Scrodes

That's my understanding - and in some cases that would even be a new part straight from the manufacturer and it would be a lot less of a wait.

When Ford lost my brand new car last year (literally lost it) for 5 months before delivery, I didn't pay more when it arrived.

Herblenny

iTrader: (13)

Let me put my 2 cents again..

Don't get me wrong.. There is nothing wrong of making few bucks and shipping personal stuff in for free.. Its what I consider business or what not. I really don't care and I'm sure many of you probably assume this will happen.

In this case, its all about the math to me.. What has been said about the container and what is being charged, the number quite doesn't make sense..

Here is my math and please correct me if I'm wrong..

40ft container dimension I gather is: 40x8x8.5 (2400 cubic feet) container..


Lets say realistically you fill 30 x 5 x 5 of it. Thats 750 cubic ft. (not 2400 cubic ft).
Lets round that number to 600 cubic ft. (1/4 of the space = which is pretty much entire floor only 2 ft high) for easy calculation (compare to 2400cubic ft).
Say container cost $6000, thats $10/cubic ft. A bumper will take on about 10 cubic ft... $100.

At $340, and say $100 was japanese domestic shipping, $40 misc. fee, $200 container fee, He is stating the container at the dimension of 600cubic ft filled costs is whopping $12,000. That's the conservative 600 cubic ft filled. That's where I have some issue with the pricing and want to know how the calculation was done.

And again, our pricing varies pending who all ordered what.. like my example of shipping a small shift **** that will fit in $4.95 priority fix rate (8.5"x5"x1.5") vs $14.80 (12"x12"x5). If someone did that to me, I would question why and why I should be paying that. In this case, maybe better example is using $14.80 box, ship it to NYC to his friend, and than back to me and asking me to pay 2 shipping fee. That's only way I can understand the fee I see here.. The container landed in Cali and 5-6 people I've spoke to about shipping containers from Japan, all told me very close to what I stated earlier.. $6000 including tax and customs (customs fee varies pending if brand new products vs. used). Than I know it had to go from Cali to Florida (2500 miles)..

Scrodes

This actually makes decent sense - because he couldn't stack parts on top of parts on top of parts.

I think we'd all be happier if Ramy would explain his pricing more clearly.

FDNewbie

iTrader: (10)

Thanks for the kind words Bryan.

It's complicated. But a couple of the points I'd like to highlight are:

- You can't count a container by sq ft, unless you're just jamming in a bunch of half cuts or full crates in there. When you have a ton of oddly shaped fragile parts, there's a LOT of wasted space, to best protect the parts you have. Eg, bumpers, wings, hoods, and other fragile items, which you're gonna top load, and can only load so high, buffered by what's around them to prevent them from shifting around and being damaged while in the open seas.

- Gas prices fluctuate, as do exchange rates. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose on that. Not a huge price, but factors into it nonetheless.

- Yes, I now live in FL, but when I started this, I was in PA. So I was still on the East Coast, and I was actually considering shipping it to Northern VA (near DC) instead, cuz I had space out there, and it was centrally located, great for shipping routes, etc.

- Phil's estimate on the container estimate is generally in the same ballpark. But as happened last time, and as I warned this time again, Customs inspections can be VERY costly. Try over $3K. No, they don't charge for it, but the container can't be released until Customs completes the inspection. And in the meantime, port storage space is PREMIUM. So you gotta pay whatever storage fee they request, which is typically around $400/day for a 1 week MINIMUM.

- I'm also not charging ANY profit margin on the parts.

If everyone feels the fees are unreasonable, in light of the fact that its MY shipment, so I'M responsible, and I made YOU guys wait, I'm MORE than happy to work something out to where we're all happy and in agreement.

But taking things to a personal level (not you; others)...it'll get ya nowhere FAST.

As you alluded to in your post, I've NEVER ripped anyone off, I've NEVER cheated or stole from anyone, and no matter how late my stuff may run, I've ALWAYS gone the extra mile & then some to make things right to keep ppl happy. Cuz I never want someone leaving with a sour taste in their mouth, thinking I did them wrong. Cuz it ain't about the money for me; it's about my reputation & my honor. May seem trivial to some of you, but for me, its more important than anything else.

~Ramy

FDNewbie

iTrader: (10)

I think I have very VERY few FC parts (try not to tie up money in FC parts, cuz most FC owners don't wanna fork out for the expensive stuff... FD community is quickly following in suit unfortunately).

Unfortunately, no, it's not Davin. We're talking about international shipping & handling fees only, not domestic fees. Which yes, add up, which is why I'm trying to make this work so everyone's happy. I never posted up a "hey this is what it is and if you don't like it, too bad" statement. I did it based on the #s in front of me, and I thought they were reasonable. Some disagree.

Sure was. By the time all was said and done, it tipped over the $10K mark, all-inclusive.

When I'm done getting parts OWED out, I can deal with the parts I personally purchased.

If you're alluding to possibly being interested in purchasing other parts, and wanting to save on shipping & ship everything at the same time, if you're not in a hurry, I can get everyone else's parts out, and then once I complete the inventory, ship whatever else you want out with your previously purchased parts. Up to you.

