Postage - who wants an option to send books via the local postal service

OK, I’m probably going to be shot down in flames, but the problem with the postage prices has been going on too long now.

Here’s my particular case :  book $21.95 (78 pages) postage to Switzerland $56.33 

Looking at Lulu  : book $34.95 (110 pages) postage to Switzerland $8.15 / book $83.28 (398 pages) postage to Switzerland $14.62

I might be stupid, dumb an idiot or whatever (I’m sure some of you are going to point that out to me)  but why can’t Blurb offer the local postal service as an option for delivering books. There is signed post to make sure the book got delivered and even signed post with insurrance incase the book gets lost on the way! We don’t all need/want/can afford trackable UPS post.

They don’t have to replace the UPS options, just give us another one.

I just can’t understand how blurb could expect customers to pay 3 times the price of the book in postage (and this is with the europen printer up and running). This has been going on for so long now that I’m being to think that it is Blurb who are ripping us off by moving some of the puiblishing costs to the postage  – hey we can produce your book cheaply but don’t look at the postage.

Remember the blog post about cheaper postage ? It did get cheaper it went from completely and utterly ridiculous to just completely ridiculous.

I’ve sent messages to Blurb and the answers are always "we are looking in to it, but its going to take some time"

How long is it going to take for somebody at Blurb to realise that people are not going to pay 3 times the price of the book in postage ? I don’t even understand how they could launch an international service with these postage proces.

So if you would like to have the option of receiving your book via the local post (or any other reasonable priced way) leave a message below and perhaps Blurb will wake up and realise that they are losing customers.

Regards

Paul

ps. I am now wearing my flame retardent / bullet proof suit so fire away….

my book: $21.95

postage to South Africa: $81.95

please offer alternative postage!

I realize this line is growing tired but we are actively looking at this. In fact, this was a discussion we had with our Dutch print partner yesterday. We are actively looking at alternatives, specifically local postal carriers, and need to determine how they will fit into our infrastructure.

LightBeamer,

Perhaps that you want to include your feedback input directly to Blurb team through contact form (feedback suggestion form).

Most of my business will be uneffected by high postage since I’m in the US and so are most of my customers, but, I support this initiative nonetheless. It just occurred to me last night that I’ll probably have to buy one/two of my books for a friend in the Canary Islands and ship it to her myself because, well, 1. I doubt you ship there, and 2. even if you did, the shipping rate would be FAR more than she can afford. That will be my solution for now, but, I’m certainly not going to start footing the bill for everyone who orders from me outside the US.

And, as others have stated, some people (incl. me, actually) would rather have more shipping options. 

Really, you need to answer the question of ‘why’ (things are set up this way)... I love you guys and even I am a bit wary as to what’s behind the higher shipping.

Thank you. 

Does anyone know shipping costs to New Zealand or to Malaysia?  How would I be able to find this out without having to order my book first?

 I am thinking of making a book, but by the sounds of this forum, shipping costs are too HIGH!

 Cheers

Hawaii, shipping price for one book $32.71.

If I ship it to my son in California it is much cheaper.  Then he can send me the books in a flat rate box, priority mail to Hawaii.  He can fit quite a few books in one box and no matter how heavy it is, the price is still $9 and it still takes 4 days.  UPS 2 day air, to where I live on an outer island takes 4 days also.  It would be nice if Blurb would consider sending books to me directly in a flat rate box, priority mail.  Once blurb shipped a book to me surface US mail and took 5 weeks to arrive. 

]The return address says WA, but it goes to other states before getting to me and I think it may be somewhere else before getting to WA. 

Thanks for that Paul. 

 I tried it out, and by the sounds of it, if I was to buy a book for $21.95, my postage costs are going to be a whopping $48!!!! 

I completely agree.  I’m very keen to build a book using the large format that Lulu don’t offer but until I stop reading of horrific postage costs I’m going to stay a lurker here.

Blurb – this is a genuine business issue for you that is threatening the long-term growth of your business.  Your competitors can do it, why can’t you?

I have to ask here, There are two things that are going through my mind.  First when I sell a book I give the customer the choice of shipping.  Slow one price fast double the price.  What I have told people is that I make money selling photography not by marking up shipping. I charge them what Blurb charges me.

Second, when I have to ship photography people have a fit with the price. $7.75 US.    They don’t understand that I have to buy shipping cartons, packaging materials for inside the carton ,pay for gas@ over 3$ per gallon to the post office and my time to complete all the aforementioned tasks.    I feel like shouting to customers hey!!! I AM BREAKING EVEN HERE!!!

