I'd like to say i'm shocked that a lot of this thread was grumbling about postage costs when buying something for a buck - but i'm not.
Now let me explain (not that this will appease the neighsayers, but what the heck...).
First off, way back when MMP charged for postage based on price. Man were we ROASTED for doing this. So we overhauled the whole system and charge by weight (the "correct" thing to do IMO). So first person who says "But it only cost a buck and I have to pay $6 for shipping" gets a big raspberry. You can't have it both ways, folks...
Our shopsite software has 1 postage unit as the lowest measure of weight. A magazine, a sheet of paper, anything up to 8 oz. If we put in 0, then the shipping is free. So we have no choice but to put 1 for anything up to 8 oz.
So, each map has a shipping "unit" of 1 to the system. Why? Because someone may wish to order 1, someone may wish to order 100. Order 10 maps, it's 10 units (which equates to 5 lbs). Order 60 maps and its 60 units (which equates to 30 lbs and breaks our system). 10 fraction of an ounce paper maps is still ten units in the system, just as 10 mounted mapboards - at probably four pounds - is still ten units in the system.
So, had anyone actually asked us instead of assuming that we're merely pulling an ebay and jacking up the postage to "make money" perhaps we would have thought/remembered to post that we're crediting back $ on the absurdly high overpayments for unmounted maps (much like we're billing extra for the guys ordering 100 maps - our system "stops" billing postage at 32 lbs IIRC). Sorry guys, we can't think of everything and this just slipped my mind. The office has orders to refund/charge so at +/- five bucks. I assume they're doing as requested.
To those who assume we're "making money on shipping" there are plenty of reasons why we're not. pre-A) like I said we're trying to even out under/overpayments at a reasonable rate of under/overpaying. A) we pay employees to pack and ship orders, we pay for the building for them to pack and ship orders in, and we pay a freaking buttload of $ to UPS and/or the USPS to actually ship the items. We used to call this a service charge, or "handling" (I forget which) but so many people complained that we just wrapped the buck and change for "handling" into the shipping cost. B) others ship for less! They sure do. A $70 game we would sell for $35. I see it all the time and I know how much people's product costs to produce, i've calculated more than a few games costs. :smile: HELLO, if you're getting a better shipping cost than it costs to ship the game then they have wrapped it into the price of the game! I can't believe this is a revelation to anyone, but it seemingly is. C) My stamp says $1.32 and I was billed $5. The people who live in Maryland get hosed, postage/shipping to them is always higher than necessary. The people who live in Oregon get a break, it's usually the other way around. Shipping for UPS/USPS would be idealized (is that a word?) if we lived and ran MMP in the center of the country. We don't, we're a coastal company. One day, I hope, we'll have a better system of getting more exact postage. Right now the tables we have/use "work" on average. Some guys get a little hosed, some guys get a little break, and some guys are just right.
The net result is if you don't like paying the shipping don't. It is what it is. We're not making money selling these boards, the mounted maps cost more than a buck each to produce. And they have been in our warehouse how long? They need to be gone, and they will be gone in just a few weeks.
And whomever asked (Portal? Maybe Aries, can't recall...) I'd wait for the SK version before buying the unmounted maps, personally. You have to laminate the paper maps, that costs more than the maps themselves now. :smile: And the printer we now use does a better trim job (less "tight") than the old printer.
Of course I have no problems with computer vs. painted art so that may alter your decision as well.
Don't wait too long, though, they'll be notepads a few weeks from now...
