Atlas Parts Shipping Problem - USPS?

[C855B]

Somehow a headlight lens popped out of a new Atlas FA-1 I was decodering, and it is nowhere to be found. Went to the parts page, found the parts, added them to the cart, went to select shipping address... and it's greyed-out both USPS options as "failed password" (or something to that effect), leaving the least expensive method as UPS, at $17. For $14 worth of tiny parts.

Before I bug them by phone in the morning, anybody know offhand if they're shipping by normal snailmail... or is UPS it?

TIA.

[Mark5]

I was trying to place a website order for tiny parts earlier this year, the shipping from the website was astronomical similar to yours. I called and they worked out a much cheaper shipping quote (USPS). 

I think the issue is the shipping software.

[sizemore]

Atlas also has their parts store on Ebay which is great, shipping is better there too. Only issue is that they dont have all the parts on the store that are available on the Atlas website. YMMV.

The S.

[C855B]

Atlas also has their parts store on Ebay which is great, ...

Are you sure that's Atlas? All I found on eBay is that guy who appears to buy surplus lots for resale. Anyway...

Talked to Steve at Atlas. His instructions were to complete the order on the website and pick any shipping method, and he would change it to USPS. Already done, received their order confirmation with USPS noted. Still not cheap ($10.40), but better.

Now I have the nagging feeling the lens is somewhere in the body, dislodged when I snapped-on the shell. Not going to take it apart to find nothing, fearful of breaking fragile bits like the ladders and horns.

Have a brace of four, which is how UP ran them "in the day." Incredibly smooth runners. Impressive.

[Mark5]

Yes, Atlas sells on Ebay: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trkparms=folent%3Aatlasrr_official%7Cfolenttp%3A1&_trksid=p3542580.m47492.l71970&_ssn=atlasrr_official

[C855B]

Yes, Atlas sells on Ebay: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trkparms=folent%3Aatlasrr_official%7Cfolenttp%3A1&_trksid=p3542580.m47492.l71970&_ssn=atlasrr_official

Thanks. Chalk up my experience to eBay's brainless search "feature". Yikes.

[professor_cassidy]

 “ fearful of breaking fragile bits like the ladders and horns”
You aren’t kidding about the FA-1’s.  I just got an ABA set of CP Rail, and one of the A units had no electrical pickup on front truck. So off to “Spookshow” to find out how to get the shell off to investigate the pickup problem.  Ha . With the sticky tape holding the headlight wires (how 1970’s  ) the shell was a pain to get off, and the horn bit the dirt in the process  :.  I was able to fix the pickup problem that was with one of the new fangled little pickup strips out of alignment.  What a pain dealing with the 4 little wires going to the headlight  .  Does anyone know why the A unit nose is high on these?  It seems that something on the shell or chassis or headlight board is preventing the shell from going down all the way.  What a pain .  Very disappointed in these units

P.S now I get to order a .10 cent horn from Atlas that will probably end up costing $10 

[Chris333]

Just now on their ebay shop I added a bunch of $1 items that were all listed to ship for $4. In the cart to check out and it says $16 for shipping. I had to request to combine shipping. Why do I need to request it?

[pmpexpress]

Just now on their ebay shop I added a bunch of $1 items that were all listed to ship for $4. In the cart to check out and it says $16 for shipping. I had to request to combine shipping. Why do I need to request it?

Because Atlas failed to create an eBay selling policy for automatically calculating the shipment cost for multiple item purchases.

[Mark5]

Just now on their ebay shop I added a bunch of $1 items that were all listed to ship for $4. In the cart to check out and it says $16 for shipping. I had to request to combine shipping. Why do I need to request it?

This is The Way. (the ebay way  )

[Chris333]

So after sending a request to combine the shipping I got 4 emails from eBay saying there are 4 items I committed to buy but haven't payed yet 

Today I got an invoice from the seller with shipping at $7 bucks.  We are talking items like brake wheels. Still no idea how shipping goes from $4 to $7, but guess $7 is better than $16. At least they didn't ask me to round up for charity their eBay tax deduction.

[thomasjmdavis]

So after sending a request to combine the shipping I got 4 emails from eBay saying there are 4 items I committed to buy but haven't payed yet 

Today I got an invoice from the seller with shipping at $7 bucks.  We are talking items like brake wheels. Still no idea how shipping goes from $4 to $7, but guess $7 is better than $16. At least they didn't ask me to round up for charity their eBay tax deduction.

I've noted that 'combined shipping based on item  with highest shipping fee plus $1 for each additional item' has become the norm for eBay, at least my last several purchases.  The logic is that the shipping fee includes paying someone for the two minutes it takes to locate the item on the shelf, in addition to the actual cost of shipping.  Worse, in my opinion, are the folks who are charging $14 to ship a single $10 used N scale freight car.  Apparently, they feel their time, or their cardboard box, has a premium value.

I need to go through all my parts bags and catalog stuff.... at $4 for the first part +$1 each for shipping, I could give the stuff away, and still make money, given what I paid for parts 10 and 20 years ago.

[Chris333]

So today the stuff I ordered from eBay through the Atlas store issued a refund of $8.

Here's a summary of your refund.

Refund summary

Subtotal

$5.89

Shipping

$1.61

Tax

$0.50

    
Total refund

$8.00

Doesn't say why. Doesn't say something I bought was out of stock. My shipping was $7 for getting $8 back has nothing to do with the shipping. I'm guessing something was out of stock.

[Chris333]

And as a contrast today I bought a few more things on ebay from the same seller (not Atlas). Same way, put them in my cart. Go to pay. First item $5 shipping, next item $1 shipping. This is far more reasonable.

[pmpexpress]

I've noted that 'combined shipping based on item  with highest shipping fee plus $1 for each additional item' has become the norm for eBay, at least my last several purchases.  The logic is that the shipping fee includes paying someone for the two minutes it takes to locate the item on the shelf, in addition to the actual cost of shipping.  Worse, in my opinion, are the folks who are charging $14 to ship a single $10 used N scale freight car.  Apparently, they feel their time, or their cardboard box, has a premium value.

I need to go through all my parts bags and catalog stuff.... at $4 for the first part +$1 each for shipping, I could give the stuff away, and still make money, given what I paid for parts 10 and 20 years ago.

Base shipping plus a fixed additional price per additional item is simply the lazy-man's way to provide a combined shipping cost for multiple item purchases.

Now found under "Seller Policies", eBay has always provided a way for sellers to use package size and weight to determine the shipping cost for multiple item purchases.

As eBay collects a fee on the shipping cost that the buyer has been charged, it is not in the venue's best interest to force sellers to use "Seller Policies" or to reduce buyer shipping costs.

With this being said, despite the fact that shipping charges are constantly rising above the annual Consumer Price Index, eBay always encourages sellers to provide free shipping, which for the most part is untenable for low volume sellers.