USPS spoils this ebayers experience

[Stuart]

What about getting it shipped? Not through the postal service, but actually going to a shipping merchant. The ships themselves are still plowing back and forth, whether the mail is flying above them or not.

Might be an option. Imagine a whole teachest full of veneer.....

[hansp77]

So who did he use as his carrier Hans? Very curious here as it may be helpfull for other ebayers and sellers in the states to know about alternatives
Cheers

Shane, he used the USPS, airmail priority. He just called it a 'priority box'. I have thrown it out already, but I am pretty sure this is the one
these are its dimensions if that is so
11-7/8" x 3-3/8" x 13-5/8"
It would be good for smaller heavier items, such as tools, planes, etc, but unless your veneers are small pieces, then you might not fit very much.

Good luck, unfortunately some ebayers I have contacted recently will definately charge more than the $37.

Hans.

[Wild Dingo]

Yeah Hans the first thing I noticed was the small size... nope no good for the veneers... most of the ones coming will be around 80in long by up to 20in wide some smaller in width but none shorter in length... so unless he was to bend break or scrunch it all down its got to be something other than that

no worries were trying to sort a work around will have to see

[joe greiner]

The critical factor is probably the awkward size. The "priority boxes" are all the same size, so a whole lot easier to stow for shipment. Just for fun (NOT), I checked with a UPS store on my Tuesday expedition; they have three tiers of service, quoted me the lowest example (pulled info out of the air). I said, "OK, we're done." You don't want to know. IIRC, UPS has the world's largest airline, but no ships or barges.

"Shipping merchant" might be unfamiliar to sellers here. I think the usual term is "freight forwarder." It'll involve several days extra time at each end for logistics of collecting the goods and packing the container; mirror at the other end. Plus customs.

Joe

[bsrlee]

Another bummer for Ding - Aust. Post has recently decided that they will not accept anything longer than 1 metre. It used to be a formula based on L+W+D and a maximum of 1.8m long, but not anymore.

There are shippers other than UPS out there that do parcels - FedEx don't try to hit you for imaginary customs duty for instance, DHL are another - used by Amazon. The freight forwarders are more of a problem - no tracking, no insurance, take as long as they want - it can take a month or more before they fill a container, then months on a boat.

[ss_11000]

thats weird...i just placed my first order over seas ( usa ) and they quoted me postage of ten bucks $500 order and i think it would wiegh around 5-6 kg.
from CSUSA if that makes a difference.

well, they tried to charge me $91 but i showed them thier quote and all i got charged was $10, thats good customer service IMO

[Cruzi]

well, they tried to charge me $91 but i showed them thier quote and all i got charged was $10, thats good customer service IMO

They will either never ship to Australia again or be careful about the amount they charge next time...........

[ss_11000]

They will either never ship to Australia again or be careful about the amount they charge next time...........

yeah, they told me next time it wont be so cheap

[Hafgan]

I purchased a few things ($170 or so) from a good Canadian Co back in June; price for air freight was over $100 - almost as much as the items - so had them sent surface freight (still $70) but had to wait 3 months....

It just makes it difficult to buy things that aren't available here in Aus....

[durwood]

I have been getting stuff mailed from the States for years. First by car parts dealers and then ebay sellers and if they wouldn't post overseas I has it sent to friends in the States who then posted them on to me here. Up until recently no problem it was always 7 to 10 days without fail.

In the last couple of months this has become quite a problem. Friend in California was put through the 3rd degree on Tuesday when she went to post a couple of kids dresses the wife had purchased on ebay.

Today SHMBO emailed a seller to ask if she would post to Australia. her answer " no more! post office is so difficult to deal with now its not worth the hassle'

Same with a magazine I get posted air mail, used to arrive 10 days its took 5 weeks this time!!!

Canada is just as bad if not worse, I wanted to purchase a router bit on ebay, cost $9.99 plus $50.00 postage. So I had it sent to a friend in the States $6.50 and then a further $8.70 to Australia.

Seems like postage overseas has become a major problem in this 21st century with all the progress we have supposed to have made. So much for fast jet planes and computer assisted mailing systems!!!! You can ship a container or a car to or from the States in 30 to 40 days with no problems how come they can't now ship a container of mail?

I hope this new US post office system gets so bad they have to put a bomb under its management and it will be returned to an actual service again sometimes in the future.

[durwood]

I got a reply from someone in the States today and this was what they gave for not posting to Australia anymore.

Any parcel destined to go overseas now has to be taken to the PO and presented upacked so that staff can varify the contents. It then has to be packed and addressed at the counter.

Previously senders could pack merchantice at home ( or business) and look up the costs on the USPD website put the required postage on the parcel and leave it in their letter box for the mailman to collect. This practice has now stopped for all air mail parcels going overseas.

No wonder no one don't want to send stuff!!!

[Eli]

I told Dingo by PM, but I'll put it here if anybody's interested. My family has a customs brokerage house - they are freight forwarders. So if there is any thing of size or quantity (or not) let me know and maybe they can make it a bit easier. One of their specialties is shipping motorcycles, but they've done cell phones, containers of paper, household goods, you get the idea. They ship stuff.

[Chris Parks]

If you think the Yanks are expensive try posting something from the UK to anywhere, you need a gold credit card for the charge. All freight and postal services are getting on the Ebay bandwagon, it is a gold mine to them.

[Wild Dingo]

Well... thanks for all the above (especially Eli thanks mate )

Brian sent it on the 13th October it left the US on the 17th it arrived in Aus 18 October got out of customs the same day and got here today 25 October... not to shabby eh!

But the cost??? holeyshyttincatsip!! the veneers were by weight 24lb 2oz the cost was $49USD and the postage??... try $104.50USD!!!

ah well Brians as disappointed as I am that its at this stage over we were doing incredible sales and buys until now... dont worry if I decide to go again I will give Eli the opportunity to cost it for me cause that was a bit much even for me!!

oooh and what were the veneers I hear you ask?... some drop dead gorgeous long wide Rosewood... some long wide birdseye maple both between 10 and 14ft long and 18 or so inches wide... a fair whack of waterfall bubinga not so long as the others but still 3ft or so... some beautiful redwood crotch size would be large enough to do about 20 or so small side tables... and some long wide ebony about 8ft long by 15in wide... all in all a bloody good haul I reckon!!

Having now received this lot I can actually see me saying "to hell with it!!" and buying more... especially the rosewood and redwoods man theyre purty

Will try to get some pics up tomorrow am

Cheers
Shane