shipping cost

[nick]

how much does it cost to ship a 1:64 car to melbourne?

[biante1948]

Nick,
Late last year I purchased one (1) Biante minicar from Biante and was charged $8.00. But in a reply e-mail from Richard on the 3rd December 2003 he said that if you purchased 2-3 minicars it would still only be $8.00 as they go on package size and you can get 2-3 mincars in the same package that they use for the 1:43 models.
Hope this helps.

[bortall]

:confused: I'm a bit new to this kind of thing, but don't the postage costs seem a bit high. I've had 1/43 cars sent via mail from other places at only $4-00

Regards
BORTALL

[brchi17]

It is a little bit dear, but when the models arrive they are extreamly well packaged & never in a condition of less than A1 !!!

I've had quite a few models sent to me from Biante & if you save your orders up & get a few models then it really isn't that dear.
Really, what other option do you have ???

If you don't want to pay a bit for (good) postage, then you'll have to go & try to find that particular model in a shop & it is usually dearer than what you could have got it for on the web site.

Plus,
Biante also give us collectors the points (which they don't have to do) for our purchases, which I believe more than compersaits for the added postage costs.

Anyway at the end of the day it your decision (whether to pay the postage or go searching around the shopping centres), but at least when you buy from this website the models will arrive in 'tip top' condition.

cheers.

[nick]

Shipping prices are as follows $8.00 for a single item (including insurance), $14.00 for multiple items (including insurance). Orders which include very small items will have freight charged at actual cost.

Doesn't this mean one 1:64 should be cheaper than $8?

[jager]

I agree the quality of the packaging is terriffic, but personally would prefer to see the bonus points ditched in favour of lower shipping costs. Many on-line retailers now offer free shipping for orders over $200 which I think is a better way to encourage multiple purchases.

Then if they could just do something to get around the GST.......

[zeitgeist]

Originally posted by jager
Then if they could just do something to get around the GST.......

This brings up a question that has been bugging me.

Biante quite clearly does not charge GST to overseas customers.

One shop I have used told me up front that they were not 'set up to handle non-GST transactions' and was that ok with me. Fine.... they were up front about it.

However, some on-line places never mention it.

I guess my question is this:

Is it legal for OZ merchants to charge GST to overseas customers as long as they tell them about it? Do they need to mention it at all?

Just curious.

BC

[terrine]

GST (goods and services tax) is only applicable to australian residents...similar to your state value added taxes.
these taxes are not payable by non residents/overseas purchasers
unfortunately many sites, here in ossie, as per the other side of the pacific make little mention of taxes which can make it rather confusing....
i think the international rule of thumb is...do your best
if you are concerned...dont buy...i dont think there is much room for litigation......i note you are not from philadelphia...

r/peter

[biante1948]

:) Nick,
Did you bother to read my e-mail.?
Oviously not.

[nick]

yes biante1948 i did read your post but i thought that maybe it had changed since you got yours last year and I read that thing I quoted.
thanks for replying in the first place

[Glen Alexander]

I believe there was something about this in a newsletter a while back. They don't charge $8 for sending small items like 1:64 cars. I think they work it out to be a bit cheaper. I think, don't quote me.

[Damian]

It is $8.00 for a single 1:64 car as I was charged this amount when I recieved the 2002 Bathurst winners car on Tuesday 28th.
Regards
Damian

[XR8Man1]

I read in one of the newsletters that although it says $8 or $14, biante will only charge you what it actually costs to post them out to you, don't know how much that is now but they said they were going to scrap the $8 or $14 idea, hope this helps

[nick]

thats what i thought xr8man1.
sorry biante1948 but when i sent those post the attatched email was not up yet.
nick

[mtkt]

Why do Biante charge postage? I deal with a toy store in Dubbo in the central west (I'm from Parkes 115 Km's away) and they do not charge postage for any of their customers that do not live in Dubbo or they are in a differet state, and PLUS they are cheaper then Biante, so why can"t Biante do this (charge no postage) Are they really bonus points or is that a way of getting customers suckered in!

[diecastdad]

We have been buying a lot of 1:64 Matchbox models from Traffic Melbourne over the last 3 months - they charge $6 for one item, $8 for 3 items, $10 for 6 items and $12 for 12 items - so that is $1 each on postage if you bulk buy! That has to be the cheapest anywhere. Insurance is extra of course but anything up to $100 value is free of that charge. They have some terrific items in their shop.:D

[brchi17]

Originally posted by mtkt
Why do Biante charge postage? I deal with a toy store in Dubbo in the central west (I'm from Parkes 115 Km's away) and they do not charge postage for any of their customers that do not live in Dubbo or they are in a differet state, and PLUS they are cheaper then Biante, so why can"t Biante do this (charge no postage) Are they really bonus points or is that a way of getting customers suckered in!