FDNewbie

iTrader: (10)

Yea...in the ideal world, that wouldn't be an issue, but as I said earlier, I have NOT inventoried everything, cuz Phil needs his parts like YESTERDAY (yea, that's my fault, I'm owning up to it), so I literally only went on a hunt for his parts. And there are a LOT of parts to go through. So that's all I've identified, and I have work & other personal things to attend to in the meantime.

Yea, sorry, it doesn't work like that.

I'm willing to be reasonable, discuss, and come to a solution that works for everyone. But don't let that confuse you into thinking I'm a pushover. We're not making demands here, and this isn't a democracy. I do, again, for the Nth time, extend and open the table for reasonable discussion, keeping in mind the fees already forgone (eg markups).

~Ramy

FDNewbie

iTrader: (10)

No. And I'm simply calling BS on ppl claiming they can ship a bumper for $300, as was mentioned earlier in the thread.

A bumper, based on dimensional weight, would be EXTREMELY expensive to ship via Air, cuz the box would have to be HUGE, with a ton of dead space in it. And it's too large to go via Japan EMS Post, so you're looking at Fedex or DHL, both of which run nearly $800/bumper.

If you wanna risk Ocean Freight (surface shipping), best of luck. Sometimes it shows up, sometimes it doesn't. And there's no insurance, and there's no tracking.

And I'm committed to providing them, provided we stick to the topic at hand, and not get personal.

FDNewbie

iTrader: (10)

I just measured the bumper box I have on-hand. 78" L X 26" W X 31" H. And of course, filled with packing material & bubble wrap.

I'd LOVE someone to show me something in writing to substantiate Phil's claim of "I would of happily paid $200-300 to ship both bumpers via DHL or Fedex over the air freight via Scoot." ANYONE, based on those dimensions, or even anything close to it. I can GUARANTEE you, you're looking at $800 or more at that price.

I just ran the prices on Fedex's website: $4712.33 for International Economy. And DHL won't even quote you a price on that.

~Ramy

FDNewbie

iTrader: (10)

I'm calling it a night guys, but I'm just wanna leave on this note: money isn't the end-all, be-all. Lets stay on topic and see what we can do to get everyone their parts while keeping everyone happy, but still being fair with respect to the actual shipping costs.

Phil, I'm glad we were able to talk this out

~Ramy

Bryan Jacobs

iTrader: (66)

Ramy,

I recently paid $90 to have a rear spoiler sent EMS (shipping cost only) and a rear strut bar was around $70 for EMS iirc (couldn't find the invoice on that yet). The rear spoiler and strut bar I'm comparing are the EXACT same items you have for me on the container (RE-A type IV spoiler and RE-A front strut bar) so the comparison is accurate. Yesterday I received a front bumper for my FC that I was charged $150 fee (including domestic shipping, taxes, customs) for it to ship in a container to Chicago. From Chicago to where I am (near Baltimore, MD) I was charged $189 so I was charged $339 total fee to obtain a bumper from YJA and get it from Japan to my front door. This particular container service took approx 2.5 months from the time I bought the item to my door. The other two transaction took maybe 2 weeks from end of auction until the parts were in my hand. The names of the vendor were not posted in the thread but if you want I can do so or contact me PM. I have invoices to verify the costs stated here. In addition many of these companies fees can simply be verified by their website (as far as %'s or flat fees where applicable).

I think we would all appreciate it if you could re-evaluate the fee structure and see if we can calculate something more agreeable.

purerx7

iTrader: (61)

We ship front bumpers from Japan to the US via FEDEX air, both economy and priority all the time. You are looking at a minimum of $700 to get it stateside, most of the time it is a bit more depending on the size of the box.

Bryan Jacobs

iTrader: (66)

This was an ocean container. Let's compare apples to apples, not apples to oranges. I received a bumper yesterday that I paid $339 TOTAL FEES including EVERYTHING (domestic shipping, taxes, customs, fees, etc.) to my front door and waited a total 2.5 months from end of auction to receive (left approx 2 wks. past estimated time of departure). For Ramy's container which took approx 18 months past original estimated time of departure I am being asked to pay $340 + another couple hundred shipping to my front door. Ramy, if you want proof of this, I can post up the name of vendor and it can easily be verified. This was not a "special deal", "friends" deal or something that someone supposedly setup to "help others out". That price that I paid was offered to anyone who contacted them. Now the EMS prices that I mentioned in my earlier thread were to show that I am currently being asked to pay more for waiting 18 months on this container then it costed to have some of the EXACT SAME items shipped EMS to my front door which arrived in days not months(not including the front bumper, which as stated are $700ish via air). I have proof of every single price that I have stated.

Sandrock

iTrader: (26)

I bought Works VS-XX's from Japan.. the 2 giant packages that wieghed about 150lbs combined cost be about 270 dollars via Fedex Air and arrived a week after shipment.

TougeSpirit

iTrader: (12)

Maybe I missed it, but as far as inventorying who had what as there are probably duplicate parts in different conditions, should I go ahead and email you again with the transaction and auction info Ramy?

