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Buying on LDDB/Shipping Costs
https://forum.lddb.com/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=8155
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Author:  david22 [ 02 Dec 2018, 17:42 ]
Post subject:  Buying on LDDB/Shipping Costs

I am new to this site and have been shopping for some LDs. I ordered two LDs from a German seller , I live in the US, he give me two shipping options
1) Deutsche Post for $15 for this option seller said " LaserDisc is packed in a sturdy Cardboardbox with some inner cardboard reinforcement. The ones that are used for sending out vinyl Lps."
With this option seller stated that he isn't responsible if damage occurs.

2)DHL $25 seller stated "This way I can doublebox the Laserdisc with two cardboardboxes (also he ones that are used for sending out vinyl Lps. "

He also wants an extra $3 if I use paypal to cover the fees. He would wave this cost if I sent friends and family.

Is this normal for this site? To me this seems way too much money for shipping.Some advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Author:  rein-o [ 02 Dec 2018, 18:05 ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying on LDDB/Shipping Costs

If you are taking a cheaper shipping option with no insurance or tracking then that is your deal and you are taking the responsibility of loss or damage.

If you pay more for tracking and insurance then it can go through the post office or shipper.

I just bought from Discogs and the seller did the same thing with the cheaper shipping with no tracking or insurance.
While this is a normal situation you have to remember that you are buying a used item from an individual and not some type of shop where they have five hundred of the item and can just ship out another at a whim.

As for the paypal fees of 3 dollars this is all up to the seller if they want to charge that.
I don't charge but some do, its a way Europeans used to do years ago but I didn't know that was still going on.

Some people do the friend and family but this is up to you and your risk if you do this as you won't be protected.

But to answer your other question, this is going seller by seller so its sort of the situation on this site as the sellers make the shipping options etc.

Author:  signofzeta [ 02 Dec 2018, 18:06 ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying on LDDB/Shipping Costs

First: look what it would cost to ship domestcally.

Then: consider that Germany is 4000+ miles away from the US at the closest point.

It does cost more to ship an LD than it does to buy the same movie on a Blu-ray from Amazon with shipping. So expect that.

$3 more may sense sense. I think PayPal fees in a situation like this are %3 so did you buy $100 worth of stuff (including shipping)? If so, that’s fine. Personally I value the protection so I just pay the guy the difference if he asked for it. I never ask that question but then I don’t sell very often.

The fees seem pretty normal to me. I don’t buy LDs from Europe very often though. PAL LD isn’t worth much and anything NTSC that happens to be sitting in France I can get from a US or JP seller. Most times I just do the math and it seems too expensive to get stuff from Europe even though there some nice collections there.

I tend to buy LDs strategically. You have to order the right number and from the right places to make the shipping make sense. It’s still common for me to spend $12 to ship two $10 discs. That’s just where we are right now.

Author:  admin [ 02 Dec 2018, 18:12 ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying on LDDB/Shipping Costs

Europe <-> USA shipping fees have been increasing over the years.

Shipping from Singapore to USA would have been $19 for a single disc (no tracking, no insurance).

The price doesn't look crazy to me.

Julien

Author:  cplusplus [ 02 Dec 2018, 18:14 ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying on LDDB/Shipping Costs

You can always compare to other German sellers: https://www.lddb.com/shops.php

Author:  takeshi666 [ 02 Dec 2018, 18:41 ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying on LDDB/Shipping Costs

david22 wrote:
To me this seems way too much money for shipping.

If you think that's a lot, you should try getting discs shipped to Europe from the US.

Author:  je280 [ 02 Dec 2018, 22:16 ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying on LDDB/Shipping Costs

Post costs to any "overseas" locations are not cheap, used to be not too bad from some countries but over the years costs have risen - quite a bit in some cases.

Don't think the cost to send out 2 LDs to you is overpriced particularly if tracked & packed well, cracked discs arriving is not much fun I can assure you.

The seller appears to be offering you options so your choice really.

Hope you enjoy the LDs.

Author:  gypsy [ 03 Dec 2018, 00:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying on LDDB/Shipping Costs

signofzeta wrote:
First: look what it would cost to ship domestcally.

Then: consider that Germany is 4000+ miles away from the US at the closest point.

It does cost more to ship an LD than it does to buy the same movie on a Blu-ray from Amazon with shipping. So expect that.

