Just goes to show

[Des]

It just goes to show, who is ripping off who. My wife ordered a product on line from the US, product cost was $19.00US but she did not know shipping costs until she went into checkout, shipping was $25.00US. She contacted the company and asked them to remove the item from her basket because the shipping was way to expensive, they replied by saying they will cover the shipping costs, so, it makes me wonder, are the overly expensive shipping costs from the US a con.

Des.

[Juan]

Hi Des, all you have to do is go to USPS.com to calculate what the shipping costs are.  Recently (within the past 2 years) I noticed that shipping costs went through the roof for international shipping, even to our northern and southern neighbors.  Just check for yourself if you believe that someone is overcharging.

[lcarroll]

    USPS rates, as well as Canada Posts', went off the clock for certain; I now order rarely from the US as the handling and post costs will usually double the cost of the items. On-line shopping is eating it's young frankly! Just yesterday I took a parcel about the size and weight of a pack of cigarettes to our local Post Office for mailing to Ireland, cost $45! I elected the cheap option of no tracking surface mail for $13, shipping time 5-6 weeks minimum! Doesn't bode well for my next After Market order...........
Cheers,
Lance

[Des]

I have stopped buying anything from the US due to the excessive postage charges, I am now finding that most items I want or need I can purchase here in Australia at roughly the same purchase price but without the high postage costs, and delivery is within a few days instead of waiting for weeks. I still buy items from Europe and England as their postage rates have remained relatively the same for the past few years. You are correct Juan, it pays to shop around.

Des.

[Jeff K]

Another thing to watch out for besides somewhat inflated USPS rates in general... eBay's "Global Shipping Program." it borders on a scam.  they tout how they take care of customs for you. lucky you! then you will often see the 'customs fee' costs almost as much as the item, depending on where you ship *to*.

Thing is, i've *never* been charged an import duty on a model.  And the Thai customs table *explicitly* says no duties on electronics like mobile phones and computers. Yet eBay cheerfully "takes care" of these import duties for me. Equally cheerfully, they don't show up when you sort listings by price + shipping. Evil.