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Shipping prices on Bricklink

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I live in Canada and the US is my last resort when making orders. 50% of the shop's terms based in the US asks for an Internationnal flat rate of 13$, ( which usually and comically includes Canada ) wouldn't be bad if I lived in Singapor but isn't justified for a 4-5 hours drive to cover the distance.

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I guess the moral is that Bricklink is not Amazon Prime. A company like Amazon can amortize shipping costs based on average shipping charges over millions of orders. Bricklink vendors can't do that.

Companies like Amazon that do a huge volume of shipping can negotiate better rates with their shipping providers. Even with boxes and packing material, they may have an RFP or RFQ process with suppliers to get the best deal. They can then chose to pass the S&H savings or part of the savings on to their customers. Individual BrickLink sellers may not have that kind of shipping volumes to get preferential rates from shipping providers and suppliers.

Depending on the situation, some times it works out better buying from LEGO Pick A Brick with free shipping than from BrickLink.

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50% of the shop's terms based in the US asks for an Internationnal flat rate of 13$

In my experience many US Bricklink sellers are not aware of the cheapest shipping rates for small international envelopes since they don't show up in the app. If I get quoted a 13$ flat rate shipping for a few minifigs and tell the seller about the cheaper shipping option they have (so far) all been happy to learn about it and adjusted the shipping costs accordingly.

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I live in Canada and the US is my last resort when making orders. 50% of the shop's terms based in the US asks for an Internationnal flat rate of 13$, ( which usually and comically includes Canada ) wouldn't be bad if I lived in Singapor but isn't justified for a 4-5 hours drive to cover the distance.

You can do a 5 hour drive to pick up parts for less than $13? That's some car you've got there.

Minimum shipping (let's call it one minifigure) from the USA to CA is $9.50 according to USPS.com. It is really getting out of hand to ship from the US to any other country, at least via the USPS which has historically been the most economical way.

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Minimum shipping (let's call it one minifigure) from the USA to CA is $9.50 according to USPS.com. It is really getting out of hand to ship from the US to any other country, at least via the USPS which has historically been the most economical way.

There is a cheaper option for shipping minifigures in padded envelopes less than 3/4" thick. I've had 3 minifigs shipped to Norway for $3.50 with USPS.

Not sure what the service/product is called on the USPS website, but here is one shop using it: http://www.bricklink.com/store/home.page?p=Nannan#/terms

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There is a cheaper option for shipping minifigures in padded envelopes less than 3/4" thick. I've had 3 minifigs shipped to Norway for $3.50 with USPS.

Not sure what the service/product is called on the USPS website, but here is one shop using it: http://www.bricklink.com/store/home.page?p=Nannan#/terms

Right, that's how I ship them, as small packet first class. Maybe USPS is ripping me off :laugh: it is possible. That is the price it use to be but lately I haven't been able to ship anywhere outside the USA for under $7. I'll have to see what I can find out next time.

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I have asked for quotes from people and its 50/50 that they even respond to it. One set I ordered, I waited and waited for the quote (that never came). So I just ended up buying it anyways, because it was the cheapest set in Bricklink at that time and I didn't want someone else snagging it from me while I'm waiting for a quote. Bottom line, some sellers don't care until you actually make an order, and even then, the communication is sometimes awful.

One time, I asked for a quote, the guy took forever to reply, and the quote was canceled. When I sent him a message a few days later asking him if he was still interested in selling the items, he said he thought I canceled the quote, and that in the meantime the items had already been sold!!!! :wacko:

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One time, I asked for a quote, the guy took forever to reply, and the quote was canceled. When I sent him a message a few days later asking him if he was still interested in selling the items, he said he thought I canceled the quote, and that in the meantime the items had already been sold!!!! :wacko:

I hear ya. That's why I feel the whole quote option is a waste of time on there. Bottom line, you don't really have any idea how much something is going to cost until you buy it.

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I hear ya. That's why I feel the whole quote option is a waste of time on there. Bottom line, you don't really have any idea how much something is going to cost until you buy it.

It helps in a few cases, I guess, but most sellers that are willing to provide clarification on shipping costs and fees on a quote, would have already done so in the splash page.

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I'm in the UK, and I've found that shipping by costs to the EU have been horrific on some quotes I've been asked for. Smaller packages are fine but the prices seem to go insane the bigger you go.

