var json_comments = new Array("
\"user-pic\"
Penny
April 17, 2009 7:42 PM
Moderate | Flag for review

Mother Nature is going to be pissed when she sees this.

Reply
2 replies
\"user-pic\"
dako81
April 17, 2009 8:53 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Penny Plastic: Father Nature is going to be pissed when he sees this.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Kaellorian
April 17, 2009 9:54 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@dako81: Yeah, that whole \"you just wait till your father gets home\" stuff should be more universal.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
Penny
April 17, 2009 7:43 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Also, I find it ridiculous that they only offer express shipping. WTF is that about?

Reply
2 replies
\"user-pic\"
biswalt
April 18, 2009 1:32 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Penny Plastic: Because it's to Canada. I used to work at a record label, everything was expressed nothing was delivered on the standard time table whenever it was overseas. With what it costs to ship overseas anyway, the additional cost of expressing it, taken into account how much faster it will arrive from overseas, it really isn't that much to express ship something.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
the_deliverator
April 17, 2009 8:19 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Penny Plastic: Probably because it can be a lot more expensive to ship to Canada from the US - there are customs duties attached. A company we worked with - it could $100+ to get one small package from the warehouse to Ontario.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
geeky_reader
April 17, 2009 7:44 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

I think the shippers need to leave the smartassery to the writers at ThinkGeek.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
Sabbadeus
April 17, 2009 7:45 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Have to say, that first box looks absolutely PACKED. I'm amazed that they manged to fit four things in it, why not just ship them all in different boxes, and conveniently 'forget' the sticker entirely, only to have it arrive weeks later in a torn letter and that postal bag apologizing that your purchases got ruined but they offer no recourse

Reply
2 replies
\"user-pic\"
Sabbadeus
April 17, 2009 7:47 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Sabbadeus: And of course I inherently fail by not doing and then so it wouldn't attempt to be used as real html... *facepalm*

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Sabbadeus
April 17, 2009 7:48 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Sabbadeus: I give up and revoke my commenting status for a 24-hour period because once again, I prove myself to be incompetant at these there internets. -1 Internets

Reply
\"user-pic\"
chauncy that billups
April 17, 2009 8:12 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Sabbadeus: Now that's what I call a cascading thread of fail.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
wardawg
April 17, 2009 8:47 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Sabbadeus: < & lt > < & gt >

The preview comment box wins again?

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Sabbadeus
April 17, 2009 9:01 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@wardawg: Preview wasn't working for me... whenever I went to preview, it would submit it on me. I blame it on the network here at work.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
Mike Kosten
April 17, 2009 7:47 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

The sad part is going to be that 99% of the people on this site will think that this is a legitimate story. I could make up a fake story like this too and end up on the front page of this site.

C'mon people. Get some common sense and don't believe everything you read on this site. 95% of it is fabricated because Consumerist has no way of verifying that any of it is true.

PS. I'll probably be banned for speaking the absolute truth.

Reply
15 replies
\"user-pic\"
Chongo
April 17, 2009 8:37 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: 87% of all statistics are made up.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
friendlynerd
April 17, 2009 8:20 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten:
I see facebook users are continuing to class up the place.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Lauren 'Lao' Oliet
April 17, 2009 8:26 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@friendlynerd: well there's no need to get snarky about facebook users. if you guys really disagree with Mike Kosten, attack his words and thoughts. don't make petty comments...

Reply
\"user-pic\"
drjayphd
April 18, 2009 12:15 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Lauren 'Lao' Oliet: As evidenced by the open sewer that tends to be far too many Facebook-using commenters... yeah, there kind of is. 'Tis a shame, they ruin it for the whole lot of you that actually provide useful and insightful comments. :/

Reply
\"user-pic\"
veg-o-matic
April 17, 2009 8:05 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: 95% of your statistics are fabricated because you have no way of verifying that any of it is true.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
ajlei
April 17, 2009 7:58 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: Well, we know all those bags of air wouldn't fit in one box with all those things, and I highly doubt somebody's been saving thinkgeek bags of air for their personal vendetta, so I'm gonna go with the OP here and say that that's ridiculous.

