Shipping to/from EU and USA problems

[cadillacmike68]

If shipping from the EU to US wasn't so stooopid I'd get one.

[RealBlackStuff]

If shipping from the EU to US wasn't so stooopid I'd get one.

Objection!
It's the other way around!
USPS and its American ilk are ripping the public off something out of this world!

[cadillacmike68]

^^ I need to cal BS on that. It may well be in expensive in both directions for international shipments , but I can mail a letter from FL to Alaska for 50 cents and ship a small flat rate box to the same place (via air mail) for about $6. A med flat rate box which will fit a motherboard or even a whole T61 is about $13. That's about 5,000 miles (about 8,200KM). No EU post rates can match that.

[wujstefan]

^^ I need to cal BS on that. It may well be in expensive in both directions for international shipments , but I can mail a letter from FL to Alaska for 50 cents and ship a small flat rate box to the same place (via air mail) for about $6. A med flat rate box which will fit a motherboard or even a whole T61 is about $13. That's about 5,000 miles (about 8,200KM). No EU post rates can match that.

Wanna bet?

$10 is a 2kg package shipping rate, worldwide.
Same size parcel from US to EU costs 5-8 times more.

This is, before COVID stuff. The so-called pandemy restricted some locations and this shipping option is no longer available to some countries.
RBS lived on the both sides of the pond so I guess he could tell you better, but this is really the case.

We have a X62 motherboard here on the forum for sale - I'd love to get one, but I'm not paying $75+VAT+customs (VAT/customs consider shipping cost AND the motherboard)!

Anyway, it seems all motherboars are sold already. And they will be shipped just to another side of the world I'll post in if I find some more - I have lots and lots of T6x parts, and definitely have some extra spares.

[RealBlackStuff]

@cadillacmike:
Now who is BS-ing here?
You are comparing apples with oranges.
Your quoted prices are for internal shipments within the US.
A USPS small flat rate box from USA to Europe costs $38.60
A USPS medium flat rate box from USA to Europe costs $75.35
A USPS large flat rate box from USA to Europe costs $99.10
I would call that Grand Theft!
The medium box is needed for shipping e.g. a motherboard.
But sending that same motherboard from e.g. Ireland to USA only costs €8.-/$9.45, registered it's still only €15.-/$17.80
That is MILES below your USA rip-off prices!

[cadillacmike68]

Well, I guess I won't be shipping anything to the EU for a while.

[atagunov]

Somewhat related: we're waiting for a large pack of HV150UX2-100 screens which were due to be delivered US -> EU
These are the ones with one pixel stuck
My understanding is that it was taken by USPS on 4th of June, had the last tracking tick is on 7th of June and it hasn't been heard about since
I actually paid for one of these screens

[wujstefan]

I paid for 4 of them

A claim has already been filed anyway. This is completely out of T61p motherboard topic

@RBS: remember about custom charges and TAX - I think it's not the case in EU->US way. In Poland it adds another 32% to total price.

[MikalE]

I ordered some model railroading equipment from a shop in Germany that used DHL to get it to the States. They handed it off to USPS who promptly lost it or stole it. My bank just recently refunded the entire amount since no one that was actually responsible was willing to step up and take responsibility. That was a $728 order.

Another shop in Germany that I regularly do business with uses UPS Global Express Saver and gets it to my door in four days from the date of order for a flat rate of €27.50 no matter how much I order or what it weighs.

The reason the second shop wasn't used for the first order is because the second shop (nor anyone else in Europe that ships to the States) had this particular model in stock and ready to ship.

I will never, and I mean NEVER order from anyone in Europe again that doesn't use either UPS or Fed-Ex to get a package to the States. They use their own Customs Brokering and there is no delay sitting around in bins or shipping containers waiting, and waiting, and waiting...to be lost or stolen.

[RealBlackStuff]

Today I received a package with a T440p motherboard, that I had ordered via Aliexpress in China on 27 July 2020.
Aliexpress have invented a new way to avoid their customers having to pay import duties and tax.
Note: the tracking number they used (LT214xxxxxxNL) is not from China, but from The Netherlands!
Apparently they ship everything to a European distribution center in Liege/Belgium.
From that moment I could track it through the Dutch postal website https://postnl.post/
It stays in Belgium for a while, then gets shipped on to the destination country (Ireland in my case).
This morning the mailman just left the package at the front door, rang the door bell and waited in his car till I opened the door and waved at him.