$3 more may sense sense. I think PayPal fees in a situation like this are %3 so did you buy $100 worth of stuff (including shipping)? If so, that’s fine. Personally I value the protection so I just pay the guy the difference if he asked for it. I never ask that question but then I don’t sell very often.

The fees seem pretty normal to me. I don’t buy LDs from Europe very often though. PAL LD isn’t worth much and anything NTSC that happens to be sitting in France I can get from a US or JP seller. Most times I just do the math and it seems too expensive to get stuff from Europe even though there some nice collections there.

I tend to buy LDs strategically. You have to order the right number and from the right places to make the shipping make sense. It’s still common for me to spend $12 to ship two $10 discs. That’s just where we are right now.


Well said. I wouldn't buy LDs from a non-domestic seller unless I had no other choice. It's risky enough with potential damage when shipping in the US. I've had a couple arrived cracked from eBay sellers before I started buying exclusively from sellers here.

And yes this is basically a complete hobby format at this point. Anyone that just wants to watch a movie isn't picking up LDs. Sometimes having a quirky hobby requires paying more money. LDs are large, it is what it is, like you say.

Author:  signofzeta [ 03 Dec 2018, 03:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying on LDDB/Shipping Costs

Each disc is a pound. A friggn’ *pound*. Instead of mailing a 13 disc TV series one could ship an entire laptop computer with all the episodes digitized on it for far less.

Author:  rein-o [ 03 Dec 2018, 04:42 ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying on LDDB/Shipping Costs

Yes, unpacked a single disc is 1 pound.
So when you are dealing with LDs you are dealing with massive weight.
I've moved with my collection enough times to know, and I have a small collection now.

Author:  locutus2000 [ 03 Dec 2018, 07:35 ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying on LDDB/Shipping Costs

Check all US postal agencies and use their shipping calculator to find the fees for shipping a few laserdiscs to Germany. Make sure you're sitting down because if you think $15 is a lot you're in for quite a shock. But maybe I'm now just projecting my experience towards yours because I stopped trying to buy in USA for this reason.

Author:  rein-o [ 03 Dec 2018, 15:53 ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying on LDDB/Shipping Costs

It was all a few years ago that we got slammed and can't really sell overseas anymore due to the high shipping costs.

So many want to buy this stuff but shipping is out of control, I know as zeta says thousands of miles etc.
But its just out of control and in no way should be 200.00 to send guitars overseas anymore when it used to be 50 bucks to the same country.

LDs, I remember when I could ship 4 pounds of discs for 12 bucks overseas. :cry:

Author:  blam1 [ 03 Dec 2018, 20:34 ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying on LDDB/Shipping Costs

The bottom line is each seller sets their own shop policies.

Shipping costs are what they are. Unless you have a seller that is a total douche, marking up the shipping costs OVER what it costs to actually pack and ship something, there really is no getting around these fees. Boxes aren't free, packing peanuts are not free, bubble wrap isn't free, driving to the post office isn't free, online postage (like Stamps.com) isn't free. Some (like me) will reuse boxes and packing if they are still in good condition and I don't charge more than a couple $$ for "handling".

Merchants always pay a fee for credit card processing and it used to be against the policies by the credit card companies to charge the buyer for those fees. PayPal is no different. It's cool they offer a "free" way to do it (if sourcing from a bank account), but I've always viewed these things as the cost of business.

Author:  gypsy [ 03 Dec 2018, 21:02 ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying on LDDB/Shipping Costs

Paypal fees are absolutely a cost of doing business.

Author:  signofzeta [ 03 Dec 2018, 21:30 ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying on LDDB/Shipping Costs

If I was buying an LD from someone I knew then I guess I’d do the friends and family thing but if I was buying something from Neo-Geo.com forums or some no name eBay seller in another hemisphere then I’m glad to pay %3.

Author:  rein-o [ 03 Dec 2018, 23:26 ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying on LDDB/Shipping Costs

The friends and family just makes you end up paying the fees not the person receiving.
I was just about to buy something from someone I know.
Paypal is a waste when it comes to that type of deal anymore.

Author:  gypsy [ 04 Dec 2018, 01:42 ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying on LDDB/Shipping Costs

I don't have that issue. I think it depends on how you are paying. I send from my balance or bank account always.

Author:  rein-o [ 04 Dec 2018, 02:52 ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying on LDDB/Shipping Costs

I tried from my balance but as a gift I was going to have to pay 3% or 3 bucks I can't remember now?

I haven't done the gift in a long time and it was odd.

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