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Post by hellojoeivers on Oct 21, 2014 8:29:52 GMT -5
Hey all, just joined the board after lurking around for months. Damn, this place is addictive.
Anyway, I got an email last night to inform me that my Ringside exclusive Edge, The Rock, and Brock Lesnar, along with my bro's Christmas Present (another Ringside Edge) is in transit. I was super excited when I got another email this morning saying my order was already in Manchester (like it got it's own private jet here or something?)
However, I was dealt with a disappointing blow, that I'll have to pay a customs charge (I figured this could happen since I bought four figures). I received an email saying I'd have to pay £23.22 on delivery (unless I'm reading it wrong). I'm pretty disappointed with this, as, I mean I'm excited to get my stuff and I'm sure all the figures rule, but the customs fee means each figure has gone from being roughly £24 each (reasonable) to being roughly £30 each (not so reasonable)
Now, breaking this down, and comparing with an order I placed on Amazon.com last month:
Ringside Collectibles order:
Four Elite figures: £59.05
Postage: £36.18
Import tax: £23.22
(Figures apply to today's conversion rate as my order came to £99, which is obviously more than the combined total of my order and the postage)
Rough Total: £123
Amazon.com order:
Defining Moments figure, Elite figure, two Basic figures : £38.02
Postage: £5.97
Import tax: £8.81
Total: £52.80
Now, here's what I want to know, I'd like someone to help me out and explain the outrageous difference in both postage charges and import charges between Ringside and Amazon? Apologies if it's been acknowledged before. I understand that Ringside is obviously a much smaller company than Amazon, however, the difference between these two orders isn't just a bit of loose change, it's £70.
Any help on this would be appreciated, I've no doubt there's legitimate reasons but I'm just curious as to what the situation is (mainly so I can justify to my girlfriend why I just spent £120 I didn't have on four figures!)
Regardless of the price I can't wait to receive my stuff!
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Post by Next Man’s Knowing Rock on Oct 23, 2014 5:06:06 GMT -5
Amazon have an absolutely outstanding international delivery setup. Ringside uses the more traditional, expensive process.
With customs fees, if the shop you're buying from doesn't charge you fees upfront, then you're at the mercy of Royal Mail or the courier company. That instantly means about £13 handling fee on top of whatever the actual customs charge is, that's why you've been charged £23. Amazon, doing their pre-calculated customs charge, is much more reasonable.
Basically, Amazon is more the exception for online retailers whereas Ringside is more the rule.
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Post by hellojoeivers on Oct 23, 2014 6:21:15 GMT -5
Amazon have an absolutely outstanding international delivery setup. Ringside uses the more traditional, expensive process. With customs fees, if the shop you're buying from doesn't charge you fees upfront, then you're at the mercy of Royal Mail or the courier company. That instantly means about £13 handling fee on top of whatever the actual customs charge is, that's why you've been charged £23. Amazon, doing their pre-calculated customs charge, is much more reasonable. Basically, Amazon is more the exception for online retailers whereas Ringside is more the rule. Thanks for that, that explains it pretty well! So basically, if you order from a site that doesn't pre-calculate the customs charge, or send the item as a gift, you're likely to pay over the odds for the import? Their postage system is kind of weird too. I mean I had my figures within 48 hours of them being dispatched (US to the UK, that's pretty good going) which was cool, but I had to pay £36 for the privilege. I'd sooner have paid £10 and waited three weeks |
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Post by Next Man’s Knowing Rock on Oct 23, 2014 10:03:45 GMT -5
So basically, if you order from a site that doesn't pre-calculate the customs charge, or send the item as a gift, you're likely to pay over the odds for the import? Yeah, essentially. Although I think there's even some variation in the sites that DO pre-calculate -- WWEShop seem to charge more than Amazon, for example. I might be wrong on that, but that's how it seems to me. I suspect Amazon might have a special lower commission rate on clearing customs simply because of the size/monopoly of the company. Same here, but I think Ringside (rather than actively ripping people off) simply has a specific postage structure/contract with their carriers. A lot of Ebay sellers, especially the ones who use the new Ebay international item flat rates, also charge silly amounts for shipping. Amazon's international postage rates are by far the best I've ever seen online, and I think that's also down to the company being so huge that it makes its own deals. |
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Post by Controversial Maverick PUNK on Oct 24, 2014 18:16:25 GMT -5
Anything over £15 usually results in a customs charge, unless the seller marks it as a gift - which RSC obviously won't do. There's a standard Royal Mail "handling fee" of £8 - and that's on top of the actual customs charge. Last time I checked, the cheapest postage option RSC offered came to $35.90 - ridiculous if you just want one figure. They used to offer First Class intl, which was about $16, but they seem to have stopped it. You got your stuff so fast because it's a priority service - which means you pay for quicker delivery, but it's also insured, while first class intl is not.