I do like a lot of the stuff ThinkGeek carries, and in a former life I didn't mind paying the extra that their products seem to cost, but now that I'm poorer, a cool $18 shirt just doesn't seem as cool with that price.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Mike Kosten
April 17, 2009 8:03 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@ajlei:

Lets prove a point, sometime in the next month I will post a fake story, and wait for all you guys to comment about how horrible the company or the service is.

Then I will come into the article and call you guys suckers.

Any way to verify that Consumerist?

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Meathamper
April 19, 2009 12:53 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: Then we'll know to not read anything from some guy named Mike Kosten.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Corporate-Shill
April 17, 2009 10:44 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten:


They won't.


The standards of Journalism do not apply to yellow rags, blogs and online forums.


Oh, and I agree with ya. a big chunk of these posts are stinky around the edges.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
ajlei
April 17, 2009 8:47 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: I see you skirted the real question I presented, about the unlikelihood of someone hanging onto a bunch of air pillows to make Consumerist and show their hate for Thinkgeek. I'm not at all surprised, because Thinkgeek IS expensive. And stupid shipping DOES happen. I don't think that this is fake. And your haughtiness and made-up statistics don't help your credibility.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
zandar
April 17, 2009 8:24 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten:

i don't think you are real, either. So we're even, right?

Reply
\"user-pic\"
DoubleBaconVeggieBurger
April 17, 2009 8:10 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Note to Consumerist: ignore emails from Mike Kosten. At least for the next month.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Sabbadeus
April 17, 2009 8:03 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@ajlei: I don't know, if you look at the two pictures, the real question arises that the two boxes aren't pictured together, they're both taken on a bed, so there's no solid proof that all the air-packs aren't the same ones just moved around and distended. So it could very well be played up, since the catalog in the second picture is just the same as the first but showing the back of it. Even if it is, all that this article is really showing is that two shipping boxes(assumedly) were used for items that could have been in one.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Mykah Bawn
April 17, 2009 9:59 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Sabbadeus:

Would you like me to take a pic of everything laid out, both catalogs and all the air bags? I have no problem doing that if you would like me to. I can also take pictures of the two shipping labels, and then the total shipping order. Then I can take a screenshot of my confirmed order page and send you a copy of the email confirmation. Would that be enough?

I wrongfully assumed that a story such as this, which would provide no benefit to me aside from maybe making thinkgeek rethink their shipping options, which would allow me to give them MORE money, would not make people call me a liar. On the principal of the thing though, I can provide more evidence from my side, if the comments from the thinkgeek lady aren't enough.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Sabbadeus
April 17, 2009 10:29 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mykah Bawn: Also, I'd only want a confirmed order screenshot if it had credit card information in plain sight with the security code; Because I know a Nigerian Prince who'd like to speak with you.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Sabbadeus
April 17, 2009 10:28 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mykah Bawn: Mykah,
Why are you still kicking around on here making comments on things that was being spoken about in a more ironic light.


At least on my part.


This isn't meant to be taken the wrong way, but you're taking this far far too seriously for people poking jest at what it -could- have been.


-Sabb

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Mykah Bawn
April 17, 2009 10:42 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Sabbadeus:

Meh, I just don't like being called a liar. No big deal, really. It's far too nice a day to be ticked off about a box full of jersey air.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Sabbadeus
April 17, 2009 10:46 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mykah Bawn: But that Jersey air is if the HIGHEST quality... by Jersey standards..


And you're right, it really is a nice day out, aside from the bit of snow we had this morning.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Penny
April 17, 2009 7:54 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten:

1. From the TG TOS: \"We have chosen DHL and UPS as the carriers for our International orders. They both offer reasonable shipping rates (compared to other express carriers) and fast delivery times. We do not use the Post Office for International orders because they do not offer a suitable package tracking system.

