Carriers increasing shipping rates in 2007

[dekadentdave]

SSC doesn't do pick ups.

The amazing Aimee once told me a story about a guy who worked across the street from SSC and couldn't pick his item up

That's just wrong.

 

[pjam]

That's just wrong.

Well, we laughed about it but she explained it had something to do with contracts with carriers or insurance policy or some company policy, I forget.


bottom line: items need to be shipped and delivery confirmed with an outside carrier or SSC can't take responsibility for damaged items, returns, etc.

I'm sure dusty can clarify this...

 

[noelleon69]

this is inevitable i guess, it is just a matter of when and how much is the increase. i just hope it's a very minimal amount. i would still like to know which of the 2 is cheapest to ship for US domestic shipping.

maybe sideshow can renegotiate rates with various courier companies and see which offers them the most discount. the company i used to work with had been using DHL for shipments for quite some time and when Fedex offered better rates they switched over for a while. when DHL knew that we were using them less because their rates were not as attractive, they either matched or were just a little cheaper couldn't remember, and they changed back to DHL.

 

[pixletwin]

I think Dusty ran away screaming from this board today because of the Sideshow Rewards thread.

 

[Serpentor]

I wonder how much the increase will be, since I pretty much only get the 1/6 star wars stuff hopefully I wont see too big of an increase. Hopefully at least.

 

[KAOSINLA]

UPS and FedEx increase every year...usually in February...so this nothing new.

 

[Darth Loki]

UPS and FedEx increase every year...usually in February...so this nothing new.

Beat me to it. We get price increase notices every year from both UPS and Fed Ex. It usually isn't much, I don't think it's ever been a 10% increase but it still sucks.

 

[gambit]

belive me 10 % is not making a big difference for US collectors, as opposed to EU and or Turkey or Australian collectors

 

[twistedfreak]

I live in Canada so this won't be helping me out at all, but it won't help anyone else out either. Darnit! :emperor

 

[choopie]

To add insult to injury I heard a blurb on the radio this morning that next year might be the start of an Internet sales tax. I know some e-tailers already charge a sales tax and buyers also have to deal with state sales taxes, but if an Internet wide sales tax is implemented it's just going to make things even more expensive for us collectors.

 

[Amir]

I've already stopped pretty much ordering direct became of the insanely high shipping rates. A regular 12 inch SW figure costs 30 bucks to ship plus another 15-20 in brokerage fees. It cost more that 50% of what the figure is worth to get it to be shipped directly from Sideshow to Canada!!!: Now I just buy locally so I don't have to eat such a huge shipping charge but it sucks every now and again when Sideshow releases a figure that has an essential item packed in for the exclusive such as the LOTR figures and their cloaks! Qui-Gon's poncho was another one...UPS FED EX Shipping rates are such a rip off, I had an item shipped to me same size as a SW 1/6 scale figure shipping box and it arrived in less than 5 days costing only 10 bucks using regualr us post! Why do they charge 30 or more!!! Why, because they can and tracking an item costs these company's an arm and a leg I guess....

 

[dekadentdave]

To add insult to injury I heard a blurb on the radio this morning that next year might be the start of an Internet sales tax. I know some e-tailers already charge a sales tax and buyers also have to deal with state sales taxes, but if an Internet wide sales tax is implemented it's just going to make things even more expensive for us collectors.

An internet sales tax will be the final straw. I guess this is the government's way of not only trying to help struggling retail and small businesses that have felt economic revenues challenged by internet commerce by trying to get the pendulum to swing back the other way, but so that Uncle Sam can get his greedy little fingers in the pie so we can pay for more military deployment in Iraq. If carriers are increasing their rates annually at 10% and inflation is projected at 3% annually. My employer usually only gives me a 4% annual raise. Both of these factors will have a tremendous impact on my buying habits. This year, I have avoided retail by making all of my purchases online to save on costly gas expeditures but increased shipping AND an internet tax will negate any savings and end up costing much more. In order to avoid internet taxes I may have to make all of my online purchases exclusively through ebay but I'm sure the internet tax ramifications will in turn force ebay to raise their fees AGAIN and sellers will be forced to raise their prices as well. It's an economic domino effect that effects everyone one way or another.

 

[Mr. Twos]

NOOOOOO!!!!

 

[Serpentor]

I've already stopped pretty much ordering direct became of the insanely high shipping rates. A regular 12 inch SW figure costs 30 bucks to ship plus another 15-20 in brokerage fees. It cost more that 50% of what the figure is worth to get it to be shipped directly from Sideshow to Canada!!!: Now I just buy locally so I don't have to eat such a huge shipping charge but it sucks every now and again when Sideshow releases a figure that has an essential item packed in for the exclusive such as the LOTR figures and their cloaks! Qui-Gon's poncho was another one...UPS FED EX Shipping rates are such a rip off, I had an item shipped to me same size as a SW 1/6 scale figure shipping box and it arrived in less than 5 days costing only 10 bucks using regualr us post! Why do they charge 30 or more!!! Why, because they can and tracking an item costs these company's an arm and a leg I guess....

The 15 dollars were forced to pay isnt Brokerage fees its tax and from what I can tell a handeling fee that is where the rip off really is. Sideshow says that the prices they negotiated include all the brokrage fees so why on top of brokerage fees must we pay an handeling fee!!!?! Were paying for these idiots to cross the border already I shouldnt have to pay again. I undertsand Sideshow has had problems with the United States postal service yet I never have had any issues and from what I gather UPS and FED EX aint great and not destoying boxes themsevles. I think as the customer we should have the otpion to take USPS and have the extra risk invloved in using them.

 

[Amir]

I agree, we should have that option, we live in north America, but we pay like we are living on a different continent!

 

[dekadentdave]

Any word on DHL? Do their rates/services compare? We must have some competitive options here. I can get a better deal from a pizza delivery service.

 

[galactiboy]

I had an item shipped to me same size as a SW 1/6 scale figure shipping box and it arrived in less than 5 days costing only 10 bucks using regualr us post! Why do they charge 30 or more!!!

Thats true... a lot of times it cheaper for me to send figures to Canada than to California

It would be cool if Sideshow could offer USPS as an alternative... it always seems cheaper and easier that way. I'm guessing that UPS and FedEx are probably more convenient, but it would at least be nice to do for international orders.

 

[Serpentor]

Sideshow says its not an option beacuse they have had bad experiences with USPS with damanged and lost items. But from all reports I see of people with UPS and FED EX you'd think they were playing soccer with the packages. The fact is a 10 percent increase for US customes is something like what 60 cents for a 12 inch figure? For CANADA its 3 bucks. I hate to imagine what other international customers have to pay. I much rather take a chance with USPS then pay 30 dollars to ship my item. I know we can change to Ground shipping but how much cheaper is it?