Model Boat Mayhem

Mess Deck: General Section => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: Peter Fitness on August 03, 2010, 11:32:55 pm

Title: Postage Costs
Post by: Peter Fitness on August 03, 2010, 11:32:55 pm
I have dealt with Crafty Computer Paper on several occasions, and have found their water slide decal paper to be an excellent product. I recently ordered 10 sheets of their white decal paper and was horrified to find that I had been charged UK12.99 for air mail postage to Australia, more than the cost of the paper. Previous orders of a similar weight have cost about 4 pounds to post, and a 2 sheet model boat plan sent to me a couple of months ago cost a similar amount.

When I complained, I was told that Crafty Computer Paper had recently changed hands, and "as the new owners we have simplified the charges to make it easier for us and for our customers"  :o
I am at a loss to understand how increasing the cost of postage by a factor of 3 makes it "easier" for me. All UK businesses I have ever dealt with, over many years of modelling, simply state that postage will be charged "at cost". This is a fair and equitable method for all concerned.

Needless to say, I have made my feelings on the matter quite clear to Crafty Computer Paper, telling them that, unless they review their postage costs, I will not be dealing with them again.

I am awaiting further communication from them.

Peter.
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: The long Build on August 03, 2010, 11:54:30 pm
Sounds a Bit suspect Regarding the prices..what is the weight?

Have you checked out the postal costs using the price finder on the Royal Mail site

http://sg.royalmail.com/portal/rm/PriceFinderResults?pageId=pc_sltc_rm_product&productCarrier=RM&catId=23500532&keyname=3&index=5
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: dodgy geezer on August 04, 2010, 12:21:06 am
The first message I get from Opera when I connect to their Web site is a pop-up informing me that the site uses outdated security settings which are no longer suitable for protecting sensitive data. They are using a short Public Encryption Key - 128bit AES - issued by UTN-USERFirst-Hardware. God knows who they are, but they're not Verisign or anyone well-known.

I would not want to do any business with them involving sending them my credit card details until they knock their technical security up a notch.
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: Barry on August 04, 2010, 01:11:38 am
I was going to order a 1:72 scale BTK Spitfire kit from Airfix UK 4.99 for the kit, UK 30.00 for P&P. Needless to say they didn't get my business bought it else where. Must think we're stupid down here.
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: RaaArtyGunner on August 04, 2010, 02:59:35 am

To be fair  O0 I have had suppliers tell me that postage was prohibitive and whilst they would like to make the sale it wasn't in my interest.
If you ask, some will even find alternative means of getting the item to OZ.
emodels.co.uk a case in point  :-))
Bottom line, shop around and ask costs, hence why email contact with suppliers is all important for us Down Under  :-))
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: kiwimodeller on August 04, 2010, 05:54:38 am
Postage or to be more exact freight is even more of a problem when it comes to larger items such as hulls or kits. I have been wanting for some time to order a couple of hulls from the UK but when a 50" hull is going to cost me 100Pounds but the freight is another 185pounds it just makes you balk at doing it. I guess it is no big deal in the worldwide scheme of things but it must hurt the export effort of UK manufactureres to some extent. Apparently the Parcel Force? mail will no longer accept items over a metre long so the sender is compelled to use a freight company for larger items. I was even going to bite the bullet and buy two hulls at once as the freight for two would be much the same as for one but of course, being contrary, my two favorites were from different suppliers in different parts of the country. Both sell direct and there does not seem to be a retailer who handles the products of both. The last hull I got came home Business Class with a mate but he tells me that when he goes on his next trip the state of the economy means he will have to fly cattle class and there will not be room for big items. It aint every easy is it! Cheers, Ian.
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: Peter Fitness on August 04, 2010, 06:46:59 am
Sounds a Bit suspect Regarding the prices..what is the weight?
Whatever 10 A4 sheets of decal paper weigh, not a lot, I would have thought.

As I said, I have ordered similar items from Crafty Computer Paper in the past, and the postage/freight costs were very reasonable. My main concern is that they think that increasing to postage by 3 is making it simpler for their customers.

I regularly buy items such as ESCs, boat fittings, brass rod etc from suppliers in the UK and the USA, and the freight rates are always very reasonable. Large items, such as hulls or kits, are another matter entirely, as kiwimodeller points out.