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Post by SteveHulk on Oct 24, 2014 22:08:16 GMT -5
Last time I checked, the cheapest postage option RSC offered came to $35.90 - ridiculous if you just want one figure. They used to offer First Class intl, which was about $16, but they seem to have stopped it. You got your stuff so fast because it's a priority service - which means you pay for quicker delivery, but it's also insured, while first class intl is not. The cheapest option for a single figure now is $22.32 for First Class, which seems pretty reasonable... I think they must have changed or added it recently, as I was always put off using them because of their high shipping costs. I think I'm going to order the RSC Edge from them and take a gamble with the customs charge... |
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Rob7274
Main Eventer
Joined on: Sept 3, 2010 5:46:16 GMT -5
Posts: 3,821
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Post by Rob7274 on Oct 29, 2014 21:28:12 GMT -5
Last time I checked, the cheapest postage option RSC offered came to $35.90 - ridiculous if you just want one figure. They used to offer First Class intl, which was about $16, but they seem to have stopped it. You got your stuff so fast because it's a priority service - which means you pay for quicker delivery, but it's also insured, while first class intl is not. The cheapest option for a single figure now is $22.32 for First Class, which seems pretty reasonable... I think they must have changed or added it recently, as I was always put off using them because of their high shipping costs. I think I'm going to order the RSC Edge from them and take a gamble with the customs charge... Please let us all know how it goes..? Thanks. |
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Raine
Main Eventer
Joined on: Aug 8, 2006 12:11:52 GMT -5
Posts: 1,505
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Post by Raine on Nov 2, 2014 4:37:14 GMT -5
Amazon.com has now stopped shipping WWE Figures to the UK? I have bought several figures off this site since July, now all over a sudden they have stopped, anyone know why?
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Post by hellojoeivers on Nov 2, 2014 5:55:45 GMT -5
Amazon.com has now stopped shipping WWE Figures to the UK? I have bought several figures off this site since July, now all over a sudden they have stopped, anyone know why? What did you try ordering man? About a month ago I went to order that DX two pack reissue and it told me that it didn't ship to the UK, then a few days later when I tried again it worked. Although I did change my mind before I made the final payment This would be rubbish though if they stopped, got some great bargains recently from there |
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Razzerian
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Feb 16, 2012 13:58:37 GMT -5
Posts: 126
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Post by Razzerian on Nov 2, 2014 8:46:27 GMT -5
If it'll make you feel any better mate.
I bought two Masterpiece Transformers MP-10 Optimus Prime's earlier this year from the states. One I won from eBay (the Hasbro version) and the Takara one I bought from BigBadToystore.
I paid $400 (€299) (incl. shipping) for the Hasbro one and I paid $365 (€274) for the Takara one (shipped).
I had to pay €109 import on the first and €100 on the second.
It usually has to do with tracking, if a package has a tracking nr. as far as I know the sender has to put in a value for Insurance. So customs always know the exact value of your package. If there's no tracking (for example loose figures) they don't know what to charge (+ it's usually sent in a padded envelop and that goes through customs much easier than a big box)
But man I've been F*cked so often by customs, I even had to pay €16 the other day on a freaking loose figure...!
I'm so jealous of people who live in other countries, friends of mine from The Netherlands order from outside the EU allt he time and hardly ever get 'cought'. And if I order something from outside the Eu I pretty much have to pay import four times out of five.
