USPS out to kill hobby shipping

[rezahussain]

so does anybody have some tips for mailing small electronics to countries outside the US?

[JoeN]

so does anybody have some tips for mailing small electronics to countries outside the US?

Yes, make sure to check that it's not ITAR restricted before you do otherwise you may go to FPMITAP.

[wizdum]

so does anybody have some tips for mailing small electronics to countries outside the US?

USPS small flat rate boxes are like $15 to anywhere outside the US. Anything larger than that, and its cheaper to break it up into 5 smaller boxes.

[CrossRoads]

USPS small flat rate boxes are like $15 to anywhere outside the US.

Not anymore - that was the whole point of this thread.
The rate has gone from $15 to $17 and now has jumped to $24!
Perhaps small padded envelopes will work out to be cheaper.

[wizdum]

USPS small flat rate boxes are like $15 to anywhere outside the US.

Not anymore - that was the whole point of this thread.
The rate has gone from $15 to $17 and now has jumped to $24!
Perhaps small padded envelopes will work out to be cheaper.

I thought they had gone from $10 to $15, gah.

[Constantin]

Just shipped a 2lb 11oz 4"x4"x5" package domestically - $11.49. Perhaps my FedEx shipping account (with employer discount) would have been cheaper but I doubt by much. My guess is that the big shippers (i.e. the Amazons of the world) are getting subsidized by us small fry.

[liuzengqiang]

Just shipped a 2lb 11oz 4"x4"x5" package domestically - $11.49. Perhaps my FedEx shipping account (with employer discount) would have been cheaper but I doubt by much. My guess is that the big shippers (i.e. the Amazons of the world) are getting subsidized by us small fry.

Hey, check out priority regional rate box A:

https://www.usps.com/ship/priority-mail-regional-rate.htm

I would have spent the same money you did with the same box except I'll be able to afford $500 insurance with the money saved.

[CrossRoads]

Internal US not too bad for small flat rate boxes - only jumped from $5.35 to $5.80.
International is the killer. Small flat rate box, DVD size box, padded envelope - all shown online as $23.95 to Germany, UK, Australia, Chile, Abu Dhabi.

[liuzengqiang]

But I was able to deliver over three times the volume/weight and the same cost to lots places with US using regional rate boxes so if you need to ship a largish package go with regional rate boxes.

[CrossRoads]

Look here
https://www.usps.com/ship/service-chart.htm#2

There is no Regional Rate Boxes service listed for international.

[liuzengqiang]

Yes, I'm only talking internal. Shipping out of the boarder, if you don't want to scare customers away with shipping charges, you are likely going to lose money.

[liuzengqiang]

A first class 4.5 oz bubble mailer package to Greece just cost me $12.75. It was like half that much last month. I had to ask buyer to send me additional cost, felt really bad about it.

[rvasque]

2011 - costs $13.25  small flat rate box
2012 - costs $16.95  small flat rate box
2013 - costs $23.95  small flat rate box

... it doesn't look very attractive for International customers buying from US sellers now.

of course, if you have a unique product, customers have no choice but to bite the bullet and buy from you.

[wizdum]

A first class 4.5 oz bubble mailer package to Greece just cost me $12.75. It was like half that much last month. I had to ask buyer to send me additional cost, felt really bad about it.

I ended up just eating the cost on both my shipments.

I love paying people money for the privilege of taking things from me, ugh. If this keeps up, we're going to have to redefine "going postal". Not only do we no longer make things in America anymore, even if we did make them we couldn't afford to ship them out of the country.

[GoForSmoke]

In the old days this would be a business opportunity. Maybe brokering space in shipping containers and cargo jets, there's got to be enough waste to capitalize on the way things usually work.

Or maybe things aren't as simple as we're led to believe and USPS is still a real good deal.