USPS no longer a shipping option?

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ssa3512
 
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USPS no longer a shipping option?

Post by ssa3512 »

I am trying to place a small order ($15.85) and the only options I am being provided for shipping are UPS. Does Adafruit no longer ship through USPS? I don't really want to pay $8.69 for shipping on a fifteen dollar order. I seem to recall being able to have my orders shipped USPS for much cheaper in the past.

adafruit
 
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Re: USPS no longer a shipping option?

Post by adafruit »

thanks for the note, for some locations we no longer offer a USPS option at checkout - we do offer great UPS ground rates and for orders over $200 we offer free UPS ground (continental usa).

https://www.adafruit.com/shippinginfo
http://www.adafruit.com/blog/2014/03/14 ... rbusiness/

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bradt
 
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Re: USPS no longer a shipping option?

Post by bradt »

I was just about to ask the same thing. That's a bummer. I love adafruit, and really want to support the site, but the shipping on my order is almost 1/3 the order total. It's nearly half that for the same items on other sites with USPS shipping.

I really hope you bring back the more reasonably priced USPS option in my area.

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michaelmeissner
 
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Re: USPS no longer a shipping option?

Post by michaelmeissner »

Depending on what you are buying, you might be able to find Adafruit redistributors that sell stuff with USPS shipping. One I noticed recently was the ebay seller Atomsindustries (http://stores.ebay.com/AtomsIndustries? ... 7675.l2563), which offers $1.99 shipping for the first item, and $0.10 for each additional item.

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jimblue
 
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Re: USPS no longer a shipping option?

Post by jimblue »

I have had problems with UPS in the past, but not the post office USPS.

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bcochran1
 
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Re: USPS no longer a shipping option?

Post by bcochran1 »


When you consider that Adafruit also pays for the shipping container, label, and packing materials, in addition to carrier's shipping charge, the $8.69 total cost is extremely reasonable. I'm okay with it. I do tend to order a LOT of stuff from Adafruit to make the most of that shipping charge, but it is by no means expensive. I know, I've sold on Ebay two or three times so far and each time shipping costs, on my own, have wiped out my profit from the sales, and to add insult, Ebay made me wait 10 business days before making the funds available to me, too. If you want to sell commercially, you will quickly discover that shipping costs are a heavy burden.

So I think Adafruit's shipping options are great. You will burn up more than $8.69 if you drive around hoping to buy the same or similar items at other locations -- only there aren't many other vendors. (Grin.)

In the Washington, DC area, I have a strong preference for United Parcel Service shipping vs. United States Post Office.

United Parcel Service gives me 1 day delivery times from New York City. From the same location, the Post Office is at least a 2 day shipping time (sometimes longer) and that has been frustrating for me.

First class mail cannot be tracked, and tracking even a small order is extremely important to me.

I formerly had an extremely good, very skilled, very polite Post Office letter carrier who rarely ever gave my mail to someone else by mistake. She didn't leave my packages in pouring rain either. She treated my stuff with respect. What a shame that she was reassigned to a different route in the same city. Now I have some bum who routinely gives my postal mail to the neighbors and leaves boxes on the deck, exposed to rain, snow, ice, and heat.

Bottom line for me is: I want United Parcel Service, even if they cost a little more.

Bob


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bcochran1
 
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Re: USPS no longer a shipping option?

Post by bcochran1 »

I just placed what seems a small order. My shipping costs for United Parcel Service was $8.65 USD prior to December 25, 2014. Today the shipping cost for my order increased to $9.04. This is teaching me that small orders are expensive.

Bob

mohitmathew
 
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Re: USPS no longer a shipping option?

Post by mohitmathew »

Love Adafruit products.

Hate the $9 shipping with UPS. I need some quick small parts now and then and Adafruit.com is not a viable option for me.

Please bring back the good old USPS.

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Funman1
 
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Re: USPS no longer a shipping option?

Post by Funman1 »

I have to agree us West Coasters HATE UPS from the East.
PERFECT example..
I placed a larger order on Friday December 19th my ONLY option was UPS.
That order will NOT arrive until this coming Friday (the 2nd of 2015!!)
(Just in case you were counting that 2 WEEKS from order date.)

I ALSO placed an order on Sat December 20th (Smaller order) and selected USPS First Class.
That package got to me LAST week on Friday the 26th and would have been here the 25th if not for the Holiday!!
(Just in case you were counting that's LESS than 1 week WITH A HOLIDAY thrown in!)

If you are happy with UPS BCochran then that's fine, but for the rest of us it's an expensive, slower than dirt, horri-bad nightmare shipping option.

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sscanf
 
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Re: USPS no longer a shipping option?

Post by sscanf »

I agree: Please bring back USPS shipping, at least for small orders.

$9 to ship a bag of LEDs from NYC to Mass is hard to swallow.

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steverobey
 
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Re: USPS no longer a shipping option?

Post by steverobey »

Bottom line here guys is that Adafruit Industries isn't going to ship to you through USPS anymore. That's their choice and for them, logistically it makes sense. They aren't changing their shipping policies to make unhappy customers. This company is growing extremely fast and that means they need to change things on the fly sometimes. There may come a day when they are big like amazon and can give you faster cheaper shipping but they are not there yet. Have faith and continue to support the company, be patient. Consider the quality of product you and getting and the unrivaled support that comes with it.

It may be possible to get some of the things here cheaper someplace like Amazon, Ebay, Newegg etc. But good luck getting the same level of support on that off brand Arduino you ordered from a vendor in China. It might have only cost you a few dollars, but you know it took almost three weeks to get to you, if you ever got it.

My point here is that this is a growing business, things are going to change and they will get better.

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fgoopar
 
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Re: USPS no longer a shipping option?

Post by fgoopar »

I want to get the raspberry pi b+ starter pack to send it to mexico

I dont want to send it thru USPS because it takes years

I will send it myself, but at customs they want the spec sheet

Can you provide it to me?

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steverobey
 
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Re: USPS no longer a shipping option?

Post by steverobey »

Some times it is best to go to the source. You should be able to find the information you need at the vendor's page here http://www.raspberrypi.org/products/model-b-plus/
With respect to things like the Pi, Adafruit Industries is a company reselling another companies product so you have the comfort of one stop shopping. For things like white pages an technical documents, it's always best to ask the guy who made it. Hope that link helps.

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michaelmeissner
 
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Re: USPS no longer a shipping option?

Post by michaelmeissner »

Note fgoopar was asking about the Adafruit starter kit. I would imagine customs may want a list of the Adafruit added parts (case, wires, leds, etc.) in addition to the Raspberry Pi B+ (which as you point out, the B+ specs are at raspberrypi.org).

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steverobey
 
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Re: USPS no longer a shipping option?

Post by steverobey »

I also noticed he posted a separate thread also asking about shipping to Mexico and it was suggested there that he order / drop-ship from a vendor in Mexico and really that might be the best solution. The only issue I can think of that *Might* come about refers back to the red board or Chinese revision of the Pi. I haven't done any research as to weather or not Mexico is doing the same sort of thing but it is possible that they are importing regular Raspberry Pis *OR* they are manufacturing them in Mexico.

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