MMP and Shipping ...

[kdalton]

Please read and comment. This is from Brian, cross-posted from Consimworld.

So a few weeks ago UPS comes into our office and due to our volume of shipping offers us an absurdly high 55% discount on international shipping - enough so to make it competitive with the US Post Office (who's trying to strangle small mailorder businesses into non-existence). And they offer the most prized jewel - tracking to the doorstep for deliveries.

I asked about other fees, no we've got the charts and WYSIWYG. We're on it! Set everything up, and begin shipping Talavera's, I think.

Within a week two complaints from Canada about absurdly high COD "brokerage fee". UPSs reponse? Those affect your customer, not you, your costs are reflected on the charts we gave you.

I'm freaking steamed. Barring a sudden reversal from UPS we'll be right back to that f'ing USPS for Canadian shipments.

But what we need to know is if you European/Japanese folks are getting hit with the same fees. Clearly the tracking is a big plus for us, but we're not going to let our customers get raked over the coals for that option.

So, Euro/PacRim folks, please email me at info@multimanpublishing.com if you've received a UPS order and what fees were required to get that order delivered to you.

I'll be out of town with limited, if any, net access next week. So please don't expect instantaneous response. Although by now I hope to have beaten that expectation out of you folks.

 

[Eduardoh]

So, you are shipping Few Returned with USPS or UPS?

And I didn´t like that we, 3rd World South Americans, were left out of the concerns with UPS fees.

 

[Chris Netherton]

Hi Keith

Although not strictly answering your question I have been charged large 'handling' fees in the past when ordering directly from yourselves. However, these were charged by Parcel Force/Royal Mail at the UK end rather than by USPS. The fees were for having to levy customs charges. I haven't ordered anything since AoO and I'm afraid I can't remember how much I had to pay.

 

[kdalton]

So, you are shipping Few Returned with USPS or UPS?

And I didn´t like that we, 3rd World South Americans, were left out of the concerns with UPS fees.

Right now, UPS. And apologies. One of my best friends is from Brazil. ;-)

 

[Portal]

Keith & anyone else @ MMP,

Please know the excessive UPS internal service charges (i.e. "brokerage") for Customs processing is well known across Canada, and why UPS is popularly ignored as a shipping option for international imports into Canada which are not time-sensitive. This is nowhere near a new problem for us.

Please maintain multiple (i.e. more than one) service option for Canadian customers seeking to mail order MMP products directly from you.

Don't let yourselves be screwed by UPS like they screw us.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

On a possibly unrelated note - in Calgary, UPS' depot (if you work for a living, you can't be home during the day to receive UPS deliveries and have to go pick it up) is open ridiculously short hours - 9 to 5 or something, and not on weekends.

By contrast, DHL is open til 8 or even 10pm weekends and on Saturday, making it easier to visit the depot. I find their rates were competitive.

Have you explored DHL or even Greyhound for Canadian shipping?

FWIW, I've had no problem with UPS on the brokerage front; I've had to pay only rarely, and even then I think they billed me after the fact and I just happily ignored their bill collector until they gave up.

 

[DaveStory]

I personally dislike UPS. The last package I received from them showed as being shipped one night, when I tracked it on their website, though I hadn't received it. I thought somebody stole it off my front porch, and spent several hours trying to track down it's whereabouts (inluding talking to a UPS representative who suggested that I didn't look 'hard enough' for my package and that it was probably still sitting somwhere on my porch!! A$$holes!!)

In fact, the carrier delivered it the next day. I asked him what the situation was and he couldn't give me a straight answer <I don't know, I was just told to deliver it - must have been a mix-up at the distribution center> .

I've been told that this is a common practice so that their turnaround metrics look better than they actually are.

