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OPW postage to US

Started by poplar1, June 28, 2013, 08:03:44 PM

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AE_Collector

Too bad they wouldn't relax on the receipt confirmation that they say is the cause of much higher shipping when ordering off the web site. If a scenario like celluloid covers or dial cards comes up on the web site an option to grab the much less expensive first class postage without the signature (or whatever) would be a nice thing to offer. May as well take advantage of the few breaks that are available from Canada Post when they are available.

Terry

twocvbloke

Try being in the UK, I want a couple of sliding modular plugs (oh how I wish I never took the one out of my cortelco 2554!!), from their website, $30 for postage to the UK, for two little bits of plastic and a few wires... :o

It's disappointing wanting american phonestuff when over this side of the pond with a limited income... :-\

New England Tel.

I have to chime in here as well. I ordered a few small things (flat, and will fit in envelope) from OPW and the automated system came up with a $13.55 shipping charge. This was for, perhaps, an ounce of weight. Well, there was no way that I would pay that, so I wrote them an email. They got back to me and worked it out that the shipping would be $2.00. Much better! Unfortunately, I placed this order on May 7, and still have not received it. Not incredibly thrilled with their customer service response since they've got my money. But, we'll see what happens. I have to agree with those of you that say, "I'll only do business with them if I absolutely have to".
-Bob Archambault

poplar1

Will one of the Canadian members please place one lot of 100 dial cards (21565 for example) in your cart and see what the shipping would be? Even for one single card (20 cents), the postage to US is over $9. (And the default shipping was Fed Ex which was about $17). TIA
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

AE_Collector

Drop down list for the 100 dial cards says Canada Post/USPS to Canada/USA - $10.25 US$. The FedEx option is $18.25. I would think these are the same prices that everyone sees as I am not logged in or a past customer. Unless it is using my IP address to narrow down my location?

As I mentioned before, with Canada Post, it doesn't matter if an item weighs 1 ounce, parcel post starts at about $10 even to a location just down the street within Canada. Only way around that is first class if item is les than 20mm thick when packed and under 500 grams. Most items on OPW wouldn't qualify but that must be how they reduced shipping to $2 on New England Tel's item but now if it has gone missing that wont encourage them to ship this way more frequently when possible.

Terry

DavePEI

Quote from: AE_Collector on June 29, 2013, 12:01:15 PM
Most items on OPW wouldn't qualify but that must be how they reduced shipping to $2 on New England Tel's item but now if it has gone missing that wont encourage them to ship this way more frequently when possible.

This is something -people have to be aware of. While careful packing of some items may allow them to go for cheaper rates, at times that such packing puts them at high risk for loss.  I think Northern Tel's item might just qualify for that caveat. Over my years as a postal worker, I have seen so many items packed in flat envelopes split the envelope and fall out in the mail. Therefore for a dealer, it is sometimes a false economy for them to pack to send items for a lower cost, especially now that even parcels are going through automatic sorting equipment.   This equipment will squeeze the contents out of bulky envelopes, and that is why 1st class envelopes now have relatively thin thickness requirements.

So, at the risk of developing enemies amongst those not aware of the latest realities in shipping, it makes more sense to pack as a small packet or even as a parcel with tracking to a business. At least then, if a parcel doesn't arrive, they can make a claim against the shipper. A more bulky package also is more robust and will survive mechanized equipment. Of course, it costs more to ship.

These are some of the reasons postal workers fought the installation of automatic sorting equipment. It is rougher on parcels than hand sorting, and very picky requiring accurate, complete addressing and postal codes.

The sad thing is back in the days of hand sorting, we were able to rescue many items from going to the dead letter office due to the fact we could understand a bad address better than an OCR machine could, and could re-address an improperly addresses item. I remember years ago, I received a letter addressed to Amateur Radio Station VY2AC, Prince Edward, BC - the postal  worker that handled it at some point, apparently also a Ham, recognized the error and re-addressed it, routing it to the other end of Canada.

Along with everyone else, I hate the cost of shipping these days, and as Terry mentioned above, we have been seeing those higher costs for many years. Sadly, for those in the US, the costs have caught up for them, too.

Progress isn't always best!

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

DavePEI

Quote from: AE_Collector on June 29, 2013, 12:01:15 PM
Drop down list for the 100 dial cards says Canada Post/USPS to Canada/USA - $10.25 US$. The FedEx option is $18.25. I would think these are the same prices that everyone sees as I am not logged in or a past customer. Unless it is using my IP address to narrow down my location?
BY the way, I did exactly the same thing Terry did, with exactly the same result...

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

AE_Collector

Quote from: DavePEI on June 29, 2013, 03:12:57 PM
I remember years ago, I received a letter addressed to Amateur Radio Station VY2AC, Prince Edward, BC - the postal  worker that handled it at some point, apparently also a Ham, recognized the error and re-addressed it, routing it to the other end of Canada.

I had to read this several times. Is that your call letters Dave and you received it at your home? It had been addressed (poorly) to Price Edward BC (British Columbia Canada) rather than to PEI (Prince Edward Island Canada). I wonder if it went towards Port Edward BC or maybe someone thought that Prince Edward was Really Prince George BC!

It is (or was) amazing what ultimately finds its way to where it belongs!

