Newport Lab Jack from reliable seller sitting at $61

g4lab · Post by **g4lab** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 1:53 pm

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 47520&rd=1

This has two lead screws operated by a miniature bicycle chain.

Somebody grab it.

realjax · Post by **realjax** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 3:15 pm

Shipping cost are a tad high..

ChrisLilley · Post by **ChrisLilley** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 2:18 am

realjax wrote:Shipping cost are a tad high..

To Europe, yes

Current bid: US $61.00 [ 9 bids ] Approximately EUR 44.23
Postage: US $167.95 UPS Worldwide Expedited

UPS Ground to a US address is US $15.30 though.

ChrisLilley · Post by **ChrisLilley** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 2:30 am

Same seller has a different model at USD 11 with even higher postage.

I once saw a list of thirty or so scam photography outlets, selling stolen goods or goods not as described or with extortionate shipping or other oddities. Every single one of them was in Brooklyn.

Personally, without any further info, and I know that this policy does a disservice to what are probably many fine and honest traders in Brooklyn NY, I avoid that location - doubly so for amazing deals that look too good to be true.

Edited to add: I misread Brockport NY as Brooklyn NY, my bad.

Craig Gerard · Post by **Craig Gerard** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 4:07 am

UPS aren't happy with just the freight job (exhorbitant prices), they also want brokerage fees based on the value of the item.....hmmm, what's the word for that?

Hopefully, USPS or FedEx won't catch the same germ; but these things are easily transmitted.

Shipping costs to Australia are displaying as USD
$194.33. Ridiculous!

Nice gizmo.

Craig

g4lab · Post by **g4lab** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 4:32 am

I have bought LITERALLY TONS of materials from this seller. They are 100% reliable and honest. If anybody cares to check I will PM them my ebay handle and they may look at the feedback I have posted for them over the last 12 years. I have no other connection to them other than being a very satisfied repeat customer.

They have consistently gotten very cool stuff (lots of surplus from Eastman Kodak) and usually start their auctions at $15.

The $16 shipping charge for the item I posted is exactly what I would expect. They do a highly professional job of packing the often delicate scientific gear that I have been buying from them.

They are not responsible for what the carriers charge and probably have as good a deal with UPS as its possible to make because they are a very big ebay seller. International shipping has gotten especially exorbitant lately.
But sunnking is not responsible for that.

And they are nowhere near Brooklyn (which I also avoid like the plague)
They are in Rochester. It is New York state but very far away. Look at a map before you paint someone with an inappropriate brush.

ChrisLilley · Post by **ChrisLilley** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 6:50 am

Thanks for the personal recommendation; more valuable than ebay feedback in my opinion.

I misread Brockport as Brooklyn, sorry.

As for the postage - no, sorry I disagree. Some sellers refuse to deal with people outside their own country, and some allow it but ensure that you pay massively over the odds for shipping.

So as I said, USD 16 is fine for folks inside the US.

And the massive overcharge they have for Europe (USD 167) and Australia (USD 194) is not fine, and not typical of other sellers. I buy from plenty of sellers worldwide who actually want to ship items abroad, and they can manage to post reasonable shipping charges (with tracking etc).

So, looks like a fine seller - for customers in the US, only.

PauloM · Post by **PauloM** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 6:58 am

For the record, I have also bought from that seller in the past and have nothing but good things to say about them. Their feedback speaks for itself.

As for UPS brokerage charges, it's a common practice among shipping companies, and there's nothing the seller can do about it.

In my experience and opinion, the worst offender is not even UPS, it's DHL. They run what I would call a legally-sanctioned extortion operation, where once they get their hands on your package, there's no way for you to receive it unless you pay them what they feel like charging, and the cheaper option available involves paying DHL EUR 20 to fill out a form, and then spending one afternoon going through the Customs agency's bureaucracy maze yourself, pay what's owed to the State, and then pay DHL a daily storage fee that's been running ever since before you even knew the package had arrived.

realjax · Post by **realjax** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:49 am

Still, it is a nice thingie..

I'd buy it too and if lived close by, I'd simply use Sunnking's FREE Local Pickup Service for only 10 dollar.

Oskar O · Post by **Oskar O** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 8:30 am

Highest amount I've paid for shipping from North America to Europe when shipped with a courier company was around $70-$80 and the size and weight of the box should easily cover the item in the listing. Now it could be that prices have double in two years or that my shipper had a very good deal, but my feeling is that the seller just lists a sum that will cover shipping to anywhere for the most usual package sizes they use. I haven't had any problems with the courier companies, although their service isn't good enough to warrant the rather high prices for normal deliveries (i.e. not urgent).

FWIW, USPS Express (EMS) is something like $30-$40 for typical small items.

But nice lab jack, I might actually buy it if the shipping charges to Europe were anything sensible

lauriek · Post by **lauriek** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 10:59 am

To be fair these lab jacks are quite heavy, the newport jack I have (different model, no chain) must weigh in around 4-5kg, the the auction shipping is labelled 'expedited' which would suggest by air.

g4lab · Post by **g4lab** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 3:49 pm

Somebody paid $205 for it before shipping to wherever.

I have had occasion to ship microscopes to Europe and the prices have recently become non-feasible for most deals. I check USPS , UPS and Fedex and recently got a quote from a local air cargo forwarder.

To ship a microscope stand from the middle US to the UK was going to be $350 to $450. In a 26x26x29 inch aluminum fitted tub weighing 78 pounds.

I used to offer sales of things all over the world without initially fretting about the shipping charges. Those days are absolutely over.

There is a bit more paperwork for overseas shipping. And especially if you are doing it in bulk which might explain why they want to either discourage it or get paid handsomely for doing so. (Thank you Homeland "Security") I see the same thing often for shipments from the far east to the US which precludes bidding on many otherwise interesting things.

Craig Gerard · Post by **Craig Gerard** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 4:29 pm

I wonder how long it will be before eBay Inc. offer their own international air freight delivery service?

Security issues/restrictions would still apply to and from most locations.

Craig