

[dennis63]

Earlier this year, I seem to recall shipping eight decks of Key West cards in a flat rate box to Australia for $16.95. That's outrageous, I thought, but there is little I can do about it. The customer paid the shipping, and I sent the package.

So that amount has been programmed into our system for several months.

Last night, I got another order for eight decks from Australia. The customer paid $16.95 shipping. Imagine my surprise when the label printed out at a (discounted) $25.25! So now, shipping costs more than the cards.

The always-friendly postal worker at my local post office said prices "really jumped up' in April. Even she was shocked by how much it increased.

At this point, I'm re-thinking international shipping altogether.

 

[links_slayer]

wow - i didn't realized prices jumped either.

MFRB is now $66.25 / $62.95
LFRB is now $86.25 / $81.95

for non-Canada international. Yikes.

 

[dennis63]

What to do? Give the package to the brown truck, and it might not make it in the next month...

 

[links_slayer]

Have you explored UPS and/or FedEx rates? I remember them being substantially more expensive than USPS (especially compared to old international flat rate shipping options) but *knock on wood* I never had an issue with the package arriving safely. I've unsuccessfully filed 2 (or is it 3?) insurance claims with USPS for international shipments.

What is the old adage? Cheap, fast, or safe - pick two.

 

[Craig D]

Please give international buyers the choice

I have a USA mail address most don't

I have to think hard before buying things because of the cost of freight

Luck to have 2400 nice chips before the cost of shipping got insane

 

[spikeithard]

problem with fedex and UPS is the customer is usually stuck with HUGE at the door brokerage fees. I bought something from the US a couple months ago for 42 CAN and I got a bill from some 3rd party broker company for about 24 bucks a few weeks later. Ughhh

 

[B.C.]

If you think that's bad, try doing it in reverse. It's about 3x more expensive shipping to the US from Aus.

 

[RowdyRawhide]

Have you explored UPS and/or FedEx rates? I remember them being substantially more expensive than USPS (especially compared to old international flat rate shipping options) but *knock on wood* I never had an issue with the package arriving safely. I've unsuccessfully filed 2 (or is it 3?) insurance claims with USPS for international shipments.

What is the old adage? Cheap, fast, or safe - pick two.

This^^^^^^

I have had several packages delivered to the wrong address before......they were tracked and said they were delivered. Went to PO and they said there was nothing they could do. Luckily my neighbors are honest and put them back in the mail. So far I have not had a problem with fedex and ups delivering to the wrong address

 

[slisk250]

I'm curious if a company like ARAMEX can work for the Aussies. Many people here use it. I think that allows you the ship everything to them in the USA and then they consolidate the packages and can ship to Oz. If you have a few guys making orders, eBay, etc. It might prove to be a viable option. I don't have any more information about 3rd party shipping companies. Good luck!

 

[dennis63]

I know the UPS (and Fed Ex) drivers are clearly the best drivers on the road. But I've had many issues with delays and lost packages with UPS. I cringe when I buy something online and learn the carrier is UPS. It usually means driving 10 miles to the sorting facility and standing in line to pick up my package later than expected. So far this year, I've had more "notice of exception" messages than "on time" deliveries.

The issue is the ridiculously high cost of shipping in general and the tendency for carriers to increase prices so frequently.

When your business works with very small profits because you're not gouging customers, then the post office charges $8 or $9 more than they did to ship the same package three months ago, you give all your profit from that transaction and two others to the post office.

The likely answer will be posting a message to folks in the farthest destinations to order by e-mail and wait for an accurate shipping quote.

Sadly, when shipping gets too expensive -- and we're there now -- people don't buy the item.