Your shipment should arrive in about 3 to 5 business days and when your order ships we send a tracking number via e-mail, so you can monitor the status of your shipment.\"

So, the shipping piece is accurate.

2. This kind of packing absolutely can happen because sometimes different items are at different DCs.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
PETAKillsKittens_GitEmSteveDave
April 17, 2009 7:53 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: So if the OP sent the author a image w/ the different labels, would they still be lying? Perhaps they printed their own labels.

If you do get banned, it is more than likely for insulting the readership saying they will \"fall\" for almost any story.

BTW, I speak as someone who HAD a story printed here. I did send pictures as well. But I prolly did it for the glory, right?

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Verucalise (Est.February2008)
April 17, 2009 10:41 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@PETAKillsKittens_GitEmSteveDave:Glory hog. We all know you just want attention ;-)


@Mike Kosten: Do you have any other insightful comments to leave? Or is your toilet full?

Reply
\"user-pic\"
junkmail
April 17, 2009 7:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: So how's the job at ThinkGeek going for ya? Settling right in?

Reply
\"user-pic\"
friendlynerd
April 17, 2009 8:21 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@junkmail:
works for Best Buy...makes even more sense.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Sabbadeus
April 17, 2009 7:51 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: Momentary revoke of my revoked commenting rights.


Mike, as much as I'd like to believe you and that it is made up, it stands that I've ordered from Think Geek before, and happen to have their catalog sitting next to me, they've done similar things before, but not over a sticker all alone in its own box. And you might even be right that it's just some moving around of the objects, but still raises the question of why not ship it all in one to begin with?

Reply
\"user-pic\"
ludwigk
April 17, 2009 8:03 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Sabbadeus: Why not ship it all in one box? Maybe because the objects were in different warehouses, then moved to the same shipment center? Maybe the first 4 items were picked and shipped one day, and the sticker was sent the next day when they arrived, but express shipping made them arrive at the same time?

Also, how did you revoke your revoked commenting rights? neat trick!

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Sabbadeus
April 17, 2009 8:06 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@ludwigk: I'm just that good... or I lack any sense of self control in keeping my fingers still and punching at the reply button as fast as I can because I work for comcrap through a third party company and there's no work to do, not to mention they're shutting down our site in less then a months time.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Mike Kosten
April 17, 2009 7:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Sabbadeus:

The real question is, how do we know that it wasn't?

Reply
\"user-pic\"
TCama
April 17, 2009 8:39 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: So one thing that we do know about you from previous comments is that you work at Best Buy. You defend Best Buy to the death and brag about how much you help customers, how much the customers love you, how Best Buy can do no wrong, etc. You had a shit-ton on of posts on the price match article on Gizmodo, telling readers about how Best Buy is the best, can do no wrong, saves puppies, is completely honest, etc.

Also, that Best Buy article was the first time you posted any comments on Gawker (/former Gawker) network. Your first experience with the Gawker blogs was defending your God of an employer.

So it's understandable that you have an anti-consumer stance, it really is. And the next time there's a story about Best Buy, I encourage you to bring it up with your superiors and ask them to bring a lawsuit against Consumers Union. In fact, since you know so much about fighting consumers, you could represent Best Buy in the libel trial!

So ... why hasn't The Consumerist been in court yet for libel?

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Penny
April 17, 2009 7:56 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: Um, how do we know anything is verified? What exactly are you after?

@junkmail: I had the same reaction...\"obviously Think Geek has not blocked Facebook at their offices...\"

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Mike Kosten
April 17, 2009 7:55 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@junkmail:

Ignorant now, are we? I'm going to assume that you believe every thing you see on TV and buy into propaganda as the truth. I don't work for ThinkGeek, but you are ignorant to think that Consumerist has any objectivity to the stories they post.

