Sensible packaging

M

Mad Mac

Senior Member
I have just bought a few small parts from Brattons. The quoted cost in Bratton's catalog was $US19.85. They were such small things (gaskets, screws, seals etc) that they would almost have fit into a cigarette packet. But Brattons packed them in a cardboard box measuring 10 x 12 x 8 inches. This resulted in a shipping cost of $US44.20, effectively tripling the net quoted cost to $US64.05. Do Brattons have shares in a shipping company?
 
When you placed the order if you would have called Braxton's and asked them to put it in a small flat rate box and ship it by USPS they would have done so. That is what I do when ordering small parts from them.

Tom Endy
 
Hey try shipping to nz , a packet of Big end shells cost $68 in a box big enough to put your boots in from snyders,
 
I get stuff from other places that do the same thing, a couple of small item in a huge box. Rockauto does that too, but at least their shipping costs are reasonable.
 
This is a problem raised often, especially by we who live outside the US. The suppliers are so dumb (or just don't care) that they keep doing it. A couple of friends of mine were at Brattons (I think it was Brattons but which seller it was doesn't really matter) one day and saw the people packing boxes. This problem was raised with them and friends showed THEM how to put more into the same sized box. Doing sensible things like putting smaller items inside larger ones was a revelation to them. Friends reduced about 5 boxes to 2. It's not their money they are wasting so they don't care. They don't seem to have the cranial capacity to realise is that O/S buyers are unlikely to buy again.
Rant complete!
 
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ronn said:
that is insane!

sometimes it's hard to fix stupid..................
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I agree! In the past year I have ordered twice from them. Both times they got my shipping info messed up. Both times they tried to send my order to a town in Maryland that doesn't exist! (I live in Pa.) FedEx called me the first time to find out where i'm at. This last time the FedEx lady yelled at me for putting down the wrong address :eek:.
The next time I order it will probably be with Snyders. So far no issues with them.
 
I find its really expensive to ship to austraila i had a flat 22x22x2 and 54 through usps and over 200 for ups and fed ex.
 
The shipping guy is usually one step up from the floor sweeper guy. Some sites have a
section to give them shipping instructions. You should be able to request like Tom Endy
did.
 
Tom Endy said:
When you placed the order if you would have called Braxton's and asked them to put it in a small flat rate box and ship it by USPS they would have done so. That is what I do when ordering small parts from them.

Tom Endy
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I wish I knew your secret ...

I did the maths to work out what would fit in a flat rate box twice, and got their agreement on it by email twice.

The first arrived in a box twice as high as a flat rate box, but the charge was at the flat rate box rate. Don't know how they pulled that off. Oh well, fine by me.
The second time the double height box arrived it was charged at the full rate. About US$126 I think it was. This was after a discussion by email about what would fit in an international flat rate box.

I have been experimenting with Shipito, especially with free US shipping, as they repack things before sending it international.
 
I have stopped buying from the US after the same happened to me twice.

A box 4 times bigger than needed and heaps of paper rubbish inside to fill the space.

I reckon they just get rid of all their old trash boxes for free and we all pay for it.

There was enough newspapers and clippings in there to keep me dunny reading for a month.
 
mike657894 said:
flat rates dont go international
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So that's not an option for me then as I am in New Zealand. Someone is making a fortune out of us gullible overseas customers and its not acceptable. Buying from the US is bad enough considering the exchange rate, without allowing for dishonesty and/or incompetence. Brattons and Snyders should take responsibility for this and fix it now, as it must cause a lot of bad feeling with their overseas customers.
 
I sent something in a flat rate box to Austrailia. It was more expensive than the domestic
one but was still flat rate.????
 
Mad Mac said:
So that's not an option for me then as I am in New Zealand. Someone is making a fortune out of us gullible overseas customers and its not acceptable. Buying from the US is bad enough considering the exchange rate, without allowing for dishonesty and/or incompetence. Brattons and Snyders should take responsibility for this and fix it now, as it must cause a lot of bad feeling with their overseas customers.
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What overseas customers? I buy most of my stuff locally these days even though the guy I dealt with in the US is very good. The prohibitive freight costs were not his fault and he did the best he could re packing. I just do the sums now before I buy locally or from the US. For small items, it is local every time but when it comes to something big, we'll see. I'm usually ahead of the game enough that I can order far enough in advance to have time to ship by surface freight. That saves $, especially on heavy stuff.
 
Synchro909 said:
What overseas customers? I buy most of my stuff locally these days even though the guy I dealt with in the US is very good. The prohibitive freight costs were not his fault and he did the best he could re packing. I just do the sums now before I buy locally or from the US. For small items, it is local every time but when it comes to something big, we'll see. I'm usually ahead of the game enough that I can order far enough in advance to have time to ship by surface freight. That saves $, especially on heavy stuff.
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Thanks, I will remember that next time. However, if the goods are packed by Brattons or Snyders, the prohibitive freight costs are their fault. By packing more sensibly they could reduce shipping costs hugely.
 
Mad Mac said:
I have just bought a few small parts from Brattons. The quoted cost in Bratton's catalog was $US19.85. They were such small things (gaskets, screws, seals etc) that they would almost have fit into a cigarette packet. But Brattons packed them in a cardboard box measuring 10 x 12 x 8 inches. This resulted in a shipping cost of $US44.20, effectively tripling the net quoted cost to $US64.05. Do Brattons have shares in a shipping company?
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You have two packages, one 10x12x8 and another 1/2x3x4. Both entering and exiting several sorting centers, airports and such on the way to you. Which one is easier to have fallen in some corner, get damaged, and otherwise not make it to you?
 
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