Great bench supply for tube work.

[thevoice]

Originally posted by kevinkr


Yeah, when I was still in business (years ago) I did a lot of international trade and I can't remember one instance of shipping anything by USPS surface mail.

That's what I've observed too; in the business world. For my hobby stuff I don't mind waiting 6 weeks or so. I've had quite a bit of stuff shipped surface, as the savings were quite significant if it's your money. Now that surface shipping is gone I've given up on the US for my larger hobby things. (Photographic and other equipment as well as electronics.)

All the equipment I use for work is, and always was air freighted, but that's not the market I'm talking about.

[kevinkr]

My customers were all hobbyists.. Most items other than a few heavy amplifiers were not more than a few kg.

My experience shipping things surface from China was very negative, and subsequently shipped by air.

[rdf]

Hi Kevin. It's not just weight, the 'extra charges' are killer for Canadians. I won't deal with an Ebay vendor without an alternate, nor will we use UPS for work-related shipments from the US.

[ak_47_boy]

Brokerage sucks.

[Geek]

Ooooh, a thread gone OT to rant about shipping

USPS air will always be the cheaper option. I had a 20Lb dual trace boatanchor of a scope shipped to me from Texas and that came to $39. Even under the old surface system, I would have saved maybe $5 at that weight.

The FedEx option, incl. thir BS "brokerage" would have hit $120+

My last experience with international couriers has ended up in court, twice!

Often USPS will beat the courier for delivery and I've never had a problem with them. Same with Canada Post. Sure, international is expensive (but they did only go up 4 to 6% this year), but when a parcel DID go missing the odd time, the insurance claim process was painless and I had the money in two weeks.

American sellers have to, have to, have to realize that their stupid couriers are only welcome in their own country. They should also realize that WE are paying the shipping, so stop whining about costs, blah, blah. Shipping to the UK or AU will not kill you, unless you ARE on the DHS watchlist.

As for shipping from China, have them send it "Air, Land and Sea" (that's what China Post calls it). It's really cheap and my parcels from Shenzhen arrive in 4-6 days!!

As for small businesses, it really hurts us. Large and mid sized businesses have contracts with shippers. Shippers won't give us little guys the time of day and treat us as a nuisance.

/end rant

[Pano]

The loss of surface Parcel Post is a cruel one. Yes, it was slow, but it was cheap. I've used it since the 70s.
Recently I wanted to send small gift to a buddy in the UK, but with the loss of the economy rate, it would be $22 for a small package. Ouch!

Here in Hawaii USPS is very important to us. FedEx and UPS way overpriced.

The new international flat rare box is welcome, tho - for small stuff.

[ak_47_boy]

I heard somewhere brokerage is included in ups and fedex airmail?

I just love it when they open your shipment, pick through it, break it, then charge $40 brokerage. Some day i am going to ship a few charged 20KV capacitors into the states and when they pick at them their fingers will explode like lightning hitting a tree trunk.

I ordered 30000ft of magnet wire a half a year ago, they managed to snap the spool in half and ruin all the wire. I had insurance on it... still waiting for the $300 back...

This is why i use a variac fed microwave oven transformer

Edit: I just remembered i have to get a few hundred pounds of transformer laminations from the states, they will break them somehow i see it coming. I was also going to get a hp lcz off ebay but i am scared now.

[kevinkr]

Unfortunately I think the problem is mostly with Canadian Customs, I've never had an instance of U.S. customs opening a package from Canada. Stuff from Canada gets here quickly and with little issue in my somewhat limited experience, going the other way is often far more of a problem, my previously mentioned caveat applies.

UPS treats everything they ship the same: DREADFULLY! You must pack it to survive a minimum drop of 6FT. (~2M) Packing to survive falling out of the open back of a UPS truck moving at 45mph during delivery might be advisable. No, unfortunately, I'm not kidding..

[mach1]

UPS treats everything they ship the same: DREADFULLY! You must pack it to survive a minimum drop of 6FT. (~2M) Packing to survive falling out of the open back of a UPS truck moving at 45mph during delivery might be advisable. No, unfortunately, I'm not kidding..

Kevin,

If it's any consolatation, Australia Post have the exact same 2m drop rule: I only found out after a well packed CD player arrived in three pieces and tried to make an insurance claim.

[Geek]

It was the lousy post to Australasia that made me make the decision to drop surface all together and send everything air and insured. What they didn't lose, they broke!