Airmail / P&p From The States

[Denbo]

Anybody else noticed how the cost of Airmail / P&P from the States is creeping up all the time?

Two of my latest buys are now asking for $10. Yes, $10!!!

I notice this is usually the case these days on items I win that are around $5, $6, $7. Is it their way of boosting the profits on items they thought might have sold for more?

[Guest Karen Heath]

It depends on the service. Working the other way round ie; UK to US, if I sent an album, I would expect it to cost around £6.00. This would be using the International signed for service which is £3.30 on top of postage at approximately £2.51 plus a bit for packing (19p!) That works out at more than $10. If it's not signed for, they are probably charging for the effort of queuing at the Post Office! I don't blame them- it takes me about an hour to get something in the post via the Post Office! It's a pain!

[Denbo]

It depends on the service. Working the other way round ie; UK to US, if I sent an album, I would expect it to cost around £6.00. This would be using the International signed for service which is £3.30 on top of postage at approximately £2.51 plus a bit for packing (19p!) That works out at more than $10. If it's not signed for, they are probably charging for the effort of queuing at the Post Office! I don't blame them- it takes me about an hour to get something in the post via the Post Office! It's a pain!

Okay, perhaps I should have been a bit more detailed with my comments.

What I mean is, for standard, uninsured, no International Signed For, or Special Deliveries, just ordinary low cost Airmail to UK, prices this last couple of weeks for me on a couple of items have risen from $5, $6, $7 to $10.

Now as for the effort of queuing, well I'm pretty sure they'll wait until they've got a few orders to send before heading off to the Post Office and besides, when they decided to sell records on the Internet, or any other way for that matter, I'm sure they will have considered the fact that they would be making trips to the Post Office. And if they're 'charging' us for that, then I think they are totally out of order.

When I sell records, I don't charge anything more than a few pence extra, just to round up the figures and I certainly don't charge for the trip to the Post Office.

Obviously, I strongly object to this practice of overcharging and I personally think that if we don't object and stand up for ourselves, the practice will become more widespread.

Anyhow, having vented my spleen, I'm off for a coffee :o)

[Gasher]

YEAH GOT TO AGREE THAT SHIPPING IN BOTH DIRECTIONS IS FCUKING REDICULOUSLY PRICED.

AND YOU CANT GET IT SIGNED FOR BY THE RECIPIENT AT THE OTHER END IS SHIT TOO..THE BIGGEST JOKE IS UK POSTAL SERVICE

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR IS ONLY SIGNED TO SAY IT LEFT THE UK

EVER HEARD SO MUCH SHITE..RIP OFF BASTARDS.

THATS MY GRIPE FOR TODAY

[Guest Karen Heath]

You're right-they probably are using it as a way to inflate the price! The postal service is ludicrously expensive for a bad service. Just listening to a phone in on it and a postman is saying recorded delivery is not worth the paper it's written on. He thinks the service is so bad that he hand delivers all his personal letters or pays for special delivery. I always use International signed for for the U.S but I don't think I will bother any more! I am already missing two parcels and a few letters this week that have gone astray on their way to me.

[Guest Jim.]

I got charged $12 recently but for that they'll send up to 50 singles which is cool for bulk buying i guess...

[Boogaloo]

you can work out airmail postage from the US post office's site. The link below will give you the tables you need to calculate the rate by weight and country.

https://pe.usps.gov/text/pub51/51tblb_002.html#vnameref_1

Warren Boogaloo

[Supercorsa]

I was recently charged $20 for just one 7" single from the US. I was reluctant to pay this, but I had agreed to buy the record so I just paid it rather than get negative feedback. However when the record arrived it had been packed in a box measuring (approx) 11" x 11" and 2" deep packed with polystyrene chips. Postage stamps on it equalled $10. Thought I'd been overcharged by $10 until I opened it and found inside along with the record, $10 in cash!

However I always thought the normal price for a 7" from the US to the UK to be about $5-$7.

[doowopmick]

I was recently charged $20 for just one 7" single from the US. I was reluctant to pay this, but I had agreed to buy the record so I just paid it rather than get negative feedback. However when the record arrived it had been packed in a box measuring (approx) 11" x 11" and 2" deep packed with polystyrene chips. Postage stamps on it equalled $10. Thought I'd been overcharged by $10 until I opened it and found inside along with the record, $10 in cash!

However I always thought the normal price for a 7" from the US to the UK to be about $5-$7.

Taking about negative feedback I had a similar experience after winning a Drifters ep for 99cents I emaied the seller questioning the seller's postage rate of 12 dollars as I normally pay 4.80 dollars. He stated these were the rates he was quoted by the us postal service but agreed he would do it for 9.00 dollars. I paid up and the record arrived with stamps for, you guessed it, 4.80 dollars.

I emailed the guy asking politely for an explanation but he did not respond so I mentioned this in feedback. He then put negative feedback against me stating I had compained all the way through and got a 30 dollar ep for 99cents. You just can't win!

[Denbo]

Taking about negative feedback I had a similar experience after winning a Drifters ep for 99cents I emaied the seller questioning the seller's postage rate of 12 dollars as I normally pay 4.80 dollars. He stated these were the rates he was quoted by the us postal service but agreed he would do it for 9.00 dollars. I paid up and the record arrived with stamps for, you guessed it, 4.80 dollars.

I emailed the guy asking politely for an explanation but he did not respond so I mentioned this in feedback. He then put negative feedback against me stating I had compained all the way through and got a 30 dollar ep for 99cents. You just can't win!

Apparantly, there is a US Postal Service website were you can go and interrogate the true cost to ship to UK providing you know the weight.

Would be a nice idea to send that to the sellers in the States who are telling us that the US Postal Service are quoting those high prices only to receive, as you said, packages with stamps equating to about $5

Also, you don't expect to have the price of a record you got at a bargain price hiked up to somewhere near the price 'they' think 'they' should have sold it to you for. If 'they' wanted $30 for it 'they' should have put it up as a 'buy it now' or 'set sale' price of $30, then see how much 'they' moan about eBay costs when it doesn't sell. 'They' really p**s me off!!!

[Denbo]

Apparantly, there is a US Postal Service website were you can go and interrogate the true cost to ship to UK providing you know the weight.

Would be a nice idea to send that to the sellers in the States who are telling us that the US Postal Service are quoting those high prices only to receive, as you said, packages with stamps equating to about $5

Also, you don't expect to have the price of a record you got at a bargain price hiked up to somewhere near the price 'they' think 'they' should have sold it to you for. If 'they' wanted $30 for it 'they' should have put it up as a 'buy it now' or 'set sale' price of $30, then see how much 'they' moan about eBay costs when it doesn't sell. 'They' really p**s me off!!!

PS - Pikeys Dog from Soul Talk came up with a good idea which is to send them 'Neutral Feedback' along with a little comment, nothing offensive but just to the point, which as he says, stands out like a big sore thumb!!! LOVE IT.