Shop OBEX P1 Docs P2 Docs Learn Events
USPS International Shipping - anybody check the rates or place an order with it yet? — Parallax Forums

USPS International Shipping - anybody check the rates or place an order with it yet?

Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,401
edited 2012-05-06 02:26 in General Discussion
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?132078-You-Asked-and-We-Listened-USPS-1st-Class-International-Shipping-Available&p=1005937#post1005937

Not sure if many of us saw Lauren's announcement since it is buried in the "Announcements Forum" which doesn't allow replies. USPS International is now available and I'd like to make sure that we've delivered what you expected before we make a lot of noise around this new service.

Check it out for a quote and let us know if it's about what you thought it would be from a cost and service perspective. Should be reflective of book USPS rates.

Sincerely,

Ken Gracey
«1

Comments

  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2011-06-05 09:41
    I used it the other day for a couple of the new QS Propeller boards - $2.24, IIRC, for shipment to the UK. It looks like a very useful option for those of us outside the USA, it's actually less than I'd get charged for something similar from your UK suppliers! I'll let you know what I think of the delivery time when I receive the goods.
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,401
    edited 2011-06-05 09:46
    Leon wrote: »
    I used it the other day for a couple of QS Propeller boards - $2.24, IIRC, for shipment to the UK. It looks like very useful option for those of us outside the USA. It's actually less than I'd get charged for something similar from your UK suppliers!

    Thank you for the order, Leon! I'm not one for internal back-slapping, but if we've won your approval on this change then we've probably done everything the right way. At $2.24 we're probably loosing money or something is very wrong, but I won't look into that right now just to make sure all the orders can quietly slip into the system.

    Looking forward to what the others have to say. These are discussion forums so we must be able to identify the downfall of this change just as easily. It's working correctly for everybody?

    Ken Gracey
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2011-06-05 09:58
    Thanks, Ken. I just checked the confirmation email and it *was* $2.24. I was rather surprised by how cheap it was when I placed the order, I can't see it covering your labour costs and the postage. It was Order ID# 74967 if you want to follow it up.
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,401
    edited 2011-06-05 10:08
    You are correct. QuickStart is a simple marketing tool and reference design for the Propeller, having a manufacturing and parts cost to us probably in the $12-15 range. We are actually paying to sell them, and this is what we planned on doing when the board was envisioned. If we were in this board for profit it would be far more productive to work fast food during the day. At least the USPS provides the boxes for shipping.

    Buy QuickStarts!

    Ken Gracey
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2011-06-05 10:22
    It was the postage I thought was too cheap, I knew that the QS boards were a "loss-leader".
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2011-06-05 10:41
    I ship a fair amount of stuff by First Class Mail, including to Canada. That $2.24 postage looks more like domestic First Class, not International.
  • localrogerlocalroger Posts: 3,452
    edited 2011-06-05 16:34
    Yes, I've learned to drill into the postage when ordering from DigiKey because if they offer USPS First Class it is like $2.50 versus $10 for UPS ground and at worst a day later. But that's domestic, I'm very surprised to hear it's that low to Leon in the UK.
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2011-06-05 18:30
    Ken, It sounds like your cart is fetching First Class International rates from the USPS API servers. A price of $2.50 or so would be valid for a package to Great Britain up to 3 ounces. That sounds a bit shy for "a couple" of QuickStart boards, plus the weight of the envelope, label, and invoice.

    Assuming a more realistic weight of 8 ounces for everything (3 oz per board, 2 boards, and 2 oz for tare weight) the shipping is more like $7.50.

    -- Gordon
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2011-06-05 18:58
    Ken,

    Let me know if you want any more dosh.
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,401
    edited 2011-06-05 20:05
    Leon wrote: »
    Ken,

    Let me know if you want any more dosh.

    We don't need any dosh or quid, though a few bar and smackers might help the situation given the inflation we're starting to experience and the devaluation of the domestic currency.