Just because Best Buy is on 90% of these posts, I can make up a fake story, get it posted on here, and every one will be in a tizzy-fit and start calling it \"Worst-Buy.\"

They have no way of verifying it.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
thesadtomato
April 17, 2009 8:51 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: How can we be sure anything is real?


\"I refute it thus!\" [kicks stone]

Reply
\"user-pic\"
metaled
April 17, 2009 8:19 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: he could photocopy the shipping label, it should tell the weight of the packages. But then you wouldn't be able to bait everyone.
I prefer to believe the stories until they are proven wrong, and they have been proven wrong on occasion (laptop, selling received CPUs over and over). Not everyone is stupid here and we do catch onto the fake stories really quick.
If you think it is fake, ask for the proof, don't just start fights with false accusations.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Mike Kosten
April 17, 2009 7:58 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten:

I can also tell you that on one of the stories on this site \"not going to say which one\" where somebody's name was given in the article, I know the accused person involved. The incident was blown out of proportion by about a factor of 200. It did not happen the way it happened as described by the author.

I don't see how this site is not in any legal trouble yet. They control what is posted and it is not maintained by the public, so they are liable for what they post as opposed to ripoffreport.com.

I'm just saying, we have no way of verifying that any of these stories are real.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
pecan 3.14159265
April 17, 2009 8:11 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: I appreciate a healthy sense of skepticism, but just because you can't verify absolutely that it happened, doesn't mean that it didn't. There's a certain level of trust on this site, and a certain amount of integrity that comes with the territory. This site isn't being run by Jimbo in his shed, there's a certain amount of accountability that exists.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Mike Kosten
April 17, 2009 8:13 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@pecan 3.14159265:

My question is, how is anyone held accountable? I don't see it. Obviously if I can come on this website, make a few \"educated\" yet hateful comments toward a company, I will be taken seriously as a commenter. Then I can send in a story that is completely false or skewed in my favor.

Where is the accountability in that? And how do we know that this stuff is not happening already?

Reply
\"user-pic\"
pecan 3.14159265
April 17, 2009 8:26 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: The accountability is with Ben, Carey, Chris, Meg, Roz, et. al. whose job it is to make sure that they uphold the integrity of Consumerist as a site and a brand. It's against their best interests to put up whatever they get without doing some digging into its validity.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
PETAKillsKittens_GitEmSteveDave
April 17, 2009 8:05 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: So your logical fallacy of anecdotal evidence and statistics of small numbers proves that there is no spoon?

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Mike Kosten
April 17, 2009 8:08 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@PETAKillsKittens_GitEmSteveDave:

Lemmings, lemmings. Calm down. I understand that the Consumerist can do no wrong in your eyes. But if you want to be taken seriously, at least take some objectivity to the story's presented.

If I posted a fake story, how would you not know it wasn't fake in the first place? Heck, I could have posted this story as a fake and you would never know.

Just goes to show you that this site won't be around very long because of legal reasons. They control the content, so they are liable.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Tsubasa
April 17, 2009 9:16 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: The Consumerist doesn't present itself as a gauntlet of truth and science. People submit stories, and they are posted with little, if any, verification. Most readers on the site (except the reeeally slow ones) understand the system. People who don't like the system are free to stop reading the site.

Do they sometimes post ridiculous stories and blow things completely out of proportion due to ignorance or the desire to get a rise out of people? Absolutely. However, traditional media does the same thing, and they supposedly hold themselves to a much higher standard!

If someone wants to post a fake story, there is nothing stopping them. I think what you are forgetting is the sense of morality that most other people are born with. Also, most people realize that there's not much point in posting fake stories except to make thousands of people hate you when the truth is inevitably discovered. Not many people attain fame and fortune by having their story about poor customer service posted on the internet, so there's no reason for you to be so jealous.