BTW, I weighed some decal paper and found that 10 sheets weigh 120 grams. If packing doubled that weight it would be about 250 grams. I then checked out the Royal Mail site, and found that Air Mail small packets or printed matter weighing no more than 250 grams costs 3 pounds 96 to Australia, exactly what was paid to post the plan I mentioned.

Peter.
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: poddy on August 04, 2010, 06:55:19 am
Referring to kiwi's problem with hulls. I just got a quote from parcels to go for a 52"x12"x12" 10kg parcel. Fedex is £108 economy, £122 express. Seems they calculate "volumetric weight" and not actual weight. So anything that size from 1kg up to 20kg would be the same price.
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: derekwarner on August 04, 2010, 07:46:52 am
I am afraid it is a dual edged sword for we the consumers..... >>:-(

Any light item that is bulky is subjet to the "volumetric consideration calculation"
Any small item that is heavy is subject to the "weight scale calculation"
Any item that is largish + heavy is subject to the "volumetric calculation calculation + weight scale calculation"  %% %% %%

 <:( as you must....however we must remember it was the marine industry + the Government of the day that imposed a volumetric tax on importing TURNS of Spanish wine to UK  O0

From memory a TURN was a European wooden wine barrel roughly equivalent to 100 UK gallons....trust the Government to buGG*r it up for all  :o %) .........Derek

Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: essex2visuvesi on August 04, 2010, 08:39:44 am
https://www.parcel2go.com/Quote-page.aspx?m1=35&m2=17&m3=17&w=3&cm=1&dest=GB&col=FI&qty=1

How about this for a quote?
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: Arrow5 on August 04, 2010, 09:01:57 am
Derek , I think you meant "tun" ,a term still used in the whisky distilleries.
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: FullLeatherJacket on August 04, 2010, 09:05:49 am
We find that the break point is at 1Kg. Below that the Royal Mail International Small Packet service is by far the most reasonable. I reckon Peter's computer paper in a padded bag would weigh around 100gm - cost £1.82. £12.99 is dubious to say the least.
Above that we use Interparcel. They charged us just over £70 to ship all of the electrics for Martin Doon Under's HMS Brave Borderer - including six 12v 4600maH packs, two chargers, three P98 speed controllers and water-cooling kits, a 6v NiMH pack,a P40 mixer, 4 metres of silicon-covered cable etc. Just recently they shipped two entire boats-full of electronics to Indonesia for less than £40.
Having said all that, it's not restricted to you poor colonial types. Our label manufacturer is only about 50 miles away and insists on using a courier service @ £12.50 to send one roll of 1000 S/A labels (about 5" diameter and 2" thick; weight maybe 200gm).
My fravourite incident was the new SIMM card for our credit card machine. This was sellotaped in the top corner of a piece of A4 paper which came by courier in a card envelope 12" x 18"....... Who knows what that cost? Glad we weren't paying!
FLJ
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: hopeitfloats on August 04, 2010, 09:38:54 am
KIWIMODELLER. i got a hull from models by design and they cut it in half to bring down the freight costs.  they made a beautiful job of flanging the two halves almost like a bulkhead with a couple of dimples to locate the halves. all i had to do was resin it together and put in some brass machine screws for extra support.  the join is barely noticeable and when i eventually get to the 'bogging' and painting stage it wont be noticeable at all. worth considering that method maybe.
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: derekwarner on August 04, 2010, 09:41:49 am
 :-))  thanks arrow5....my apologies....the term ....TUNS were indeed barrels holding about 220 gallons and measured about 40 cubic feet....Derek
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: pugwash on August 04, 2010, 09:53:10 am
The 220 gallons and the barrel weighed 2240 lbs  hence our modern ton. now back to the post

Geoff
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: BrianCartwright on August 04, 2010, 10:57:45 am
No one has mentioned VAT yet.
I recently bought a smoke generator from Harbor Models Inc in California.
Cost of item $99
P&p $15.95. Quite reasonable I thought.
GB VAT £11.62
Royal Mail handling fee £8.00 Makes you think does it not.

