[Elecraft] This really bugs me

[Don Wilhelm]

  Doug,

There are other considerations to choosing either 1st class mail or 
Priority Mail.  One of which is the thickness of the package.  I am 
certain the AF1 will not qualify for the 1/4 inch thickness limit.  That 
is a post office limit, and has nothing to do with Elecraft.  If the 
extra cost of a thick package sent first class exceeds the priority mail 
rate, then nothing is to be gained by shipping 1st class.

Flat Rate shipping can be deceiving.  Lightweight items ship at less 
cost than Flat Rate, even all the way across the US.  Yes, for heavy 
items, Flat Rate is a good way to go, but every shipment has to be 
evaluated for the best rate - not an easy thing to do with an on-line 
order form.

Elecraft is not alone in this shipping predicament.  I agree that it 
often does not make sense on the surface, but I do a lot of USPS 
shipping, and finding the lowest rate is not a simplistic task - that is 
why I wait in line at the post office while the mail clerk tries to 
explain the various options to the customer.  I go in prepared with my 
chosen shipment type, with insurance and delivery confirmation forms 
filled out, and it takes only a few minutes - but then I am an 
experienced shipper and I have done the research on each and every 
shipment - that is not a trivial task that can be included on a standard 
order form.

Also, you are omitting any insurance or delivery confirmation "extra 
services" in your complaints.  The final shipping tally can be very 
different than what initially meets the eye.

And you have not even figured in the cost at Elecraft to package and 
address your parcel - that costs money, and is usually covered in the 
"S&H" line.  It takes time to package your custom order, and someone 
needs to be compensated for that time and effort.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 5/25/2011 10:39 PM, Doug Person wrote:
> Excuse the bandwidth and feel free to just hit delete if you don't want
> to listen to me complain about your favorite company.
>
> I ordered an AF1 active filter mini-module from Elecraft.  Just
> something fun to build and play with.  The price is $59.95.  OK, fine.
> However, they won't ship it First Class even though their website say
> First Class is fine for things up to 14oz.  I'm sure the AF1 weighs less
> than 3 ounces.  First Class shipping for this little package would
> probably be about $2.00 or less.  The next shipping method available is
> Priority Mail.  And this is what bugs me - they want $11.98 to ship a
> 3oz package.  Even though we've all seen the Flat Rate shipping ads on
> TV a million times and I could ship 10 pounds for $5.20 all day.  The
> order details also claims the shipping weight is 2 pounds.  Really?  I
> have an official Priority Mail shipping box stuffed with a comparable
> small kit (WM-1 which is actually much heavier)  and as much bubble wrap
> as will fit on my official USPS digital scale and it reads way less than
> the 14oz First Class limit (like 8oz).  So the bottom line is I'm being
> asked to pay $10 more for shipping then is necessary and more than twice
> the going rate for the actual shipping method they claim they're going
> to use.  Am I just being a cry-baby?  Or perhaps being retired and
> living on a fixed income drives me to care very much about (and really
> resent) a hidden $10 charge from a highly respected and trusted
> company.  I guess I'll just live without the AF-1 or any of the other
> small kits I'd like to buy.
>