If anyone asks, the price for the T440p motherboard with nVidia GPU (FRU 00HM981) was $44.64 / Euro 37.85 incl. shipping!

The tracking history:

Code: Select all

IE-Successful delivered:The item has been delivered successfully
2020-08-22 08:15:00 [GMT+1]

IE-Item received at OE in the destination country:The item is at the PostNL sorting center
2020-08-12 17:04:00 [GMT+1]

Liege-Linehaul Arrival
2020-08-05 13:48:00 [GMT+1]

Hand over to airline
2020-08-03 20:00:00 [GMT+8]

Received by line-haul
2020-07-30 15:22:30 [GMT+8]

Outbound in sorting center
2020-07-30 09:34:26 [GMT+8]

Inbound in sorting center
2020-07-29 17:16:54 [GMT+8]

Accepted by carrier
2020-07-29 16:46:54 [GMT+8] 

[dr_st]

I was once told that when the international mail treaty was signed, it was agreed upon that the rich countries (at the time) will subsidize the poor. That is why postage rates are asymmetric.

[cadillacmike68]

It's gotten much more ridiculous since this chicom wuhan coronavirus started.

For example it took over 5 weeks for a package to leave Melbourne, Australia; "waiting in international shipping" or whatever they used for an excuse. At least it finally got here. That was my original Star Trek 3D chess set.

[600X]

I was once told that when the international mail treaty was signed, it was agreed upon that the rich countries (at the time) will subsidize the poor. That is why postage rates are asymmetric.

That's interesting, thanks for sharing. I was very shocked when I moved to the US and then tried to send a package back home to Germany. I generally find that a lot of things are priced outrageously in America, be it used cars or even necessities like food. And let's not even get into healthcare. At least petrol is dirt cheap, so I'll give them that.

The COVID shipping issues are really annoying too. Someone in a different forum ordered some custom car parts from Germany and they have been held up in New Jersey since Aug. 9th. I have a laptop coming in from Germany and now I'm not too hopeful that it will arrive any time soon.

[cadillacmike68]

I was once told that when the international mail treaty was signed, it was agreed upon that the rich countries (at the time) will subsidize the poor. That is why postage rates are asymmetric.

That's interesting, thanks for sharing. I was very shocked when I moved to the US and then tried to send a package back home to Germany. I generally find that a lot of things are priced outrageously in America, be it used cars or even necessities like food. And let's not even get into healthcare. At least petrol is dirt cheap, so I'll give them that.

The COVID shipping issues are really annoying too. Someone in a different forum ordered some custom car parts from Germany and they have been held up in New Jersey since Aug. 9th. I have a laptop coming in from Germany and now I'm not too hopeful that it will arrive any time soon.

There's no way food costs more here than in the EU. What is the price in euros per KG for a choice or prime porterhouse or rib-eye steak?

[ajkula66]

There's no way food costs more here than in the EU. What is the price in euros per KG for a choice or prime porterhouse or rib-eye steak?

I would also tend to believe that the majority of food articles are more expensive in the EU...but then again, I can't see the prices in Germany being the same as in Slovakia...I may very well be wrong.

Back to the topic, the *real* pain starts when you can't fit stuff into Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes and start hitting the point where the charge is by volume and not weight...highway robbery, regardless of the carrier...

[RealBlackStuff]

These are today's Supermarket prices in Ireland: https://shop.supervalu.ie/shopping/meat ... -150300360
Prices are in Euro.
1 Euro = US$ 1.18

Prices from ca. 3 years ago in Germany: https://www.reddit.com/r/germany/commen ... n_germany/

[cadillacmike68]

It's too early for me for math, but here goes.

Boneless rib eye 20.99 Euros/Kg *1.18 = $24.76 / Kg Divide by 2.2 = $11.26 / lb. I can routinely get boneless rib eye for about $6 / lb, and can often get the certified Angus Choice for about $8-9 / lb.

Here is one weekly ad:

https://www.winndixie.com/weeklyad
You might have to put in a zip code. Use 33543 and select Tampa (county line rd) Note the rib eye is the Certified Angus. Also note the T-bones are only 4.99 / lb.

[dr_st]

Is boneless rib eye steak the standard item for comparing food prices?