Brian
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: FullLeatherJacket on August 04, 2010, 11:11:18 am
No one has mentioned VAT yet.
AAAAAARGH! You just did!! It's only relevant when you're bringing stuff into the UK; exports to USA, Oz etc are UK VAT-free.
Note that the VAT on imported goods goes on top of the whole charge ie. including the import duty and any handling fee. They only do this because they have to pay my pension from the proceeds.........  %)
FLJ
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: kiwimodeller on August 04, 2010, 11:54:19 am
I had heard of Hopeitfloats bright idea of cutting the hull in half so emailed Models by Design and asked about it. Unfortunately Andy is very "economical" with his replies to my emails. I asked if it was feasible to cut a hull in half , how it would be done and what the costs would be and he came back with "hi ian
yes can do  shipping will be about £75.00  up to 5kg
hope this helps
thanks andy
There was no mention of making flanges or the other costs and I still dont know if in fact the hull I want plus packaging would be less than the 5kg he mentions. The problems of ordering from far aweay are not only with the Mail or freight people! Ian.
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: roycv on August 04, 2010, 01:10:06 pm
Hi all, my son sent me a kit for a pusher tug for my birthday from the USA in 2001, when he was visiting and asked them to ship it via a container service which I believe is quite cheap, but takes weeks.
It arrived in just a few days, the idiot in the model shop had sent it by passenger jet, cost $175.

After a very heated argument with them, he lived in Germany at the time, Barclaycard eventually footed the bill, probably led to the banking crisis.
regards to all Roy
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: essex2visuvesi on August 04, 2010, 03:59:07 pm
No one has mentioned VAT yet.
I recently bought a smoke generator from Harbor Models Inc in California.
Cost of item $99
P&p $15.95. Quite reasonable I thought.
GB VAT £11.62
Royal Mail handling fee £8.00 Makes you think does it not.

Brian

Finnish Posti Handling fee = €26.50
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: Niall on August 04, 2010, 06:13:59 pm
No one has mentioned VAT yet.
I recently bought a smoke generator from Harbor Models Inc in California.
Cost of item $99
P&p $15.95. Quite reasonable I thought.
GB VAT £11.62
Royal Mail handling fee £8.00 Makes you think does it not.

Brian

You got off easy, I placed an order with a Hong Kong firm a few years ago.
Import duty & VAT was £13.25
Parcel Farce International's admin fee for paying this was £13.45!
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: Circlip on August 04, 2010, 07:59:56 pm
Post Orrifice charge for a 2Kg parcel to The Phillipines £30, 100gms extra, 2.1Kg £56

   Regards  Ian.
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: Jonty on August 04, 2010, 10:29:57 pm
  I've just posted six tins of Duraglit to someone in Western Australia. Weight was a little under a kilo, and the price less than £12 for small packet airmail.

  Though, maybe, on reading it over, that statement raises more questions than it answers...
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: Peter Fitness on August 04, 2010, 11:54:22 pm
Further to my comments about Crafty Computer Paper's postage charges.

In a series of emails between myself and Nick Binns from CCP, I was told that, as most of their overseas orders were in excess of US$100, a figure of 13 pounds was set as a minimum charge, and that they were actually losing money at that rate. However, the same charge applies to ALL orders, which effectively means that the small customer is subsidising the large one.

After learning of the postage charge, I had cancelled my order, but an email from Nick Binns informed me that the order had already been processed, and was en route to me. However, he also told me that in view of my comments, he had credited the full amount back to my card so, in effect, the goods were totally free.

I think that this action shows the good faith of Crafty Computer Paper, and is to be commended. He also told me that there had been other complaints, and CCP were reviewing their system.

Overall, a very good result from a basically ethical company who made a mistake, and admitted it  :-))

Peter.
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: Netleyned on August 05, 2010, 06:22:19 am
Credit where Credits due  :D :D :D


Ned
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: dodgy geezer on August 05, 2010, 07:37:54 am

I think that this action shows the good faith of Crafty Computer Paper, and is to be commended.....Overall, a very good result from a basically ethical company who made a mistake, and admitted it  :-))


It's rare and heartening to hear results like that.

Now, just get them to increase the length of their public key, and they'll start looking quite professional.....
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: hopeitfloats on August 05, 2010, 11:57:51 am
I had heard of Hopeitfloats bright idea of cutting the hull in half so emailed Models by Design and asked about it. Unfortunately Andy is very "economical" with his replies to my emails. I asked if it was feasible to cut a hull in half , how it would be done and what the costs would be and he came back with "hi ian
yes can do  shipping will be about £75.00  up to 5kg
hope this helps
thanks andy
There was no mention of making flanges or the other costs and I still dont know if in fact the hull I want plus packaging would be less than the 5kg he mentions. The problems of ordering from far aweay are not only with the Mail or freight people! Ian.

