Shipping is EXPENSIVE these days.

Considering I had to pay $52 for a box the size of a VHS to the UK not long ago, I’d have to agree shipping is getting ridiculously high now.

I can't believe the $700+ to Canada. Something else is in that shipping price.

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

I can't believe the $700+ to Canada. Something else is in that shipping price.

Huge profits?

It could be a typo, but I did find it amusing!

GunRunnerJohn now providing free shipping to the Congo on all his electronic gizmos - some limitations may apply.

Possibly a typo that is one decimal point off?

I'll still happily pay the freight for all your overstock John! 

I had to pay $34.00 to get a 16# steam locomotive shipped to me from west Virginia to Indiana. Shipping is outrageous these days.

Tariffs?

Huge shipping fees on top of 18% buyers premium, Trainz has lost its shininess

Tariffs, please. High shipping is a result of all the free shipping big customers do like Amazon, they get a big price break, you pay double or more when you need to ship. The last few years have gotten real bad, most $20 items are not worth shipping, throw them away.

I once won four items from Trainz; it was cheaper for me to drive to Atlanta and pickup the stuff in person. The GA sales tax was far, far less than the shipping would have been and the gas used when totaled with the tax still came out less than Trainz's posted shipping. An added plus: I got out and had an enjoyable trip.

Trainz is horrible because they use FED-EX and over charge on average 6 bucks more than USPS P-Mail.

For me, it can take 6 days to go from Atlanta to Nashville, one state away with them. Fed-Ex hands off items to the P.O. and they travel all over the place before arriving at the door.

Shipping by others is high because they don’t know what they are doing and just guess at it. I buy from people who actually calculate it and charge me fairly as I do to them. Save several bucks shipping from your PC.

Some say they charge S&H.  Dummies don't know free USPS boxes can be shipped to any location in lots with a few key presses on the PC.

Most 2lb cars e.o.m. should be under 10 bucks to ship on average using USPS P. mail. It starts to get a bit pricy over 4 lbs and on engines.

I always try to take advantage of the free shipping offers from train vendors and Ebay sellers otherwise it is ridiculous, especially after sales tax is applied.  I love Mr. Muffins Trains and buy often from him because the store is about an hour away from home. He offers free shipping as well but the 7% Indiana tax often kills the deal as the postage from Nick Smith, Trainworld or Chuck Ro is less than the tax, especially on Legacy or MTH Premier items. $15 shipping on a $1000 locomotive is reasonable but astronomical for a $40 freight car. 

I don't know how some of these vendors offer free shipping at some of the prices the have.  Some of them have to be taking a bath when offering free shipping.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I'd like to hear the reasoning for this.   I happened to be looking at something on Trainz, and I noticed their shipping charges!  YIKES, it costs more than a couple of Legacy diesels to ship one unit!

I have to believe there's a story here.

I would guess a typo. Sure does not cost more to ship to Canada than Asia per their schedule.

   Bill T.

5 years ago my standard padded envelope I ship my decals in was 99 cents to ship. Today the same envelope under 2 oz is $3. WHY???

If the Trainz shipping is really what they charge for shipping outside USA...maybe twofold:

They don't want to ship outside USA

With new credit card charge back rules they may need to prove delivery with signature....which is very expensive outside USA.....maybe not $700...

MartyE posted:

I don't know how some of these vendors offer free shipping at some of the prices the have.  Some of them have to be taking a bath when offering free shipping.

Working for a small business that ships a lot, and talking to the shipping company reps.  There is big time volume discounts from Fedex, UPS.  More you ship the cheaper it gets.

Shipping has turned into a profit center for many sellers.  Advertise a product at a lower price and make it up double on shipping.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

I can't believe the $700+ to Canada. Something else is in that shipping price.

Huge profits?

It could be a typo, but I did find it amusing!

I bought an engine and passenger car set from a man in Canada for a price shipping included. He had it packaged and shipped from a UPS store. He told me later that the cost wound up being about $180. He was shocked and so was I!!! I think he got ripped off, never heard of shipping being that expensive! 
Who knows what evil lurks...