By the way, this is possibly the lamest \"issue to have a conspiracy theory about\" that I've even seen. Some people worry about the government's secret dealings, vaccines, aliens, religion... you're all whacked out over whether the Consumerist is objective enough?

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
April 17, 2009 9:31 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Tsubasa: \"you're all whacked out over whether the Consumerist is objective enough? \"

Not only that, but he apparently KEEPS READING EVEN THOUGH IT'S FULL OF TEH EEEEEEBIL!

When I hate a blog I just cut it out of my RSS feed. Srsly, man, life's too short.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
kissinggames
April 17, 2009 9:03 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: Bro, you're blowing my mind. Are you like, a philosophy major or something? Seriously though, bro, \"lemmings?\" That's like stupid weak. I mean, the smug sense of intellectual superiority dripping from your posts implies that you would at least have the wit to call them something more clever, like \"sheeple.\"

Reply
\"user-pic\"
DePaulBlueDemon
April 17, 2009 8:05 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten:

Oh, well in that case that explains everything! You have a grudge against the Consumerist.

I'm guessing your buddy works in Domino's, no?

No matter.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Penny
April 17, 2009 7:58 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: Verify that the story is fake, then we'll talk.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
headcase
April 17, 2009 8:29 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

An analysis of threads accusing the story as fake:

1. The originator: \"I'll bet it's fake\" - these are good to have once in a while as a reminder, for articles that would indeed be easy to fake. Maybe a little more polite than OP.

2. The accuser: \"Obviously you work for X\" - Not necessary, but who am I to judge against snark?

3. The reasoner: \"This could be real\\fake because...\" The ones that make a true difference. You are the heroes of these threads (assuming good reasoning comes after).

4. The \"You can't prove it's fake\\real!\" Not blaming anyone, but this is like watching an atheist going at it with someone from any other religion. A circular argument that escalates without going anywhere. In the end, these kinds of posts won't tug anyone reading them one way of the other.

5. The \"An analysis of threads accusing the story as fake.\" This one's pretty useless, I mean, c'mon, what's the point?

Reply
\"user-pic\"
pecan 3.14159265
April 17, 2009 8:35 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@headcase: I think the legitimacy of your fourth point is that you can't verify one or the other, but you do have a level of trust with the content presented here, and for a lack of a better term, you have to take a leap of faith, and trust that there are upstanding people who are providing content they believe to be valid. And there are mistakes, yes, we're all human, but you can't go through life distrusting everything you see and hear.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Sabbadeus
April 17, 2009 7:57 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: You know what, you've just made my weekend with the snarkiness. Kudos and a heart for you. Well done good sir.


And I'm not being sarcastic.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
pecan 3.14159265
April 17, 2009 7:47 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

The OP should be ticked that Think Geek charged him $30 to ship what amounts to one legitimate box of items and one box of 99% air.

I've always felt kind of annoyed with paying for Think Geek's shipping because it just seems extremely ridiculous. Their prices aren't that awesome either. But 30 for shipping is absolutely the worst I've seen. Too bad the OP doesn't seem to know anyone in Buffalo, otherwise he could have had his package sent there and picked it up. Maybe something to think about for the future.

Reply
3 replies
\"user-pic\"
ChicagoKev
April 18, 2009 6:23 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@pecan 3.14159265: Really?

I've never had a problem with ThinkGeek's shipping charges to Chicago -- whether my order was twenty bucks or thirty times that, 3-day shipping was always something in the range of seven to ten bucks.

As long as shipping is never more than 10% of the total, it's cheaper than buying locally here in the city of the nation's highest sales tax.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
coren
April 18, 2009 12:53 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

@pecan 3.14159265: I'd say he got a deal, normally it'd be 30 bucks for just the one box. He got two!

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Cocotte
April 18, 2009 1:09 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

@coren: I've ordered from Thinkgeek a few times 'cause I love their stuff, but only when I had a business trip to the states... a friend of mine in the U.S. office would receive it for me and I'd take it back on the plane.

