From Diana

[Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com>]

>From Diana -- bounced because it's multipart.

  - Erik
(PS: Back from vacation now, and going through e-mail)

-- 
Erik Olson
erik at thekrib dot com

---------- Forwarded message ----------

Dear Fellow AGAers,

 I?m still  having trouble setting postal rates and may need some help.
Either that or I just want to let all of you know what?s going on.
Postal rates for shipments to Canada and overseas went way up in
January.

 What brought this to a head was an Australian ordering my book
(Ecology..) and including just $5 for air-mail postage.  He sent me a
postal money order for $33.  Well, I sent the book off, but the air-mail
postage to Australia was $16.25.  Since it?s my book and partially my
problem, I?m going to help make up part of the AGA?s loss on this
shipment.  But this state-of-affairs can?t continue.  In my earlier
shipping instructions, I tried to get overseas hobbyists to correspond
with me ahead of time.  However, I understand that not everyone without
e-mail is willing to send a postal letter to get shipping prices, wait
for a response, and then send their money order for the book.  This
process could take months.

Compounding the problem for me is that the post office still doesn?t
have their rates published, so I have to guesstimate on what the actual
costs will be or wait until I make the actual shipment.

So far the problem I?ve described doesn?t happen that often (once every
two months?), but it still needs to be dealt with.  Shipping my book to
Australia/Asia is where we are most vulnerable.

Here are the actual costs I?ve had to pay to send out books (all are
air-mail).

Ecology book to:

Canada $7
Europe $14.50
Australia $16.25
India $17.35
_________________

Tropica Book to:

Canada $3.95

_______________________________

 Grab Bag to:

Europe $8.70
Australia $9.70

_____________



As to surface shipping, I?ve gotten so many complaints about books not
arriving soon enough, I?d almost rather not list it.  With what I've
written below, those wanting surface shipping would be forced to
correspond if they wanted the lower surface shipping rates.  They aren't
that much lower, so it's not an obvious solution to the problem.

Below is about the best I could come up with to put onto the BookStore
website and in the next TAG.   I?ve added about $1-2 to the actual (or
guesstimated) postage charges.  Please feel free to made amendments or
suggest changes.  I'm at a loss here and want to make it right.  Thanks!




<Listed prices include AGA member discount and shipping to U.S.
Personal checks, VISA and MasterCard are accepted.  Non-members, please
add $5 per item.>

<Air-mail shipping rates to countries outside the U.S.: Tropica book ($5
to Canada; $10 to Europe; $13 to Australia/Asia).  Ecology book ($8 to
Canada; $16 to Europe; $18 to Australia/Asia). Registered mail
(additional charge) strongly advised for some countries.>


Diana