Rant on US Stores

[Raskill]

Well, I've decided to rant at the good ole U.S. of A.

Not it's people, not it's government, not it's policies, but it's stores.

Can anyone explain to me how I purchase a set of padded dividers for a storm case, and a lid organiser for the same case, coming to a grand total of $160 AU, then the store, who I will gladly name as Adorama wants to charge $260 for postage? Sure it might be a bulky package I thought, so I removed the padded dividers from my order and left the lid organiser. They still want over $120 AU for postage. What thieving b@stards.

If they don't want international customers, then don't ship overseas. And while I'm ranting, U.S Ebay sellers are extremely guilty of this as well, over charging by huge amounts for postage, or just not shipping O/S, heck some wont event ship to Alaska!(removing my other route of purchase from the US). How is it harder to post O/S than anywhere else? If payment comes through, then why not ship?

Grrrrrr......

And what really sh!ts me is it's probably still cheaper than buying local

[ATJ]

Alan,

Have you tried: http://www.priceusa.com.au/index.html?

[gstark]

Bulky packages can be expensive to ship: the post office, for instance, places a limit on the size of packages it accepts.

My beauty dish (no, it didn't help) was packed and ready to be sent to my through the HKG postal service. They returned it to Poon, who then shipped it using FeUps. The size limitation exists in the USofA, and here as well. FWIW, the cost of shipping was roughly the same as the cost of the product.

I'm not sure that you should be blaming the stores for this: if this takes up space on the plane, than it's displacing other goods that may be able to be shipped in its stead.

Have you tried to see if you can buy this ex-HKG?

[radar]

Alan,

have you given Stu at Quality Camera Sales a try? He carries Pelican and Storm cases.

http://www.qualitycamerasales.com.au/

HTH,

André

[Mr Darcy]

I have experienced shipping from the US first hand.
When I made a chair over there, I looked into shipping it home. The best quote I got was for USD750, and that was sea freight. Well over USD1000 for the cheapest air freight. The chair itself weighs less than 2kg, so it was all about volume not weight, though that can be an issue for heavy items. This was me organising the shipping, so there was no handling fee involved.

In the end, I decided to carry it as checked luggage, fully expecting that at best I would be knocked back at check-in, and at worst destroyed by quarantine. No one blinked an eye, and it now has pride of place at home

[the foto fanatic]

Bulky packages can be expensive to ship: the post office, for instance, places a limit on the size of packages it accepts.

Not only bulky items - I just checked online with B&H (same owners as Adorama, I think). The cheapest postage rate to send a photography DVD to Brisbane was $US41.25, ranging up to $US90.00. Makes it a bloody expensive DVD.

Tell 'em they're dreaming.

[muzz]

I made a query to B&H when quoted over US$40 for postage of a Vivitar Vari-Power adapter (no bigger than a cigarette packet) and received this reply by email:

" Unfortunately there is nothing we can do to reduce the international shipping fees you see listed on our website for any product. We understand that sometimes we may not be the most prudent choice to shop with in regards to shipping a single small item overseas. The rates posted on our site are the rates posed to us by the respective carriers we use. You may wish to wait until you have a larger order to place so that the shipping cost would be absorbed, or try to get a few colleagues to place a single order together so that the shipping costs would then be absorbed. "

Amazon won't post anything that's photographic in my experience.


Muzz.

[gstark]

As a reality check, make some enquiries as to the cost of shipping the same item from here to NYNY. I suspect that you will get a very nasty shock.

[ATJ]

My experience with shipping from B&H or Adorama (I'm pretty sure they are independent - or do a great job of faking it with one having stock when the other doesn't), is that a single item can be a ridiculous price but as you add other items the price either doesn't change at all, or only goes up ever so gradually. My usual tactic is to accumulate things I want to get from them (and include friends items) and put in a larger order which makes the shipping quite reasonable.

Amazon are pretty pricey with shipping, too. Interestingly, Tower Record is cheapish for a single item (US$4.99) but they ship each item individually so it doesn't get cheaper the more you buy.