According to the Big Mac Index, for example, the US is the third most expensive country. But thanks to higher wages (on average), it is also close to the top in how fast one can earn the cost of a Big Mac.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Mac_Index

Most importantly, as George pointed out, the EU is far from homogeneous when it comes to prices.

[cadillacmike68]

Is boneless rib eye steak the standard item for comparing food prices? ...

It is for me

[600X]

Not sure about steak but if I want to get a fresh baguette at Target, I literally can't. If I get a squishy baguette at Target, it's $3. An actual fresh baguette is usually 1€ where I live (Bavaria). But the Big Mac Index that dr_st mentioned is probably a better measurement than both steaks and baguettes.

I didn't know this before but Germany is one of the cheapest countries for groceries in the western world due to the intense competition between discount supermarkets. Wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't experienced it first hand.

Back to the topic, the *real* pain starts when you can't fit stuff into Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes and start hitting the point where the charge is by volume and not weight...highway robbery, regardless of the carrier...

These days I just don't ship stuff anymore but a few years back I used to circumvent that via eBay. They have some sort of deal going on that allows me to use custom sized boxes without overpaying, so I was able to ship my own boxes without having any fitment issues. Of course, you still end up paying for feebay itself...

[Behemot]

It's gotten much more ridiculous since this chicom wuhan coronavirus started.

For example it took over 5 weeks for a package to leave Melbourne, Australia; "waiting in international shipping" or whatever they used for an excuse. At least it finally got here. That was my original Star Trek 3D chess set.

You're lucky it actually even left. Australia is among the countries which just shut down ALL traffic to or from the continent so there were almost no flights at all. And when they finally started, at least for cargo, they had gazillion of tons of things to transport in the expensive/premium range of services, so the universe of stuff in the economy range was waiting like forever for a place on the plane.

[cadillacmike68]

It's gotten much more ridiculous since this chicom wuhan coronavirus started.

For example it took over 5 weeks for a package to leave Melbourne, Australia; "waiting in international shipping" or whatever they used for an excuse. At least it finally got here. That was my original Star Trek 3D chess set.

You're lucky it actually even left. Australia is among the countries which just shut down ALL traffic to or from the continent so there were almost no flights at all. And when they finally started, at least for cargo, they had gazillion of tons of things to transport in the expensive/premium range of services, so the universe of stuff in the economy range was waiting like forever for a place on the plane.

Yeah, that took forever. And then I had to wait on the "official" rules for it. The set came with some instructions in a nice glossy blue cover booklet, but they were pretty sparse. Now we have to figure out how to play it.

As to rib eye steaks being a staple, we have them at least twice a week here, so yes the price is a prime consideration (pun intended ). And I haven't had a big mac in about 10 years or longer; QP with cheese about 4 in the last 3-4 years (that would be a royale with cheese in Euro land).

[Behemot]

I would also tend to believe that the majority of food articles are more expensive in the EU...but then again, I can't see the prices in Germany being the same as in Slovakia...I may very well be wrong.

Most of the food is likely of similar price in central-european countries, yeah. But quality greatly varies, it is generaly quite higher in Germany than everywhere else further east. They always have to find a way how to rip us, from the "far east", you see.

Not so long ago, it was lebensraum by the line of racial standards. Now it's poorly payed jobs, low-quality goods and oh, soon it's gonna be lebensraum and other stuff again, following the green-something-crap. There are already taxes which make burning coal for heat or electricity as expensive as the cost of the coal itself And it's gonna get worse. Just my 2c

Regarding general prices, dunno, food may be slightly more expensive in the US, but than there's the average "buying power". There is definitelly nothing as the typical US diners here where you pay few bucks and get pretty much a wagon of some good meal. Usually, it's the other way around here. Even the czech equivalent of that (serving good stuff in home-made quality, usually some pork soups, sauces etc.) are dying fast, being replaced with all those McShit and kebabs (which are more expensive still and ofc there is that pork problem).

About the shipping. that's quite interesting, when were the shipping deals signed and revised last time? It could've made sense back than when ppl maybe sent stuff to Europe as gifts or something like that. Now when there is goods being transported and usually the buyer pays the shipping costs, it's actually the other way around - generally wealthier ppl from US of A who buy stuff in Europe which is interesting to them also benefit from cheap transport. On the other hand when we in Europe want to buy something in the US, as there is lot of cheap crap in there, we have to pay shipping costs which make it expensive, often to the extent when it does not make sense. The hell!

