USPS Shooting US Vendors in the Foot?

Submitted by fyl on 9 December, 2007 - 13:21.

Earlier this year the US Postal Service eliminated their surface delivery option for international customers. Now, I think we all recognize that airplanes are big and you can ship those ordinary packages by air easily. But, what this means is that it now costs a lot more to get a medium-sized package (let's say 10 lbs.) from the US to Nicaragua than from Canada or even Australia.

We know there are alternatives. Felix offered some information for "freight" with very reasonable per pound rates via air. For big shipments, surface rates for containers and even LCL (less than container load) can be found. The reality is that you can get stuff delivered to Nicaragua from the US at a reasonable rate.

Unfortunately, this leaves a big hole in the market. FedEx, DHL and UPS only ship by air. (It would appear that DHL could/might offer surface options but, if so, that information is less than obvious.) The market hole is for the occasional shipper that just wants to send a package of, for example, Christmas gifts. Or, in my case, I want to buy a weather station. Less than 10 lbs. Costs about $110. Shipping is $180.

Someone needs to step up and address this. It won't be Mailboxes, Etc. as UPS owns them. But, some other mail and package service could get themselves a market niche quickly.

When I lived in Costa Rica there was a company in Florida that provided this service for packages to be send to Costa Rica. You just had your stuff sent to them. They consolidated it, shipped it in returning banana containers and, on the CR end, delivered it to your door. The price was by cubic foot and was very reasonable. There was a $40 minimum and that included the "too your door" delivery. Packages were shipped out on Friday and you would have them in your hand the following Friday.

Besides being a good thing for Nicaragua, it would help out US vendors. It would give them a way to deal with international shipments without having to do more than put a second label on a package and send it to Houston, Los Angeles or Miami and it would mean that people might want to buy from US vendors instead of from someone in the UK or Australia because of the lower shipping costs.

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Did Nica Box...

Submitted by Doug on 9 December, 2007 - 22:02.

go out of business ? I can't find their web site any more.

-Doug

If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate

NicaBox

Submitted by fyl on 10 December, 2007 - 07:30.

Maybe they did, I don't know but with the service I received, I also don't care. If I went to their office in Managua I could pick things up. But, even on a phone call the standard answer was "you need to talk to Ricardo (our rep) and he isn't here now". Our agreement was that he would regularly put our stuff on a bus to Estelí. But he didn't and would deny we had any mail.

Considering that we had one magazine being sent every week, a credit card statement and an assortment of regular items being sent there, it was a bit hard to accept the "nothing here" after not receiving anything for six weeks. After paying a few credit card late fees, we bailed on them.

It's too bad as Interlink, the TransExpress company in Costa Rica was great. I got two deliveries a week from them, they dealt with aduanas without a lengthy discussion and I even shipped a 400 lb. generator with them at something like $.50/lb.

I am using a US address mail forwarder for "mail" where you get email when something arrives and you can decide how you want them to deal with it. Once I get my first package, if all is well, I will report on it.

I really can't help Doug

Submitted by rogertroll on 9 December, 2007 - 23:22.

I am not receiving or shipping to much this days. I only got the info that Jet box was in biz, and that they are cheap.

Nica box, well they might be the partner, I really dont know, but again, it must be people on NL that knows.

and here is a alternative

Submitted by rogertroll on 9 December, 2007 - 16:59.

Why not fly and buy. The last ticet I got from Spirit airlines was 189$ round trip Ft Lauderdale Managua.

Bad or good schedule, you decide.

Here is my flight, you leave 1.30 in the morning from Managua landing in Ft Lauderdale 5.30.

Shop to you drop and return on the 11.30 flight at night, it lands in Managua at 12.30 I think.

Make a visit to Tiger direct in Miami, it's just a trial rail away, and you can by stuff there at good prices. This alone on a computer, pays for your ticket.

My needs

Submitted by fyl on 10 December, 2007 - 07:40.

Over the next year we will be buying a lot of stuff for the Geek Ranch project. It will vary from small, expensive technology items to big and heavy "stuff". My goal is to get as much as possible in Nicaragua but some stuff will just have to be imported.

I am not going to travel to Miami every time I need something--even if it was cost-effective. Thus, for me, at least for the next year, a company that can just "deal with it" is what I need.

I will be talking with some freight consolidators. The issue with them is that they are "designed" to accept one item for you, consolidate it with shipments for others and get it down here. Many of the things I will need will be small and from varied sources. Thus, what I need might better be called a "pre-consolidator". Someone/some company that receives the items, re-packages, fills out customs paperwork and forwards them to the consolidator for international shipment.

There are some companies (including the mail forwarder that I am using) that will do the re-packaging and write up customs paperwork based on what you supply on-line. Unfortunately, after that, the only shipping options they offer are USPS, FedEx, DHL and UPS.

Thus, it seems like all the pieces exist. They just don't work together. This just seems like such a good business opportunity for someone. It would be perfect, for example, for a Nicaraguan family where part of the family is in Miami and others are in Managua.

jetbox

Submitted by rogertroll on 9 December, 2007 - 16:23.

I think jet box is a good alternative. A friend of mine with a Volvo needed a radiator for his car, I got it for him, and he said that he paid 34$ in freight.

What I understood is that you must have a us adress or account and they ship directly to Nicaragua from Miami. It's probably people on this website that knows jet box.

slightly related

Submitted by Billy Bob on 10 December, 2007 - 12:23.

Did a search on USPS website to see what their rates were. My immediate needs are my quarterly shipments of magazines that my daughter sends down. Seems that international priority mail is the way to go, but heres the trick: 4 lbs costs 11 bucks. Go one oúnce over and the price doubles. Not the best solution, but it seems all that the po offers.

¨¨patas de perro¨¨