    Maybe the package is under 3 oz total so the value is actually correct. Heck, even if it is $7.50 that's still a tremendous value to carry a little box across the Atlantic. $7.50 will barely buy lunch in Rocklin and $2.50 covers a drip coffee at Starbucks. Seems very reasonable to me at either rate, especially considering both the lunch and coffee get consumed but the QuickStart is an actual investment in one's self.

    Ken Gracey
  • WhitWhit Posts: 4,191
    edited 2011-06-05 20:17
    I'll be interested to hear about how long it takes to get there. An amazing thing I've learned here in the U.S. is that the U.S.P.S. shipping (Postal Service) is the fastest way to get things from Rocklin to Louisiana. It is also about half the price!
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2011-06-05 20:38
    Within the United States, by far the best shipping method is First Class Mail. it's fast and cheap, however the maximum weight is only 13 oz. Electronic stuff tends to be small and lightweight so that works out great for hobbyist type quantities. It continually annoys me that Mouser doesn't ship First Class.

    Once you exceed the weight limit for First Class you can go with Priority Mail, which is roughly equal to UPS 3 Day for delivery time, but a little cheaper. For heavier items use Priority Mail Flat Rate, if it fits it ships. Things like books and magazines and such are best sent by Media Mail, it's very slow but very cheap.

    Also, the Post Office will give you free stuff like boxes and ship them to you for free!

    http://www.usps.com/
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2011-06-06 09:59
    @RDL2004, The First Class limits don't apply to International First Class, which goes to 64 ounces. There is International Priority, but it can get very expensive, from 3X to 4X. 1/2 pound IFC small packet is $7.81; for Priority it's $29.50 for the first pound.

    The biggest problem with USPS international parcel shipment is that it's not pre-cleared through customs. I've had packages take over a month to get to France or Greece. I figure they just sit on someone's desk until they get around to it. On the other hand, I've had parcels to the same countries get there in less than a week. You never know.

    Another problem is that insurance is always extra. Insuring $100 international is an added $3.50.

    Many mail order companies don't offer USPS international because it's so unpredictable. Confirmations are a hassle, and not reliable. If you want a reliable delivery confirmation that's another $3 or so.

    In the end, UPS, DHL, and FedEx tend to be fairly competitive once you factor in all the variables, and they tend to provide a better overall customer experience. None of them are cost effective from a labor standpoint if you don't do them regularly, and your invoices are already "customs aware."

    -- Gordon
  • WhitWhit Posts: 4,191
    edited 2011-06-06 18:41
    USPS also now has the "If it fits, it ships" flat rate boxes. A group called the Fellowship of the Travelling Junkbox (see - http://www.savagecircuits.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?30-The-Fellowship-of-the-Travelling-Junk-Box) has been mailing a junkbox around and swapping and adding and taking parts.

    I mailed it for about $8.00 and the woman at the Post Office told me that by weight, it should have cost about $26.

    Check it out at https://www.prioritymail.com/home.asp?purl=
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-06-06 19:38
    A friend of mine, who manufactures lead fishing jigs, used the "if it fits, it ships" slogan to advantage for making bulk shipments to Alaska. It wasn't long after that that the USPS got wise and modified their slogan by adding "up tp 70 pounds," which he had regularly exceeded.

    BTW, I'm not sure the flat rate applies to international shipments. 'Twould be nice if it did.

    -Phil
  • NikosGNikosG Posts: 705
    edited 2011-06-22 06:30
    Hello Ken and all,

    I've just received my latest order (Order ID# 75072, Order Date 06/06/2011) with the USPS first - Class International shiping method!
    It was a very pleasant surprise for me to see the Parallax parcel out of my door here in Patras (Greece) when I came back from my work today!
    I would like to thank you, and all your partners for this new service!
    It was very convenient for me (I have payed only 10.15$ with this method) and I also saved time and money because I had not to go in Athens airport in order to receive the parcel!
    I think that this new shiping method is the ideal for indernational customers like me! I'm sure that it can make more flexible my future orders and it will help me to manage better my projects!