Reply
","","
\"user-pic\"
ArcanaJ
April 17, 2009 7:47 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

It's like the whole order was on the same flight, but the sticker got first class while the rest of the order was stuck in coach.

I wonder if they served the sticker any in-flight champagne?

Reply
2 replies
\"user-pic\"
pecan 3.14159265
April 17, 2009 7:51 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@ArcanaJ: Maybe the first box had to pay for an additional seat for its extra sticker size because it was too fat to fit it in the first box.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
ArcanaJ
April 17, 2009 7:55 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@pecan 3.14159265: That explains it. Stickers are, after all, notorious gluttons.

Flight attendants! Defense formation alpha around the peanuts! GO! GO!

Reply
","","
\"user-pic\"
RetailGnome
April 17, 2009 7:49 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike.... You should be disinvoweled shortly by Roz

Reply
2 replies
\"user-pic\"
pecan 3.14159265
April 17, 2009 7:51 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@RetailGnome: I want to know what the longest disemvowled post was...

Reply
","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
Gabe Edwards
April 17, 2009 7:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

I've been burned by ThinkGeek shipping every time. They'd always ship UPS Ground to Canada and I'd get hit by $80 brokerage fees on a $100 package. One time they sent a $120 order in 3 boxes and marked them all as \"$120 value, part 1 of 1\" so UPS wanted me to pay import taxes on $360 as well as 3x the brokerage fee. Took a week of faxing forms back and forth to fix that one.

Lesson learned: Don't buy from ThinkGeek. Most of the non-clothing products are cheap junk anyway.

Reply
3 replies
\"user-pic\"
BustangBetty
April 18, 2009 4:14 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Gabe Edwards: If you had taken the initiative to find out how to broker your own packages from the USA then you wouldn't be whining about the fees that UPS/FedEx/DHL slap on packages. I have never in the years that I lived in Manitoba ever paid brokerage fees from those shipping companies because I learned how to broker my own packages.

-or-

Get a US postal address and have your packages shipped there. If you know someone else who may want to go in on this idea with you even better. It means that once a week or twice a month you go and every other time in between that person goes. Obviously you will be paying taxes when you enter into Canada but at least it won't be to the tune of 80 through 360 dollars and you will save on shipping costs (shipping + brokerage fees).

Reply
\"user-pic\"
thesadtomato
April 17, 2009 8:47 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Gabe Edwards: This is moot if you don't live within driving range of the border, but FWIW: My bro in Canadia often just goes across the border to mail stuff. I think he set up an account with UPS in a little town an hour's drive from Ottowa, and maybe has a US postal mailbox there as well. It's the cheapest/quickest way for us to send him/him to send us stuff in the States.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
jessedybka
April 18, 2009 5:09 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

@thesadtomato: Ogdensburg NY, baby. It's really damned close to Ottawa.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
dragon:ONE
April 18, 2009 9:35 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@jessedybka: An hour ain't *that* close, but I guess us Ogdensburg-ians are close enough.

Smaaaaaaall world seeing Ogdensburg mentioned here.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
jessedybka
April 19, 2009 5:12 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Dakota Courtois: I live in the middle (more or less) of Ottawa, and sometimes for my job I'll have to drive to one of the outskirt communities which end up being about 30 mins away. It always surprises me that New York is only twice that far away.

Reply
","","
\"user-pic\"
Sabbadeus
April 17, 2009 7:53 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Damn it, last revocation.


Is it just me, or is the second box a DHL while the other looks plain. Makes me think they really might have forgotten the sticker and sent it seperately.

