Would US sellers mind posting in their title that the products are only available in the US. It really sucks when I look at something, start making a list and then "ONLY 48".
Also, if you list it on ebay would you look at what brand new kits of the same vehicle go for, and the shipping, because there were a few that I liked, but at the bottom of the page it lists similar and when it is brand new, unopened and the price smokes yours, wellllll...
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Would US sellers mind
Mortifa
#464
Member Since: December 02, 2016
entire network: 267 Posts
KitMaker Network: 45 Posts
Posted: Wednesday, March 07, 2018 - 11:29 PM UTC
gregcctrn
Member Since: January 09, 2013
entire network: 329 Posts
KitMaker Network: 236 Posts
Posted: Thursday, March 08, 2018 - 08:05 AM UTC
I don't think that it is very fair to compare the price that an Armorama member puts on their product to an ebay price.
Odds are the Armorama member paid a good price, and they are simply trying to get the most out of the kit that they can....The rock bottom eBay prices are most likely coming from someone in Asia who moves large volumes of kits.
I agree with you on the posting only for sale in the lower 48, I really don't get the apprehension to sell and ship internationally. Some sellers say that it is due to the cost of shipping abroad....true enough, but don't decide for the buyer what is too much for shipping - simply inform the buyer of the price and let the buyer decide for themselves.
Others say they don't want to the hassle - there is no hassle to shipping abroad; it involves filling out a customs declaration that takes less than a minute - writing down the contents of the box and the value.
I speak from experience as I have lived in both Canada and the US, and have sold from both countries on ebay, and private forums.
However, in the end - each to his own....
Odds are the Armorama member paid a good price, and they are simply trying to get the most out of the kit that they can....The rock bottom eBay prices are most likely coming from someone in Asia who moves large volumes of kits.
I agree with you on the posting only for sale in the lower 48, I really don't get the apprehension to sell and ship internationally. Some sellers say that it is due to the cost of shipping abroad....true enough, but don't decide for the buyer what is too much for shipping - simply inform the buyer of the price and let the buyer decide for themselves.
Others say they don't want to the hassle - there is no hassle to shipping abroad; it involves filling out a customs declaration that takes less than a minute - writing down the contents of the box and the value.
I speak from experience as I have lived in both Canada and the US, and have sold from both countries on ebay, and private forums.
However, in the end - each to his own....
Mortifa
#464
Member Since: December 02, 2016
entire network: 267 Posts
KitMaker Network: 45 Posts
Posted: Thursday, March 08, 2018 - 10:24 AM UTC
I understand what you mean about comparing prices, but it was between an open box as compared to a new sealed kit from a US seller.
Shipping charges, wow talk about a spectrum disorder.
Shipping charges, wow talk about a spectrum disorder.
retiredyank
Member Since: June 29, 2009
entire network: 11,610 Posts
KitMaker Network: 3,657 Posts
Posted: Friday, March 09, 2018 - 05:08 AM UTC
I, for one, simply don't enjoy filling out customs forms. If somebody, from outside of the contiguous US really wants the kit, contact me. I may be open to doing it. The reason for all of this is the postal system, in Jacksonville, FL. They regularly changed the price, which they would quote me. It was bad enough that they refused to cash a postal money order. The post office, in my current location is much better. I have fulfilled one international order. Payment was another issue. PayPal is fairly new to me(only been using it for a few years). However, the blame can not be given solely to the United States. I have come across more than a few that won't ship, outside the UK or EU. I would appreciate not being judged, based on an inconvenience. I don't mean to be abrupt, but I dislike segregation, based on something minor; when my "crime" is shared worldwide.
Lakota
#123
Member Since: November 17, 2008
entire network: 1,202 Posts
KitMaker Network: 35 Posts
Posted: Friday, March 09, 2018 - 06:03 AM UTC
Hi Richard,
Like Mathew, I do not enjoy filling out Customs forms. The time I spend doing this eats into the 1/2 hour I get for lunch and I'm told my S&H charges are too high. I've stopped selling to anyone other than the CONUS. Sadly I make less money but the stash needs to be pared.
Good Luck,
Don "Lakota"
Like Mathew, I do not enjoy filling out Customs forms. The time I spend doing this eats into the 1/2 hour I get for lunch and I'm told my S&H charges are too high. I've stopped selling to anyone other than the CONUS. Sadly I make less money but the stash needs to be pared.
