 SarahPremium,ExMod 2002-05
join:2001-01-09
Cambridge, MA
kudos:5
 ·MegaNet Communic..
| [Rant] International postage prices Every now and then I will send a CD or LP to one of my friends in Europe as a gift. One or two CDs in a lightweight bubble mailer used to cost maybe $4-5. Been doing this for many years.
I just mailed one to Holland for the first time since they changed the postage prices in January and they charged me $12.75! To mail one $13 CD!  I asked her to double and triple check and she said that was the correct price. It was only 4.4 ounces. I mailed a second package which contained a CD and a T-shirt stuffed into a Ziploc bag inside a big envelope, also going to Europe, and that cost $14.90. So... only 17% more for a much bigger envelope that weighed more than twice as much? I really don't understand how this is supposed to make sense 
P.S. Anyone who makes the predictable "people still buy CDs?" comment gets smacked upside the head for being so bad at trolling 
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My music blog |
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 La LunaSurvived AshrafulPremium
join:2001-07-12
Warwick, NY
kudos:3 | reply to Sarah
Re: [Rant] International postage prices You may be able to figure out a way to send CD's via Media Mail (USPS) service. It is cheaper.
»www.usps.com/ship/media-mail.htm |
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SarahPremium,ExMod 2002-05
join:2001-01-09
Cambridge, MA
kudos:5
1 edit | I am pretty sure media mail is only domestic, not international.
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My music blog |
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 OlegBellsouth FastaccessPremium
join:2003-12-08
Birmingham, AL
kudos:2 | reply to Sarah
As a Pirate i don't anymore. If someone is not a pirate than i do not see the reason why not. It is better to buy a legitimate CD rather than paying 99 cents for one tune. Plus you have to deal with DRM on top of that. |
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Reviews:
 ·voip.ms
| reply to Sarah
USPS is following the trend of Canada Post up here, cheap domestic mail but go international and prepare to feel the pain.
Some of it has to do with agreements with other countries mail services and the increased transportation costs but mostly this is the way that they subsidize domestic mail services to keep the prices reasonable, nail everyone trying to send stuff out of country.
NefCanuck |
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 PCInTechkeeping art alive since 1953Premium
join:2004-06-07
Massena, NY
kudos:9
 ·RoadRunner Cable
·VoicePulse
| reply to Sarah
Re: [Rant] International postage prices I run a small indie label and I feel your pain. Most of my sales are to Europe, and having to charge as much for postage as I charge for the CD is ridiculous. I tried doing electronic downloads only, but people who like our artists really want a physical CD. This postal increase is likely to put me out of business, seriously. |
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SarahPremium,ExMod 2002-05
join:2001-01-09
Cambridge, MA
kudos:5 Reviews:
·MegaNet Communic..
| Yeah, I am friendly with some people who run an indie music shop that does a lot of mail order (they also do the mail order for a decent-size indie label) and I am worried what it will do to them. They did a lot of international business also.  I always order from them even if it costs a little bit more, but there's no way people are going to start paying $28-$30 per disc overseas all of a sudden.
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My music blog |
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 Mr NeutronCeaseless, Tasteless, and GormlessPremium
join:2005-05-30
Gorham, ME | reply to Sarah
said by Sarah:I just mailed one to Holland for the first time since they changed the postage prices in January and they charged me $12.75!
I'm fairly sure you've considered this already, but: might UPS or Fedex be able to offer competitive rates for small packages like that going overseas? |
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 algPassionately apatheticPremium
join:2001-04-10
Houston, TX
kudos:3 | reply to PCInTech
said by PCInTech:I run a small indie label and I feel your pain. Most of my sales are to Europe, and having to charge as much for postage as I charge for the CD is ridiculous. I tried doing electronic downloads only, but people who like our artists really want a physical CD. This postal increase is likely to put me out of business, seriously.
Sounds like it might be wise to find somebody in the same position over in Europe and maybe start of some sort of partnership where they handle their European sales and you handle their American sales.
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This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper. |
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SarahPremium,ExMod 2002-05
join:2001-01-09
Cambridge, MA
kudos:5 Reviews:
·MegaNet Communic..
| reply to Mr Neutron
said by Mr Neutron:I'm fairly sure you've considered this already, but: might UPS or Fedex be able to offer competitive rates for small packages like that going overseas?
Not only are they not competitive, but the prices will make you laugh hysterically until someone tells you they're not actually joking. Seems like there is an opening for a shipping company to start doing reasonable international shipping...
In other news, it's been thirteen days and neither package has arrived. Usually takes 5-10 days.
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My music blog |
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PCInTechkeeping art alive since 1953Premium
join:2004-06-07
Massena, NY
kudos:9 Reviews:
·RoadRunner Cable
·VoicePulse
| reply to alg
said by alg:Sounds like it might be wise to find somebody in the same position over in Europe and maybe start of some sort of partnership where they handle their European sales and you handle their American sales.
That's something I've explored, but being that the CDs are manufactured here in the USA, I still have to ship the product in bulk (even more expensive) to Europe for them to mail locally. Frustration abounds.  |
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Reviews:
·voip.ms
| said by PCInTech:said by alg:Sounds like it might be wise to find somebody in the same position over in Europe and maybe start of some sort of partnership where they handle their European sales and you handle their American sales.
That's something I've explored, but being that the CDs are manufactured here in the USA, I still have to ship the product in bulk (even more expensive) to Europe for them to mail locally. Frustration abounds. Interesting, you can't find replication facilities in Europe?
I help run a small on line radio station and we have listeners in both the US & Canada and the station is based in the US.
With the recent postal rate increases for international mailing & shipping, we've had to find facilities in each country to produce items for sale (like t shirts etc.) for mailing within each country.
My biggest advantage here in Canada is that I live steps away from the post office, so after getting the mailing supplies its easy as pie to get mailings done and pick up the orders from the suppliers.
Biggest challenge for me is figuring out a way to ship some items I'm having made *to* the US that are by nature fragile. Packing the items for transport will be one challenge. The next one is getting them to the distribution point in the US in one piece.
NefCanuck |
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| reply to Sarah
My comment would only be who still buys new CDs? Anyone who owns a real home stereo (I.E. not Bose) will know how bad any format other than a Record and CDs sounds.
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I do not, have not, and will not work for AT&T/Comcast/Verizon/Charter or similar sized company. |
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Don't forget that MP3 sounds like trash. |
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SarahPremium,ExMod 2002-05
join:2001-01-09
Cambridge, MA
kudos:5 | reply to battleop
I honestly don't understand what you're trying to say there, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't have anything to do with international postage.
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My music blog |
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| You are the one that brought up CDs. IF you don't want any comments about anything other than international postage then don't include other comments.
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I do not, have not, and will not work for AT&T/Comcast/Verizon/Charter or similar sized company. |
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SarahPremium,ExMod 2002-05
join:2001-01-09
Cambridge, MA
kudos:5 Reviews:
·MegaNet Communic..
| Are you referring to the post-script in the OP where I specifically mocked people who would so predictably comment in such a manner? 
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My music blog |
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 dvd536as Mr. Pink as they comePremium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
kudos:4 | reply to Oleg
said by Oleg:As a Pirate i don't anymore. If someone is not a pirate than i do not see the reason why not. It is better to buy a legitimate CD rather than paying 99 cents for one tune. Plus you have to deal with DRM on top of that.
not to mention that 99 cent song will be bitstarved compared to ripping it off the cd. and theres record exchange stores that gets you cd cheaper.
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Despises any post with strings. |
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