International shipping dissapointment

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maxwell_smart007

maxwell_smart007

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Has anyone ever noticed how many discounted domestic shipping deals there are for the US?

What's disappointing is that these suppliers will not apply the same discount to international shipping. I dont' mean that they should ship to Canada for $5, but rather, it would be nice if they applied the same discount (i.e. $5 or $10 credit) toward all shipping orders...

It just is disappointing when you see $5 shipping, and then are quoted a shipping rate of over $30...Even a token discount would be nice...

Ok, Rant over! :)
 
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Andrew,

I've wanted to post the same rant many time but I didn't bother - out of a sense of futility.

Yup, the statement "includes free shipping anywhere in the USA - Canada to pay actual cost" irks me to the point where I don't even bother making an offer or contacting the vendor.

Cheers!

Gary
 
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You think thats bad??? Some Vendors doesnt even wanna ship over to Singapore!!! Fortunately for me.... i have someone flying up to the US every month.....but than, he's still not going to bring a lathe back for me...... and im still using a drill press lathe my stuff!!

Rant done.....
 
Andrew,

I hated shipping to Canada, until we started doing more of it. Using USPS on-line, it is really not half bad.

So, ORDER MORE FROM US!!! --- PROBLEM SOLVED

BTW, we charge $11 for international, it costs us a minimum of 12.80
Domestic is $5, we pay $4.80 if it is in the small box, $7 or $8 if it is heavier.

We try to give everyone a break on freight. From a "business" perspective, we ought to have a minimum order to qualify, but we don't.

I am VERY interested in any and all comments. FEEL FREE to criticize the business practices of "ExoticBlanks". WE GAIN FROM YOUR INPUT.

I WILL try to reply and we are DEVELOPING our business plan --- your comments HELP us do that.

Sorry if I am hijacking your thread ---- Dawn came in and asked me to take the opportunity to get some feedback from our international contingent.

YOUR REMARKS WILL NOT BE TAKEN PERSONALLY BY ME OR DAWN!!
 
ed4copies said:
I am VERY interested in any and all comments. FEEL FREE to criticize the business practices of "ExoticBlanks". WE GAIN FROM YOUR INPUT.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the invite, Ed, and we'll whine at ya if needed.

Personally, I'm beaking off about people who build shipping costs into an item (usually, in my experience, private sellers in classified ads and/or on ebay) but will not deduct that padding for people who don't get the free shipping (i.e. those buyers outside the contiguous 48).

For example, someone wants to sell, say, a chuck. They want $60 for it and figure on $20 for shipping and so advertise it for "$80 - shipping anywhere in the USA included. Canadians pay actual shipping costs."

So, an American pays, in essence $60 + shipping, while a Canadian pays $80 + shipping.

A fair deal would be for the seller to apply the $20 padding to the actual cost for Canadians, but I have yet to see this happen.

Of course, the "perfect" solution would be to charge what you want for the item and add actual shipping charges. I understand that this would create more work for vendors, but we're talking about private sellers here, and not businesses like yours.

All that said, it gives we Canucks something to whine about, and we ain't happy unless we're whining ;)

Cheers!

Gary
 
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Gary,

I don't want to interfere if its a national sport (whining), but Dawn and I have a REAL interest in trying to treat the international community well. She spent many years in Ireland and I enjoyed a summer in Deutschland. And, generally, I enjoy the banter with you Canadians who are not the sensitive type (sensitive people can't live in "below zero" conditions).

But I DO want to hear from ANY of you who have suggestions. I am NEARLY perfect, but every improvement gets me even CLOSER!!! (Scarey thought, huh???)
 
I can sympathize with you Canadians. We spend our summers in the mountains of New Mexico where it is cool. Last summer I need some supplies for my shop, I called in to one of our suppliers and made my order when I asked for the total with shipping I almost died. I was told international shipping was going to cost me about $31. It took me 30 minutes to explain that New Mexico has been a state for quite a few years. My final shipping cost was $11. This was dealing with one of the better known pen suppliers.

