Shipping rates to go up for international

[baby_yoyo]

The UK post office has bumped their prices up too Ive had a very snotty email saying they refuse to pay £2.60 for keypers finder (the lightest small thing ever) but thats how much it is - £2.20 for shipping and my bubble mailers are 40p

Today I got a mahoosive shock, sold one of my partners old Thundercats toys - in a box weighed 475g..............cost me £9.30 ($14.00) to send it overseas by standard mail it used to cost £5.50 so im out of pocket on that sale 

[Sunshine]

I just realized I had to go change all of the auctions I had on eBay for international shipping rates. I had to increase it so much AND put a disclaimer in my auction that it wasn't MY fault the rates were so high.

I know other people have beensaying that they're used to paying such high shipping rates outside of the US... but I too, like some people mentioned, feel really bad when I have to tell someone that two tiny Blind Bag ponies are going to cost over $10 to ship. It seems so unfair... I don't mind increasing the postage fees to keep up with inflation, but this increase is MEGA.

[RockinPrettyBeats]

$12 to ship a 5oz bubble envelope to France! Seriously, how is anyone going to buy or trade or do anything with us anymore?

How do you think we Canadians feel?  :-p 

At least this makes shipping prices more standard across the continent.  The only problem of course is that buyers MUST be informed about shipping prices.  You can't just look at their prices and go, "$5 to ship?!  WAH! Not that rip-off seller!" because one pony is likely to cost $7 to ship now.  :-p

If you ship a smaller sized pony and manage to make the package (or bubble envelope) weigh 5oz:

USA to Canada -$8.55
USA to UK - $12.75

[PinkRosedust]

Okay I'm slightly confused. When shipping first class to Canada, we now have Delivery Confirmation AKA tracking, right? And it's included in the cost, correct? Do we have to ask for it, or will they automatically give us the little slip of paper with the tracking number on it?

[Breyer600]

It's usually the customs number that serves as your tracking number on international packages, but I'm confused too since the post office's website says it's only available on First Class if you purchase the shipping electronically and I still haven't found a way to do that.  Even though they list a discounted online price for first class international now in their postage calculator, it's not offered when you actually log in and try to print a label.   

[ChipsteRJ]

It's usually the customs number that serves as your tracking number on international packages, but I'm confused too since the post office's website says it's only available on First Class if you purchase the shipping electronically and I still haven't found a way to do that.  Even though they list a discounted online price for first class international now in their postage calculator, it's not offered when you actually log in and try to print a label.   

If you are referring to e-Bay I think I read somewhere it would not be an online option until March?

[wingsinmoonlight]

I'm printing through ebay labels and getting the tracking number on my canada packages now.

[Tulips]

Well i guess my new rule of only buying ponies when they're released in my country is going to be enforced a bit more firmly by this postage increase, what a bummer for everyone

[Marigold]

I shipped something yesterday and the lady (one I've never seen there before) was really snippy and corrected me when I asked for delivery confirmation. So yeah, it's now called tracking. And I think it is incorporated in the price at least for priority mail, but she was really offputting to try and get information from.  I could go into a rant about what happened but Ill try not to. She made me grumpy for a bit.

[HawaiianRain]

Sounds like you had a Grinch on your hands at the PO. Mine simply tore off my DC label and said we no longer even need to fill them out. Dump what you have at home, as it's now automatic on Priority packages. He rang me up and pointed out the tracking number on the receipt.

I will say was normally costs me around 35ish to ship a custom plush to Aussie via priority is now around $50.00. These price increases kill.

[Marigold]

Yep a grinch.  She stuck the label over my address so I couldn't see the numbers.   Said it's the deliverer's job to read it. Wrote a scribbled number when I asked to fix it. Scoffed when I said I wasn't sure what the number was (no I don't memorize everyone's address) so I wanted to double check.  Chastised me for taping down my address because she couldn't stamp it with fragile. Ignored me when I said I could redo the label. And then chastised me again for making my address so large and visible on the box because it leaves no room for the stamp.  This last bit was not true and the stamp fit just fine. The label also would fit if she didn't slap it down without looking for a good spot.

Oh sorry. I said I wouldn't go into it.  I wonder if the postal workers are just disgruntled right now because of the changes.  I would guess they dislike explaining everything new to us. But, she also might just be like that. I've never met her before and I'm always in and out of the post.

[Sunshine]

Yep a grinch.  She stuck the label over my address so I couldn't see the numbers.   Said it's the deliverer's job to read it. Wrote a scribbled number when I asked to fix it. Scoffed when I said I wasn't sure what the number was (no I don't memorize everyone's address) so I wanted to double check.  Chastised me for taping down my address because she couldn't stamp it with fragile. Ignored me when I said I could redo the label. And then chastised me again for making my address so large and visible on the box because it leaves no room for the stamp.  This last bit was not true and the stamp fit just fine. The label also would fit if she didn't slap it down without looking for a good spot.

Oh sorry. I said I wouldn't go into it.  I wonder if the postal workers are just disgruntled right now because of the changes.  I would guess they dislike explaining everything new to us. But, she also might just be like that. I've never met her before and I'm always in and out of the post.

I'm so sorry your PO trip was so cruddy! Ugh, but I think you're right on there - I think the Postal Workers are probably dealing with a lot of their own grumps coming in and basically blaming them for the high prices... and then they just "pay it forward" with their poor attitudes. Or perhaps, they screwed something up, got chewed out by their boss, and took it out on you. It's not right, but it happens all the time (projecting feelings forward)... still, the way the PO person treated you sounds ridiculously rude... I couldn't imagine the PO people here saying that to me! Of course, by Postal "people", I mean the one lady that runs our branch, or the one route mailman, LOL (we live in a rural area...)

Still. These prices are awful as far as the quick jump upwards. I don't even think my local post office has caught on to all the changes with tracking/dc/priority/no more parcel post, etc thing... so I'm just trying to keep printing labels online to make it easier I suppose. Still, my International orders have to go out by hand and I can't help but grumble after shipping three packages, and paying out $45 to send them (and in turn, my buyers wallets are each $15 lighter juts for shipping... YUCK!)

I sent a 1oz item overseas, had the shipping at $4.10 (used to be pretty close for most countries), and went to print the label, it's $6.55. Took a loss on that one...

Also had to look up insurance and registered mail overseas, it doubles the costs! Has it always been like that for registered/insured mail overseas? I guess I've never used it. I just know that our PO is always whining and moaning in the US about being shut down and how we don't use it enough... how is basically, discouraging trade/sale/shipping between the US and other countries, by jacking the rates up sky-high, going to INCREASE our use of our postal system? Seems a little backwards to me. I /know/ they have to deal with inflation and such, but, they should've been dealing with it all along with small increases in price, not this HUGE one!

[Marigold]

One huge increase is going to turn off a lot of people. I agree it would have been better if there had been more steps through the years. I think we should have been paying more all along, but they have been trying not to increase things so much for so long it is now at a breaking point I suppose.

[blonde2themax]

I know this is kinda off topic but when someone from the US send a package internationally do they wrap it in brown paper?

[hannaliten]

I know this is kinda off topic but when someone from the US send a package internationally do they wrap it in brown paper?

No, I just put it in a box, tape it up, and send it.