    Nikos
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2011-06-22 06:39
    The two QS boards I ordered with USPS shipping arrived yesterday - they took 18 days. The cost was $2.24, as I mentioned earlier, I thought it must have been a mistake.

    I just checked the postage for an identical order, and it is now $2.29! :( The box actually had the postage as $6.94, so it looks as if Parallax is getting it wrong.

    There was a Royal Mail International Handling Fee of £12.95 payable, but the sorting office missed it. :) I should also have paid duty and VAT but that was missed, also.
  • Luis DigitalLuis Digital Posts: 371
    edited 2011-06-22 07:12
    Leon wrote: »
    The two QS boards I ordered with USPS shipping arrived yesterday - they took 18 days. The cost was $2.24, as I mentioned earlier, I thought it must have been a mistake.

    I just checked the postage for an identical order, and it is now $2.29! :( The box actually had the postage as $6.94, so it looks as if Parallax is getting it wrong.

    There was a Royal Mail International Handling Fee of £12.95 payable, but the sorting office missed it. :) I should also have paid duty and VAT but that was missed, also.

    WOW! You ordered a thousand dollars or always taxed in your country?

    I have sent packages to your country for $5 with tracking number, transit 15 days. A few days ago sent a large package (with two DIP Propeller, resistors, etc.). Argentina for $7.

    The traditional mail is very cheap, and the U.S. have the advantage that the boxes are free.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2011-06-22 07:31
    Anything sent to the UK from outside the EU with a total value of more than £18 (£15 after 1 November) including shipping is liable for duty and VAT. I think it comes to about 25% or more.
  • TorTor Posts: 2,010
    edited 2011-06-22 08:16
    I just ordered a QS board for myself and was very happy to see the low-price USPS option. The other two USPS options are about twice the value of the board itself (and by experimenting between those two in some earlier shipments from elsewhere I've found that the most expensive one doesn't make any difference w.r.t. time or hassle compared to the slightly less expensive option).

    Unfortunately Parallax seems to be the only one with the low-cost USPS option available.. I've been buying connectors and the like from elsewhere and shipping was several times the items' value. But there was no choice. It's even worse when it's UPS only, that's not just more expensive but they charge a lot locally just to handle the parcel. DigiKey doesn't use USPS to Norway, but they have a good UPS deal, in a way.. it's free if the item is above $100. Unfortunately UPS will still charge $30 or so, or sometimes $50, just to handle it (charged to me). Plus VAT. Calculated from the value plus an arbitrary 20-30%, for some reason. USPS is in many ways the best option, it's just that it's rare to see the low-price option available. Cheers to Parallax, and I'm looking forward to receiving the QS board.

    If the value is above a certain limit there's VAT (25% here), plus sometimes duty, and that's calculated on the shipping price as well (although it's the value of the item only that's _supposed_ to indicate if the whole shebang should be VAT-afflicted. When that happens there are all kinds of additional charges as well, depending on the shipper. If it's via USPS you know exactly in advance how much the charge will be, with UPS or FedEx you don't). Anyway, the value limit where it's liable for duty and VAT to Norway is currently ~$36 (200NOK).

    Edit: As a general rule for shipping to Norway, any shipping option, is to include the phone number (that is, my mobile number in this case) on the address label - for parcels too big for the letterbox the post office will send an SMS with the reference and the parcel can be picked up at the post office. Safer than leaving a pick-up note in the mailbox (may be stolen), and saves a day or sometimes two.

    -Tor
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2011-06-22 08:56
    We have to produce ID when a card is left by the postman and the package has to be collected from the sorting office. It seems quite secure and I can usually collect it the same day.
  • TorTor Posts: 2,010
    edited 2011-06-22 09:26
    Unfortunately Norwegian post offices tend to skip the ID check unless the shipper _pays_ for that option.. they claim that customers consider it a hassle and complains loudly when they can't produce their ID. No, I don't understand that argument either. Anyway, with bigger parcels the SMS goes out immediately while a note would usually be scheduled for delivery the next day, so one day saved is minimum. And as I tend to get to the mailbox after closing hours for the post office there's another day lost. And for a shipment I received last week it took the post office three days to get the pick-up note out (no SMS), so whenever a phone number (email address will also do) is clearly noted on the address label it'll be faster (and safer) here.