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I'm in the UK, and I've found that shipping by costs to the EU have been horrific on some quotes I've been asked for. Smaller packages are fine but the prices seem to go insane the bigger you go.

I heard this is a USPS thing. Have you experienced that when shipping from places other than the US?

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Shipping from USA is horrible. I've gotten contacted for quote request on sets from USA to wherever they lived. Even at first class, shipping can be $20-$30 for one small to medium sized sets (under 500 pieces)

I remember a time when I could ship a 500 piece boxed set for under $10.

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Shipping from USA is horrible. I've gotten contacted for quote request on sets from USA to wherever they lived. Even at first class, shipping can be $20-$30 for one small to medium sized sets (under 500 pieces)

I remember a time when I could ship a 500 piece boxed set for under $10.

I recently had to make a return from something to the UK, and I felt kinda sorry for the seller. :wacko:

Edited by BrickHat

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On 9/19/2016 at 10:47 AM, Darkdragon said:




There is a cheaper option for shipping minifigures in padded envelopes less than 3/4" thick. I've had 3 minifigs shipped to Norway for $3.50 with USPS.
Not sure what the service/product is called on the USPS website, but here is one shop using it: http://www.bricklink.com/store/home.page?p=Nannan#/terms


Right, that's how I ship them, as small packet first class. Maybe USPS is ripping me off :laugh: it is possible. That is the price it use to be but lately I haven't been able to ship anywhere outside the USA for under $7. I'll have to see what I can find out next time.

It sounds like you were using the "large envelope" rate to ship LEGO pieces. There are some post offices where the clerks/sorters will let you do this, but not at mine. Large envelopes are not supposed to have anything rigid in them and have maximum thickness requirements. This is because they will be sorted by an automatic machine that sends them rapidly through narrow chutes and around sharp turns. For flexible envelopes, this is no problem. But for anything rigid, it's very risky - your envelope can get caught in the machinery and get mangled, along with the contents. You might save your buyer $10 on shipping, but you might lose more than that in merchandise.

Right now the least expensive package option from the US to Europe and most of the world is $13.50 for up to 8 ounces ($9.50 to Canada). The USPS raised the minimum rate, but increased the weight allowance, so for larger orders of 7-8 ounces, it's not too much higher than it was before. For small part orders, however, it is prohibitively expensive.

 

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As an aussie i always look to Germany as i find the rate is comparable to package within Australia which is great and the price per piece is good normally as well. Aussie sellers are dearer but for small orders that fit an envelope it is still worthwhile.

The only negative is that two to three weeks is the normal delivery time.

 

 

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I had quite the opposite experience with order made in Australia. Can you imagine how was I surprised to see an envelope in my mailbox after just 4! days I paid my order. Just 4 days! It takes at least a week to receive anything ordered within EU.

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On 9/19/2016 at 10:55 AM, Darkdragon said:

You can do a 5 hour drive to pick up parts for less than $13? That's some car you've got there.

Minimum shipping (let's call it one minifigure) from the USA to CA is $9.50 according to USPS.com. It is really getting out of hand to ship from the US to any other country, at least via the USPS which has historically been the most economical way.

They changed the rate last year I think. Ever since then it has been prohibitive to order from the US. I live in Canada and I ordered a few torsos and was charged the $8-9 shipping because of USPS. Frankly it is a cash grab. They use the logic of it being too wide to fit through the sifters at the distribution stations. That is rubbish.

It used to be economical when ordering from the US. I wish the online retailers would get with the programme and ship to Canada too. 

Edited by Wodanis

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You really don't want lego packages to go through the automatic equipment. I shipped a minifig that fit through some slot (even though I had paid for the package rate in a bubble mailer) and parts of it were destroyed by the sorting machine, it was a Roman Soldier in the package, so you know the buyer wasn't too thrilled. Someone once sent me some minifig hands in a standard letter envelope, they were mostly ripped through the paper when it arrived - I was very lucky that the hands were not damaged or lost, one of them was hanging out except for the stem.

Just last weekend I found out the hard way that they've raised rates again, I can't ship lego domestically for under $2.63 now. That doesn't bode well for international.