I don’t know how blurb calculates the shipping.  I know they need buy cartons, packing supplies labels and what ever.  And they have to pay employees to do these tasks.  After that,   the shipping expense is out of their hands.   Do you suppose that the shipping rates inside European countries is expensive??  I really don’t know.   I know that when my daughter lived in Spain I sent her her pointe shoes for $35 and it took over a week first class.    I don’t know what shiping rates are inside the EU.  I do know I would feel that 80$ to ship a 13$ book sounds absurd.  

I also know that when I order more than 1 copy of a book there is a substantial savings involved.   I shipped 5,  80 page books  (8×10) 2 day express for 29$.  To ship 1 80 page book 2 day express $16.00.

 What irritates me is that I can not order a variety of books like a shopping cart where I could order 1 of each book and save on the shipping   I must check out each book.  This is because I think the books are drop shipped from each printer and the printers are located all over. 

So, I am lucky because I live in the USA.  We do have the most reasonable shipping rates.   I pass the shipping directly to the consumer.  I do not absorb it or include it because it varies  so much.  Companies like amazon bhphoto have shipping agreements where ALL the product is shipped via one company and the big boys negotiate lower shipping rates than you and I can get.  The USPS is not the bargain it used to be.  Rates have gone up and 2 day service is no longer guaranteed.  

I am sorry for those that have those obnoxious shipping  fees.  They would discourage me a lot.

Regards to all

Pat T 

Blurb now has a printer in Holland which was supposed to reduce postage prices so I decided to check the prices for Switzerland to Holland.

Here’s my particular case :  book $21.95 (78 pages) postage to Switzerland $56.33

Sending the book from Switzerland to Holland (weight 400g) via local post is as follows :

Urgent 1-2 days Chf 41.- ($34)

Priority+ 3 days Chf 18.- ($15) 

Priority  3 days Chf 13.- ($11)

Economy    5-8 days Chf 8.-  ($6)

Base on this I would say that the prices inside Europe are cheaper.

Personally I wouldn’t mind waiting 5-8 days if the postage was around $6. As long as I know how long it will take I can plan accordingly.

Added to that is that Lulu who ship from Spain for the Europeans crowd esimate the postage for a book similiar to mine at $8 

Once again I’m not saying get rid of UPS just give us more (cheaper/reasonable) prices. 

Shipping Costs

I can see why Blurb uses UPS.  It is simple for their operation, but costly for the customer if you are not within a cost effective UPS service area.

To ship one book of 40 pages the UPS cost to Chicago is $5.24.  The same cost to Seattle.  The cost to Anchorage, Alaska via UPS is $16.30.

For USPS (US Postal Service) Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope is $4.60.  For Media Mail $2.13.  For a Flat Rate Box (11-7/8×3-3/8×13-5/8 inches in size) $8.95 regardless of weight or US destination.

I would like to try a sample book from Blurb.  Develop a process and then add to the wedding line.  However, now that I know shipping is equal to the cost of the book I have lost interest.  JUST TOOOOOO COSTLY.  It is too bad, as Blurb seemed to have their act together for a wonderful low cost product.  

For us folks still in the USA, but not in a cost effect UPS delivery zone, it would appear that Blurb products will not be seen much in either Alaska or Hawaii….. 

Please add USPS to your shipping options, like many other firms that ship to Hawaii and Alaska.  That way we too can be proud of what Blurb has to offer.  (i.e. some firms will ship UPS to the lower 48 and have an option to use USPS for only those in Hawaii and Alaska to keep costs reasonable for the 49th and 50th State)

Please let me know when USPS will be added, so that I too can use your service.

Jim

Just a thought:

If you shipped the book to yourself and then used USPS ….that might be cheaper overall than UPS. It might take a week longer…

Today, from California, I sent a Priority Mail “Flat Rate Envelope” to India for $11. Later this week I will be sending one to Sweden. USPS tells me it is $11 anywhere internationally for up to 4 pounds in either the flat rate envelope or box!

Hey, Blurb, sounds like using Priority Mail could make an awaful lot of people happy.

Cheers,

Ann B

Pictureme:

Yes that double sending solution would work for those in the Lower 48 that are shipping to either Alaska or Hawaii.  However, when one lives in the great State of Alaska, the solution will not work.  Overall double shipping is not a cost effective solution and does get to be time consuming on transit time.

The issue with UPS and FedEx is that ground shipping gets the book or books to Sealtte or the Western shipping hub.  Then it is shipped by air at a much higher rate from Seattle (or some other shipping hub) to Alaska.  What is interesting, is that books from Amazon arrive in 3 to 4 days with free shipping. Interesting.