If given the option, I would take any other carrier in lieu of UPS; even if it means higher freight costs. The frustration just isn't worth it for me.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

I personally dislike UPS. The last package I received from them showed as being shipped one night, when I tracked it on their website, though I hadn't received it. I thought somebody stole it off my front porch, and spent several hours trying to track down it's whereabouts (inluding talking to a UPS representative who suggested that I didn't look 'hard enough' for my package and that it was probably still sitting somwhere on my porch!! A$$holes!!)

In fact, the carrier delivered it the next day. I asked him what the situation was and he couldn't give me a straight answer <I don't know, I was just told to deliver it - must have been a mix-up at the distribution center> .

I've been told that this is a common practice so that their turnaround metrics look better than they actually are.

If given the option, I would take any other carrier in lieu of UPS; even if it means higher freight costs. The frustration just isn't worth it for me.

The driver refused to leave it on your porch so the neighbours could steal it, made a special trip the next day to deliver it, and you're complaining?

 

[Portal]

He was complaining about the poor and ambiguous communication. A reason to be perturbed.

 

[Serge]

Please read and comment. This is from Brian, cross-posted from Consimworld.

I was charged 29 euros ($39) COD by UPS on a $58 order that already included $26 for shipping. I like my asl goodies as much as the next man, but unless another shipping option becomes available I will probably stop ordering from mmp.
Serge

Addendum (edited about 2 weeks later): I just received "Few Returned" which was shipped via USPS instead of UPS. I am quite impressed and pleased at how quickly this problem was handled.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

I was charged 29 euros ($39) COD by UPS on a $58 order that already included $26 for shipping. I like my asl goodies as much as the next man, but unless another shipping option becomes available I will probably stop ordering from mmp.
Serge

You could probably be doing more to support your local gaming store in any event; they keep the hobby afloat as much as any of us ebay-shoppers.

 

[tekay44]

I haven't heard anyone mention FedEx, use us. We are pretty damn good, if I do say so myself.

 

[Canadian Dude]

ah crap...

I just ordered 2 maps from MMP for 7.25. So when will this extra money come up to me? How much will it be? Will I have to fork it over at the door before I get my package? Two maps to Ottawa.... that can't be much... can it? :OHNO:

- The Canadian Dude

P.S. Not blaming MMP, they were unaware that they were getting screwed over, just worrying about my own fragile pockets.

 

[cjsloki]

I noticed on CSW many people mentioned how UPS gets them extra fees. I would just prefer USPS having suffered a similar incident to what Dave related. I stopped doing business with one company because they would only ship UPS.

Charles

 

[FMFCB]

I will not buy from any company that only offers UPS shipping. I would refuse the package at the door but they only deliver 9 to 5. And pickup at their office is the same hours.
Dave

 

[WaterRabbit]

UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc. are all the same. Depending upon where you are depends on the type of service you receive. Here they all show up, but UPS generally shows up after 6:00pm. The only carrier I don't care for is Airborne Express in conjunction with the USPS -- they must use a mule train to transport packages. Extremely slow.

 

[Honza]

Recieved two parcels from MMP in the last 2 weeks here in the UK. Both had to be signed for re the tracking to the doorstep, but there were no additional charges.

 

[MadDog_CDN]

Keith & anyone else @ MMP,

Please know the excessive UPS internal service charges (i.e. "brokerage") for Customs processing is well known across Canada, and why UPS is popularly ignored as a shipping option for international imports into Canada which are not time-sensitive. This is nowhere near a new problem for us.

Please maintain multiple (i.e. more than one) service option for Canadian customers seeking to mail order MMP products directly from you.

Don't let yourselves be screwed by UPS like they screw us.

Haven't read everything yet, but totally agree with Portal on this one.

 

[dagalord]

Nowadays I've got two orders probably travelling, maps and Few Returned (FR not charged yet). When I'll have got it at home I'll report.

 

[Robin Reeve]

The French players on the French forum are grumbling and speaking of annulating all their preorders.
Is MMP about to use USPS for the next sendings, or are we to await systematical UPS charges for VoTG, the mapset, etc. ?