If i was selling via post & in a store, I would only charge the people using the post rather than put a bit on top of ever sale to cover the costs for those who want their item posted for free. Think about it, if you went into your local store to pick up a model, would you like to know you were paying a percentage of other peoples freight costs just so that they could get the same item sent to them for free ???

just a thought,
cheers.

[Esses]

To confirm the above post. If you, the buyer, do not pay postage/freight costs, then everyone else buying from that store is to some degree to cover costs.
Take my word for it, I've been in the transport game for nearly 20 years now.

[jager]

Remember the magic word 'competition'. For any given model there are numerous retailers from which to buy the model. A retailer who charges high prices for postage might only sell say 5 of a given model (only to his walk in customers), while the retailer who absorbs the postage cost (and accepts a lower profit margin) might sell 20 of the same model. Who makes the most profit - the one who offers free postage !

We all take our business to whoever gives us the best availability, service and price.

[Esses]

Sorry, Jager, I think you're missing my point. What I was trying to say was: retailers who "absorb" the cost most likely are not doing so at all. Rather they will be adding the cost on to every other item they stock, may only be 1%, 2%, 0.5% but it'll be there, just as until recently the credit card merchant fee that banks charged retailers was spread around the entire stock.
Reminds me of a local bookshop that advertises as being able to order in from the USA "at no extra cost". Sure, no extra to that particular customer, just to everyone else.

[jager]

Steve, I didn't miss your point ..... I just disagreed with it.

Not all customers are the same ! Why shouldn't a retailer 'reward' a regular customer who makes significant purchases with free shipping (or some form of discount). If I'm making a large purchase from a particular outlet (or am a regular customer) I'd like to think I get a better deal (price, preference of availability, shipping etc) than if you just walks in and buys one model.

Equally, not all retailers are the same. Some retailers in the CBD will have high rents, while others in suburban areas will have lower rents. Some will sell 500 models a year, some will sell 5000 models a year.

Stop worrying about what other customers are getting and focus on who gives YOU the best service and price.

[ferrari fan]

The old synonim of australia ;Service is for FREE!; NO it is not for free!
Good service does cost Money!
Service is not Warranty!
The cheapest is hardly ever the better option
You get what you pay for.
To get good service ,you must first earn it and it has to be worth it to the serviceprovider to render one, over and above ,quality service
Every body listens to the same station......... W3IFM ..............
What Is In It For Me!! Even Mother Teresa, Bless her Soul!
Interesting points of view have been expressed.:)

[zeitgeist]

Originally posted by ferrari fan
The cheapest is hardly ever the better option
You get what you pay for.


FF -

In most cases, I would agree with you, but Biante and Triking have had the cheapest shipping to the U.S. and the service of both has been wonderful. Some people on Ebay want upwards of AU$55!

BC

[ferrari fan]

Well ,If you care to read the above statements by some than these forum members are in disagreence with you.
It seems that the service is to dear ,ohh Dear
It is a bit like the Dire Straights song, "Money for nothing" and models(chicks) for free"....... A pipe dream,to much smoke, maybe this is why there are no Fagdecals on the Models and we can blame some of the above forum members :D

[wacpt]

All this crap about free postage.
I don't know the figures but say Biante post out 100 models a day @ $8. That's $800 dollars a day in postal charges. If they had FREE post, who's going to pay the bill, Biante? that's $4000 a week. Now take into account the larger models on overnight delivery @ $14 each. That could work out at $1400 a day.
No business spending that amount of money on postage is going to carry the cost. They'd go broke.
Now look at the local model shop. Would they send out that quantity each day. I doubt it. They can afford to go down to the local Post Office with their 12 or so parcels and buy little post boxes and post them. What would a Post Office say if Biante rocked up with their daily output, that is why Aust Post have bulk post facilities.
And for those who know nothing about the freight industry, there is a penalty charge for packages under a certain weight so Aust Post is the only other option for mas mailing.
I've worked for Atkins Carlyle in despatch, so I know what the situation with freight is.
If you don't want to pay postage, then it is up to you to drive to your local model shop and buy the goods over the counter, and take into consideration the time it takes to get there and back and don't forget the cost of fuel, parking and wear and tear.

Smile

[Esses]

Jager, I'm not worrying what other customers get, I really couldn't give a pickle who gets what, I'm just trying to give you the benefit of 20 years inside knowledge of the Transport Industry.
Apart from Trax, I buy most of my models over the counter anyway, being fortunate enough to be 5 minutes drive away from 2 of the best here, during work hours.