The recent changes in international shipping rates have really put a crimp in overseas sales of my laptop sleeves and bags. To ship an average sized sleeve to the UK used to cost $10.50Now to ship the same sleeve cost $20.00 which is about half the price of a sleeve.
When a return customer ordered one for a gift, I worried about losing a sale. She asked if their was any way I could send it cheaper and I told her I would research it . Everything else was just as much if not more.
I decided to see if there was anyway I could fit it in a flat rate envelope. I squished it down as much as I could and managed to get it inside but just barely. Then I had an idea. What if I put it in a plastic bag and sucked the air out ? I used a normal zip lock bag and my vacuum and it did the trick.
Last week I had a custom order from Germany , this sleeve was for a mammoth laptop . The shipping would have been $25 .00 I asked if she minded getting it tightly packed, she would need to press it herself and she agreed it was worth the savings.
Try as I might I could barely get it folded to put in the gallon sized zip lock I've used for 13" and 15" macs which are slimmer than most . Finally I folded it in thirds and then in half and got it in the bag. It took a couple tries but I was finally able to get it compressed down to fit in the envelope and to be able to close it without tape ( a postal requirement.)
4 comments:
such a neat idea!
I tried to order some fabric from kittycraft and it was 17$ shipping for 40$ worth of fabric! I was so sad I couldn't get my yummy fabric.
Is it only Uk or all europe?
Well from here everywhere went up and the main problem is that first class ( they used to call it airmail letter post ( even for packages)) was insured, now only priority is insured .
You know, when I shipped out all those bits of fabric, I vaccuum sealed them but one wouldn't fit into the flat rate... so I was able to put it in the bigger more flexible USPS envelope and since it was under a pound, I still only paid 4.60 for that package. Are the sleeves more than a pound?
Domestic mail is $4.60 for up to a pound but international is much higher depending on the zone. I just shipped a vacuum packed sleeve to BC Canada and it would have been $16.00 for 1lb but since it could fit it in a flat rate envelope it was only 9.00. The sleev in this picture still hasn't arrived almost 1 month later even though my post office says it's only 5 days to Germany . They claim it must be in customs. This was a custom order and I don't have anymore fabric so I'm hoping it's not gone for good.
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