[Arm-netbook] Shipping costs

[Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton]

---
crowd-funded eco-conscious hardware: https://www.crowdsupply.com/eoma68


On Thu, Aug 11, 2016 at 8:17 PM, Wolfram Kahl <kahl at cas.mcmaster.ca> wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 11, 2016 at 02:56:51PM +0200, m016fec3 wrote:
>> I have pledged for more than one item and have the question, others have
>> them too, if the items will be send bundled and if yes, will the
>> shipping costs nevertheless be summed up as if the items would have been
>> sent seperately?
>
> If I put together a multi-item order, say two cards, a micro-desktop,
> a breakout board, and a cable set, it says:
>
>  | A surcharge of $52.00 applies for orders shipping outside of the United States.
>
> And that for a package that will be hardly bigger than that needed for the
> micro-desktop alone.
>
> This motivates me pretty strongly to remove the low-cost items
> from the order, live without the breakout board (which I would be getting
> more for moral support reasons), and get the cables elsewhere:
> I wouldn't mind paying a considerable part of the $15US for the cable set
> as support to the project, but paying another $10US just for the privilege
> of doing that, and shipping it a few km outside the US, just feels wrong,
> because ``This is NOT how it should work'' in my eyes,
> and the whole campaing is really about ``This is how it should work!''  ;-)

 due to the cost even of bulk shipping into Europe from the Far East
(because of import duties, VAT @ 20%, and import surcharges) we're
going to need to bring everything into the US and use the U.S. as a
distribution hub.   that way we will pay *one* shipping cost and *one*
one-off $200 fee with zero-rated customs duty due to this being
"parts" and "kits".

 from there, the costs of shipping are known to be more expensive
outside of the US, due to surcharges which are *totally outside* of
our control.  this isn't something we can ignore.  more experienced
people than i have set the shipping costs based on years of direct
experience.   i don't know what they are - but crowdsupply (and
thinkpenguin) definitely do.

 my experience has been limited to using DHL and Fedex for personal
shipping of items: the costs for sending a 40 gram Computer Card were
something mad like $75.

now, if you happen to know of a creative way - from your experience -
of dealing with bulk shipping of items from the Far East into 40+
different countries (last time i checked) in a way that does *not*
result in massive costs, *please tell us*.  we have to deliver to
Russia, Ireland, Brazil, India - pretty much every continent is
covered with the exception of Antarctica!

 because then we can look at it.

 but if you don't actually know, please don't complain that it's too
high, ok! :)

 another way to look at it, is: if we *do* happen to find a less
costly way to bring items into Europe and get them distributed out
without massive surcharges and taxation (legally, that is), then any
money saved can be put towards ensuring that the ideas we're
presenting are better funded.

 viewed that way i'm sure you'd agree would be less confrontational,
but also i feel it's a very important reminder that you're backing an
*idea* - you're not ordering a product, there's no contract of sale.
this is "gift economy".

 if you're not happy to receive a gift from me - if you've
misunderstood that - please email me off-list and i'll arrange a full
refund.

l.