Postage/Shipping Costs!

[Haf]

dsk...be glad you don't had the TeleNorm T-N-50-6-exchange being shipped to you

Haf

[twocvbloke]

So I keep on telling myself "I do actually not want nor need a payphone!" But its a lie!

I want a proper american payphone too, but the shipping is too prohibitive, I have seen frankenphone payphones here in the UK (WE payphones with AE parts mostly), but the sellers always list them at about the same price as a scrappy GPO K6 phonebox, they never sell though, but it is still disappointing to say the least...

[Contempra]

I live in Canada and the shipping from USA is too expensive.. if you look on eBay- the shipping for something is less than the USA  lol.

[AE_Collector]

Then I saw that Canadian Post is charging over $30.00 on top of the winning bid, for shipping it to my location.

Actually it is the seller not Canada Post that is charging $30. Unfortunately the only option I see is "expedited" which of course further increses the price. I plugged in my shipping info on the other side of Canada and it came to $20. I would expect the actual parcel post shipping cost to be less than half that amount. Unfortunately we don't have "Media Rate" in Canada. If it weighed les than 500 grams  (1.1 pound) and is no thicker than 20MM (3/4 inch) it cold be sent first class within Canada (not certain about TO the US) for about $3, the one "Bargain" we are able to occasionaly snag if all the planets line up.

Terry

[Greg G.]

I'm in the US and I don't like shipping costs even w/in the US, that's why I rarely buy a phone if it has to be shipped.  I see a lot of phones in ebay that are w/in the US at a good price, but I'm just not going to pay 1X or 2X the price for shipping.

[Contempra]

I agree BrinyBay

[LarryInMichigan]

I have asked a number of sellers if they could adjust the shipping price when the posted price was too high.  Some have happily agreed, others have sent rude replies, and some have ignored my message.  I expect that many people overestimate the weight of their items.  If I want to buy something whose weight I know, I politely inform the seller that their item weighs X pounds, and they could therefore ship it for $Y.  Some sellers insist on using a flat rate box to ship a lightweight item when the measured rate would cost much less.  The seller of my gray Connecticut toaster insisted on cramming the phone into a flat rate box and paying a few dollars more for shipping than it would have cost to ship it in a much larger box at the non-flat rate.  He was quite adamant and rude when I asked him to ship it properly.  People who buy things from me will do not have to overpay for shipping.

Larry

[Contempra]

I have asked a number of sellers if they could adjust the shipping price when the posted price was too high.  Some have happily agreed, others have sent rude replies, and some have ignored my message.  I expect that many people overestimate the weight of their items.  If I want to buy something whose weight I know, I politely inform the seller that their item weighs X pounds, and they could therefore ship it for $Y.  Some sellers insist on using a flat rate box to ship a lightweight item when the measured rate would cost much less.  The seller of my gray Connecticut toaster insisted on cramming the phone into a flat rate box and paying a few dollars more for shipping than it would have cost to ship it in a much larger box at the non-flat rate.  He was quite adamant and rude when I asked him to ship it properly.  People who buy things from me will do not have to overpay for shipping.

Larry

As you see Larry, some people like to make money. Some take us for rich or a bank... being rude is not implementation and in this case I would decline to buy things from these sellers.

[AE_Collector]

I have had reasonable luck renegotiating the shipping prices but only while the auction is still running and before I have bid. When there seems to be quite a bit of padding in their shipping price or where they have only quoted Priority or higher service I will politely request a Parcel rate quote.

On more than one occasion I have found a seller with more than one shipping option offered yet their primary shipping method that shows up below the item price while the auction is running IS NOT their least expensive option. I guess they failed or dropped out of "Marketing 101". You need to go to the shipping tab to explore other possible methods and prices that are already offered by the seller.

Terry 

[Contempra]

I have had reasonable luck renegotiating the shipping prices but only while the auction is still running and before I have bid. When there seems to be quite a bit of padding in their shipping price or where they have only quoted Priority or higher service I will politely request a Parcel rate quote.

On more than one occasion I have found a seller with more than one shipping option offered yet their primary shipping method that shows up below the item price while the auction is running IS NOT their least expensive option. I guess they failed or dropped out of "Marketing 101". You need to go to the shipping tab to explore other possible methods and prices that are already offered by the seller.

Terry 

ouff !.. lots of problems.. anyway, before I bought the watches on EBay but I see that the phones are too expensive. not the price but the shipping !...sorry for my English AE_Collector.

[TelePlay]

Just got burned by the USPS on a shipment to Canada.

Used a padded 4" by 9" envelope that was less than 1/4" thick and less than 1 ounce. I was expecting to pay a bit over $2 to get it there.

Took it to my local post office and they charged my $7.10. I asked why so much and she said it was to thick and had to be shipped as a package instead of an envelope. After driving down, waiting, then being kicked out of line to fill out a custom form, waiting to get back to the counter and having the clerk then say $7, I said the heck with it and paid the extra $5. The USPS online cost would have been $2.10. Just sour grapes but a lesson learned. In the future, make sure the envelop is less than 1/4 inch thick and pay for the postage on line. With the USPS losing money daily, I guess they have to earn their sales bonus is to find suckers to make a few extra bucks at the counter. I wonder how often that happens to people who don't know real costs and pay whatever they say. Still smoldering about that and it's been 6 hours since I left the post office. And I thought Opa Locka was a rip off. Now I know who to spell unethical - USPS.

Just saying. If you ship to Canada, determine the cost on line at the USPS or eBay site before going to the post office.   

