QUOTE(mihai914 @ Jan 13 2018, 10:53 PM)
Is shipping USPS an option?
When I get stuff shipped I prefer USPS as you don't get dinged on brokerage that bad.
Also if the customer lives not far from the border, there are warehouses that specializes in receiving packages for Canadians for a reasonable fee. they just have to add the address on their CC card.
The shipping hub would be best but it's just too hard to coordinate and a pain since we don't have flat rate boxes like you do.
Regular post is cheaper, but Mark doesn't want to ship this way, I've tried. He wants to ship Priority Post which is the same or more expensive than Fed-Ex.
I know I would buy more stuff but shipping is bloody expensive. I know for sure I would get into the GB's, I've wanted to many times, but they're always onesies and twosies and because of shipping not worth it.
Unless the orders are big enough shipping kills the deal.
If I was making a few points I'd offer to be the hub, maybe monthly or bi-monthly, but Mark has been resistant to holding order(s) till they're big enough to make shipping costs feasible.
For example I did the black friday thing two years ago about $100 worth of goods cost me just as much for shipping, then add exchange I was into almost $250 for $100 worth of stuff. When I order from LN, which is minimum always over $1k, I only pay just over 70% extra
with exchange, get that value up to $3-4K and it can be just over 50%. Also LN gives me a good enough dealer discount that I can make a couple bucks and it's worth driving to Toronto. I've also thought about stocking 914rubber stuff, but the Canadian 914 market is just too small to make it worth the investment.
I have a US address/service and I use it for my orders from LN, but I have to drive to the other side of Toronto. A large order this could work, but I basically waste the better part of the day fighting traffic, so again if I'm not making a penny it's not worth it.
The flip side and nothing to do with Mark is coordinating the Canadians to do something of this nature is like herding cats.
Also Canadians for the most part are not happy with me making a few points, but fact is I'm a biz, so unless I'm making a couple bucks it's not worth putting it through my books.
As much as I like helping others in the hobby I have a family to feed.
Believe me, I've looked at this from every angle.