Hi- I have to agree, I ask for USPS (US Postal Service) as it is least likely to attract extra fees. David Mike Harrison wrote: >On Wed, 17 Sep 2003 09:48:56 -0700, you wrote: > > > >>Thanks for the plug! >> >>Recognize that not all of this is Digikey. Digi can't >>afford to take chances and only Air Parcel Post and >>Express mail can be insured and they are about the >>same price. >> >> > >But how necessary is insurance/tracking for small orders..? >I've found USPS Global Priority to be 100% reliable. > > > >>My understanding is that all Express Mail bound for >>most EU countries is sent to Frankfurt (I believe >>managed by the British Post Office) and then farmed >>out to local delivery companies. The whole process >>leads to outrageous brokerage fees. >> >>The moral is, when ordering from the US, try to find a >>dealer who will ship via Global Priority or Air >>Letter. Otherwise, the package will be routed to a >>quasi public or private firm and lead to this kind of >>problem. >> >>Peter H Anderson http://www.phanderson.com >> >>--- Mike Harrison wrote: >> >> >>>On Wed, 17 Sep 2003 13:47:56 +0100, you wrote: >>> >>> >>> >>>>I bought John Peatman's 18F452 book, with its PCB >>>> >>>> >>>for the QwikFlash device. As far as I can find, >>>Digi-Key >>> >>> >>>>are the only people doing a kit of parts, and as >>>> >>>> >>>there are a couple of odd ones (the little LCD and >>>the rotary >>> >>> >>>>encoder, for example) I decided to buy the kit. >>>> >>>>The Digi-Key price is $56.94 which didn't seem to >>>> >>>> >>>bad - they add $6 handling fee for foreign orders, >>>but for >>> >>> >>>>shipping they only offered Global Express (I >>>> >>>> >>>usually ask for Global Priority, which would have >>>been about $6 >>> >>> >>>>to $9) and it doesn't tell you on the web site what >>>> >>>> >>>it's going to cost - it was $28.75, which I only >>> >>> >>>>discovered after the order was placed. >>>> >>>>Then when it arrived in Britain it attracted >>>> >>>> >>>VAT/Duty on the item cost plus shipping of #9.42 >>>(say $14) and >>> >>> >>>>the real pain: Parcelforce charged #13.50 ($21) >>>> >>>> >>>for collecting the #9.42! Global Priority usually >>>arrives >>> >>> >>>>via Royal Mail, who charge a flat #4 for collecting >>>> >>>> >>>the customs charges. >>> >>> >>>>So after all I've ended up paying about $127 for >>>> >>>> >>>something that started out just under $57... >>> >>> >>>>Do any other Brits buy from Digi-Key, and do you >>>> >>>> >>>end up being fleeced like this? >>> >>> >>>>I've bought things from the US dozens of times, >>>> >>>> >>>from eBay and web sites like Glitchbuster, Peter >>>Anderson and >>> >>> >>>>so on, and it's never come even close to this sort >>>> >>>> >>>of cost - this is a premium of 123%, compared to 30% >>>for >>> >>> >>>>the last thing I bought from a web site where I had >>>> >>>> >>>to pay VAT. >>> >>> >>>>Incidentally, Global Express doesn't seem to be any >>>> >>>> >>>faster than Global Priority (and the names don't >>>imply any >>> >>> >>>>advantage either way, to my mind), and neither has >>>> >>>> >>>insurance or tracking, so why would the shipping >>>cost be >>> >>> >>>>more than three times as much? The transit time in >>>> >>>> >>>this case was about 6 days, which is at the upper >>>limit >>> >>> >>>>that Global Priority manages. >>>> >>>>Finally, does anyone know how you can tell whether >>>> >>>> >>>Parcelforce or Royal Mail will be used for the >>>delivery, >>> >>> >>>>based on which US shipping service is chosen? >>>> >>>> >>>Parcel force ( >7 quid handling fee) is used for >>>stuff sent USPS Parcel post, Normal post (3.75 fee) >>>for stuff sent airmail letter or Global Priority. I >>>believe tracking/insurance is only available for >>>Parcel post. >>> >>> >>> >>>>Seeing the number of US messages saying that they >>>> >>>> >>>like Digi-key I assume that locally they are good, >>>but one >>> >>> >>>>thing's for sure: I shan't be buying from them >>>> >>>> >>>again! >>> >>> >>>>- Howard Winter >>>> St.Albans, England >>>> >>>> >>>Digi-Key have recently launched a campaign to >>>attract UK orders, but seem to be making a big mess >>>of it: >>>http://uk.digikey.com >>>They have a UK catalogue (Which I eventually got 2 >>>copies of, after a farce of requesting one on >>>their 'free catalogue' form and then had them asking >>>for payment for it....) which has prices in >>>pounds, inclusive of duty and brokerage fees (but >>>presumably not VAT - they don't say) The flat-rate >>>delivery charge is #12, but there is a #10 handling >>>charge for orders below #75. >>> >>>From what you say above it looks like the left & >>>right hands don;t know what they are doing as you >>>seemed to have been charged differently.... >>> >>>I think they just don't understand that we are used >>>to the sort of service offered by RS and >>>Farnell, and they can't hope to compete with the >>>above charges. >>> >>>Now if they would take small orders, and drop them >>>in a $5 or $9 Global Priority flat-rate envelope, >>>then that would be something worth having, but at >>>the moment the only thing I use Digikey for is to >>>check approximate prices and availability on parts >>>when designing in. >>> >>>I'd suggest you contact them to explain how poor >>>their service appears from the UK buyer's point of >>>view. >>> >>>-- >>>http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't >>>AutoReply us! >>>email listserv@mitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList >>>DIGEST in the body >>> >>> >>__________________________________ >>Do you Yahoo!? >>Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software >>http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com >> >> > >-- >http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! >email listserv@mitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body > > > -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email listserv@mitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body