Wingnuts free shipping to end on 17 June

[Dave W]

Just received from Richard Alexander....

End of free shipping on 17 June 2016 (New Zealand time)
Yes it's true, after 7 years of being able to provide you with free worldwide shipping this service will be coming to an end in 2 weeks.
 
We have been investigating numerous options to provide you with the most cost effective shipping available. To this end, we are pleased to announce that Wingnut Wings models will begin shipping from the same warehouses in the USA, Europe and Hong Kong used by our very good friends at Weta Workshop (www.wetanz.com/shop). Dave will continue to ship smaller items like decals, spare sprues etc as well as models from the New Zealand warehouse.
 
Answers to some frequently asked questions about what will happen after the end of free shipping...
 
•   When you place your order you should be able to display prices in US$, GBP £, Euro € , AUD$ and NZ$
•   You will be able to choose to have your order shipped from the USA, Europe, Hong Kong or NZ warehouse (subject to stock availability).
•   European Union VAT will be added to orders shipped to EU addresses from the European warehouse only. The great benefit of this will be that EU customers will no longer have to pay any VAT collection fees at the border.
•   New Zealand GST will be added to orders shipped to NZ addresses from the NZ warehouse only.
•   VAT/GST will not be added to orders shipped to non EU or NZ addresses. Depending on what country you live in and the value of your order there may be additional customs tariffs, duties, taxes and/or other fees imposed by your government and/or mail provider. These fees will remain your responsibility.
Despite the very best of preparations, a change like this involving the integration of 3 new shipping locations, is bound to encounter unforeseen problems. We expect that there will be some down time from 17 June 2016 when it will not be possible for you to place orders. Please do not be alarmed if/when this happens, hopefully it won't last longer than a few days but it could be a couple of weeks. Don't panic!
 


Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia

[OEFFAG 153]

So presumably that's shipping costs and a further 15% price rise for us Kiwis. O for awesome. 

15% is a bargain...  In Sweden we have 25% VAT. Hmmmm  with shipping that would add up to about +$30 for a $79 kit. We shall see, we shall see.

[macsporran]

So presumably that's shipping costs and a further 15% price rise for us Kiwis. O for awesome. 

No sympathy mate. You're just catching up with what Europeans have been paying since day one. Except UK VAT is 20% and our 8GBP handing charge was more than local postage costs would have been!

I'd hoped they would treat the published price as destination-tax inclusive (ie covered by the last set of price rises) so we might actually get a break in Europe, but doesn't look likely now.

Oh well, I've probably bought my last WNW, I do have about 30 still to make after all.

[JiffyJDavies]

PR disaster, increase prices substantially, then a few months later, increase prices again.

[macsporran]

So presumably that's shipping costs and a further 15% price rise for us Kiwis. O for awesome. 

No sympathy mate. You're just catching up with what Europeans have been paying since day one.

Err, no. Euros and pounds have always been worth far more than Kiwi dollars, so I've been paying a fair chunk more than Europeans since day one.

Luxury. We used to have to get out of the lake at three o'clock in the morning, clean the lake, eat a handful of hot gravel, go to work at the mill every day for tuppence a month, come home, and Dad would beat us around the head and neck with a broken bottle, if we were LUCKY!

[PrzemoL]

I have just collected my last free-shipping delivery from WNW - the Biff.
In Poland VAT in 23%, so with some extras for handling, I paid additional 120PLN to the 464PLN (equivalent for USD 119) for the kit. I wonder how it will be after June 17th.
All in all, prices rise on everything around us. One cannot assume that WNW kits will not follow this pattern. I am still willing to buy they products, which I consider the world best in their class. What worries me more than the price rise is the apparent stagnation in the new release offer... As I have put elsewhere, the mere Camel will not make me happy. Please, surprise us, WNW, with something else, to wipe our tears after this year bad news regarding your price tags.

[RAGIII]

I have just collected my last free-shipping delivery from WNW - the Biff.
In Poland VAT in 23%, so with some extras for handling, I paid additional 120PLN to the 464PLN (equivalent for USD 119) for the kit. I wonder how it will be after June 17th.
All in all, prices rise on everything around us. One cannot assume that WNW kits will not follow this pattern. I am still willing to buy they products, which I consider the world best in their class. What worries me more than the price rise is the apparent stagnation in the new release offer... As I have put elsewhere, the mere Camel will not make me happy. Please, surprise us, WNW, with something else, to wipe our tears after this year bad news regarding your price tags.

I agree about the releases over the last couple of years. Although popular with some they were too pricey and not very high on my priority list. Unlike you the Camel is one I am looking forward to. I WILL purchase one, maybe two depending on how much of an increase is involved in shipping. Over the years I have only purchased 5 kits that were outside of my norm. The Salmson( still under painfully slow construction), The Pup and Rumpler CIV (Both still in the Box), the Fokker EI and LVG ( Both traded away). So I will just be more or less continuing my original pattern of ONLY purchasing WNW kits that fit the parameters of my Squadron collections. JG1 for the Central Powers, 19,43, and 56 Sq. RFC/RAF, N./SPA 124 and the Storks for the French, and the 27th and 94th Aero Squadron USAS. I know this is a very Narrow range but my wallet and SWMBO will like the policy 
RAGIII

PS: Just realized there is one more WNW kit I have that isn't in the above. DH2 ( Still in the Box)

[Russell]

I wonder how the stock of kits will be shared by the 4 distribution centres where stocks are very low?

