So something very cool happened today. I logged into my e-mail and there was a message “Your book has been sold! Ship it now!”.
I decided to sell a book ages ago using the Amazon.com/.ca Marketplace. It is a GIGANTIC book that I read through once, looked at the pictures, and I was done with it. The book however I noticed online was fetching good prices. So I listed it and every couple of months when the listing would expire I would drop my price a bit. Well today it sold! I was getting $64.93 for the book and I was ecstatic!
Then I realized the book sold to a girl in Japan, hmmm I wonder how much shipping could be for a GIGANTIC book from Canada to Japan? Sure it will be pricey but really… it is just one book…
Well I came home after work, printed the shipping label, packaged it up in bubble wrap and drove to Canada Post with a big smile and excitement. Then I gave it to the lady and said I would like to hear my options…
“$43.00 and it will take 4-6 weeks, or $85.00 for 1 week…”
I asked her to check again. So she did this time using a different Tokyo… Nope still same prices “But it does include a tracking number, and you can buy coverage if you want” she said… So I politely asked her what time they were open till, took my package and ran.
Maybe FedEx can do it cheaper I thought. HAHAHAHA apparently not, FedEx is a courier and they are good at FAST, but with FAST comes $$$. If I wanted it there ASAP it would be $163.35, or for delivery within 5 days it would be $145.39. So I politely told the lady at FedEx they were too fast for me and hung up. Tomorrow I will go to Canada Post again with my GIGANTIC Package and mail my first parcel to Japan.
In the end I make about $21.93 I guess off the book. Considering I was very done with the book and haven’t ever looked at it again this lesson paid me $21.93 to learn it and now You, and I both know how much it is to send GIGANTIC Packages to Japan.
Domo arigato 🙂
We shipped a box home from Ireland with mostly clothes in it, my mom and I both had to swallow hard when he told us it would be 82.00 pounds which is $190.00 Canadian. It also took almost two months to show up, I was sure it was gone forever and I was mourning my favourite shirt which I had stupidly put in the box.
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admin Reply:
January 11th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
OUCH! $192 CAD that is Crazy! New Update on this book to Japan thing. I did some looking today and I think I miss calculated. I forgot to remove the fees payable to Amazon for listing the book. So now I think I will end up with only about an extra $5 in my pocket. Oh well. I hope she enjoyed the stupid book!
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hey,
i can tell you neil, everything in japan is expensive. i just arrived yesterday and i start paying alot from the beginning ;-(
now try to get a 2 weeks railpass for more than 400 euro. thats ceap here. anny questions?
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admin Reply:
January 16th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
LOL I saw on Facebook that you are now in Tokyo! That is crazy! Had I known I would have sent the book with you 🙂 Sorry I have never been to Tokyo yet so I don’t have any tips for ya. I did however talk to Lori this morning and put her in touch with you.
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