Shipped my Epilog Rotary to Singapore-cost FYI

[Larry Bratton]

Thought this might be useful information. I sold my Epilog rotary to one of our members in Singapore. We checked the cost initially with UPS and it was $189.00 based on the estimated package size. The USPS was $94.00 as a direct comparison. After final packaging and weight, it ended up being $69.70 with delivery on the 11th, shipped on the 5th. This also included insurance of $1000.00. The whole thing was easy to do too. Just took the package to the post office, they handled it from there, including filling out the customs forms. Funds were transferred via bank wire. So, if you have an opportunity to sell something overseas, don't be afraid to do it, just be sure you have the funds cleared before you do and get the rate from the USPS. You can get it online at their website.

If this post needs to be in Off Topic, feel free to move it, but right now all of us engravers need to sell where we can.

[Craig D Peltier]

Thought this might be useful information. I sold my Epilog rotary to one of our members in Singapore. We checked the cost initially with UPS and it was $189.00 based on the estimated package size. The USPS was $94.00 as a direct comparison. After final packaging and weight, it ended up being $69.70 with delivery on the 11th, shipped on the 5th. This also included insurance of $1000.00. The whole thing was easy to do too. Just took the package to the post office, they handled it from there, including filling out the customs forms. Funds were transferred via bank wire. So, if you have an opportunity to sell something overseas, don't be afraid to do it, just be sure you have the funds cleared before you do and get the rate from the USPS. You can get it online at their website.

If this post needs to be in Off Topic, feel free to move it, but right now all of us engravers need to sell where we can.

I recently have shipped about 30 overseas packages. Anywhere from Brazil, Columbia, Australia , EU , Puerto Rico , Japan etc. All packages shipped VIA USPS and they all made it. Some countries you have to be careful with due to them having the lack of anything resembling a postal service.
Dont forget to double the insurance , cause you have to pay back the buyer and then your out the product as well.If the buyer has to pay duties they might not be too happy cause you have to insure it as much as you say the value is or vice versa on the form but you have to cover yourselve.

Also some countries you cant insure, I think it was Brazil.So you might not want to makr value very high, say $25.

Although my USPS wasnt nice enough to fill out customs forms, they have other customers. Once you have done one its very easy. I also used the online calculator as did my customers via ebay. My money was all paid through paypal.

[Mike Dempsey]

Interesting. I haven't used USPS and will check them out. Thanks. Also, do you know of an alternative to PayPal that is widely used...?

Thank you.

Mike.

[Ed Hazel]

I ship all of my international stuff via USPS they are always cheaper than UPS you can create an on line account with the USPS and print out the custom forms you get a cheaper rate on line.

I think UPS includes the custom fees in their price so items clear customs faster not sure of this just what I heard.

[Robert McGowen]

I think UPS includes the custom fees in their price so items clear customs faster not sure of this just what I heard.

I have a UPS account and customs fees are not included in the shipping fees. I have had several Canadian customers tell me that UPS tacks on a $35 service charge to get the package through customs on their end.

[Jerome Hanby]

USPS gets a lot of flack (and deserver most of it), but they do have their moments. They now have APO boxes that work like their flat rate priority mail boxes for shipping to military personnel overseas. It makes the process much easier (althought you still to fill out the customes form, but like another poster wrote, no big deal).

[Glenn Vaughn]

Dont forget to double the insurance , cause you have to pay back the buyer and then your out the product as well.If the buyer has to pay duties they might not be too happy cause you have to insure it as much as you say the value is or vice versa on the form but you have to cover yourselve.


I don't understand the logic of doubling the insurance. Say I sell an item for $1000.00. I reeive the payment and insure it for $2000.00 then ship it. It is lost during shipment and I collect $2000.00 insurance, refund the original $1000.00 I recieved from the customer - leaving me with $2000.00 and no product. Personally, I would be hoping it got lost since I would get $2000.00 instead of $1000.00 if it made it safely.

[Larry Bratton]

Interesting. I haven't used USPS and will check them out. Thanks. Also, do you know of an alternative to PayPal that is widely used...?

Thank you.

Mike.
We did this via a bank transfer. All I did was give them the routing number, acct number and info the bank needed, they deposited the funds and I received them in my account in about 2 days. They deposited on Saturday and I had the money Monday night. Those are guaranteed funds as they are cash transactions.

[Larry Bratton]

USPS gets a lot of flack (and deserver most of it), but they do have their moments. They now have APO boxes that work like their flat rate priority mail boxes for shipping to military personnel overseas. It makes the process much easier (althought you still to fill out the customes form, but like another poster wrote, no big deal).
Also, this would have been even cheaper if it would have fit in one of their Flat Rate boxes, unfortunately it was too long for anything they had.

