Massive USPS Postage Increases for International Buyers - 27 Jan 2013

DadsAFOL · January 2013

Since I know there are many international buyers that read this board, I thought I'd take the opportunity to remind everyone that there are significant price increases scheduled for January 27th by the USPS. Unfortunately, international buyers will bear the brunt of trying to keep the USPS from bankruptcy. So if you were thinking about a purchase either in the marketplace, BrickLink, or elsewhere online you may want to account for the postage changes in your decision.

Example: a 3-Ounce bubble mailer shipped from US to Europe today costs $4.56. On Jan 27 it will cost $8.88!

If you sell internationally, don't forget to update your rates! Here's the link if anyone needs it: https://usps.com/new-prices.htm

momof2boys99 · January 2013

That was nice to share that tip. I rarely ship international, but it is nice to know. Thank you.

gmpirate · January 2013

Lol, yes, the problem with USPS is just the same as any other government institution. "We the People" are just not paying enough! And international buyers do not necessarily take the brunt. Higher rates equals less sales for us here.

dougts · January 2013

Yeah. Those of us that sell international are going to take a hit. Shipping out of the USA is already more than the reverse route in most all cases. This is just going to make it worse

Renny · January 2013

I've lost track of how many international sales I have missed when I quote them a shipping cost. This price hike will definitely not help.

baron · January 2013

in all fairness though USPS rates up to now are extremely reasonable when compared to most industrialized countries...even for additional options such as tracking and delivery confirmation...I can honestly say that its more than half the price of Canada Post prices...sending a first class package from maine to california is cheaper than shipping somehting to your neighbors house back there.

And media mail is fantastic! For those who sell used textbooks this service makes things worth it. Mailing those bricks in any other country would cost a fortune

effalcon · January 2013

ouch, we already cop horrible prices from the US.

y2josh · January 2013

Honestly, this doesn't seem to be a very big deal outside of the Flat Rate increases (which I don't feel ever works out to be a good value, anyway... unless you were shipping dark matter for some reason). And even after the increases, it's still about 30% the cost of the alternatives, which in my experience, are pretty poor at international shipping. I appreciate the information, though.

mdelleman · January 2013

It's cheaper for someone in Florida to ship to me in Vancouver BC then someone 300 km away in the same province.

I would say almost half the price typically.

Sounds like USPS is just catching up. Not that i'd be happy about it but just saying.

CCC · January 2013

Thanks.

I often buy stuff from brickforge and US sellers via bricklink. The problem for UK (and most EU countries) is import duties / VAT. This gets triggered at about $22.

My orders are nearly always $22 + about $4-5 postage. So a regular order costs me ~$26. If that goes up to $30, then each order is going up by 15%. Which might just enough to make me not bother. If postage is over 25% of an order amount, then I always reconsider.

I cannot order more and hence lower the relative postage costs, since then I get hit with UK taxes.

Jezebel_19 · January 2013

From our point of view on the whole situation, to purchase lego in Australia the sets are so much higher priced compared to the UK and US prices.
So increasing the postage it may still be cheaper for us to purchase via overseas but will have to wait and see how much it does effect the costs.

CCC · January 2013

It will also affect trades US --> UK arranged on here. It will double the price of sending just a few minifigs.

akunthita · January 2013

This is awful! I know many of you compare USA shipping fees to Canada and European countries, and saying it is not that bad, but those are all bankrupt governments raping their own people. I regularly have orders shipped from Asian countries (mostly from customizers) and their shipping fees range from $3-5, it includes tracking and insurance, and gets here in a week....)c:

chrisdojo · January 2013

Wow, bad news on the rate increase. I'm going to take a hit for sure.

dr_teng · January 2013

akunthita : You have no clue what you're talking about and should probably educate yourself about other countries before talking about them.

doriansdad · January 2013

How much is FEDEX, DHL or UPS to ship that 3 oz package to Europe? Let's put things in perspective.

y2josh · January 2013

Jezebel_19 said:
From our point of view on the whole situation, to purchase lego in Australia the sets are so much higher priced compared to the UK and US prices.
So increasing the postage it may still be cheaper for us to purchase via overseas but will have to wait and see how much it does effect the costs.

I looked into this, as most of my international buyers are from Australia and the UK and the rate increase is nearly negligible. For a Death Star, for example, you'd be looking at an ~$8 increase in postage, and the dollar amount of the increase gets lower as you take the weight down from there. I'm sure it will impact SOME sales, but I think the majority of people willing to spend $112 on shipping would be nearly as willing to spending $120.

leppg · January 2013

akunthita said:
This is awful! I know many of you compare USA shipping fees to Canada and European countries, and saying it is not that bad, but those are all bankrupt governments raping their own people. I regularly have orders shipped from Asian countries (mostly from customizers) and their shipping fees range from $3-5, it includes tracking and insurance, and gets here in a week....)c:

Most ignorant thing i've read on this forum in a while.

mdelleman · January 2013

@akunthita

Well I guess we all just can`t print money as fast as you guys....

What a brutally ignorant comment.

Coolsplash · January 2013

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

prevere · January 2013

For those selling individual parts or figs individually, or in small lots, this will definitely hurt.

akunthita · January 2013

I'm sorry guys if I have caused some distress. I think I may have not stated clearly what I have thought. In no way did I mean to say that somehow the USA was better than you fine folks up North or over the pond. All I was saying is that price increases on basic necessities and commodities are increasing all over the Western world. I do have family over in Europe and they all say that price increases have come to such a level that they can't afford basic food items like sugar, flour, milk and vegetables. And of course not to speak of the increase of transportation and taxes. It is the same thing here...

In the case of shipping increases in regards to LEGO fans, it mainly hurts small eBay and Bricklink sellers who sell parts, minifigs etc. to help fund their hobby, along with the small LEGO hobbyist who just want to buy a few parts to finish a project or collection that is not available from local sellers. I do ship to Europe and Canada regularly - or rather - I used to. Last year's price increase on shipping already majorly reduced international orders, and I'm sure this newest price increase will pretty much kill it.

The reason I mentioned shipping from Asia is to show the contrast that it is not like all countries in the world had to increase their shipping fees due to some universal need. I have always been impressed with shipping from over there as it is fast and reliable for a few bucks. Compare that to USA First Class International that doesn't even include tracking. Not to speak of insurance. And it is unlikely it will, even with the price-increases.

Of course there may still be points that we disagree on, but hope this helps some in better understanding each other...(c;

doriansdad · January 2013

If they raise rates above competitors then moan all you want. Until then we are still getting an excellent deal and excellent service. Plenty of companies insure USPS first class international.

chrisdojo · January 2013

doriansdad said:
How much is FEDEX, DHL or UPS to ship that 3 oz package to Europe? Let's put things in perspective.

These companies are only competitive with heavy packages.

Brick_Obsession · January 2013

Thank the stars I have bought everything set related I need to from resellers. It's gravy from here on in, whether I get it from my Lego store or S&H will be a relief.

I am not concerned on mini-figs and things like that, still affodable enough for the time being.

doriansdad · January 2013

chrisdojo said:

doriansdad said:
How much is FEDEX, DHL or UPS to ship that 3 oz package to Europe? Let's put things in perspective.
These companies are only competitive with heavy packages.

Exactly so why all the whining regarding price increases? The US taxpayer cannot subsidize bricklink sellers forever lol.

chrisdojo · January 2013

doriansdad said:

chrisdojo said:

doriansdad said:
How much is FEDEX, DHL or UPS to ship that 3 oz package to Europe? Let's put things in perspective.
These companies are only competitive with heavy packages.

Exactly so why all the whining regarding price increases? The US taxpayer cannot subsidize bricklink sellers forever lol.

I'm not for subsidizing for sure. I was just getting used to the "new" rates...

Too bad their pension payout is killing them.

GIR3691 · January 2013

Well this sucks.

legoprods · January 2013

I reckon shipping prices were really low before, but now they are too high!

7€ for about 80 grams, geez!

Brick_Obsession · January 2013

So now that we are past January 27th I am curious to know if any of the resellers out here are seeing sales drop due to shipping price increases. Are their people complaining about them? I see that to ship from Canada to the USA is still the same, especially for "small packet" which is where I am seeing the big increase now.

I have had a couple of people quote me insanely obscene shipping prices in the last few days, enough to make me think twice about purchases.

DadsAFOL · January 2013

Unfortunately yes. 1/20-23 I had 20 international orders. 1/27-30 I had 7.

mrtonytj · January 2013

Brick_Obsession said:

I have had a couple of people quote me insanely obscene shipping prices in the last few days, enough to make me think twice about purchases.

I have had that as well, like really insane prices then they justify it by saying "well the prices went up" then i go onto the usps website and find a much lower rate..

Example.
Someone quoted me $25 for postage on a minifigure.
I went on and actually found out it was $2.80!!!
Then they said "oh no thats the old prices, take it or leave it."

I left it.

CCC · January 2013

I only ever buy smaller lots from US sellers. I never go above $25, since then tax is due on the full amount, which normally wipes out the cheaper prices.

I haven't placed an order with a US bricklink seller or from sites like brickforge since the increase. I doubt I ever will again. I don't even bother looking at US sellers on bricklink now. The first thing I do is restrict to EU sellers. As you can only restrict sellers to UK / EU / worldwide, me getting rid of US sellers by selecting EU also excludes other countries. So that will also impact sellers in Canada too.

It's nothing to do with the sellers, just the postage they have to charge.

Brickarmor · January 2013

Small packages went up the most, from $3 then to $6+ now, but once the weight adds up the increase flattens out. For example, I had an order to Sweden awaiting payment during the weekend, I sent messages saying please pay soon or the cost will go way up, shipping "was" $10.03, they paid late so I shipped at the new rates at my own expense. I was thinking that if $3 went to $6 then $10 would go to $20, but it was only (!) $14. And ironically I just had my largest order ever...to Australia! So paying a few bucks extra on a large package is not nearly the same deal-breaker as doubling the postage for a minifigure.

sidersdd · January 2013

mrtonytj said:

Brick_Obsession said:

I have had a couple of people quote me insanely obscene shipping prices in the last few days, enough to make me think twice about purchases.
Example.
Someone quoted me $25 for postage on a minifigure.
I went on and actually found out it was $2.80!!!
Then they said "oh no thats the old prices, take it or leave it."

I left it.

Where are you seeing $2.80?

Crowkillers · January 2013

I just sent out Star Wars figures(A single figure to each buyer) to both Canada and Australia in a Bubble padded envelope and Charged $7 expecting to send a small refund back to the buyer, and they ended up costing $6.55 each to send...

mrtonytj · January 2013

sidersdd said:

mrtonytj said:

Brick_Obsession said:

I have had a couple of people quote me insanely obscene shipping prices in the last few days, enough to make me think twice about purchases.
Example.
Someone quoted me $25 for postage on a minifigure.
I went on and actually found out it was $2.80!!!
Then they said "oh no thats the old prices, take it or leave it."

I left it.
Where are you seeing $2.80?

Sorry it was $2.05. First class international 2 ounce letter.

mrtonytj · January 2013

First-Class Mail® International Letter
Maximum Value for Contents: $400.00
Max. length 11-1/2", height 6-1/8" or thickness 1/4"

$2.05

chrisdojo · January 2013

@mrtonytj with a thickness of 1/4", you're talking a few sheets of paper.
First-Class International Package is where the bubble mailers fall. Used to be $3.XX to Canada for 3 ounces, now is $6.XX

Chang405 · January 2013

A minifig cannot be sent as a letter.

mrtonytj · January 2013

Oh.. It can in Australia, i received one today! Anyway.. $6 is still less than $25 is it not?

sidersdd · January 2013

^ were you asking for insurance?

dragonhawk · January 2013

@mrtonytj
Was that $25 quote for First Class International ? Some people avoid sending via FCI and prefer Priority Mail International. Sending a minifig to Australia via PMI small flat box costs $23.95

As stated by @Brickarmor, the increase flattens out on the heavier packages. Basically, the people selling individual minifig / polybag get the burn as the rate increase is 100%+ for FCI packages weighing 2 ounces or less

mrtonytj · January 2013

^^No
^and i asked if he was quoting FCI or PMI and he said that he "only" sends through FCI! Usually its the other way!

dragonhawk · January 2013

^ Quoting 4x actual shipping cost is probably not the best way to conduct business. I would walk away from that "deal" too

Brick_Obsession · January 2013

CCC said:
I haven't placed an order with a US bricklink seller or from sites like brickforge since the increase. I doubt I ever will again. I don't even bother looking at US sellers on bricklink now. The first thing I do is restrict to EU sellers. As you can only restrict sellers to UK / EU / worldwide, me getting rid of US sellers by selecting EU also excludes other countries. So that will also impact sellers in Canada too.

It's nothing to do with the sellers, just the postage they have to charge.

In my opinion this logic is flawed. I have been finding that the BL sellers are still offering the best shipping rates to me when I ask them too. Ebay has the worst currently. Last night I tried to buy one mini-fig. Shipping cost was $9.55. Then there was another one at $8.63. Today, $8.44 was another one. This is all to Canada. On BL last night on two occassions I got one mini-fig for $4.47 and the other for $5.13.

DadsAFOL · January 2013

^And those sellers either lost money or are sending in a paper envelope with no padding that has high risk of shipping destruction in postal machinery.

ColoradoBricks · January 2013

^ Please let me know when you receive it. What is the type of enveloppe and the postage on them. Last time I sent a minifig to Canada (1oz, padded envelope), it cost me $6.55 at the USPS counter (used to be $3)

CCC · January 2013

Brick_Obsession said:

CCC said:
I haven't placed an order with a US bricklink seller or from sites like brickforge since the increase. I doubt I ever will again. I don't even bother looking at US sellers on bricklink now. The first thing I do is restrict to EU sellers. As you can only restrict sellers to UK / EU / worldwide, me getting rid of US sellers by selecting EU also excludes other countries. So that will also impact sellers in Canada too.

It's nothing to do with the sellers, just the postage they have to charge.
In my opinion this logic is flawed. I have been finding that the BL sellers are still offering the best shipping rates to me when I ask them too. Ebay has the worst currently. Last night I tried to buy one mini-fig. Shipping cost was $9.55. Then there was another one at $8.63. Today, $8.44 was another one. This is all to Canada. On BL last night on two occassions I got one mini-fig for $4.47 and the other for $5.13.

It's not flawed if I can buy the same thing cheaper in the EU including postage than I can in the US. It's more expensive than it was, since for many items US sellers were (and still are cheaper). But once they add on their postage rates, they become more expensive than UK/German sellers.

Brickarmor · January 2013

@CCC You seem like a savvy buyer, so perhaps you may just want to extend your wait time along with your wanted list. Another way to look at these increases is that everything went up $3-4. Bad for one minifig, not too bad for some sets or large parts orders.

CCC · January 2013

^ The problem is if an order is over $25 USD, then it gets hit with import duty, so again it's not worth it. That's why I tended to do smaller orders from non-EU sellers.

Wait time is never really an issue for me. Price is.

Massive USPS Postage Increases for International Buyers - 27 Jan 2013

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