Good Luck,
Don "Lakota"
Mortifa
#464
Member Since: December 02, 2016
entire network: 267 Posts
KitMaker Network: 45 Posts
Posted: Friday, March 09, 2018 - 06:07 AM UTC
Quoted Text
I, for one, simply don't enjoy filling out customs forms. If somebody, from outside of the contiguous US really wants the kit, contact me. I may be open to doing it. The reason for all of this is the postal system, in Jacksonville, FL. They regularly changed the price, which they would quote me. It was bad enough that they refused to cash a postal money order. The post office, in my current location is much better. I have fulfilled one international order. Payment was another issue. PayPal is fairly new to me(only been using it for a few years). However, the blame can not be given solely to the United States. I have come across more than a few that won't ship, outside the UK or EU. I would appreciate not being judged, based on an inconvenience. I don't mean to be abrupt, but I dislike segregation, based on something minor; when my "crime" is shared worldwide.
Thank you for your response, and sorry I caught you with that brush stroke.
I have bought a couple of kits from some folks who listed and I have had no problem, the shipping was reasonable and service was quick. If the reason for higher price shipping, I saw some at nearly fifty dollars, explain it, such as signing for receipt. None of us wants to be ripped off, but allow me the choice of the shipping fees, this applies to both retail and listings here, the retail floors me, the kit is twenty and shipping is fifty I get the kit at my local shop for forty.
Paypal is great and offers protection to both parties I believe, but they do charge a fee to the seller, I believe.
If someone wishes to only sell in their country, I am fine with it, but it is annoying when I am looking at what looks like a great stash and am making a list and then as I reach the end, only 48, why did I waste my time.
gregcctrn
Member Since: January 09, 2013
entire network: 329 Posts
KitMaker Network: 236 Posts
Posted: Friday, March 09, 2018 - 07:26 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Hi Richard,
Like Mathew, I do not enjoy filling out Customs forms. The time I spend doing this eats into the 1/2 hour I get for lunch and I'm told my S&H charges are too high. I've stopped selling to anyone other than the CONUS. Sadly I make less money but the stash needs to be pared.
Good Luck,
Don "Lakota"
That's a shame that people complain about shipping and handling charges.
I can only speak for myself and my personal experiences. I have bought from US based Armorama members and never found that shipping prices are too high.
In this day and age of rising gas prices the cost of shipping is what it is. I have always trusted that each and every Armorama member (no matter where they are located in the world) is giving me a fair price on shipping. I don't question it, I accept that buying in this forum means that I pay shipping at the rate set by the seller.
As a seller my pet peeve is someone asking for the cost of shipping and then never replying to me with a yes or no. It's a simple courtesy to let someone know if you are not interested due to the cost of shipping.
To try and deal that frustration in my listing I provide my Postal Code, the kit dimensions and weight with a link to Canada Post. That way the buyer can check the link plug in the numbers with their destination info and see the exact price that I will charge.
Mortifa
#464
Member Since: December 02, 2016
entire network: 267 Posts
KitMaker Network: 45 Posts
Posted: Friday, March 09, 2018 - 10:50 AM UTC
I need to clarify something.
Shipping charges went up few years back and it sucked, but it was sort of consistent. Now I see one listing with costs at fifty and another, in the same area, for twenty, who wouldn't question that?
The few times I have bought from members here it has been a good experience.
BTW I have seen some of the same BS at local hobby shops, one charges much more than the other for the same kit, forty dollar difference and it wasn't a tagging error.
Shipping charges went up few years back and it sucked, but it was sort of consistent. Now I see one listing with costs at fifty and another, in the same area, for twenty, who wouldn't question that?
The few times I have bought from members here it has been a good experience.
BTW I have seen some of the same BS at local hobby shops, one charges much more than the other for the same kit, forty dollar difference and it wasn't a tagging error.
Scarred
Member Since: March 11, 2016
entire network: 1,792 Posts
KitMaker Network: 482 Posts
Posted: Friday, March 09, 2018 - 02:27 PM UTC
"charge what the market will bear". One store may have more overhead than another, be in a wealthier neighborhood or selling to people who don't shop around and compare prices and don't know better or have money to burn.
"There's a sucker born every minute". Again, why buy a pair of Levi's at Nordstroms when you can go to J.C. Penny and get the same pair for half the price? Same pants, same cost from the wholesaler.
