The MLP Arena
TCB => Trader & Shipping Support => Topic started by: Tiara546 on January 11, 2019, 02:57:55 PM
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Hello folks,
I have gotten myself into trouble (a bit) and would like others to be prevented from that. The issue is, the German mail does not allow ponies to be sent by letter post anymore, only documents. The new rules apply since new year's eve, without any warning...
This applies to any private seller, people with a business would be able to register an account with the "Deutsche Post" and send their ponies for even a little less than before, as long as they ship five international shipments in the same quarter of the year.
This means, any private person who sells a pony on Ebay right now without knowing this has to pay the difference in postage from 6,20 euros to ~18 Euros uninsured (small parcel) or ~35 Euros insured (regular parcel) in order to complete their side of the deal.
Corrected info by Libelle (lower down in this thread):
Shipping costs for anything up to 2 kg:
within Europe without tracking => 10.30 USD (9 EUR) with DHL
within Europe with tracking => 12.40 USD (10.79 EUR) with Hermes
within Europe with tracking => 13.20 USD (11.50 EUR) with DHL
worldwide without tracking => 18.35 USD (16 EUR) with DHL
worldwide with tracking => 23 USD (20 EUR) with DHL
Happily, my buyer is relaxed and gives me the time I need to find a solution for this, as I do have a couple of ideas in mind.
Well, you are aware now, take care. :)
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Thanks for the info :)
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Oh no! Does that mean no more Brief International Einschreiben?
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Kellyponyfeathers, exactly. As I said, there is some sort of an equivalence (to some extent), but it is reserved for commercial/professional use. Packages with ponies and sweets and a letter and tracked shipping would only be possible with a regular parcel for 35 euros. "Gift" sendings among community members would be a problem as well.
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That sounds like a pain! :( thanks for letting us know :bigups:
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There's something sneaky about making private sellers bear the burden of commercial shipping expenses to give businesses a break.
It's like ebay and their power sellers. Sigh.
Although pricey shipping seems to be the norm right now. I had to send a letter to Germany this morning - a proper letter, not a parcel - and it cost around £1.50 just to send that. I used to pay less than that to send a letter or card to America. We're still in the EU for now so why has it gotten so expensive?
I will be checking Royal Mail to see if this sneaky tactic is going to appear here as well. Parcelforce already did something similar with volumetric weight to make it more expensive to ship items even if they are light - but thus far Royal Mail have more or less behaved...
Thanks for the heads up. If customs duties come into force at the end of March (I am eternally preparing inside for a no deal because our government are all so so stupid) then buying from Germany is going to be a bit tricky for a while to come. Esp. with the £ as it is.
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Taffeta, all that shipping stuff works best with friends. I'm always trying to find agreements with people to help each other...
also, for shipments from Germany to the UK or inside Europe there is still the "Hermes" company which wasn't interesting before due to the possibility of sending letter post. But from now on, and as far as inner-european shipping is concerned, that would probably be the best option, except people find and create structures in order for the community to get their hands on the business shipping option, and there is different ways to do so.
The real problem without any structures created is overseas shipping to the US and the rest of the world.
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The new rules apply since new year's eve, without any warning...
I was completely shocked when I read your post, I had no idea whatsoever! I spent the past six hours searching the web for solutions, but haven't come up with anything useful. Here are the new prices in detail ...
Shipping costs for anything up to 2 kg:
within Europe without tracking => 10.30 USD (9 EUR) with DHL
within Europe with tracking => 12.40 USD (10.79 EUR) with Hermes
worldwide without tracking => 18.35 USD (16 EUR) with DHL
worldwide with tracking => 23 USD (20 EUR) with DHL
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Seems the German shipping options follow what we have in the Netherlands. I've never been able to send a pony in an envelope.
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I see... so there is a smaller registered parcel option available now after all. They did a few changements on that in the past for parcels sent inside Germany, probably because of the competitor Hermes' success. Thank you Libelle for that additional info. You did really well. ^.^
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The new rules apply since new year's eve, without any warning...
I was completely shocked when I read your post, I had no idea whatsoever! I spent the past six hours searching the web for solutions, but haven't come up with anything useful. Here are the new prices in detail ...
Shipping costs for anything up to 2 kg:
within Europe without tracking => 10.30 USD (9 EUR) with DHL
within Europe with tracking => 12.40 USD (10.79 EUR) with Hermes
worldwide without tracking => 18.35 USD (16 EUR) with DHL
worldwide with tracking => 23 USD (20 EUR) with DHL
Libelle, can you link to the page where you found that? Or maybe you have the exakt name of the exact product? Id like to take a note so I know what to tell our post office girl when bringing in a package :P
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For me too, please. I just checked the DHL online page and still can't find any insured shipping option to the US for less than 37(!) Euros. :-/
https://www.dhl.de/de/privatkunden/preise/preise-international.html (https://www.dhl.de/de/privatkunden/preise/preise-international.html)
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I can only speak for Hermes in the UK but there have been very mixed experiences with this company - some people have absolutely no problem with Hermes who deliver fine and on time. Others have had stuff shoved in wheelie bins or thrown over fences or whatever. So while it's a solution, it may be that it depends a lot on the buyer and what these kinds of services are like in their area.
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Yes all the postage services on this side of the pond have also risen... :(
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Libelle, can you link to the page where you found that? Or maybe you have the exakt name of the exact product?