    -Tor
  • icepuckicepuck Posts: 466
    edited 2011-06-22 11:29
    There was no usps option when I ordered an avrsimon about two weeks ago, only ups and that cost almost as much as the avrsimon itself, maybe I should have ordered more stuff. Is usps shipping only on certain products?
    -dan
  • Luis DigitalLuis Digital Posts: 371
    edited 2011-06-22 12:12
    Leon wrote: »
    Anything sent to the UK from outside the EU with a total value of more than £18 (£15 after 1 November) including shipping is liable for duty and VAT. I think it comes to about 25% or more.

    I send packages without an invoice. What happens in this case?
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2011-06-22 12:27
    Our post office wants an official label on the package stating what the contents are, with the value, and whether they are a gift etc. The wrong value can be put down, of course, so that the recipient doesn't have to pay any charges.
  • Luis DigitalLuis Digital Posts: 371
    edited 2011-06-22 14:19
    Leon wrote: »
    Our post office wants an official label on the package stating what the contents are, with the value, and whether they are a gift etc. The wrong value can be put down, of course, so that the recipient doesn't have to pay any charges.

    I send packages informally. In the mail do not ask me anything. So far I have not received any complaints.

    Leon Thanks for your help.
  • TorTor Posts: 2,010
    edited 2011-06-23 00:45
    Foreign-originated packages without an invoice of some sorts will probably be opened by the customs department of the post office system here. And/or some arbitrary (too high) value will be assumed and the receiver has to pay VAT from that (it happens that they do that anyway also with an invoice, e.g. if they believe the value of the goods are different than stated. I've had to take goods to the real customs office to sort that out before the post office customs handler would back off.)

    I'm not sure if a package without any content declaration will even be allowed through the system, unless it fits in a normal letter envelope and doesn't bulge. In any case it'll create some hassle, it may be stuck forever for example.

    And I know (when being in the shipper end) that for some countries every little detail must be correct, or the goods will not go through at all, at best (at worst you'll get per-day fines). It's enough that the color of the ink on the invoice isn't as specified in regulations.

    -Tor
  • max72max72 Posts: 1,155
    edited 2011-06-23 01:02
    I usually have not problem with uninsured unsigned for packets. Otherwise I have to pay VAT, and a larger amount for custom's paperwork.
  • TorTor Posts: 2,010
    edited 2011-06-29 13:33
    I received my QuickStart board today, via USPS. 7 days, that's pretty fast compared to what I usually see from there to here. The shipping stamped on the package was $6.07, which is a bit more than the $2.something that I was charged. I would have been happy to pay the full $6.07 (feel free to charge me the difference on my next purchase..), it's in any case way below the nearly $40 (!) I would have had to pay with the next step up in USPS pricing (which isn't any better, because the tracking you get with that option doesn't really work.. usually I see no update for days and days until I suddenly see "attempted delivery" or some such). So I hope this shipping option will continue to be available, even if you increase the $2.something to the actual cost which seems to be a little bit higher.

    Now I'll be busy with the new board for a while.. must figure out this stuff. :)

    -Tor
  • MoskogMoskog Posts: 554
    edited 2011-07-09 07:56
    Ordered a spider server 06/29/11. Received it today, saturday 07/09/11. Item cost 49.99USD, shipping 2.29 so total 52.28USD.
    Mail woman charged me some 30 USD for custom.

    The only thing missing with this order was a shipping-email. I had no idea if the item was shipped or not after placing the order so I sent a request to salesATparallax.com. A quick reply from them told me they had shipped the item and when but no tracking number was available.

    No tracking number is OK, but a shipping confirming message would have been great.

    I like this new way of shipping, far more cheaper then it used to be. Will use it again, be sure.
Sign In or Register to comment.