i dont know the weight of mine now because its full of batteries and FLJ's fancy gadgets but i'm sure it wouldnt have been more than 5kgs originally. maybe the time and effort to do mine has put him off doing any more like that or could be just that he's too busy. andy was very good with his replies when i was dealing with him. it was a year or two ago though.
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: DickyD on August 05, 2010, 01:10:15 pm
I had heard of Hopeitfloats bright idea of cutting the hull in half so emailed Models by Design and asked about it. Unfortunately Andy is very "economical" with his replies to my emails. I asked if it was feasible to cut a hull in half , how it would be done and what the costs would be and he came back with "hi ian
yes can do  shipping will be about £75.00  up to 5kg
hope this helps
thanks andy
There was no mention of making flanges or the other costs and I still dont know if in fact the hull I want plus packaging would be less than the 5kg he mentions. The problems of ordering from far aweay are not only with the Mail or freight people! Ian.

Have you tried sending Andy a PM, he is a forum member, his user name is "models by design".
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: Martin (Admin) on August 05, 2010, 01:18:05 pm
Hey Peter, what are their charges with the UK?
Next time, it may be cheaper to get them to send it to someone here and they post it out to you......
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: BrianCartwright on August 05, 2010, 02:49:51 pm
It seems I got off rather lightly.I realy must get out more.
I know the countrys financial system is in crisis,or so we are told but to rely on my small contribution of vat to pay towards FLJs pension beggars belief.
Still it's comforting for me to know the money is not being spent frivously on such things as defence of the country and the like.
I shall sleep all the more soundly tonight knowing that I have in a small way prevented someone starving to death.
I mean this most sincerely friends

Brian(or as it is sometimes spelt on my incoming mail Brain) I wish
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: FullLeatherJacket on August 05, 2010, 07:57:24 pm
to rely on my small contribution of vat to pay towards FLJs pension beggars belief.
It was very welcome; thank you, Brian. Liz and I bought a candle and two tins of baked beans with it. Can you import something else now, please, as the candle has burned right down and the cupboard is bare again?   <:(
FLJ
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: RaaArtyGunner on August 05, 2010, 11:48:45 pm

Is not a major contributor in increased Postage that surface mail is no longer available  <:( <:(
in other words all postage goes by aircraft  {:-{ <:(
Consequently a lot of previously shippable or postable items (eg liquid glues, classed as flammable, bulky items, hulls) can no longer be posted because aircraft holds are non pressurised.
Also baggage handler restrictions on weight and size may come into play, OHS requirements, >>:-( <*< hence legnth and weight restriction for post.
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: Peter Fitness on August 06, 2010, 12:08:58 am
Hey Peter, what are their charges with the UK?
Next time, it may be cheaper to get them to send it to someone here and they post it out to you......

Martin, their UK postage rate for the same order I got is UK 2.99.

I think I will have enough to last me for quite a while but, if I do need more, I have found a supplier in Australia who is much cheaper.

Peter.
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: BrianCartwright on August 06, 2010, 08:14:13 am
Hi FLJ
I won't be buying anything else at the moment but there are other vat payers out there who are supporting your very worthy cause.
Last night I visualised you doffing your cap reverendly after my revelations but there really is no need.Everyone is equal in this world,agreed some people are more equal than others

Regards  Brian :}
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: Circlip on August 06, 2010, 10:27:33 am
And some are going to be more equal after January O0

   Regards   Ian.
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: BrianCartwright on August 06, 2010, 06:10:05 pm
Hi FLJ
Some thing has just crossed my mind.
Your tinned beans diet is worrying me a bit.Too many can invoke a severe attack of flatuance.Not a good idea to have lighted candles arround.
I would change to a carrot diet and dispose of the candles as they would no longer be required

Kind regards

Brian
Title: Re: Postage Costs
Post by: roycv on August 23, 2010, 03:24:49 pm

Is not a major contributor in increased Postage that surface mail is no longer available  <:( <:(
in other words all postage goes by aircraft  {:-{ <:(
Consequently a lot of previously shippable or postable items (eg liquid glues, classed as flammable, bulky items, hulls) can no longer be posted because aircraft holds are non pressurised.
Also baggage handler restrictions on weight and size may come into play, OHS requirements, >>:-( <*< hence legnth and weight restriction for post.

Hello Not sure that is the reason as aircraft holds are pressurised, They are part of the pressure vessel design, they are not heated but do not get down to the outside temperature,
kind regards Roy