[Van Huskey]

I have shipped maybe 1,000 packages to over 50 countries using USPS and only had trouble with 3. One made a detour through Austria on its way to Australia, one took 3 months to get to one of the "Stans" and one purportedly got lost on its way to Peru. So I only had an issue that cost me anything but grief. The prices compared to UPS are almost stupid cheap.

[Joe Pelonio]

What I cannot understand is how shippers in other countries get by so cheap.

I recently bought a replacement suction cup holder unit for my Garmin GPS
and it cost me $1.97 with free shipping. It came two days later, from Hong Kong.

[Kim Gibbens]

"Dont forget to double the insurance , cause you have to pay back the buyer and then your out the product as well.If the buyer has to pay duties they might not be too happy cause you have to insure it as much as you say the value is or vice versa on the form but you have to cover yourselve."


Let me check my math, I get paid once from the seller, I send him the package and I insure it. It comes up MIA and the USPS pays my claim for the package, now I have 2X the money for the same article, I send original cost to purchaser for reimbursement for lost package, I still have the original payment from the seller. What am I out? ;)


Stupid idea to spend extra money for insuring 2X value. You will not be paid what you insure it for, you will be paid what the article was worth ( e-bay purchasing price or purchase price ) and you will have to substantiate the value that you claim on the insuranced article. You will probably be refunded your shipping fees, but NEVER more than your documented value for the contents. If this wasn't the case, it would be a pretty good scam. And , yes, I know what I'm talking about. 34 years at the USPS and still going. :eek:
It is a frequent sight to see someone ship something overseas and claim a value of $25 on the customs form ( $25 is generally the threshold of countries charging duty on items ) and then try to insure it the package for many times the stated value. Of course we tell them we can't insure it for more than the claimed value. They usually change the value to reflect the amount of insurance they wish to purchase. I think they would rather be protected if something went wrong as opposed to the purchaser having to possibly pay customs duties.

[Curt Harms]

I have shipped maybe 1,000 packages to over 50 countries using USPS and only had trouble with 3. One made a detour through Austria on its way to Australia, one took 3 months to get to one of the "Stans" and one purportedly got lost on its way to Peru. So I only had an issue that cost me anything but grief. The prices compared to UPS are almost stupid cheap.

I wonder if that's why USPS is reporting a loss of $3.8 bil. in 2009? I'm sure FedEx and UPS would be cheaper too if they could operate at a loss and make up the difference with "other revenue sources".

[Kim Gibbens]

I wonder if that's why USPS is reporting a loss of $3.8 bil. in 2009? I'm sure FedEx and UPS would be cheaper too if they could operate at a loss and make up the difference with "other revenue sources".


What is keeping Fed Ex and UPS from using " other revenue sources" ? Maybe they don't want to be cheaper? I guess I don't fully understand the direction you are trying to take with your statement. You wouldn't happen to be a pilot for FedEx or UPS would you? :rolleyes:

[Craig D Peltier]

"Dont forget to double the insurance , cause you have to pay back the buyer and then your out the product as well.If the buyer has to pay duties they might not be too happy cause you have to insure it as much as you say the value is or vice versa on the form but you have to cover yourselve."


Let me check my math, I get paid once from the seller, I send him the package and I insure it. It comes up MIA and the USPS pays my claim for the package, now I have 2X the money for the same article, I send original cost to purchaser for reimbursement for lost package, I still have the original payment from the seller. What am I out? ;)


Stupid idea to spend extra money for insuring 2X value. You will not be paid what you insure it for, you will be paid what the article was worth ( e-bay purchasing price or purchase price ) and you will have to substantiate the value that you claim on the insuranced article. You will probably be refunded your shipping fees, but NEVER more than your documented value for the contents. If this wasn't the case, it would be a pretty good scam. And , yes, I know what I'm talking about. 34 years at the USPS and still going. :eek:
It is a frequent sight to see someone ship something overseas and claim a value of $25 on the customs form ( $25 is generally the threshold of countries charging duty on items ) and then try to insure it the package for many times the stated value. Of course we tell them we can't insure it for more than the claimed value. They usually change the value to reflect the amount of insurance they wish to purchase. I think they would rather be protected if something went wrong as opposed to the purchaser having to possibly pay customs duties.

Thanks for info Ken, so I guess its just a risk when shipping. Yes you get your money back for what buyer paid but your out whatever product cost you.
I was told by USPS whatever you insure it for must be the value. So I insure it for double cause thats its value to me and thats what I put cost at.

[Glenn Vaughn]

Thanks for info Ken, so I guess its just a risk when shipping. Yes you get your money back for what buyer paid but your out whatever product cost you.
I was told by USPS whatever you insure it for must be the value. So I insure it for double cause thats its value to me and thats what I put cost at.

Craig,

Your logic is flawed. There are two possible outcomes when you ship insured; either the item arrives or it doesn't.

If it arrives, you have what the buyer paid you and they have the product.