[NorthernElectric]

Just got burned by the USPS on a shipment to Canada.

Used a padded 4" by 9" envelope that was less than 1/4" thick and less than 1 ounce. I was expecting to pay a bit over $2 to get it there.

Took it to my local post office and they charged my $7.10. I asked why so much and she said it was to thick and had to be shipped as a package instead of an envelope. After driving down, waiting, then being kicked out of line to fill out a custom form, waiting to get back to the counter and having the clerk then say $7, I said the heck with it and paid the extra $5. The USPS online cost would have been $2.10. Just sour grapes but a lesson learned. In the future, make sure the envelop is less than 1/4 inch thick and pay for the postage on line. With the USPS losing money daily, I guess they have to earn their sales bonus is to find suckers to make a few extra bucks at the counter. I wonder how often that happens to people who don't know real costs and pay whatever they say. Still smoldering about that and it's been 6 hours since I left the post office. And I thought Opa Locka was a rip off. Now I know who to spell unethical - USPS.

Just saying. If you ship to Canada, determine the cost on line at the USPS or eBay site before going to the post office.   

I think that USPS has recently raised their rates too, and particularly on international shipments.  I just received a package from the US for an item that I bought on eBay.  I think the seller quoted me shipping based on his experience without checking the rates.  It was about $13 more than what he quoted me.  We agreed to split the difference so I sent him more.  I hope it hasn't soured him on shipping to Canada.  And I hope your experience hasn't soured you on it too.

[poplar1]

Just got burned by the USPS on a shipment to Canada.

Used a padded 4" by 9" envelope that was less than 1/4" thick and less than 1 ounce. I was expecting to pay a bit over $2 to get it there.

Took it to my local post office and they charged my $7.10. I asked why so much and she said it was to thick and had to be shipped as a package instead of an envelope. After driving down, waiting, then being kicked out of line to fill out a custom form, waiting to get back to the counter and having the clerk then say $7, I said the heck with it and paid the extra $5. The USPS online cost would have been $2.10. Just sour grapes but a lesson learned. In the future, make sure the envelop is less than 1/4 inch thick and pay for the postage on line. With the USPS losing money daily, I guess they have to earn their sales bonus is to find suckers to make a few extra bucks at the counter. I wonder how often that happens to people who don't know real costs and pay whatever they say. Still smoldering about that and it's been 6 hours since I left the post office. And I thought Opa Locka was a rip off. Now I know who to spell unethical - USPS.

Just saying. If you ship to Canada, determine the cost on line at the USPS or eBay site before going to the post office.   

The $7.10 price for  one ounce for "First Class Package International Service" is actually $6.39 online at the USPS site:

First-Class International Options   Expected Delivery Date   Price   Online Price
First-Class Package International Service™**More info about First-Class Package International Service™
Value of contents can not exceed $400.00
Other than rolls: Max. length 24", max length, height and depth (thickness) combined 36"
Rolls: Max. length 36". Max length and twice the diameter combined 42"
   
Varies by destination
   
$7.10 (price)
   
$6.39 (online price)


This higher (PACKAGE) price is charged for "large envelopes" when any of the following conditions exist:

--The large envelope is too rigid -- does not bend easily

--The large envelope is NOT rectangular or square

--The large envelope contains items that cause more than 1/4 inch variation in thickness

Otherwise, the RETAIL (counter) price for a "First Class International Large Envelope" for up to one ounce is $2.38, and the online price is shown as "not available" at the USPS website. (However, it may be available when printing form ebay shipping label website.)

EDIT: Ebay shipping label service shows $5.80 for one ounce "First Class International -- Package/Thick Envelope." No option in the dropdown menu for First Class International "letter."

[TelePlay]

The $7.10 price for  one ounce for "First Class Package International Service" is actually $6.39 online at the USPS site:

Yes, it is, and I found that out after I got home to see how badly I got taken for a ride. I also found out that what I sent should have only required $2.80 in postage. I kept the small padded envelope less than a 1/4" in size and under 1 ounce but the woman at the counter ran her fingers over it and told me because of a bit of thickness in the middle, told me I was going to have to pay the package rate, $7.10. What could I do. Take the package back home and try again after verifying that it was indeed a $2.80 postage required shipment? For $5 it wasn't worth my time and cost to make two more trips to the Post Office so I said the heck with it, only to find out how bad I got gouged once I got home. She didn't measure the thickness. She noticed a bit of a bump (3/16 inch in fact) and made a postal on the fly off the cuff without metric determination decision that it was thicker than 1/4" and gouged me the extra $5.

Lesson learned. Never take anything to the post office ever again without already having home brewed postage on it. Still is under my skin and if I ever have to drop off an eBay shipment at the Post Office and she her there, I will have no problem telling her what she did wrong, in a nice way of course. Just one more nail in that post called "can't/don't trust the USPS counter people, ever." And they wonder why they are loosing money . . .

[poplar1]

They seem to be stricter than before. For example, if your preprinted label does not include enough postage, they will no longer let you pay extra for a stamp to be added to the package. Instead, you either have to start over (print another label, this time with the correct postage), or remove the preprinted label and pay for retail stamps for the full amount.

Also, if you forget to change the default date on the preprinted label --- even at night, it will default to today's date -- and you mail the package on the wrong date, then, according to the post office here, once it arrives at the destination post office, they will put an orange tag on it and return it to the sender, rather than deliver it!

So, if someone determines that your envelope is a "package" and not a "letter" -- even after it's left your state, then they may still mess with you, even though you didn't deal with the clerk at your local post office.