Terry

poplar1

Bruce Crawford showed a letter that somehow got delivered even though the person typing the address had shifted one hand while typing, so that completely different letters were typed.
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

DavePEI

#24
Quote from: AE_Collector on June 29, 2013, 05:45:47 PM
I had to read this several times. Is that your call letters Dave and you received it at your home? It had been addressed (poorly) to Price Edward BC (British Columbia Canada) rather than to PEI (Prince Edward Island Canada). I wonder if it went towards Port Edward BC or maybe someone thought that Prince Edward was Really Prince George BC!

It is (or was) amazing what ultimately finds its way to where it belongs!
Hi Terry:

Yes, it was a QSL card, addressed to VY2AC, Prince Edward BC, Canada, which you would think would wind up in the dead letter office.

But a postal worker (who recognized the call sign (Mine)) readdressed it to PEI, where the local P.O. delivered it to me on the other side of the country where it belonged. It was a miracle!

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

twocvbloke

Quote from: DavePEI on June 29, 2013, 03:12:57 PMOver my years as a postal worker, I have seen so many items packed in flat envelopes split the envelope and fall out in the mail.

I've had a few like that where the seller has underpacked things, and all I have got in the post was a shredded piece of addressed paper that looked like someone did a burnout on it with a wheelchair on it, with a "Sorry, we lost your item" label stuck to it, problem was a lot of those things I'd forgotten about, so didn't know what they were, so couldn't get my money back... ::)

The most recent one was my bus card, or at least my first one, standard sized letter into which many a credit card-shaped card has passed through unscathed, but nope, that one got stuck in the sorting machine and arrived looking more like a Dorito than an electronic bus ticket... ::)

TelePlay

For what it's worth, I just bought a 4-port wall plate for Keystone RJ-11 jacks from a company in Winnipeg. The plate cost me C $2.70 and the shipping was C $ 0.99 via Canada Post USA Letter-post with delivery in 10 to 16 days. So, small, light, thin items can be shipped cheaply, and slowly.

And I agree with what Gilas said above, waiting until I need several things from OPW before placing an order. The incremental amount for each additional item is very small compared to the hit one takes on that first item, if shipped alone. That avoids paying more for shipping than the item and/or trying to negotiate a different, cheaper method of shipment.

DavePEI

Quote from: TelePlay on June 30, 2013, 02:34:18 AM
And I agree with what Gilas said above, waiting until I need several things from OPW before placing an order. The incremental amount for each additional item is very small compared to the hit one takes on that first item, if shipped alone. That avoids paying more for shipping than the item and/or trying to negotiate a different, cheaper method of shipment.
From what I have seen when I have ordered items from OPW, is they seem to use standard sized boxes, so the postage rate is most likely based upon box sizes - therefore if you have a number of items to ship,  and they will fit that box that standard box, they will go for the one shipping charge.

So the above stands to reason - if you have several items to order, order them all at the same time, and a lower percentage of your total purchase will be postage.

An example: Recently I ordered two Northern Electric 21B Keys for a total of $15.95 and paid $8.00 shipping - the next day, I decided I also needed a dial overlay, for $5 plus $8.00 shipping. Now, that was my fault - had I bought both at the same time, all would have gone in the same box for $8, rather than the two keys being sent in one box, then the next day the dial overlay being sent in another. Had I thought ahead, I would have saved half of the shipping charge.

But it does go towards my point about standard sized boxes being used. So, if you have multiple light items to order, the total shipping if all ordered at the same time, should be based upon the size of the box needed for the largest item, and if everything will fit safely in the same box, it should go for that amount.

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

Doug Rose

Quote from: TelePlay on June 30, 2013, 02:34:18 AM
For what it's worth, I just bought a 4-port wall plate for Keystone RJ-11 jacks from a company in Winnipeg. The plate cost me C $2.70 and the shipping was C $ 0.99 via Canada Post USA Letter-post with delivery in 10 to 16 days. So, small, light, thin items can be shipped cheaply, and slowly.

And I agree with what Gilas said above, waiting until I need several things from OPW before placing an order. The incremental amount for each additional item is very small compared to the hit one takes on that first item, if shipped alone. That avoids paying more for shipping than the item and/or trying to negotiate a different, cheaper method of shipment.
Not to beat a dead horse, but OPW and Phoneco charge shipping by the cost of the item, not the weight. Go back to my order, the more clear covers I ordered, the higher postage went up. They are not that heavy. Postage calculates by what you spend, not the heft of the item. It is now a year later and they are still doing the same gouging. Buyer beware!...Doug
Kidphone

TelePlay

Quote from: Doug Rose on June 30, 2013, 09:27:23 AMNot to beat a dead horse, but OPW and Phoneco charge shipping by the cost of the item, not the weight. Go back to my order, the more clear covers I ordered, the higher postage went up. They are not that heavy. Postage calculates by what you spend, not the heft of the item. It is now a year later and they are still doing the same gouging. Buyer beware!...Doug

Hah! That poor horse. And you may be right, Doug. I didn't go back and check my order but I do remember that the orders I've placed were for one rather more expensive thing with high postage and I then added on the low dollar small stuff not worth buying alone. So, in that case, the postage did not increase very much for each cheap items added to my order.