Thread: Outrageous postage costs

Originally Posted by prodigy

I have an interesting story. I'm young and dumb, had no clue about duties and what not. I've order items from japan all the time, and have never been forced to pay to get my package. Harrywally is making me a brush, and I supplied the materials. The knot is a 28mm High Mountain White. Not cheap, so I declared it's value in case the package was lost en route to Canada from the US. He had to pay 63$ US just to pick it up! So my 30$ to ship ups and his 68$ to claim it ended up costing me 100$ just to send him the wood and knot! Let's just say Andrew is a really good guy, and I learned a valuable lesson in global shipping!

Never ship anything to Canada via UPS or any other courier or you get that result. There are a few threads about that on here somewhere. Sorry you had to find out the hard way. I did too about 30 years ago when I ordered something from the US and had them ship it UPS. Never used UPS that way again.

Bob

It was a frustrating day, the guy working at the usps had to have been hired that day. He kept trying to sell me the most expensive options, even after I expressly wanted to use the cheapest method. So after realizing it would cost 60$ to ship with tracking I went to ups. Hard way to learn a lesson, but at least it won't happen again with a more expensive package!

Originally Posted by celticcrusader

Hi Wayne many sellers including myself will only send international tracked and signed for this does tend to knock the shipping cost up dramatically, and If you send Express priority then $43 dollars is about right, and I do agree with you this will instantly stop many from bidding on an item, but If it's a high quality desirable razor then many like the fact they can track and sign for their item.

This. I have purchased non-related items off of folks in the past. $45.00 is not unusual even shipping US to CANADA. It is the cost to insure, track, and secure the package shipped. IF I were to purchase a W&B off a vendor here (or the Bay for that matter), I would not balk at anything below $50.00 for shipping, but I WOULD question someone offering shipping for dirt cheap. If someone is charging $10.00 for shipping, how are they packaging that precious cargo? Is it in a box, or are they licking an envelope and trusting to luck? YMMV, but in my eyes, you get what you pay for in this regard.

USPS priority international shipping with tracking and $50 insurance is about $25 for the small box. More insurance is more. A padded envelope without tracking or insurance is about $13. I stopped sending packages without tracking when a few people said they didn't receive the items. Better safe than sorry sometimes.

Originally Posted by Orville

This. I have purchased non-related items off of folks in the past. $45.00 is not unusual even shipping US to CANADA. It is the cost to insure, track, and secure the package shipped. IF I were to purchase a W&B off a vendor here (or the Bay for that matter), I would not balk at anything below $50.00 for shipping, but I WOULD question someone offering shipping for dirt cheap. If someone is charging $10.00 for shipping, how are they packaging that precious cargo? Is it in a box, or are they licking an envelope and trusting to luck? YMMV, but in my eyes, you get what you pay for in this regard.

Sorry but that's the trouble with the United States postal service you absolutley don't get what you pay for, only last week I sent a razor back after honing worth more than £800 over $1200 dollars it was tracked next day delivery insured up £1000 total cost £8.30 that's about $12 US dollars, I could send the same item to the USA including tracked and insured from the UK for around £12.50 so I as I've stated I have no idea why American postage and shipping is so expensive because I've not experienced the same high costs from many European countries even Japan is another very good country when it comes to shipping always great tracking efficient service with much lower costs.

For most items from the US to Canada I settle for USPS priority international shipping with tracking and don't bother with insurance. I do not buy high ticket items and made a decision that I could stand the loss if it happened. So far so good, touch wood. That still makes shipping fairly reasonable.

Bob

The U.S Postal Service operates like a private company. They get no Government funding. Most Postal Services are Government funded and subsidized. That's why they charge so much. Try sending that package via UPS or Fedex and see how much it costs.

Bottom line as to why the USPS costs are so high is,they are losing Billions of $$$ per yr,seems simple to me

Part of the problem is though they act like a private company however they can't make decisions like a private outfit they have to rely on guess who? Congress to set rates and change policy. If they had the authority to adjust their business model they would be in a better place.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Part of the problem is though they act like a private company however they can't make decisions like a private outfit they have to rely on guess who? Congress to set rates and change policy. If they had the authority to adjust their business model they would be in a better place.

Disagree Big,many yrs ago The USPS dug a major,Multi billion $$ hole with pensions and Health coverege.
Than came the internet,thats what Killed them,is no business Model that will ever save the USPS as we know it.