For models they’ve got a reasonable stock of they’ll periodically top up the kit inventory of the satellite depots from the NZ warehouse of course but when their worldwide stocks of a particular model run down to just a handful (as will inevitably happen at some point) it’s a different game.   

For instance let’s say the Gotha sells out in the USA but there’s still a couple remaining at the other depots. It wouldn’t be worth WnW redistributing just a couple of kits especially as at such minimal stock levels they’d be ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’ so I assume the US Gotha customer would then have to order from Europe, HK or NZ at additional postage cost.

WnW seem to have anticipated this as they said:

•   You will be able to choose to have your order shipped from the USA, Europe, Hong Kong or NZ warehouse (subject to stock availability).

So the motto could be – buy early as unless you are lucky as regards location the last few remaining examples of a kit may sting for full international postage.

Regards
Russell

[bobs_buckles]

So presumably that's shipping costs and a further 15% price rise for us Kiwis. O for awesome. 

No sympathy mate. You're just catching up with what Europeans have been paying since day one.

Err, no. Euros and pounds have always been worth far more than Kiwi dollars, so I've been paying a fair chunk more than Europeans since day one.

Luxury. We used to have to get out of the lake at three o'clock in the morning, clean the lake, eat a handful of hot gravel, go to work at the mill every day for tuppence a month, come home, and Dad would beat us around the head and neck with a broken bottle, if we were LUCKY!

Brilliant, Mac!
Made me smile in style 

vB

[bobs_buckles]

I have just collected my last free-shipping delivery from WNW - the Biff.
In Poland VAT in 23%, so with some extras for handling, I paid additional 120PLN to the 464PLN (equivalent for USD 119) for the kit. I wonder how it will be after June 17th.
All in all, prices rise on everything around us. One cannot assume that WNW kits will not follow this pattern. I am still willing to buy they products, which I consider the world best in their class. What worries me more than the price rise is the apparent stagnation in the new release offer... As I have put elsewhere, the mere Camel will not make me happy. Please, surprise us, WNW, with something else, to wipe our tears after this year bad news regarding your price tags.

PS: Just realized there is one more WNW kit I have that isn't in the above. DH2 ( Still in the Box)

What about the lovely Pfalz you built? Another Nut in your collection 

vB

[the great waldo]

I recently bought the AEG gIV and got hammered by the Austrian customs,uptil now all were untaxed If wingnutwings can quote a local price inclusive tax postage at a reasonable rate they have a chance, otherwise I think they are going to see a huge drop in sales. I took a chance with the Aeg getting through without extra costs and took a beating. So thats probably me back to 1/48.

Cheers

Andrew

[Isitwindyyet]

I wonder how the stock of kits will be shared by the 4 distribution centres where stocks are very low?

For models they’ve got a reasonable stock of they’ll periodically top up the kit inventory of the satellite depots from the NZ warehouse of course but when their worldwide stocks of a particular model run down to just a handful (as will inevitably happen at some point) it’s a different game.   

For instance let’s say the Gotha sells out in the USA but there’s still a couple remaining at the other depots. It wouldn’t be worth WnW redistributing just a couple of kits especially as at such minimal stock levels they’d be ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’ so I assume the US Gotha customer would then have to order from Europe, HK or NZ at additional postage cost.

WnW seem to have anticipated this as they said:

•   You will be able to choose to have your order shipped from the USA, Europe, Hong Kong or NZ warehouse (subject to stock availability).

So the motto could be – buy early as unless you are lucky as regards location the last few remaining examples of a kit may sting for full international postage.

Regards
Russell

I agree.  I can't see them incurring costs for redistribution.  The kits will likely ship once from point of origin (China) to the respective warehouses and be sold from there.  If your warehouse doesn't have it then you'll pay higher postage to have it shipped from one that does.

[lcarroll]

 Quote from Russell: 
    "So the motto could be – buy early as unless you are lucky as regards location the last few remaining examples of a kit may sting for full international postage."

     Given the limited release status of the Kits this does not bode well for the customer..........
Cheers,
Lance

[Ernie]

Quote from Russell: 
    "So the motto could be – buy early as unless you are lucky as regards location the last few remaining examples of a kit may sting for full international postage."

     Given the limited release status of the Kits this does not bode well for the customer..........
Cheers,
Lance

I'm afraid you're likely right Lance.

Cheers,
Ernie

[JiffyJDavies]

So presumably that's shipping costs and a further 15% price rise for us Kiwis. O for awesome. 

15% is a bargain...  In Sweden we have 25% VAT. Hmmmm  with shipping that would add up to about +$30 for a $79 kit. We shall see, we shall see.

The Weta warehouse is in the UK. That means they should apply VAT at 20% when sold, rather than applying VAT in the country of purchase.

So your kits may be 5% cheaper!!!