Man…I ordered two kits through the internet, one Dragon and one Tamiya, saved 20% off retail. [swg] However…USPS priority cost $27 and I ended up paying more than the LHS. [|(] I was floored by the shipping cost. Has anyone had a simular problem?
sounds high to me, Squadron and Great models {the ones I use most} are not nearly that high. EVEN ebayers don’t hit that much usually/.
where was it from and where did it go?
Remember,
[swg] check shippin’, before clickin’…
I buy online a great deal, but have reduced purchases from the US almost to nothing, primarily due to the high cost of postage. Asian and European online stores are my preferred shopping destination now. Postage is way cheaper.
Cheers
Mike
Um, priority USPS isn’t the standard means of any online company’s shipping policy. That is an upgrade chosen by the consumer. You must have been advised of the shipping cost prior to placing the order, so this isn’t a “problem” more than a mistake on your part. Harsh, but true.
edit= missed the “S” in USPS!
Ah, no. Postage is expensive now from the US across the board. USPS particularly so.
I have been buying online now since 1999 and the rise in postal costs for items mailed out of the US was worse last year.
Not choosing the correct postage? I am not that stupid or naive.
My model contacts in the US have made similar comments about the cost of postage within the US as well. One of those blokes is a regular seller on eBay and a regular donator of kits for forum GB’s
Madmike, my post was in response to gjek’s initial post. He clearly states “priority” which is an upgrade. I had mis-typed and dropped the first S in USPS. I have since corrected the post. That’s what I get for posting at O Dark Thirty!
I can well imagine shipping US to Australia is prohibitively expensive! And I quite agree that postage rates have gotten very expensive in the past year. I live in Canada and shipping across the border has become ridiculous. Not only do I get gouged in shipping costs, but my own government bends me over and steals “duty” taxes from my wallet!
Seems a global thing, that.
Typically, a 1:72 armour kit will cost anywhere from US$8 - 15 to post down under in comparision with GBP3-5 from the UK. If the package is heavier, the prices go up exponentially.
Who did you order them from? Was this an online shop, or Ebay? Or a private sale? I’ve had orders of 9-10 kits cost that much by USPS priority, but not TWO. Fedex/UPS is definitely the way to go unless you’re doing parcel post.
I just did a test of postage rates from Massachusetts to Tacoma Washington To get to a $27 Pirority postage cost, I had to go to 12 pounds. Priority Flat Rate remained at $8.95 from one pound to 12 and both listed a two day delivery.
I checked the postage price on the box from USPS and it was $27. Not a gouge from the shipper. The shipper is a smaller online vender and dosen’t price the shipping ahead of time. I usually order AM items and the postage never seamed excessive I guess due to the flat rate boxes. The kits were an M4A3E8 and a JS 2, both larger box kits as opposed to a Sdkfz 222 size kit. He shipped in a copy paper box this time. The vender usally ships priority to speed up order to deliver time. Next time I will request first class instead.
USPS just recently changed their shipping practices to charge based on dimensions instead of just weight as they used to. This means that the size of the box is just as important as the weight in determining rates. Add on top of that the Priority designation and I bet that’s what you got hit with.
Shipping internationally has gotten to be almost breathtaking in the exorbitant rates being charged…I recently shipped a model kit package to the UK from Texas and it nearly cost $40. Cost of oil and such I guess as well as just general inflation/weakening dollar, etc.
Uh oh, the USPS Strike Again!
That $27 shipping sounds waaaay out of line for only 2 kits! I shop alot online, and I always pay close attention to the S&H breakdown. I usually FedX or UPS, rarely do I trust the USPS.
The last time I used the USPS, I received a kit a week after it was due to arrive, and one corner of the box was crushed. The letter carrier just shrugged when I asked about the damage to the package!
The kit, a 1/35 Tamiya T-34 survived, but it required some minor surgery.
Size is where Priority Mail costs go up so much. Once a package is above 12" or so it gets drastically higher.
hey it’s the gov sooo…
bend over and don’t forget to crack a smile when you do
Wow, there is no happy ending. You guy’s need to go up to Aircraft and read the " Freakin Frackin Fedex " thread.
Shipping = [oX)]
This is one reason online bargains are not as good as they appear. And more than likely shiping rates will continue to climb in the future due to the rising costs of fuel. When you calculate shipping in the cost often approaches being the same as your LHS. The shop owner has to pay for the shipping to their shop and incorporates this cost into the final sales price. Not to mention, it is just not as much fun to shop online as it is to go to the LHS, and see all the stuff there in person up close and for real. Online reviews are nice, but having your own eyes evaluate your prospective purchase can not be beat. Also some shops give discounts to regular customer or members of IPMS or other modeling clubs.
easy there people. as a letter carrier of many years, i can tell you that we try and keep costs low. if we price to high,we lose more than we gain. its not the government that sets our rates. we have to show the government why we need a rate increase. blame ever rising fuel costs. i’m sorry your carrier didnt care your box was damaged. i always show supervisor damage so report can be filed. please dont shoot the messanger.
I buy alot online and I request common carry rates from sellers. None of that Priority crap for me. Im shipping models here, not Swarovski Crystal. If the seller wont negotiate, I leave. It’s that easy. It is my experience that retail online sellers dont charge those fees, either - they ship common carry.
Having sold a lot online, too, I find the Priority game benefits the seller, only. They get the boxes from the USPS, they print labels at home and arrange for LC pickup. Good for them sucks, for the buyer. Look at it this way:
They pack your model box inside another fancy box, add all the extra fees they can tack on and then promote it all as a benefit? In the end, you might get your kit a day or two sooner. Big deal. This is just sticking the buyer with increased costs. More, why would buyers put up with it unless they are ignorant of the truth?
What I do is wrap the model in a layer of bubble wrap and then seal in heavy kraft paper. Simple and easy. I learned this from a seller in Hong Kong who packaged just that way. To date, there have been no issues. I also do not charge the calculated shipping rates, which are invariably inflated. By now I know what it really costs to ship a model kit. I weigh the package and charge by that weight only - if the buyer wants to pay more they can tell me.
Many sellers dont follow the Golden Rule of Selling:
“You Make Your Money When You OBTAIN Your Merchandise - Not When You Sell It.”
So, they love thing’s like Priority Shipping and inflated rates, hoping the buyer will be cyber-hypnotised and wont look further. I dont resort to such things. I have a friend at the PO and she has helped me to learn the ropes, too. Many sellers could care less and the only ropes they know are the ones they drop around their buyers necks.
I agree with our letter carrier friend - the PO offers many ways to ship and not all are outrageous. The “Supersize to Priority” is still an option offered to shippers by the USPS. If it’s being dictated to you then that is fascism, and it doesn’t have to be the standard unless you are willing to accept it… there are few models I need that badly.
I have to agree Matt here,I have used quite a few of the online retailers in just the last month and USPS wasn’t one of them, nor will I use them in the future. In most cases I use either Fedex, or UPS. I also agree that you need to look very, very closely before you start clicking,and any site I’ve used always has at least 2-3 pages before you even complete the online purchase.