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No More Cheap Shipping for Chinese Sellers

sellercentral.amazon.com

351–360 of 508 posts

Re: No More Cheap Shipping for Chinese Sellers

#351

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a fantastic Planet Money episode about the Universal Postal Union[1] and why this is a problem. Basically, the UPU assumes that a country will send about the same amount of international mail that it receives. There may be an imbalance between any two countries, but in aggregate, it assumes that these imbalances will net out. Furthermore, the UPU sets rates based on the sending country's costs. Since China wa…

Does this also affect Europe? I remember that there was free or very inexpensive shipping from China to Spain.

Yes it does, although AFAIK noone in Europe is quitting the postal union yet.

However here in Norway VAT is being introduced on all packages now, which is going to cut Aliexpress down quite a bit. Previously it was duty free below €35 combined value & postage.

Re: No More Cheap Shipping for Chinese Sellers

#352
post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For what purpose?

Not sure. I'ts an unfinished thought but something I've toyed with in my mind. Mostly because I prefer local and the movement of goods is unnecessary a lot of the time. Environmental reasons for the most part- moving unnecessary junk around the world is still excessive even if it's done efficiently.

Why is it excessive if it's done efficiently? Especially more efficiently than local!

http://freakonomics.com/2011/11/14/the-inefficiency-of-local...

Re: No More Cheap Shipping for Chinese Sellers

#353

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The fact it went on this long is the confusing part to me. Why didn't anybody come and say "Hey! This is weird. Let's stop this" before 2016?

A certain someone has a real hate-on for China?

Or certain others were much too friendly with China?

Re: No More Cheap Shipping for Chinese Sellers

#354
post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting. Now, back to my question: Do US sellers have access to this slow shipping option?

Large shippers generally do have access to similarly priced shipping options. It's difficult to directly compare because volume prices aren't all public.

Not sure where we're getting our wires crossed here....

You described the "if you or I wanted to send a three-quarter-pound package..." scenario as "very misleading", because "They aren't comparing apples to apples. In particular, they take a retail price for fast shipping with tracking and compare to a wholesale price for slow shipping without tracking."

I asked: "Do US sellers have access to this slow shipping option?"

You have not yet answered that question. The "you or I" in this context is not large shippers, and "similarly priced" is not the same as having access to the same shipping options (and prices) that individuals in China have.

Re: No More Cheap Shipping for Chinese Sellers

#356
post #310
post #290

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I bought a A1 sized picture frame from a french seller for around $50 on Amazon. It was a total pain getting an affordable frame in A1 size, because the best we can get easily in America is a 24x36" which is just far enough off to be unusable. When it arrived, it had some damage to the acrylic and I wanted to return it. Amazon Support said they would reimburse me up to $20 for shipping it back, but when I took it to…

I find that price hard to believe. Has anybody else had an experience like this?

I participate in reddit gift exchanges, and frequently get recipients in the EU. What would cost me ~$10-15 to ship in the states or somewhere in asia routinely costs north of $50 for European destinations. And these are small things, nothing like the size of a picture frame. The $300+ cost for the frame doesn't surprise me at all.

Re: No More Cheap Shipping for Chinese Sellers

#358
post #23

Can someone shed light on the subsidy structure behing the current model, are shipments from China being subsidized by shipments from other countries or is there government money involved ? In any case this kind of subsidy is not necessarily bad for developing countries, and it was probably instrumental in China's phenomenal economic growth, but it is now in the conquering superpower category, it's time it loses this…

It's not really a subsidy so much as an underpayment by the foreign goverments[1]. There is no tax money involved, and all the subsidizing comes from the increased revenue from raising domestic shipping costs. The UPU has been around for decades, but it's only been since 2010 that the USPS has formalized the process with the "ePacket" shipping. [1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/storyline/wp/2014/09/12/...

> There is no tax money involved, and all the subsidizing comes from the increased revenue from raising domestic shipping costs.

If the USPS loses money, which it has been every year recently, who pays the difference?

Re: No More Cheap Shipping for Chinese Sellers

#359
post #328
post #310

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find that price hard to believe. Has anybody else had an experience like this?

European here. Shipping from US can be insanely expensive. Once I had to pay $40 to ship a pen. I can totally believe the $370 figure.

Very much so all pathfinder role-players don't buy physical stuff from Piaso just wait and buy it from a UK wholesaler.
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