I'll agree Ramy always came through in the end .. For me anyways. I had bought spirit R seats with broken seat belt clips, and he had stated he would replace them at a later date when he was able to - and of course he did. Thanks for considering our frustration and making the effort to work this out.

FDNewbie

iTrader: (10)

I dunno what to tell you guys. I believe you Bryan, and don't think you have reason to lie to me but I guess some shippers sell in huge quantities that they have special deals and as such special pricing that I can't touch.

My experience is like that of purerx7. I can't match pricing not offered to me, but again, I'm happy to work with you guys on a reasonable pricing structure.

Kindly lets be patient until I get Phil & John's parts out, and as I work my way down the list, I'll come up with some quotes, run some #s, and we'll hash it out individually, and make sure everyone is agreeable.

Thanks,
~Ramy

REsuperOG

iTrader: (13)

I empathize with both sides...

and I tip my hat off to FDNewbie for having the courage to take on this kind of work so that people can have genuine rare/cool and seemingly unobtainable stuff. To make the unavailable, available without replicating (like most body kit/wheel sellers in the USA do).

I find some certainty in the thread title that this will be the last... I have no say in this thread tho LOL don't mind me

Bryan Jacobs

iTrader: (66)

Ramy,

I understand that you don't ship containers as regularly as some other importers and that they may be getting discounts that you aren't. I don't necessarily expect you to be able to match prices with those businesses that import more often or in larger quantities. However in the case of the front bumper fee, $340 vs. $150 is more than double the price for seven times the wait. In the case of some of the other fees, your fee is more than I paid to have the same items shipped air to my door (arriving in days as opposed to 18 months) and your fee doesn't include shipping to my door.These fees far from reasonable and I hope that you find a more equitable solution that everyone can live with. Feel free to PM regarding specifics about my transactions with other vendors if you wish.

Scrodes

You didn't answer me Ramy

Did the container have to be shipped further because you moved? All due respect, I'd better not be paying for that. I got in on this container to save money - I had no problem with it taking time if you kept us up to date and the time was reasonable.

White Charisma

iTrader: (17)

As Ramy stated he was in PA when he started this container. He was only in NM for a very short period of time. I met with him here and even helped him out then. I'm fairly certain he had the container straight shipped to the ports in FL. Just the boat it was on had to stop in LA then make its way to FL. Correct me if I'm wrong Ramy, but I believe this is the case.

FDNewbie

iTrader: (10)

The ironic part is, that's the whole reason I got into this in the first place: couldn't get the super hard & rare parts I wanted, so I made the connections necessary to change that. And utilized that ability to provide literally HUNDREDS of other fellow enthusiasts (in the FD, MR2, and NSX communities) with parts that were otherwise unavailable or unobtainable.

The problem became when the replica companies burst onto the scene. I still remember when the FEED kit was a coveted kit, to be respected, and SOOO rare. Then another vendor replicated the kit, fenders & hood included, and things weren't so rare anymore. And from around that time, the market's been in decline, and without the significant financial support they used to enjoy, a lot of rotary enthusiast shops dwindled down their FD market R&D.

Its sad...but that's the story, and how we got to where we are today.

FDNewbie

iTrader: (10)

Bryan, again, I hear ya. Understood. 100%. And again, I'll re-emphasize that once I'm done with Phil & John's parts, we'll knock this out on an individual basis and make things agreeable to both sides, cool? I just need your patience until we get to that stage shortly.

Scrodes, I did answer it, but you apparently missed it. White Charisma is correct. And kindly leave my title and last name out of this. Just call me Ramy.

Scrodes

Ramy why? This is personal - you have $750 of my hard earned dollars and I love each and every one of them like they are my children. Are you afraid your colleagues might find out that the only people who wait longer than your patients are people who do business with you?

JermsBoo

Everyone has had money tied up in this container. We all just want to get our parts. Let us do this as civil as possible.

REsuperOG

iTrader: (13)

FDnewbie seems to be handling this on the solo-dolo tip. We should, by all means, help him push everything along... especially since (like mentioned before) all the parts are on their last leg. Ramy, I'll send you a PM right now to offer anything I can assist with.



Agreed. I do see the decline not only with car parts, but with almost every market .... These rep companies turned a "HOLY $H~+! Did you see that FEED FD3S on TE's?!" type reaction into a "oh.. another one?... I wonder if it's real..." . that's just me personally, and the damage has been done. these rep guys take all the money and scarred my car enthusiast spirit

These M%#$&%#$^$#%$%#$*%$%*@&S stole my photo and advertise the legendary RE-Amemiya FC2000 front bumper as "Extreme Dimensions R-Design Front Bumper Conversion" with a premium brand stamp... WTF
http://www.andysautosport.com/produc...s__106791.html

^I emailed them to take it down... nothing. smfh now these new kids that see that ad may never have recollection of the origin


I wish people would support the original ideas and manifestations of the true pioneers... no matter what the cost. They deserve it, and almost always do not get the full recognition until they're dead. This is the world we live in.


The way things are going, I hope things can get better.

REsuper7

iTrader: (4)

i can't agree more...well said REsuperOG...well said.