DHL Päckchen International (https://www.dhl.de/de/privatkunden/pakete-versenden/weltweit-versenden/paeckchen.html), Hinzubuchbare Services: Versicherung bis 50 Euro und Sendungsverfolgung
Hermes XS-Paket International (https://www.myhermes.de/preise/paket-international/)
For me too, please. I just checked the DHL online page and still can't find any insured shipping option to the US for less than 37(!) Euros. :-/
https://www.dhl.de/de/privatkunden/preise/preise-international.html (https://www.dhl.de/de/privatkunden/preise/preise-international.html)
See the link above!
I can only speak for Hermes in the UK but there have been very mixed experiences with this company - some people have absolutely no problem with Hermes who deliver fine and on time. Others have had stuff shoved in wheelie bins or thrown over fences or whatever. So while it's a solution, it may be that it depends a lot on the buyer and what these kinds of services are like in their area.
DHL is only marginally more expensive than Hermes. Here is an updated list including both options.
Shipping costs for anything up to 2 kg:
within Europe without tracking => 10.30 USD (9 EUR) with DHL
within Europe with tracking => 12.40 USD (10.79 EUR) with Hermes
within Europe with tracking => 13.20 USD (11.50 EUR) with DHL
worldwide without tracking => 18.35 USD (16 EUR) with DHL
worldwide with tracking => 23 USD (20 EUR) with DHL
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I see, thanks a lot! Still too expensive imo, but at least I'm now correctly informed. :D
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I see, thanks a lot! Still too expensive imo, but at least I'm now correctly informed. :D
You're welcome! Yes, it is terribly frustrating, especially because I am in the process of selling my G4 collection. I wished I had had some kind of warning. :(
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This same thing happened in the US, a couple (or few?) years ago. Can't send anything via cheap letter rate unless it is documents and even then (because of cheating) only if it is SUPER thin.
So there is no cheap way to mail a tiny 3oz parcel outside the US anymore, unless it is REALLY flat (less than 3/4" and you lie and say it is documents...
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Thanks for the heads up! It's a shame :(
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Important update:
I went to the post office and tried to send my first "DHL Päckchen International" to the USA today. I failed. I was not able to buy insurance and tracking at the post office, I will need to buy it online.
In other words, you are able to purchase the "DHL Päckchen International" for 16 EUR at the post office, but you are not able to purchase the "DHL Päckchen International" for 16 EUR + "Versicherung und Sendungsverfolgung" for 4 EUR at the post office.
That means filling out the label and customs form online, buying the label online, and having a printer at the ready, because you will need to print the label and customs form immediately after purchasing.
:(
ETA another important update:
When you fill out the customs form on your computer, you are not able to change the currency from EUR to USD or anything other. In other words, you will have to provide the value in EUR. Also, the field reserved for describing the contents of your parcel is miniscule. I was able to enter the word "pony", but nothing else.
To avoid complications, you will have to fetch a customs form (the so-called "Zollinhaltserklärung C22") from the post office or print one from the customs website, manually fill it out and add it to the label that you have printed out. I have called the "DHL customer service for online labelling" (yes, it exists) who are aware of the problem and have confirmed that this is the right procedure.
:)
To all of you: Feel free to contact me in English or German with any questions, I am happy to help! Sadly, neither the employees at the post office nor the employees working for the general customer service helpline have the slightest clue about any of the changes. Even their computer systems have not been updated to include the new "Päckchen International" options. >_< Oh, and new "DHL Päckchen International" labels do not exist either, you will have to use the old "DHL Paket und Päckchen Welt" ones if you are sending without tracking and insurance and want to fill them out manually. >_<
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I'm late to the party, sorry, but Hermes in Germany are awful.
Had a pony parcel go missing last summer - not only did they mess up the tracking number (They claimed that they needed to change it 3+ times during the delivery) but the package was lost.
It said it had been returned to the seller but the seller never got it. When she checked where it had gone to it had landed in a neighboring city. And then gotten lost again before she could go and get it. And that was the last we saw of it. :/
The whole process took over 2 months and 10+ calls to the Hermes customer services.
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My mom wanted to send me a Maxibrief to China this week, that's when we stumbled across this wonderful change ...
Now I can't get anything anymore within 3 weeks, but I have to wait 3 months for the 2 kg package which might or might not even arrive. And all I wanted was a book and some Haribo.
How I love Germany. Everything they do turns out to be rubbish. So angry.
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An update from me as well, I had paid the difference for that first parcel from my own pocket, then stopped international shipments and after that updated my Ebay items with the current shipping options for private sellers. People within Europe really pay that ~10 Euros shipping fee but I have no sales towards the US and Canada anymore.
At the same time, I have seen all continuous german sellers, even those with private sales, have the cheap shipping option again and I could get it as well if only I had the time to list enough items to attract five international buyers in three weeks. I say "three weeks" well knowing that the five label limit actually is per trimester, but the first trimester is about to end in three weeks and of the second again, I will be in Germany only three weeeks, too. I do have a friend running a business who agreed to buy those labels for me.
Honeycomb, if you could find such a person as well, you would be able to get the cheap shipping option too which also runs at the usual speed (airmail).
Perhaps someone with whom you could split the 5 shipments-limit?
Although it's not Germany to blame here really, as to be precise they were forced to implement that crappy change by the Universal Postal Union seated in Bern, Switzerland.
Also thank you for the additional info, Libelle!