If it does not arrive, You have what the buyer paid you and what the insurance paid you. After refunding the buyers payment, you still have the insurance. You do not have the product BUT you DO have the insurance reimbursement for the value of the product.

If you insure for double the amount paid and collect that amount, you will have the original payment plus the insurance payment. After refunding to the buyer, you will still have TWICE the amount you would have had if the product had been delivered.

[Mark Maleski]

I wonder if that's why USPS is reporting a loss of $3.8 bil. in 2009? I'm sure FedEx and UPS would be cheaper too if they could operate at a loss and make up the difference with "other revenue sources".

I doubt that USPS loses money on their package delivery. I think operate a deficit because of their mandate to provide low cost letter delivery to every address in th country, no matter how rural. And they must operate post offices in rural locations too. Thus, they need "other revenue sources" (I'll say it - taxes [edit - nope, see correction below]) to do those things.

[Kim Gibbens]

Thanks for info Ken, so I guess its just a risk when shipping. Yes you get your money back for what buyer paid but your out whatever product cost you.
I was told by USPS whatever you insure it for must be the value. So I insure it for double cause thats its value to me and thats what I put cost at.


You're welcome Greg

1 + 1 = 2 in my math books.
Good luck in your endeavors.

Kim

[Craig D Peltier]

Craig,

Your logic is flawed. There are two possible outcomes when you ship insured; either the item arrives or it doesn't.

If it arrives, you have what the buyer paid you and they have the product.

If it does not arrive, You have what the buyer paid you and what the insurance paid you. After refunding the buyers payment, you still have the insurance. You do not have the product BUT you DO have the insurance reimbursement for the value of the product.

If you insure for double the amount paid and collect that amount, you will have the original payment plus the insurance payment. After refunding to the buyer, you will still have TWICE the amount you would have had if the product had been delivered.

So when you insure you get what its insured for if lost which should be equal to the value and the value of it as well? So no-one is out correct?

Thanks

[Kim Gibbens]

I doubt that USPS loses money on their package delivery. I think operate a deficit because of their mandate to provide low cost letter delivery to every address in th country, no matter how rural. And they must operate post offices in rural locations too. Thus, they need "other revenue sources" (I'll say it - taxes) to do those things.


For general FYI, since the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970, the U.S. Postal Service no longer receives ANY tax money . It is self supporting. Go ahead, look it up.

" other revenue sources" I'll say it:
First class letters and flats
Priority Mail
Express mail
Second class mail ( magazine subscriptions and newspapers )
Bulk Mail ( most advertisements, catalogs, etc.... )
Special services ( Certified mail, Registered Mail, Insurance, Delivery Confirmation, Signature Confirmation, Return Receipts, Certificates of Mailing, Money orders ( US and International )


Love it or hate it, it is the Best Postal service in the world.

[Mark Maleski]

Kim, Even better then. I edited my post to note your correction.

[Glenn Vaughn]

So when you insure you get what its insured for if lost which should be equal to the value and the value of it as well? So no-one is out correct?

Thanks

let me try again:

Presuposing the product is not something you purchase at wholesale and resell at a profit.
You sell a product for $1000.
The buyer sends you $1000.
You ship the product and insure it for $1000 (what it sold for - not what it cost you).

If all goes well:
The buyer receives the product and all is well. You have $1000 and he has the product.

If it does not go well:
The product is lost or damaged.
You file a claim for $1000.
You receive the $1000 from the insurance.
You return the $1000 the buyer paid.
You are left with $1000 and no product.
You are not out anything (except possibly the shipping and transfer fees).

There is no reason to insure it for $2000. In fact trying to collect $2000 insurance on a $1000 item could be considered fraud.

If the product is something that you purchased at wholesale and sold at retail:
You would take insurance at the cost to you of the product.
It it is lost or damaged, you purchase another one and ship it.
You do not have to refund the buyers payment.
You are out nothing but time and shipping (unless you included that in the insurance amount).

[Craig D Peltier]

let me try again:

Presuposing the product is not something you purchase at wholesale and resell at a profit.
You sell a product for $1000.
The buyer sends you $1000.
You ship the product and insure it for $1000 (what it sold for - not what it cost you).

If all goes well:
The buyer receives the product and all is well. You have $1000 and he has the product.

If it does not go well:
The product is lost or damaged.
You file a claim for $1000.
You receive the $1000 from the insurance.
You return the $1000 the buyer paid.
You are left with $1000 and no product.
You are not out anything (except possibly the shipping and transfer fees).

There is no reason to insure it for $2000. In fact trying to collect $2000 insurance on a $1000 item could be considered fraud.

If the product is something that you purchased at wholesale and sold at retail:
You would take insurance at the cost to you of the product.
It it is lost or damaged, you purchase another one and ship it.
You do not have to refund the buyers payment.
You are out nothing but time and shipping (unless you included that in the insurance amount).

Thanks Glen, I had a brain fart I guess.:confused: