Canadian Order from Soundstage Direct

[jsisk]

$36. is steep. The fact that 1 L.P. cost you $11.30 to ship, my three L.P.'s would have probably been "combined shipped" in one box but if I'm doing the math here correctly, I would have been charged your price x's 3. The only difference would have been the weight of 2 extra L.P.'s and a bit of protective packageing. If I lived in the states, the shipping would have been free! If I was quoted $15-$18 at the checkout, I likely would not have taken back as I was when I posted last night. Both seller and buyer loose in this case

I have several websites for our business. When you setup shipping rates, you have to create rules that pull rates from the shipping database. (under 4 pounds = First Class, over 4 pounds = Priority Mail)

When entering products in the database you have to use the shipping weight (including packaging material weight) in order to calculate the shipping correctly. Unfortunately, when you add multiple items together on an order it add the weight of the packing materials multiple times. This will, in some cases, push the weight beyond the First Class weight limit (and rate schedule) and quote the only shipping option as the much higher priced Priority Mail even though the weight (when you manually back out the extra packing weight) is actually below the limit.

 

[canuckaudiog]

Unfortunately, I'm not surprised.

I have ordered several items from the states and it never ends up being very cheap. Unless it's a very small item, done through USPS. Even then it's still like, $7 or $8 for an envelope to get here. Oh and let's not forget that when it crosses the border if it's over $20 (I think it's $20) they will (in most cases) charge taxes and a handling fee. The handling fee varies but usually it's around $10. It starts to add up really quick.

I wish there was something better, but unfortunately shipping small items from the states is just not economical. USPS is as good as it gets, and it sucks for us Canadians, that's for sure, but ah well such is life.

 

[tommarantz]

I don't know about this particular order, but shipping from the US to Canada isn't cheap. I just took delivery of a service manual today. It was very light, but the shipping charge was almost $7. All of the vinyl I've ordered through the US over the years has had a healthy shipping charge, too. Punch the numbers into the USPS site, it's not pretty.

Don't get me started about UPS shipments across the border. Unless it is a fantastic deal, I refuse to do business when UPS is the only option.

I kind of feel the same way. I can't stand using UPS, they are so careless.

At the same time, I suppose if that's what it costs to ship something, then that's what it costs.

Not that it's any of my business, but I think it's just that a lot of Canadians (myself anyway) feel ripped off sometimes because so many U.S. sellers only offer expensive shipping options instead of U.S. Postal Service. In Canada, UPS is notorious for being expensive and damaging the parcel, where U.S. Postal Service takes a little longer, but usually treats the parcels very carefully, even when the package is passed on to Canada Post.
In my experience, regular mail is cheaper and safer than UPS.

I don't think anyone would mind paying higher rates for safe shipping, but UPS just can't be trusted with fragile parcels, IMO.

 

[haffy111]

Interesting. I also just ordered from Soundstage and I live in BC. One album, shipping was $11.32. I only live about 40 minutes from the border, so I often will have it shipped to a border town in Washington state, but for $11 I can't drive an hour and a half not to mention my time. $36 sounds pretty steep though...

What boggles my mind is that I occasionally buy stuff that ships out of Hong Kong and a) shipping is always DIRT CHEAP, like $2 or $3 for a small box, and b) it seems to arrive almost overnight. How can it cost $2 to ship something 6,000 miles across a vast ocean but cost $11 to ship something from California which is a relative short hop?

Living in Bellingham, WA some years ago, I loved how easy it was to go across the border and procure world class cannabis seeds and save shipping costs and worries

Could not care less about that s#$t anymore though. :nono:

 

[guystp]

Shipping from USPS seems to be the cheapest means of getting items from the US to Canada, Even thought we often get hit with the GST by Canada Post, even on used items. I just paid them $27.00 in tax yesterday to get a used motorcycle seat I bought off ebay. Their response is "complain to Revenue Canada". It's still cheaper than paying UPS's brokerage fee which they surprise you with either at time of delivery, or a bill in the mail about a week after you get your parcel.

 

[jsisk]

So is there a coupon code to use to get the 10% AK discount?

 

[Vintageman1]

Well guys, Seth called me on the phone today. He is going to attempt to decrease the weight of the package which will decrease the cost a bit on shipping. I will be going through with my order. I feel very comfortable doing business with Soundstagedirect and they have one of the best selections of L.P.'s I have seen, especially in the type of music I listen to. I only purchase new L.p.'s once or twice a year as a treat to myself and when I originally posted, I think I was more disapointed then I was angry on the shipping cost. However, this thread has shown that both Canadians and American suffer from the same issues when we try to do business with each other.

 

[luxmaster]

Interesting. I also just ordered from Soundstage and I live in BC. One album, shipping was $11.32. I only live about 40 minutes from the border, so I often will have it shipped to a border town in Washington state, but for $11 I can't drive an hour and a half not to mention my time. $36 sounds pretty steep though...

What boggles my mind is that I occasionally buy stuff that ships out of Hong Kong and a) shipping is always DIRT CHEAP, like $2 or $3 for a small box, and b) it seems to arrive almost overnight. How can it cost $2 to ship something 6,000 miles across a vast ocean but cost $11 to ship something from California which is a relative short hop?

I have to agree with you on that one. It is just not Hong Kong that is cheaper and faster but I have ordered Lp's from the UK and found it to be cheaper and always faster. I don't understand it either.

 

[rangeroad]

You have to factor in Canada Post for all this, as their fee gets added to USPS quotes. Even their domestic prices are expensive. If you have a package an opt for tracking (pretty crazy not to if its valuable) the price doubles if not more. A lot of times its not the business' fault. Many independent/used bookstores have gone under because Canada Posts' pricing structure doubled within a year, making it impossible to ship a used item at a fair price.

 

[Polarbear]

That's not near as bad as Parts Express. I will never order anyting from them again.

 

[Rotoplooker]

It's weird.. I buy a lot of lp's from the US. I've paid $10-13 for a single album but Just last week, I had 3 vintage albums shipped in one box from California to Toronto, one lp box with cardboard lined on each side. The USPS sticker of postage paid was $10.00. None were heavyweight but all were thick vintage vinyl and all were gatefold albums. It seems there is always some "wiggle room" perhaps only, as someone else noted, if you go in person?