Marvin
 
ed4copies said:
.... Dawn came in and asked me to take the opportunity to get some feedback from our international contingent.

YOUR REMARKS WILL NOT BE TAKEN PERSONALLY BY ME OR DAWN!!
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From the southern tip of Africa.......shipping costs hurt!!

IMHO your shipping charges are very generous! I would not, however, expect you to ship to me on this basis. Your $11 charge is probably based on USPS Priority. Shipping Priority MIGHT reach me after 6 weeks if I am lucky, mostly it will just vanish. Everything I order is shipped Express Mail International and not much fits into a flat rate env.

But this is my problem as I choose to live in South Africa, I would just luv to catch the bugger that hi-jacked my first few orders before I learnt the whole shipping thing. :biggrin:
 
Mike,

How is UPS?? FedEx?? We are capable of using either with a little effort.

Much of what I get from Europe comes UPS. International shipping rates are good, BUT there is a $25 charge on this end (USA) when I receive goods that I have paid nearly $1000 for shipping already. Granted, we are talking much LARGER shipments, in my case, but the $25 charge applies to a paper clip via UPS and no one says anything about this when quoting rates.

So, these are the types of things you guys may already know that can enhance my "learning curve".
 
ed4copies said:
How is UPS?? FedEx??
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Ed,

I was about to answer this question before you even asked it.

The single best suggestion I could provide to people shipping to Canada is to ensure that you offer an option OTHER than UPS.

The horror story with UPS involves the "brokerage fees" they charge to clear an item through customs. I had my wakeup call when I received some flyrod building supplies via UPS and the add-on fees doubled (yes, DOUBLED) the cost of the material. I'm not talking $10 or $20 here either, but in the order of $70!

I can't speak for FedEx, but I can't see how they'd be any different - else UPS would be out of business.

So, my advice -although it may cause some butt-pain for the vendor- is to offer USPS shipping (both "ground" and "priority" because the delivery time difference is rarely more than a day or two) on all international orders.

When I'm looking to buy something online and the only shipping option provided by a seller is via courier, I skate right on by to the next ad.

Cheers!

Gary
 
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Now with the USPS flat rate box for $10 something it is much better.
I would offer free shipping to other countries but then amount of the purchase needs to go up to cover the cost.
In the past I have paid in on most shipping to Canada and Europe and therefor it is better not to sell something then having a sale and then have to pay in.

Shoot me an email for those who are interested and we can workout a deal for future shipments.
 
ed4copies said:
Mike,

How is UPS?? FedEx?? We are capable of using either with a little effort....
".
Click to expand...

I think all the shipping companies levy some sort of "danger fee" when shipping to South Africa.....hell there can't be another explanation. :biggrin:

An 18 pound package to SA from Utah with USPS Express costs around $125 and the same package USPS/Fedex is close to $380 with no insurance.

If I can give you any advice on shipping to SA, only ship USPS Express. Not one package has gone missing (TOUCH WOOD) and it normally beats UPS/Fedex by a day or 2 on timing. Out of 6 Priority shipments, 3 went missing, 2 took about 6 weeks to arrive and one was received 7 months after shipping.:mad:

To put this into perspective, I received 28 Express packages last year. :)
 
[quote I would just luv to catch the bugger that hi-jacked my first few orders before I learned the whole shipping thing. :biggrin:[/quote]


Mitch go check in Mamelodi or Soweto before I left SA everything in my house was "donated" to some in Mamelodi. - Midnight shopping:mad:
 
Sorry, Mike, you know I can't pass up an opportunity.


Do they make ANYTHING you NEED in South Africa or do you IMPORT EVERYTHING???
 
As a person who formerly made my living shipping international, I don't understand all the hulabaloo about the shipping... it ain't rocket science. Nafta works - HA!

