The humongous Sandy Electronics thread...

[chriskgnr]

...Dave: take all the time you need to keep your life easy.
We are hobby enthusiasts, not a factory and definitely no global players.
It's good you are concentrating on single aspects now.
...

Yes, this is the correct point of view!

[Dave]

*grumbles*

In the last few days I have become aware of a few more orders that haven't arrived. I'm now at about one in five or six non-delivered.

I just don't know how a business can operate with that kind of a shipping record. It's an impossible situation.

[RWAP]

No wonder the US postal service don't offer compensation for lost items unless you pay specifically for insurance !!

[Derek_Stewart]

Move back to the UK...

[Dave]

I do notice the trend that it's only packages I ship internationally, and only the ones that are boxes or jiffy bags that feel like they have something in them - only had two letters not delivered.

When I talked with the postmaster a few months ago, he assured me it would be resolved etc etc but it never has.

I just totaled it up, and my losses just due to undelivered mail are around $1,150.

One the plus side, it looks like my losses mean I'll have no taxes this year.

[thorsinclair]

Is it possible to offer insurance for the postage to Europe as an additional feature? I would not care to pay more money but knowing for 100% that I get my package or the money back ...

[Dave]

I looked at insurance, but the cost is high. Even with a 20% loss rate, it works out cheaper for me to just 'self insure' by offering full refunds.

The trap is that low sale value items under about $60 it is too expensive to ship by FedEx/UPS. I had a nice conference call with my postage seller and the local postmaster. They admit there is a problem affecting the wider area I am in, and the implication was "we know we have a theft ring in our local sorting office - we're working hard on cracking it because it's hurting us a lot."...

I gave them a comprehensive list of mailing dates and mail types (package, letter, destination) so hopefully that will help them narrow things down.

In the mean time, I don't think I'll accept any more orders, except for felt pads. It's unfair to you guys and it's unfair to me.

I am working on a couple of options for distributing SuperRAM, including just bulk-shipping them to Amazon fulfillment or to RWAP. It looks unlikely I'll be willing to ship them myself unless something changes dramatically.

As for the felt pads, they seem to arrive fairly consistently now. I have had a customer in the EU have the problem that their pads seem to have been crushed, but I have offered to re-ship in different packaging or refund. I also have another who I shipped thousands to and didn't receive them (a package, so not surprised) so I have got more 3M felt and booked more laser time on the 15th. The new laser focus tips provide a much longer focal length, which means a tighter, more focused beam and much less carbonization on the edges of the pads, which is good.

I do have one order for 300 pads I can't fulfill until the 15th.

[thorsinclair]

A theft ring in the local sorting office? Incredible! Just wondering what these guys are doing with the QL stuff

Another idea, may not possible yet, but may worth a thought: You announced e.g. a series of Hardware extensions which are very interesting to the remaining QL community. The problem is how to get them to Europe when available. Would a licensing deal be a solution? The hardware designed by you could be produced in Europe and you would get a fee on every sold unit. You still could produce a certain quantity for US costumers, for EU costumers production is done in Europe. The fee on every unit should pay your R&D cost and create funds for new developments.

It's just so ridiculous that "Microdrice Felt Pads" are stolen. How crazy is this?!?

[Dave]

Very few of the mdv pads have gone astray. It's mostly anything in a box.

I am looking at different options, but the boards being SMD they are not suited to hobbyist assembly. I have access here to a professional PCB assembly facility at cost price. Production costs here would be less than half what they are in the EU, and with MUCH less regulation.

I'm probably just going to use FedEx and eat the extra cost.

As for thieves in the local sorting office - not a surprise at all. The Postal Inspection Service is involved now, due to the complaints of myself and others.

[Dave]

A new batch of felt arrived this morning in the mail.

I have laser time booked for this evening at 9 pm. I will ship out all current laser orders tomorrow morning.

Thanks!