I shipped a lot of stuff from overseas when I was in the military and I hated filling out custom declarations. Some people want tracking to make sure a seller has actually sent the item, and has not been ripped off and it is protection for the buyer because if the item is lost or stolen it makes claims easier. Insurance, again if something is stolen you are compensated same with a damaged package. Signature confirmation is protection for the seller to make sure the buyer actually got the item and can't make a false claim of it being stolen or lost and asking for a refund (happens a lot). Shipping method, overnight, 2-3 day service or standard 7-10 business days. UPS or other shippers charge more than USPS. This raises prices. Shipping over seas and I don't consider Canada or Alaska overseas costs more. Canada is ripping people off in my estimation. Having to transfer from one postal system in one country to another country costs, and some countries have higher shipping rates than others.
If a private seller is asking more for a kit than a retailer it is because he is less willing to take a hit on what he paid for it, which was probably retail. Buying it is totally up to you.
If you find a better price from a retailer, buy it, if you find a better price overseas buy it. But complaining about it isn't going to change the fact that it costs money to ship things.
"There's a sucker born every minute". Again, why buy a pair of Levi's at Nordstroms when you can go to J.C. Penny and get the same pair for half the price? Same pants, same cost from the wholesaler.
I shipped a lot of stuff from overseas when I was in the military and I hated filling out custom declarations. Some people want tracking to make sure a seller has actually sent the item, and has not been ripped off and it is protection for the buyer because if the item is lost or stolen it makes claims easier. Insurance, again if something is stolen you are compensated same with a damaged package. Signature confirmation is protection for the seller to make sure the buyer actually got the item and can't make a false claim of it being stolen or lost and asking for a refund (happens a lot). Shipping method, overnight, 2-3 day service or standard 7-10 business days. UPS or other shippers charge more than USPS. This raises prices. Shipping over seas and I don't consider Canada or Alaska overseas costs more. Canada is ripping people off in my estimation. Having to transfer from one postal system in one country to another country costs, and some countries have higher shipping rates than others.
If a private seller is asking more for a kit than a retailer it is because he is less willing to take a hit on what he paid for it, which was probably retail. Buying it is totally up to you.
If you find a better price from a retailer, buy it, if you find a better price overseas buy it. But complaining about it isn't going to change the fact that it costs money to ship things.
Kevlar06
Member Since: March 15, 2009
entire network: 3,670 Posts
KitMaker Network: 527 Posts
Posted: Friday, March 09, 2018 - 10:11 PM UTC
Quoted Text
If someone wishes to only sell in their country, I am fine with it, but it is annoying when I am looking at what looks like a great stash and am making a list and then as I reach the end, only 48, why did I waste my time.
I guess the simple solution is to skip to the end first! I used to work in a LHS that used eBay to sell and we shipped all over the world (it was about 1/3 of our business, and during slow months it was about 1/2 our business). We sold a lot of new, used (opened) and OOP kits, including vintage "antique" kits from the dawn of modeling history. We shipped as far away as Moscow and Lima Peru, and bunches to Canada. But we made it clear that postage (be it USPS, UPS or FedEx) was always extra depending on the order. And we made no claims to comparison prices with other shops or individuals. The other simple solution is, if you can find the same kit in your LHS for $40, and somebody else wants $50 plus shipping-- buy it where you found it cheaper, you can't blame the seller for a price. We tried to sell at market value, but occasionally, we'd make a mistake or price something too high-- if it didn't sell we'd rethink our price. I was in charge of "eBay finding" in our shop-- I'd look up the price for suggested retail or MSRP. This sometimes doesn't work though, especially if you have unique items, and not every seller has the ability to do this. So really, as others have said-- if you are the buyer, the responsibility is on you to find the best deal- not on the seller. And it's not on the seller to put conditions up front either-- the idea is to attract business, not discourage it.
VR, Russ
Mortifa
#464
Member Since: December 02, 2016
entire network: 267 Posts
KitMaker Network: 45 Posts
Posted: Friday, March 09, 2018 - 11:42 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Quoted Text
If someone wishes to only sell in their country, I am fine with it, but it is annoying when I am looking at what looks like a great stash and am making a list and then as I reach the end, only 48, why did I waste my time.
I guess the simple solution is to skip to the end first! I used to work in a LHS that used eBay to sell and we shipped all over the world (it was about 1/3 of our business, and during slow months it was about 1/2 our business). We sold a lot of new, used (opened) and OOP kits, including vintage "antique" kits from the dawn of modeling history. We shipped as far away as Moscow and Lima Peru, and bunches to Canada. But we made it clear that postage (be it USPS, UPS or FedEx) was always extra depending on the order. And we made no claims to comparison prices with other shops or individuals. The other simple solution is, if you can find the same kit in your LHS for $40, and somebody else wants $50 plus shipping-- buy it where you found it cheaper, you can't blame the seller for a price. We tried to sell at market value, but occasionally, we'd make a mistake or price something too high-- if it didn't sell we'd rethink our price. I was in charge of "eBay finding" in our shop-- I'd look up the price for suggested retail or MSRP. This sometimes doesn't work though, especially if you have unique items, and not every seller has the ability to do this. So really, as others have said-- if you are the buyer, the responsibility is on you to find the best deal- not on the seller. And it's not on the seller to put conditions up front either-- the idea is to attract business, not discourage it.