Realistically, the biggest problem with most international shipments falls on the consignee.. he has to contend with the duties, customs etc.. in his respective country. If the packages are relatively small, UPS, DHL(think they are gone now??) Fedex etc all have pretty good programs to ship internationally... sometimes the costs are outrageous, because they know most of us don't know how to do it... on really small packages and low priced goods, they should be able to quote a door/door price that is reasonable. The good ol USPS has some pretty good programs to ship internationally and the costs aren't all that high.

Back in the day, I had to maintain a stock of specialty invoices for international shipments... Israeli, Nigerian, South African, Canadian, etc... plus all the US export paperwork required... at one time, the good ole US of A required export licenses for many items... still do for some, but not so many through commerce department, more through the treasury for highly sensitive items, guns and explosives, etc.... If you use the USPS, most of these documents are required, except maybe for the T-License if you are shipping your buddy overseas a Ruger or Colt along with the Ammo and a case of C-4... and if that is the case, probably neither your package nor yourself would leave the post office except under armed escort from the local and friendly gendarmes. LOL

They still require a Shippers Export Declaration for items over a certain value - $2500 now I think, Phytosanitary certificates for some plant materials, certain destinations(Australia is one) require require fumigation certificates for wood products containing any bark, straw, etc...
But what we mostly ship, a simple express mail envelope or box from the USPS will work. Simple form to fill out and away it goes. For most of us that so ship internationally, this is the most economical way to go for both the shipper and the consignee.
 
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Hi Ed et all: This has nothing to do with shipping to Canada. It is meant to give Ed and whoever else carries on a business in the US and receives orders from a Canuck some info they may not be aware of.

The following has been copied directly from my sent pm folder to an upright gentleman who most of us have dealt with at one time or another on this forum.

Here's a fact you may or may not know or be aware of. Your charge of $118.70 USD equates to $152.70 CDN to me. As well there is a good chance I will be charged 2 taxes totaling 15% + a $5.00 brokerage fee from Canada Post when the parcel arrives. That brings my total to a possible $180.61. Our buck was on a par with yours a few months ago, but we are losing ground slowly again.
It's really difficult in the pen business since there aren't many Canadian suppliers. It's really just a hobby for me, thankfully.
I'm only passing this info along, not for your sympathy, but only for your info, in case you ever wonder why you may not be getting much business from us Canucks.
 
I know one thing, Ed - if you're going to ship to Canada via UPS, you're going to have an angry customer on the other end! :)

The first time I ever got an item shipped via UPS was a humidor I bought via ebay...UPS brokerage fees and customs added up to 70 dollars...and I bought the thing for 99 cents on ebay. Second time was ten free pen blanks in a swap from a buddy in Texas - 20 dollars brokerage fee! There won't be a third.

So UPS isn't an option. Fedex is very slightly cheaper, but if it can't go USPS, it's not worth it...a lot of stuff can fit in an envelope (an a lot more in the flat-rate ones)

I really appreciate those that ship to Canada - but when you're shipping a single pen kit and bushings to Canada for 20 dollars, that's a bit ridiculous (and no, that's not Ed - his rates are very reasonable, it seems)...
 
Constant Laubscher said:
I would offer free shipping to other countries but then amount of the purchase needs to go up to cover the cost
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We're not asking for free shipping. But, if you "build in" $10 to your price in order to cover the cost of a flat rate box to the lower 48, then we're saying that you should apply that $10 to the actual cost that we're going to pay... Call it a "$10 shipping credit" to anyone outside the 48.

For example, you're selling a box of blanks for $100 including shipping to the lower 48 - and you factored in $10 for the flat rate box you intend to use.

The shipping to Canada, then, should be "acual cost minus 10 bucks"

I get that it can be a pain, and that's the reason that a lot of people won't ship outside the USA. It must be nice to have that option - and all the rest of us can do is whine and gnash our teeth.

In short, it sucks to be us BUT you can help alleviate the pain ;)

Cheers!

Gary
 
GaryMadore said:
Ed,

I was about to answer this question before you even asked it.