Jim 

I live in the Netherlands and can’t find any evidence of reduced shipping rates since the advent of the Dutch printing service. Can anyone at Blurb show me where I can find the European-internal shipping rates?

Here another Dutchman. I am also waiting for some movement from Blurb on this issue. I am not paying 80 USD for shipment if it is printed around the corner here.
Shipment within the Netherlands using TNT will cost 6 Euros. I will take the risk that it gets lost. Give me that option when ordering with a checkbox it is my call to want a cheap non trackable shipment for around 10 euro.

This is costing you a lot of potential buyers! Please keep us more informed on what you are doing on this matter…

UPS to Canada is extremely unreliable, slow and costly.  I would love to see an option for usps shipping so I can continue to be a blurb customer.

USPS Options:

I dont sell thru blurb because of shipping costs overseas. So I order books from blurb to my US address and then send them myself via USPS.

 Over the last few months I have learned what works well with USPS.

- Express Mail Flat Rate envelope. Fits up to 3 or 4   7×7 Hardcover books . Has Tracking and $100 insurance included :  COST $25 

- Registered Mail: $20 and a very secure way to send. It comes with some insurance but tracking isnt as good as with express mail.

- Priority Mail Flat Rate envelope: Fits 3 or 4   7×7 books. NO INSURANCE and No Tracking : Cost $11

Ive sent may books to Europe and Brazil and the $25 Express Mail has a 100% success rate and usually gets there in 5 to 7 days.

Before I sent Books to Brazil 1st Class for about $10 and it was taking up to 20 Days to get there with no tracking. A Couple of books never arrived. So I switched my shipping options to mostly EXPRESS and REGISTERED. Most my custmers opt for the $25 Express Mail….

But anything higher like those UPS fees of $50 is way too much. 

From South Africa

I have the same issue… 1 x Book at $35   1 x Shipping $80!!

 robhob 

Hey All

Use Snapfish if it standard photo books you want  with  reasonable postage costs even from the states…..

Frankly, Blurb needs to have a USPS option.  I am in Afghanistan, and will be here for a total of 15 months.  My family is stationed in Italy.  I am writing my son books while I am gone, and I cannot have them shipped to me (U.S. Army) or my family because there is no USPS option that delivers to APO/FPO.  Additionally, this option would lessen the cost to ship overseas considerably.  I am sure this has something to do with the contract Blurb signed with UPS, and the rates Blurb actually pays vs. charges, but there is not even an option to ship to me, my family or my fellow servicemembers stationed overseas, regardless of price.

2  identical 20 page 8×10inch hardcover books                         31.90

Standard shipping                                                                            185.11

Express shipping                                                                                39.52

Express saver                                                                                      34.78

If these really are the prices for postage from Holland to the UK then Blurb needs to understand that paying shipping that is costing more than the value of the books is not a viable proposition. I would happily make and sell a lot of books except this shipping cost is outrageously high. For £185.11, I could fly to Holland, pick up my books in person and pay for a weekend’s stay in a good hotel in Amsterdam!

Surpisingly, there is no difference in these costs if one were to just order a single 8×10 inch hardback book. This makes me ask where the costs are going. If the costs are calculated on weight, then clearly, there should be a difference between one and two books. If the costs are calculated on the volumetric weight, then clearly it is cheaper to send one book instead of two.

Looking at a single softcover 8×10 inch book of 20 pages reveals that shipping costs are either no different or slightly reduced. The standard shipping remains at a ridiculous £185.11 (despite being a single much thinner and lighter book) and £37.19 or £32.72 are the costs for Express shipping and Express saver rates, respectively. This is for a book that is valued at £9.95!

 The very cheapest shipping option offered by Blurb is more than 4 times as expensive as the cost of a £9.95 book! This ‘service’ is to a country that has had its own perfectly adequate postal service since 1660. 

Blurb should, in my opinion, offer alternatives to these ruinous charges because they are clearly unwarranted and unjustifiable. As much as I would like to use Blurb, I will never let Blurb have my custom while you permit your delivery service to grossly overcharge your customers, for a service that is both easily understood and easily managed these days. Its not as if we have to await the horses being fed before delivery. GPS is a commonplace and cheap air transport is also common. 

Hi jayemcee

I certainly paid only £9.17 to have my latest 13×11 80 page book shipped at the end of August.

Louis 

It does look like there is still a technical issue with the European shipping costs, at least I hope that it is a technical issue!

Louis