VR, Russ
Thanks, I do know there are many reasons, that price jump, by the US postal service, a few years back really hit the ASL community, the publisher had to address the issue because orders were being cancelled.
If the shipping were explained, I charge x amount for packaging and the package shows up really nicely packed I am fine with it. I have gotten kits that are wrapped in bubble wrap, inside a bag, inside a box, almost nuke proof and for that kit I was happy to pay the extra.
Folks who sell here package the products very well in my experience. I had one where the sprues were individually wrapped, even though each one was in plastic, got my future business and I am happy to pay extra for that service, nice kit also.
Then I have had some that were below par. The one that really pissed me off was a nicely packaged kit, that was damaged inside bubble wrap inside a box. The seller knew the original shrink wrapped box had damage but no mention in the listing (ebay), a reseller I will not go back to and not recommend.
I sort of follow a rough guideline, if I can get it in the local hobby shop within ten bucks of online prices I grab it locally after that online. But when I see a postage rate nearly three times that of another seller, well it would be nice to know why. One kit, that I really wanted, was listed as seventy five dollars shipping, the kit was thirty bucks, with shipping the kit, which generally retails around the seventy dollar range, was now way more than it was worth.
165thspc
#521
Member Since: April 13, 2011
entire network: 9,465 Posts
KitMaker Network: 176 Posts
Posted: Friday, March 09, 2018 - 11:51 PM UTC
Richard - I think that is like saying "please do all the competitive research for me to tell me why I shouldn't buy your kit."
I think the responsibility is YOURS to look around and if you can find it at a lower/cheaper price then buy that one.
I think the responsibility is YOURS to look around and if you can find it at a lower/cheaper price then buy that one.
Mortifa
#464
Member Since: December 02, 2016
entire network: 267 Posts
KitMaker Network: 45 Posts
Posted: Saturday, March 10, 2018 - 05:21 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Richard - I think that is like saying "please do all the competitive research for me to tell me why I shouldn't buy your kit."
I think the responsibility is YOURS to look around and if you can find it at a lower/cheaper price then buy that one.
Nice shot, I sort of walked into that one. LOL
No, I just mean if you list take a quick look to see what the prices are, I get trying to get your money back, but if you overpaid, do not expect other buyers to cover that for you.
Have you tried buying a JoHann Ambulance online? Nearly got one on bid for a reasonable price, sniped at the last minute. Finally got one at a good price, still way more than I wanted to pay, but I wanted that kit. Seller sent it, nicely packaged and reasonable, got more stuff from him after that and, again, I did not like the shipping fee but the only seller with the product than I got the goods, well packaged and arrived within a reasonable time.
The one time I had a package go on an adventure I really could not blame the seller. It arrived here in Vancouver, BC, from Texas I think, then it went back to California, then to Florida, then Kentucky(?) then Toronto, finally back in Vancouver, where it sat for a week then I finally got it. I cannot blame the seller for the Canada Post and the US postal service deciding that my package needed to see more of North America, and I paid for expedited, I was pissed.
US resellers that I find are really good.
UMM,
rebelapha(?) ebay mostly decals,
LotsofModels,
Minaturesbygarcia,
modelpartswarehouse,
tulsahussar,
165thspc
#521
Member Since: April 13, 2011
entire network: 9,465 Posts
KitMaker Network: 176 Posts
Posted: Saturday, March 10, 2018 - 07:11 AM UTC
Again you seem to be asking sellers everywhere to stop charging so much. I may agree with you but if sellers post at these prices and people buy at these prices nothing is going to change.
As to your package traveling the world - that really does not pertain to your original questions - however it does happen. Do not know exactly how it happens but it does. I suspect that sometimes a package may be at a break bulk terminal and in order to meet company mandated shipping and sorting deadlines someone will "put it on the next truck or plane regardless of where it is going".
As to your package traveling the world - that really does not pertain to your original questions - however it does happen. Do not know exactly how it happens but it does. I suspect that sometimes a package may be at a break bulk terminal and in order to meet company mandated shipping and sorting deadlines someone will "put it on the next truck or plane regardless of where it is going".
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