US Postal charges

I recently bought three identical items from different US
sellers....(oh, alright, they are boxed Yellow Submarine characters!!).

One charged me $12.80 postage, another $20 and the final one wants $25
land or $29 airmail!!

How can this come about, please???????????????

The last seller says they have double checked....so how did the first
one manage $12.80????

Kris Baker...

Hi, Jon

nj_dilettante...

If the seller wants to insure the package, it has to go airmail parcel post
rather than global priority mail, and airmail parcel post is WAY more
expensive. So, might have been able to be mailed for $12.80 with no
insurance and $25 with.

Also, over 4 lbs and you're going to get hit with some big import duties...

Kris Baker...

For $12.80, you can send ONE POUND (16 ounces) to UK from
the US via Priority Mail (variable single cheaper that Air Parcel)
and have change left over.

Unfortunately, if you don't get a shipping quote before you
commit to the purchase, you're open to whatever the seller
wants to charge. Even though I've sold there for over nine
years, I hate being associated with all of the gougers and
cheats.
Kris

Kris Baker...

I guessed correctly, didn't I?

The rate you're being charged is for four pounds. At that weight,
you should expect bullet-proof packing that protects the item
from ANY damage.

You won't know if you're being overcharged, until you get the package
and check the shipping label to see what it actually weighed.

What you need to do, in the future, is contact all sellers BEFORE
you bid, and ask them for a firm shipping quote. Keep the email
and make them stick to it.

Many sellers add on a "handling fee" (either by adding it in where
eBay lets them put the extra fee or by charging for a heavier-weight
package). Most of the time, it's very reasonable. I usually add in
50 cents, which helps balance out those times when I under-
estimate the weight of a shipment or when I give something
extra-heavy duty packing for international transit.

Wait! Look at that shipping again! They can send it GLOBAL
PRIORITY for $27.50. Ask for that.

Shipping from the US to the UK isn't "distance based" (ie, it's
a country-to-country rate, not based on zones). So, for same-
weight shipments using the same level of service by the same
shipper, the shipping cost from the US to the UK will be the
same. BUT, they may be using different levels of service,
different shippers, and use different methods of packaging.

Just make sure they're using USPS (US Postal Service, the
"real" one). UPS, FedEx and other shippers tack on a high
"brokerage fee" at YOUR end....and which can come as a
bit of a shock.

I see your purchases and guess that these are the three. Here's
what I see. Is the first one, the person who gave you the
high shipping quote? I see they all quote USPS, but it's hard
to say what they came up with for international.

7614240569 - US shipping is very high at $10 for "parcel post"
(low weight item could be shipped to any US zip code for
about $6/$7 Priority Mail or put in a Flat-Rate Priority Box for
$8.10). They charge $2.00 for "insurance" (which is only
$1.35). They accept Bidpay and BillPoint (the
former out of business for the past six months, BillPoint
has been gone for about four years). They need to buy a
clue, quickly.

7614180029 - shipping seems to be fairly calculated, based
on weight of the item. USPS

7591777696 - wants $5.50 for USPS Parcel Post and $1.50 for
insurance.