SDP/SI rip off

[4lowie]

Hi guys
Not sure if you guys have had trouble with SDP/SI, I just ordered 2 mxl belts and 2 small pulleys to suit. Just on $28 worth..... Guess how much freight they just shafted me with..... $99. I emailed asking them to cancel the order... You guessed it no answer. Have others had trouble with them?

Dave

[michaelthomas]

I have ordered quite a bit from them, with no real issues. My larger orders (300-400$) have cost me as much to ship as a single plastic pulley, though (20$). It was a bit difficult for me to spend 25.00$ for a 5.00 pulley......but I realize places have minimum orders. I would bet your shipping costs would not change much if your order was substantially bigger.

It looks like you're not exactly around the corner from them, though......lol.

I have similar experiences with Moore Gear, and Roton with single piece orders. I bought a 4' section of rack from Moore, and the cost was 28.00. After shipping, it was about 65.00.......lol.

It's just the way it is, I believe. It more of a pain in the ass per dollar made to service small orders, and most companies are doing everything they can right now to see that they still generate income.

[Geof]

Nobody ripped you off. Shipping to New Zealand is not cheap. I just did a UPS shipping estimate for a 1kg package from Seattle, WA to Auckland and it was $US128.

[Al_The_Man]

Not sure if you guys have had trouble with SDP/SI, I just ordered 2 mxl belts and 2 small pulleys to suit.
Dave

Is it possible for you to access Misumi from there, they are world wide and based out of Japan.
It could be cheaper for you?
Al.

[Quentinlong]

A workmate uses a US mailbox service, which consolidates all of the items sent to it into a single box, and then ships that box to NZ. I occasionally get things sent to this box, to be slotted in around the other things he is bringing in. The saving comes from only paying for a single shipping cost from the US to NZ. On average he is getting one to two boxes a month sent, so for NZ cnczone'rs, I could arrange for small items to be added to these boxes, and shipping should be a fraction of the cost. Things like vices, 3 or 4 jaw chucks etc which are heavy, will still cost an arm and a leg in shipping.

[4lowie]

Geof.... I do think I've been ripped off as I brought my linea bearings and rails from vbx which would have been 10 times the weight an volume and the freight from them was under $30. So yes $100 for a couple of onces of freight that would all fit in an envelope is a rip-off in my book.
Anyway guys we live and learn don't we....

Cheers for now, time to move on and get this project finished.

[domar]

Hi Dave
I have had difficulties with having things shipped from the states. Part of the problem is that most of the suppliers use courier services because they are used to businesses wanting their goods yesterday.
Where possible I ask for items to be sent by USPS standard box (small) which is about $15 or $18 and will hold quite a bit for its size. The other option is to have goods sent to somebody who will consolidate and reship for you.
Regards
Don

[port_huon]

How was the item(s) shipped? If it was DHL or Fedex I can understand the charge, they are expensive.
If possible, get your supplier to use USPS, much more reasonable.

[CrazyIvan]

Most larger US businesses send packages across the country using DHL/Fedex for ~$10.

When someone outside the US orders something, they just use the same DHL/Fedex courier (hey they've already got a business relationship, an account, scheduled pick-up services)... and it costs $100 for a small envelope.

Small overseas sales simply are not the target market for these businesses, they are not willing to put the effort in to save you money.

If the business takes overseas sales seriously, they'll ship via a cost-effective method (e.g. USPS) - and a new emerging breed of business does just this.