Hardware For Sale/Trade

Not entirely sure which would be the most relevant Board for this, but thought the For Sale section would be best as
it has the 2nd highest readership (would the Hardware section be better? Admins, feel free to move this thread).

I have completely rewritten my Posting Advice page, oodles of info on how to use courier and normal
post services, how to pack parcels, etc. See:

http://www.sgidepot.co.uk/postingadvice.html

Although the page is UK-focused with respect to the companies and services described, the general ideas as
regards packing methods and concepts apply anywhere, as do the comments on how to obtain free packaging
and other issues.

Comments welcome!

Ian.

great work on packaging! thank you!

Hi,

The only issue I have with Ian's packaging method is that:

I'm always sure to get high quality, good cosmetic condition hardware when buying from him, always impatient to get my stuff BUT IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO UNPACK!

It's always sad to receive a box full of crushed Sgi skins. Thank you for the advice/reminder.

Michael, Ian's happy customer.

magellan writes:
> I'm always sure to get high quality, good cosmetic condition hardware when buying from him, always impatient to get
> my stuff BUT IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO UNPACK!

Hehe, it's the price you pay for safe delivery.

Opening the top box lids is easy, just cut along the dotted lines. Unwrapping what's inside though, well that's another matter.


> It's always sad to receive a box full of crushed Sgi skins. Thank you for the advice/reminder.

Last year, every single O2 I bought from elsewhere arrived with damaged skins. Very frustrating. The only O2s I received
which arrived intact were those for which I sent my own packaging to the seller to use, ie. I booked my own courier collection.

It's such a shame, I have a number of top covers & bases which on the face of it look mint, but they have cracks somewhere or
bits broken off. My packaging for an O2 can seem OTT, but it's the only way to ensure they arrive intact.

Ian.

Thanks Ian for the guidelines. I try to adhere to them

I also always take pictures during the process. No package I shipped ever showed up in pieces, but no one is going to accuse me of shoddy packaging in case that should ever happen.

Had something 'interesting' happen to me recently:
* ordered something the week before xmas.
* wasn't worried it had not showed up before xmas, and left for holidays.
* when it still didn't show up after the New Year, I requested the tracking code.
* T&T said something like this "attempt to deliver -> consignee absent or force majeure -> address incomplete -> consignee is invited to contact customer service -> parcel was re-routed at the consignee's request to the address of their choice."

The last bit set off all alarm bells and I called PostNL customer service.

What had really happened? Package was intercepted by customs. Really useful, T&T Unless customs is a 'force majeure'

Apparently they can keep any package for up to 30 days for inspection. So now I have a case with them. They still haven't told me when they're going to deliver my package

jan-jaap writes:
> Thanks Ian for the guidelines. I try to adhere to them

Most welcome.


> Apparently they can keep any package for up to 30 days for inspection. So now I have a case with them. They still
> haven't told me when they're going to deliver my package

IMO govts worldwide have told their customs to be much more strict about imports, I believe to try & stifle private
sales via sites such as eBay, probably due to pressure from normal companies. Compared to a few years ago,
for example, the cost of having a Tezro shipped to me from the US has almost doubled.

Yeah, because restricting trade is always a great way to fix an ailing global economy, sheesh...

I noticed a US eBay auction yesterday which referred to some kind of global posting scheme by which one pays the
seller an extra amount at the time of purchase so that all relevant import duties & suchlike are already covered,
resulting in faster delivery. However, for the item value of the auction, to me it looked like the extra fees were about
2X more than the duties one would be charged if importing in the normal way. Great, so now they have a way of
making extra money out of the import duty system. :\

Ian.

Hmm, now these parcel services are interesting, but I assume these only are for the UK? The one package option we have up here is Itella (the rebranded post office, ugh) which is cheap, but they have recently started to refuse sending lithium batteries; ostensibly because they can catch fire, but if you're a contract customer it's fine... Courier services are all hundreds of euros every time I check.

They are indeed in the UK (except of course booking directly via Fedex/UPS/DHL), but one important point: if you want to send something
to the UK, a recipient here can use Interparcel have to a consignment collected from you and sent to them, ie. the recipient books the
collection, not the sender, thus enabling you to have access to the better rates available via Interparcel.

I'm not sure if this is also possible with parcel2go, probably is though.

Ian.

It has gone crazy inside the US too. Everyone raised shipping rates dramatically here when gas prices spiked last year claiming it was to cover the cost of fuel. Now that gas dropped to some of the lowest prices in years they, of course, haven't reduced shipping a single cent. Nobody was too surprised.

Use the Post Office - and refuse to let the bastards shut it down. Years ago UPS was better but these days, the post office is nicer to deal with, faster and cheaper.

I agree although only for flat rate and media mail. Priority mail for larger stuff gets nuts fast. First class package is great but, only goes to 13oz. The new padded flat rate envelope is amazing but, hard to get. They aren't available from post offices only ordered online. Free bubble mailer that fits a more than it looks like it should.

I don't know if they still do it but we often used Greyhound for larger heavier stuff. No 100 lb limit and it went straight wherever as fast as a bus can go.

It's most likely not as convenient now but maybe still an option for some things ?

From the car hobby I gather there's a 100 pound limit on Greyhound Freight nowadays. Guys were discussing sending their gearboxes that way, 94 pounds plus packaging was going to be close...

A talented manager could screw up a turd ....