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Post by Next Man’s Knowing Rock on Nov 2, 2014 9:05:12 GMT -5
Amazon.com has now stopped shipping WWE Figures to the UK? I have bought several figures off this site since July, now all over a sudden they have stopped, anyone know why? That is weird. On the item listing, it still says "this item does ship to [user's location], United Kingdom" but when adding and trying to check out, it won't put the order through because it says it can't ship to that location. I hope they fix it. |
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Raine
Main Eventer
Joined on: Aug 8, 2006 12:11:52 GMT -5
Posts: 1,505
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Post by Raine on Nov 2, 2014 11:59:05 GMT -5
I wanted the DM Ric Flair again, I ordered 2 for other people on 3 weeks ago, when I saw how nice the fig was in the flesh, I tried to order one for myself, now its a no go
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Post by SteveHulk on Nov 2, 2014 13:45:18 GMT -5
Amazon.com has now stopped shipping WWE Figures to the UK? I have bought several figures off this site since July, now all over a sudden they have stopped, anyone know why? That is weird. On the item listing, it still says "this item does ship to [user's location], United Kingdom" but when adding and trying to check out, it won't put the order through because it says it can't ship to that location. I hope they fix it. Yeah - I just tried ordering a Flair and Mankind and it was exactly the same... it says they will ship to your location, but when you actually go to pay for it/check-out, it says they won't ship to that location(?). I hope they get it sorted... I might contact them about it if it's still the same when the DM Hogan becomes available to order. |
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Post by Next Man’s Knowing Rock on Nov 2, 2014 14:03:46 GMT -5
That is weird. On the item listing, it still says "this item does ship to [user's location], United Kingdom" but when adding and trying to check out, it won't put the order through because it says it can't ship to that location. I hope they fix it. Yeah - I just tried ordering a Flair and Mankind and it was exactly the same... it says they will ship to your location, but when you actually go to pay for it/check-out, it says they won't ship to that location(?). I hope they get it sorted... I might contact them about it if it's still the same when the DM Hogan becomes available to order. Good luck. Based on my own experiences when the SummerSlam Heritage ones weren't shipping, the Amazon customer service reps are useless. Although they did actually start shipping them to the UK a couple of days later! I'm dreading the same with Hogan, hopefully it's a temporary thing and gets sorted. And I've been considering a second Ric Flair for ages, I want one more now I can't get it! |
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Post by SteveHulk on Nov 2, 2014 16:28:52 GMT -5
I'm dreading the same with Hogan, hopefully it's a temporary thing and gets sorted. And I've been considering a second Ric Flair for ages, I want one more now I can't get it! ...it's always the way, lol. I was really please with Flair, how quick and easy it all was (...and at a decent price). If they don't get it sorted by the time Hogan's available, I'm not sure what our options will be (especially as WW seems to have packed up).  |
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Post by Next Man’s Knowing Rock on Nov 2, 2014 16:31:19 GMT -5
I'm dreading the same with Hogan, hopefully it's a temporary thing and gets sorted. And I've been considering a second Ric Flair for ages, I want one more now I can't get it! ...it's always the way, lol. I was really please with Flair, how quick and easy it all was (...and at a decent price). If they don't get it sorted by the time Hogan's available, I'm not sure what our options will be (especially as WW seems to have packed up). I guess Ringside will be our best bet. Did you order Edge? |
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Raine
Main Eventer
Joined on: Aug 8, 2006 12:11:52 GMT -5
Posts: 1,505
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Post by Raine on Nov 2, 2014 16:36:42 GMT -5
I ordered 5 figures from Ringside and ended up with a £27 customs charge. I won't be using them again. Come on Amazon.com get your finger out
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Post by SteveHulk on Nov 3, 2014 15:22:25 GMT -5
...it's always the way, lol. I was really please with Flair, how quick and easy it all was (...and at a decent price). If they don't get it sorted by the time Hogan's available, I'm not sure what our options will be (especially as WW seems to have packed up). I guess Ringside will be our best bet. Did you order Edge? Not yet... I was waiting to see if he'd turn up on Amazon (UK). It's looking doubtful though, so I'll probably order him later this week. |
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Post by Next Man’s Knowing Rock on Nov 3, 2014 15:24:06 GMT -5
I guess Ringside will be our best bet. Did you order Edge? Not yet... I was waiting to see if he'd turn up on Amazon (UK). It's looking doubtful though, so I'll probably order him later this week. Have any of the Ringside figures turned up on Amazon UK before being sold by anyone besides Wrestlingworld? I'm thinking of ordering Edge and some of the casket sets. |
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Post by SteveHulk on Nov 3, 2014 15:30:59 GMT -5
Not yet... I was waiting to see if he'd turn up on Amazon (UK). It's looking doubtful though, so I'll probably order him later this week. Have any of the Ringside figures turned up on Amazon UK before being sold by anyone besides Wrestlingworld? I'm thinking of ordering Edge and some of the casket sets. That's a good question... I'm not sure to be honest - I *think* some of them have. And A-Merchandise used to get them too, but they seemed to have stopped lately. |
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