"Shipping costs are crazy!!!!" Topic

I am selling off much of my collection and was appalled to learn that one item that would go to a buyer in Canada (I am in the United States) was going to cost $46.00 USD to ship. I am waiting to hear back from the buyer as to whether they still want to purchase the item as I require that buyers pay shipping, but come on $46.00 USD??? Most of this seems to be due to customs. I am stunned.

Kim, I have seen the same issue with my international shipping. Almost seems like robbery.

Yep.

Sometimes they'll give you a US address of a friend, associate or workplace to reduce costs.

DM

No, it's not customs as much as what the USPS and other independent shippers like FedEx , ups, and DHL charge for cross border shipping.

You might check out the Priority Mail flat rate Large Box or Medium box as you can put as much stuff as the box can hold and not pay anything higher for the shipping cost.

If you use the USPS flat rate priority boxes I think the cost is less. I shipped a small box, like and old VHS tape size priority to Australia for $27. USD

But even so, international shipping is crazy.

From Estonia I may ship until 66 of my 15mm figures for 7.32 EUR in secure package and with tracking registering to any location on Earth.

Beginning of a slippery slope IMO the small guy squeezed again.

Various Postal Organizations have lost a lot of money as the amount of letters and small mail such as flyers, magazines and newspapers have been supplanted by Email . They now have to make up the shortfalls in revenue by going after the online shopping delivery Now Government Posts are in competition with private courier companies. Hopefully there will be some breaks for consumers as competition increases

Not the US post office. OK, SOME losses to that, but they are desperate to make money as Congress voted they have to fully fund their retirement fund way out in advance (which no one else has to do) which was just a way of getting them to raise their prices so UPS and fedex could raise theirs.

So the real reason we pay more is political and not due to the theoretical losses.

The main problem with out overseas shipping they decided to screw everyone by doing away with surface (slow) rate and go to air shipping everything. Which is just a stupid idea and means the nation exports much less than I did on the smaller end of things.

@whitemanticore

Did you sell on eBay and did you use their Global Shipping?

Beginning of a slippery slope IMO the small guy squeezed again.

Hear hear! Presumably the big corporations get the a volume discount on shipping the same way they get volume discounts on other expenses that the small business doesn't.

with 46usd i can ship 2 box from China to US

Ancestral Hamster,

No I have given up on e-Bay and will not use their services. I am selling direct here on TMP. I will add that the postman behind the counter was also rude and not helpful. I did go the near by UPS store to see if I could get a better rate and he told me that it would be double what the USPS would charge. However, I did learn from him that anything I shipped that was over three pounds and domestic would be cheaper with UPS than the USPS. I followed up and he was right. So I will be shipping the miniatures I sell which normally will be at least three pounds domestically through UPS.

Fortunately for me the buyer still wants the merchandise and is willing to pay the extra cost. Bless him! I just personally feel that charging this much is wrong and highway robbery. The USPS has pretty much lost my business. Sadly it means I will not be doing a lot of international selling.

With you most of the way, whitemanticore. I can't complain about my local USPS staff, they mostly do a good job.

Shipping rates are outrageous and have seriously harmed my own ability to buy and sell small lots of merchandise. Of course the big boys (Amazon) use their clout to negotiate favorable low rates, while the other big boys (Ebay + Paypal) use their clout to fleece me down to bare skin. Ouch!

And it's infuriating that my own mailbox is still stuffed with bulk rate junk mail. Which I now have to recycle! I can't just pitch the dang useless catalogs, I'm supposed to pry the staples out of every one.

Oh well. At least Old Pharoah provides straw when I have to mix up a batch of mud brick for his tomb. Bless his heart. I hope he gets to use it soon.

Hemm! I hear a revolution in the offering! How about a 'Boston post party?' :) and on both sides of the Atlantic I must add ;)
As an aside see that the lovely products from Blue Moon which starting out as not the cheapest have these infernal USPS boxes which would push most purchasers overseas way above the pale of affordable, who wants to add approx $50 USD extra just on post. Crazy, oh well we who are not from 'the New Country' can wish and sigh. In fact this feels like how it was 20+ years ago when the country I live in now was subject ot embargo and the inherent extra costs (lead minis were like gold). Ad sadius days :(. Cheers all

Zippy and Zargon we seem to be a similar mind. Sadly, yes, I have deferred purchasing or auctions that are outside of the United States because of shipping costs. So much for that global economy, oh yes wait, that was not to benefit the little guy. How silly of me.

As a Canadian receiving from the US, I will almost certainly take USPS over UPS. Every time I get a package sent via UPS its an automatic customs brokerage fee of $40 USD-$60 at the door. Where as USPS will let it go through Canada customs. The vast majority of time they let it go through for free. The one time I have been caught it cost me $20. USD So even if it costs me $10 USD more or $20 USD more for USPS, I'll take it.

Canada customs will charge for product over $75.00 USD generally I found. Sometimes it will be more say around $90.00 USD.

Postage has gone up a lot, and is making selling figures much more expensive for the buyer.
It's just one of those things we have to deal with.

Glad you sold them whitemancore! Especially to a Canadian!!