[who]

a single item can be a ridiculous price but as you add other items the price either doesn't change at all, or only goes up ever so gradually. My usual tactic is to accumulate things I want to get from them (and include friends items) and put in a larger order which makes the shipping quite reasonable.

Very true - then you hit up against the $1,000 GST threshold when it starts getting good. And then you have to work out if GST + clearance fees are less than the extra post (in my case, it wasn't).

[Old Bob]

It might be a better idea to buy an airline ticket, two empty pieces of luggage, scoot over, fill 'em up and bring them back. It could very well be cheaper.

Bob

[gstark]

It might be a better idea to buy an airline ticket, two empty pieces of luggage, scoot over, fill 'em up and bring them back. It could very well be cheaper.

Especially with some of the cheap fares currently on offer.

[Raskill]

$42 to post a DVD is bullsh!t.

How can Blackrapid send me two new straps, more bulky and heavier than a DVD and give me free postage from the US. Buying direct from Blackrapid was cheaper than buying local also.

I sent 3 Black and White magazines to someone in France, so a fairly heavy package, and it cost $25 AU.

It is just another way of increasing their profit margins.

[Mr Darcy]

$42 to post a DVD is bullsh!t.

How can Blackrapid send me two new straps, more bulky and heavier than a DVD and give me free postage from the US. Buying direct from Blackrapid was cheaper than buying local also.

I sent 3 Black and White magazines to someone in France, so a fairly heavy package, and it cost $25 AU.

It is just another way of increasing their profit margins.

Their sales O/S are probably only a small part of their business, so using this method to increase their margins is probably not what they are thinking.

HOWEVER, Most stores do charge Packaging and handling fees. Their costs here are higher than for domestic parcels: Need to fill out extra forms etc. so it is reasonable that these costs are passed on to the few international customers they have. Also, the costs for freight will ultimately be determined by the company the store uses for same. This will vary from store to store depending on what company they use, and what sort of deal they get with that company (will depend on volumes etc). Black rapid may well have run at a loss on your sale, relying on volumes to stay in business.

I don't see how sending a parcel from Oz to France is in any way relevant to the cost of sending a parcel from USA to Oz.

[Aszental]

Well im flying home from NY, me and my wife are allowed to bring home 6 suitcases... (flying business + platinum member)

I should just head to B&H... buy the biggest case i can find and fill it with stuff to bring home

[sirhc55]

The final decision on any purchase from OS is up to the buyer. I have not bought from some suppliers due to their excessive P&H and from others I have.

An XA2 HD-DVD (a large and relatively heavy box) from LA cost me $75 Aus and yet another supplier wanted $210.00.

You make the choice

[the foto fanatic]

Well im flying home from NY, me and my wife are allowed to bring home 6 suitcases... (flying business + platinum member)

I should just head to B&H... buy the biggest case i can find and fill it with stuff to bring home

Are you taking orders?

[Killakoala]

I just ordered something from the US (AZ) and the postage was very reasonable for the size of the package that arrived. I did ring up and ask that it be sent via USPS, which only took one week. (Box was twice the size of a shoe-box and cost only 30USD.)

I also ordered a bunch of DVDs from Amazon US and the postage was quite reasonable for the weight I ordered. I don't know what you guys are doing wrong

I find it much easier to fly to the country in question and send your purchases back in the mail. This is especially the 'case' with something bulky like a Pelican Case, which you can fill with other stuff you buy (Being a regular FF also helps as it allows you an extra 10KGs baggage on the plane.)

[Ben.bb]

surcharge because were not as "cool" as america?
thats my guess

[Raskill]

surcharge because were not as "cool" as america?
thats my guess

But, I'm cooler. Maybe they have their noses out joint because of that...

[Ben.bb]

surcharge because were not as "cool" as america?
thats my guess

But, I'm cooler. Maybe they have their noses out joint because of that...

sadly thats most likely the case