[atagunov]

Heh I've just been informed that the big US->EU parcel which hasn't been heard of since Jun-07 this year suddenly arrived at its destination.
Much like Hermes UK this summer USPS had messed up but rescued their reputation eventually

[wujstefan]

But tracking still says it has not been delivered to destinated _COUNTRY_ yet ^^

[TuuS]

I can ship a motherboard almost anywhere on the planet from usa with tracking and insurance for $40, even less without the tracking and insurance. Of course you need to know how to navigate the system, if you walk in retail or use usps website it will cost about $60, other carriers like ups or fedex are over $100

[rkawakami]

I recently shipped a couple of Trackpoint caps to the next town over (San Jose to Saratoga). I put the two caps inside a small bubble pack envelope, weighed it and affixed a First Class Forever stamp ($0.55) since it was under an ounce. I was concerned that the thickness may have put it over the 1/4" allowed so I went down to the P.O. and asked them about it. My calipers had put it at exactly 1/4". The clerk asked what was in it, I told him and then he said it would have to go as a First Class Package since it wouldn't go through the sorting machine; no actual measurement was taken, just a glance at the envelope and a quick opinion. Ended up costing $3.80, but that was with tracking so I might have been able to choose a slightly cheaper option. But I didn't want to stand around arguing the point.

A couple of days ago I get a package; five lithium CR1220 coin batteries from Amazon (I had looked at a 560 two weeks ago and it had a dead RTC battery). It come in a non-bubble pack envelope with a red "non-machinable, do not bend" stamp on it. It was less than 1/4" thick. I'm pretty sure it weighed more than my trackpoint envelope. It was metered at $0.80. I know what I'm going to do next time.

It's been many years since I shipped anything to Europe but from what I remember, USPS was cheaper than FedEx, UPS or DHL.

[atagunov]

Of course you need to know how to navigate the system

Greetings, sir! So how would you recommend sending that T430 cpu US -> UK?.. It doesn't have to be quick but I wouldn't want it to be lost for 3 months like our box of 15" panels..

[RMSMajestic]

Having lived in both US and UK for 6 years (and buyign and selling at least 2000 items), My ranking from the worst to the best, taking account into price is:

My Hermes = FEDEX ≈ Parcel Force << USPS << Royal Mail < UPS = DHL

Worst thing about Royal mail is that it's limited to 2kg, which is just boarderline enough for a X61 tablet. (or correct me if I'm wrong)
Worst thing about USPS is that their insurance does jack s***, so anything valuable will be at risk.

And all of them gives me aneurysm some times when compare to those shipping services in China, sorry about my language but those listed above are either expensive, or s***, or worst, expensive piece of s*** (just like the TFL)

No offense.

Postal Service, as well as healthcare, public transport and power(electricity) are the few industries which I think should never be privatized as "for profit"

[TuuS]

Of course you need to know how to navigate the system

Greetings, sir! So how would you recommend sending that T430 cpu US -> UK?.. It doesn't have to be quick but I wouldn't want it to be lost for 3 months like our box of 15" panels..

Someone who has a business account with shipping insurance could send it first class mail with insurance and tracking for much less than priority mail and usually same speed. Retail customers cannot get tracking and insurance unless they opt for paying priority rate. If you don't know anyone with a commercial account you can get one with stamps . com, or use a remailing service.

For your cup chip you can sandwich the chip in cardboard about 2" square, embed that in a sheet of 1/2" foam rubber so it's uniform thickness and fits in 8.5x11 or legal size envelope. Must be same thickness and able to fold, print customs form online and it will get scannable upc code for tracking and USPS will pick it up in your mailbox and as long as it's under 13oz you can use stamps for postage.

Its tricky, but there is no rule against shipping items in a large envelope. However if the items slide around and bunch up together it will be rejected and returned to you weeks later. The envelope has to look like any other containing documents and pass through a 3/4" slot. Postage for such an envelope starts @ $1 domestic and $3 or 4 international last I checked. Package rate recently increased so unsure, but has always been limited to 4lbs package and 13oz letter, but commercial accounts allow more weight. The easiest way to ship a package would be a reshippers and there are many. They do exactly what I do but get better rates because their volume is higher.

Hope this helps.