Shipping prices.

Punky · 01-24-2008, 10:18 PM

I love buying stuff off mp3car.com, and i'm a very happy costumer.
I'd love to buy more stuff from you guys if you guys adjust prices for shipping of smaller items. For example, i'm looking at buying one of the brainstem for the DSATX, this item is probaly smaller than my thumb and it cost $30 to be shipped to canada, other miscellaneous stuff like cables and converters are the same. Just my suggestion, if its possible, great, if not oh well.

armine · 02-04-2008, 06:41 PM

Thanks for the comment.

We aim to keep our shipping prices competitive and reasonable, so that we can support the hobbyists. At this time we cannot go any lower with our prices.

However it should be noted that a small base amount per shipment goes towards ensuring that your shipment reaches you. If UPS or USPS loose a shipment, Mp3Car ships a replacement at no cost to the customer. This saves customers from paying insurance fees.

MitchellO · 07-26-2008, 04:45 AM

Kinda had the same thought with my screen, I mean $90 to send to Australia?

D3LTR33 · 07-27-2008, 08:26 PM

Dude american postal costs are ridiculous compared to ours. It's UPS/USPS's fault, not mp3car's

Fiberoptic · 07-28-2008, 11:07 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Punky

I love buying stuff off mp3car.com, and i'm a very happy costumer.
I'd love to buy more stuff from you guys if you guys adjust prices for shipping of smaller items. For example, i'm looking at buying one of the brainstem for the DSATX, this item is probaly smaller than my thumb and it cost $30 to be shipped to canada, other miscellaneous stuff like cables and converters are the same. Just my suggestion, if its possible, great, if not oh well.

Depending on what shipping method you select (check with UPS) brokerage fees are included with this price. Sometimes there is just no way around government gerontocracy.

kirk78h · 07-28-2008, 01:33 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Fiberoptic

Depending on what shipping method you select (check with UPS) brokerage fees are included with this price. Sometimes there is just no way around government gerontocracy.

If you go to ups.com and select shipping, there is a time and cost calculator to show actual published shipping rates. Most UPS customers do not pay this full price. For example, I entered a 5 lb package from Baltimore to Toronto, and got a total shipping cost of $17.96.

Also, one of the earlier posts in this thread mentioned part of the shipping cost was to cover insurance. If the value of the package is under $100, insurance is free with UPS. For values over $100, plug the total value into the calculator on the web site, and it will show the full cost.

Kirk

Fiberoptic · 07-28-2008, 03:24 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by kirk78h

If you go to ups.com and select shipping, there is a time and cost calculator to show actual published shipping rates. Most UPS customers do not pay this full price. For example, I entered a 5 lb package from Baltimore to Toronto, and got a total shipping cost of $17.96.

Also, one of the earlier posts in this thread mentioned part of the shipping cost was to cover insurance. If the value of the package is under $100, insurance is free with UPS. For values over $100, plug the total value into the calculator on the web site, and it will show the full cost.

Kirk

There are a few things going on here:

1. We also include other costs in our shipping prices to cover things like administrative overhead associated with cooperating on insurance claims. This can take up to 10 hours per claim on international claims. Peanuts, boxes, labels, tape and some packing labor are also paid partially paid for by shipping costs. The hobby is still small so tremendous discounts off of retail pricing is not feasible.

2. UPS and our store have been fixing their APIs which calculate international shipping rates. We are tweaking this as I write this so rates should be more consistent soon.

I ran a test with a 5lb box to Toronto postal code M6K1L3.

On our store, UPS standard was 20.19c
UPS Express was 98.08
Express plus was 151.08
UPS Expedited was 87.61
USPS was 50.99

The numbers will be fluctuating by several dollars over the next week while we fix the integration of our store with UPS. After the APIs are adjusted, the costs will be closer to the 17.96 you saw above.

Here is a link the describes International shipping services for UPS:
http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/shi...?WT.svl=SubNav

2k1Toaster · 07-28-2008, 03:29 PM

Remember to add a $40 to $50 brokerage charge ontop of what UPS quotes on their website if going from the US to somewhere else. So it may say $18 and that is what mp3car pays. But when it gets to you, UPS will charge you that brokerage charge or not release the package. Or mp3car can charge the $18 + brokerage and then when it gets to you, you pay nothing.

Either way you pay the same amount. FedEx is no different. Only way around it is USPS but even then you are charged provincial tax ontop of the shipping.