The best thing to do with Bricklink and international shipments is to max out the parts you can fit into the minimum shipping weight, I've found most sellers will help me with letting me know if there are any grams left after packaging to throw in a few more parts. There's really nothing a seller can do with shipping costs, except the ones that overcharge and they should be given negative feedback and all that.

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The cheapest I had to pay shipping wise in the US was from a seller on the american west coast ( I'm canada east coast ) for some sticker sheets ( 2.60$ US).

Otherwise I've found a fellow canadian seller that lives next province for bigger orders: I ordered 3 sealed sets ( 2 small one medium sized ) for 11$ US with tracking. ( which is very reasonnable ) 

Looks like USPS has their customers us by the balls... 

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USPS is ripping you off. They charged me $2.60 to ship two mini figures. I was trading with someone and he shipped his two for 96 cents. He told me when he talks to a human they charge him a lot more, so he goes to a computer and has it done that way.

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2 hours ago, Bricknblue said:

USPS is ripping you off. They charged me $2.60 to ship two mini figures. I was trading with someone and he shipped his two for 96 cents. He told me when he talks to a human they charge him a lot more, so he goes to a computer and has it done that way.

He is shipping it with the letter price instead of package price. Doing it that way is extremely risky. The figures can become damaged or lost if they get stuck in a sorting machine. 

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It's the USPS, you take a risk anytime you ship anything. But I have always gotten different numbers overtime I ship, even though I don't ship more than 1-2 mini figures at a time the price varies greatly.

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The frustrating part is what customs charges for products crossing the border, which is a crappy deal for both sellers and buyers: I live 2 hours away from the U.S border and yet a package will cost me 4x times more in a neighboor state than one from thousands of kilometers away in B.C. and that's only for a letter. 

It doesn't help either the CAN is still criminally low and the US$ is getting stronger. I won't even mention europe which is insanely expensive. 

I imagine that most of a seller's buisness is within his own country, at least in NA. 

Edited by RetroInferno

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This is one of the reasons I don't use Bricklink that much.

I tend to want very specific things and not store seems to have them all. Then if I get them spread out between a lot of stores the price suddenly surgers... :|

I've been getting my CURRENT minifigures from Amazon lately actually. It seems easier and for certain figures it's price is comparable, dare I say cheaper. Shipping is sometimes free. For other figures it's a LOT worse. I just try to compare. But Bricklink is a lot of bother these days. I have to use PayPal (EWW!), I have to directly talk to the people sometimes (EWW!), I have to pay a random amount of shipping (EWW!). Etc etc.

I wish there was a good store with like everything XD and the ease of Amazon!

 

EDIT: Also Bricklink was easier when I was in the States. 

Edited by BrickG

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I place lots of orders on BL for small parts as I mainly collect minifigures and their accessories.

I generally favour UK sellers followed by northern European ones (except the Netherlands) and sometimes central European, too.

One should never order from the Netherlands. Too many orders from there are either delayed (I once had an order take six weeks to reach me by air!) or go missing. I suspect it's customs checking small packets for drugs or postal workers stealing them for the same reason.

One should also avoid the US. There is an international postal standard for large letter ("flats" in the US) with a maximum thickness of 20mm / 3/4". The standard doesn't specify the contents and the US is a signatory to that. However, the standard does allow individual countries to impose additional physical limits, a stipulation imposed at the US's insistence. The USPS then used those additional restrictions to effectively limit the contents to printed matter. They have a list of requirements for a flat's flexibility and consistency of thickness that are absurdly officious (they're on USPS's site if you want to look them up). If a flat passes all the official tests - as mailers with LEGO often do - USPS workers impose their own tests including feeling packets for bumps (even when the packet passes the test for consistency of thickness when at rest). I have had several US-based BL sellers try to get the large letter/flats rate for me but have been unable to due to overzealous USPS counter staff and supervisors. In all such cases, I had to cancel the order. Frankly, the USPS's approach to flats is reminiscent of the worst jobsworths I encountered in Eastern Europe during the Communist era - and that's saying something.  

I have only ever had good experiences ordering from Canada. The Canadian postal service doesn't play games when it comes to large letters and orders generally arrive as quickly as orders from continental Europe if not sooner. The only problem with Canada is that there are far fewer sellers than in the US, so you don't always find what you want. I wish there were more Canadian sellers.

 

 

Edited by AmperZand

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