The single best suggestion I could provide to people shipping to Canada is to ensure that you offer an option OTHER than UPS.

The horror story with UPS involves the "brokerage fees" they charge to clear an item through customs. I had my wakeup call when I received some flyrod building supplies via UPS and the add-on fees doubled (yes, DOUBLED) the cost of the material. I'm not talking $10 or $20 here either, but in the order of $70!

I can't speak for FedEx, but I can't see how they'd be any different - else UPS would be out of business.

So, my advice -although it may cause some butt-pain for the vendor- is to offer USPS shipping (both "ground" and "priority" because the delivery time difference is rarely more than a day or two) on all international orders.

When I'm looking to buy something online and the only shipping option provided by a seller is via courier, I skate right on by to the next ad.

Cheers!

Gary
Click to expand...

You do know that UPS is pronounced "OOOPS"
 
Oh, I wrote it down so I wouldn't forget, and just found it:

UPS Brokerage Fees for items over $40 in value:

40.01 to $ 100.00 $ 19.45
$ 100.01 to $ 200.00 $ 29.00
$ 200.01 to $ 350.00 $ 41.50

THEN, they charge 2.7% of the declared value of the shipment to fill out 'paperwork' to move the item over the border...

This is the extra fee for carrying the item over the border that gets tacked on to the shipping...then there's GST, PST, etc, which is always added as well....and then the UPS driver needs the money at the door before he can give you the shipment...USPS doesn't always have a fee, and if it does, it's no higher than $5

This is an excerpt from a big-long-list....I only wrote down the amounts that mattered back when I was dealing with that UPS issue - this is the reason why we ALWAYS ask you to not overesetimate the value of the shipment - UPS and the Government charge us based on what the seller, declares the value to be.
 
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ed4copies said:
Sorry, Mike, you know I can't pass up an opportunity.

Do they make ANYTHING you NEED in South Africa or do you IMPORT EVERYTHING???
Click to expand...

To keep this short, I can get timber, sandpaper, the Carba-Tec 24kt slimline at $7, and thin CA in SA......and thats it!!! :frown:

No kits, MM, mandrels, trimmers etc, etc, etc. Damn, not even medium or thick CA....zip, zero, nada, niks, boggerol...:biggrin:

So yes Ed, I import 99,9% of everything. Just doing my bit to keep the US economy from complete collapse...:biggrin:
 
GaryMadore said:
We're not asking for free shipping. But, if you "build in" $10 to your price in order to cover the cost of a flat rate box to the lower 48, then we're saying that you should apply that $10 to the actual cost that we're going to pay... Call it a "$10 shipping credit" to anyone outside the 48.

For example, you're selling a box of blanks for $100 including shipping to the lower 48 - and you factored in $10 for the flat rate box you intend to use.

The shipping to Canada, then, should be "acual cost minus 10 bucks"

I get that it can be a pain, and that's the reason that a lot of people won't ship outside the USA. It must be nice to have that option - and all the rest of us can do is whine and gnash our teeth.

In short, it sucks to be us BUT you can help alleviate the pain ;)

Cheers!Gary
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Gary,
I fully understand your frustrations and concur with your post. I haven't shipped anything to Canada yet, but have a few items to Australia and the UK. Using your analogy, that is the reason I don't quote "free shipping" and don't build any shipping charges into my prices... I always quote my items as price + shipping and I do have a slightly higher shipping rate for international shipments. I don't quote any delivery beyond the port of entry, all duties and taxes for account of consignee. My international shipping rates are fairly low and on the last two shipments, my final charges were a few dollars over what I quoted.. my bad - my cost.
I made a joke in earlier post about NAFTA...in the days before NAFTA shipping to / from Canada & Mexico were much simpler and considerably less paperwork. It probably doesn't come into play with individuals shipping to / from each other, but government just hasn't discovered it yet.
 
Programming???

GaryMadore said:
We're not asking for free shipping. But, if you "build in" $10 to your price in order to cover the cost of a flat rate box to the lower 48, then we're saying that you should apply that $10 to the actual cost that we're going to pay... Call it a "$10 shipping credit" to anyone outside the 48.

For example, you're selling a box of blanks for $100 including shipping to the lower 48 - and you factored in $10 for the flat rate box you intend to use.

The shipping to Canada, then, should be "acual cost minus 10 bucks"

I get that it can be a pain, and that's the reason that a lot of people won't ship outside the USA. It must be nice to have that option - and all the rest of us can do is whine and gnash our teeth.

In short, it sucks to be us BUT you can help alleviate the pain ;)

Cheers!

Gary
Click to expand...


We (in this case, this means DAWN) are learning the fine points of web site building. While there MAY be a software that will do as you suggest (and I suggested, right before my eye mysteriously turned "blackened"), the software with which the aforementioned Dawn is working is "not conducive" to that solution.

Between us guys, she says "No chance in hell" she can make it do that.

We have to use "flat rates" -- more or less.

So, I trepidatiously suggested "free" freight for large orders. It was suggested that all our prices would then have to be raised to absorb the difference.

NOT trying to make excuses - but the web has great conveniences (read ordering at 3 AM). Unfortunately, it does not THINK like a human. (read - "Yeah, that ($100) order justifies a freight discount, while that one ($10)does not".

We get a LOT of orders that are under $50 - just as a frame of reference.

When I order from Europe, my cost is pretty reasonable ($3 a pound ish) because I get more than 200 pounds at a time. This is REALLY the ONLY way to get cost down that I know of ---- But, if Chuck (Ozmandus) wants to give me more info --- I will TAKE it!!!

Keep up the discussion and realize that we WILL listen and do what we CAN. IF there is enough interest, we CAN do most anything.
 
I will flat out refuse any orders from UPS. They won't deliver to my house in the rural area even though it's directly on the route between towns. When the jackass delivery guy has something for me, he calls me right at the end of the day, and because it's 30 minutes for me to get to town, he's sitting there whining that I took too long, and I owe him something extra for his trouble, etc..... Last time that happened, I told him that he could expect an uppercut to the jaw if he said that to me again.
They also constantly lie to me..... Every time I get a phone call about customs clearance, I ask how much the taxes are, and the brokerage fees..... Several times I have been told there was absolutely no charges, no taxes, etc., only to get a bill in the mail 3 weeks later.
Another time, CSUSA sent a $200 shipment to me, and UPS phoned to say that They were asking permission to clear customs...... I asked about the charges, and they said it was $89. I told them they didn't have permission and to do what the sender wanted with it... In the morning I got a call from CSUSA before I woke up. The lady wondered why I had refused. I told her about the customs and brokerage charges. She said she woudl have rejected that shipment as well. So, they sent me a new shipment with US post that day.
As for clearing customs without UPS brokerage charges, It's over an hour and a half to the city where I can do that one way. For a small shippment, it's hardly worth my time to drive that especially for that. Especially when the post office usually clears customs for shipments that size for me for free.
There is my UPS rant, and if you can't tell, I hate that company..... Fedex is only a little better. Never tried DHL.
 
ed4copies said:
We (in this case, this means DAWN) are learning the fine points of web site building. While there MAY be a software that will do as you suggest (and I suggested, right before my eye mysteriously turned "blackened"), the software with which the aforementioned Dawn is working is "not conducive" to that solution.

Between us guys, she says "No chance in hell" she can make it do that.

We have to use "flat rates" -- more or less.

So, I trepidatiously suggested "free" freight for large orders. It was suggested that all our prices would then have to be raised to absorb the difference.

NOT trying to make excuses - but the web has great conveniences (read ordering at 3 AM). Unfortunately, it does not THINK like a human. (read - "Yeah, that ($100) order justifies a freight discount, while that one ($10)does not".

We get a LOT of orders that are under $50 - just as a frame of reference.

When I order from Europe, my cost is pretty reasonable ($3 a pound ish) because I get more than 200 pounds at a time. This is REALLY the ONLY way to get cost down that I know of ---- But, if Chuck (Ozmandus) wants to give me more info --- I will TAKE it!!!

Keep up the discussion and realize that we WILL listen and do what we CAN. IF there is enough interest, we CAN do most anything.
Click to expand...

Ed,
Some shopping carts allow for incremental shipping charges based on $$ amount... don't know what cart you use and don't know if mine does, but might be one method... problem is, it doesn't take into account weights.. you can have a very high value with no weight or you can have a high value with lots of weight depending on what you are shipping.

Without knowing more specifics, if $3 per lb on 200 lbs is just transportation charges, it seems a little high to me, but keep in mind I've been out of the business for a few years and not sure where the freight rates are today. And you are in a smaller more out of the way entry port that will have add-on rates for inter-city routing, i.e. Your goods land at NYC or ORD and are then trucked or flown on to Racine...
if this is a landed and delivered rate, that includes customs/duties, etc... may be fairer rate.

Are you working with a forwarder in Racine or Chicago or are you allowing your shipper to choose the forwarding agent in the origin city? A local forwarder/broker might have an agency agreement with a forwarding agent in your origin port and can negotiate lesser rates. If you do regular imports, you probably already have a regular broker handling your shipments, talk to them about origin rates and see if they have contacts overseas. It's a place to start.
 
In Canada, UPS is Unacceptable Parcel Service. My UPS delivery man is a great guy and we have had a good discussion on many subjects. I get some shipments from within Canada quickly and without hassle, but he now calls me if there is a parcel from outside of Canada and saves himself the drive because he knows I won't accept it. I also love those invoices that come two or three weeks later. I take great pleasure in phoning them and telling them if they don't have my signature they have no chance of collecting. The postal service is a reliable if slow and sometimes agravating option.
 
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This is a valuable discussion. Because I deal in mostly small, lightweight items, I generally use Global Priority Mail for international customers. My website calculates postage based on weight, so I generally do not have a profit from postage. When the calculator goes a little over board, I usually refund the excess (unless I'm asleep at the wheel!). Having shipped personal items using DHL, FedEx and UPS, I try to avoid them at all costs. UPS brokerage fees are the worst. If any of you from outside the US have suggestions on better ways to serve you, please let us know. Many of us are happy to have you as customers.
 
One of the reasons may be that shipping inside the USA is a breeze - their software prints a label, you stick it on the box, and someone picks it up.

However, to ship to Canada via USPS, someone has to fill out a customs ticket, and then (if I recall correctly), it has to be presented at the post office. The customs ticket says that one copy must remain on file at the post office. That means that someone has to actually spend time on it.

Not that I do that... I'm too lazy. I stick one copy on the package, then drop it in the mail. It hasn't failed me yet, but if I were doing it as a business, I'd want to toe the line a bit more.
 
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GaryMadore said:
Thanks for the invite, Ed, and we'll whine at ya if needed.

Personally, I'm beaking off about people who build shipping costs into an item (usually, in my experience, private sellers in classified ads and/or on ebay) but will not deduct that padding for people who don't get the free shipping (i.e. those buyers outside the contiguous 48).

For example, someone wants to sell, say, a chuck. They want $60 for it and figure on $20 for shipping and so advertise it for "$80 - shipping anywhere in the USA included. Canadians pay actual shipping costs."

So, an American pays, in essence $60 + shipping, while a Canadian pays $80 + shipping.

A fair deal would be for the seller to apply the $20 padding to the actual cost for Canadians, but I have yet to see this happen.

Of course, the "perfect" solution would be to charge what you want for the item and add actual shipping charges.

Cheers!

Gary
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Yep.. I agree fully. Its annoying when you see something advertised as free shipping to the USA, but when you want to buy it, you pay the same AND shipping. I think sellers on here should do shipping costs seperate..

I dont like paying shipping twice (the hidden shipping and the international shipping) :frown:
 
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