Reply
4 replies
\"user-pic\"
pecan 3.14159265
April 17, 2009 8:03 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Sabbadeus: Well, it still doesn't explain why they chose to pack a sticker in a giant box of air. Whenever I ordered t-shirts from Think Geek they always sent them to be smooshed inside a plastic envelope. That would be entirely sufficient here. Since box 1 is the one that seems to be plain, and the second one looks like the yellow DHL box, I think it's less likely that Think Geek just forgot.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Sabbadeus
April 17, 2009 8:08 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@pecan 3.14159265: That could be a simple answer, but I don't know. If they were shipping it in an envelope, it still has to cross the borders to canada. So the question arises is how would that affect the shipping time compared to using an express shipping like DHL. Something to look into.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
pecan 3.14159265
April 17, 2009 8:28 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Sabbadeus: But DHL uses envelopes too, and any place has to be able to ship a variety of things to any given location using various sizes of packaging.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
valueofaloonie
April 17, 2009 7:57 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Sabbadeus: Second box is definitely a DHL box. Hmmm.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Mykah Bawn
April 17, 2009 10:02 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@valueofaloonie:

Yea, the smaller box was an official yellow \"DHL\" box, and the larger one was just a standard non-labelled cardboard box. Not sure why, maybe they forgot?

Reply
","","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
Michael Belisle
April 17, 2009 7:55 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

OP should add that first picture to the Customer Action shots.

Reply
","","","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
larrymac thinks testing should have occurred
April 17, 2009 7:59 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Does ThinkGeek ship from multiple warehouses? I know the company is based in Virginia, but I've received shipments from New Jersey.

Not that I don't think international shipments shouldn't be handled a lot better ...

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
Petra
April 17, 2009 8:00 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Wow! I shop at ThinkGeek all the time (my husband is a huge nerd, and they sometimes have some pretty awesome shirts and soldering tools) and I've never gotten a package packed so ridiculously! :/

If they had forgotten to send it with the original package (as Sabbadeus suggests), they should have just stuffed it into an envelope...not a whole box!

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
exploded
April 17, 2009 8:01 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

I'm sure that it wasn't, but the conspiracy theorist in me wonders if this is a marketing tactic. They send stuff in ridiculously large boxes, the customer pays for it, so it costs them nothing and they hope that it would get them press.


Think Geek obviously knows what's going on here on the webs. They know that people are noticing this stuff and putting it online, and it's getting attention.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
Mikestan
April 17, 2009 8:02 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Couldn't they just have slapped the sticker on the box?

Reply
","","","","","","","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
madanthony
April 17, 2009 8:08 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Is it possible that some of there stuff is drop-shipped, or shipped out of different locations? Or that the sticker was out of stock when they packed the first box, and came in stock and was shipped seperatly?

Or, more likely, someone forgot the sticker until after the box was sealed and on it's way. It's silly, but it doesn't strike me as warranting a boycott of the company.

As far as the high international shipping costs, that sounds like the shippers (and Canadian customs) are at least partly to blame.

Reply
3 replies
\"user-pic\"
pecan 3.14159265
April 17, 2009 8:29 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@madanthony: It's possible they could have shipped it from different warehouses - but it doesn't excuse that someone should have put on their thinking cap and realized \"oh, we're shipping a sticker, lets not use a giant box.\" Even if they wanted to stuff the catalog in there, there was no reason to put the bags of air in there as well. it's a sticker!

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Mykah Bawn
April 17, 2009 10:08 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@pecan 3.14159265:

Just checked the boxes... they were both shipped from the same warehouse.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
NeverLetMeDown
April 17, 2009 8:15 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

It's not like they wasted her money, more like they wasted their OWN money - if everything had fit into one box, the shipping rate wouldn't have been any less, but ThinkGeek's costs would have been.


Agreed, looks kind of dumb, but I don't see (except for environmental issues) the OP has been harmed.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
veg-o-matic
April 17, 2009 8:10 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: Thank you for this.
I am outraged to know that there is information on the internet that is of doubtful veracity.

Reply
","","","","
\"user-pic\"
Synth3t1c
April 17, 2009 8:13 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Ive ordered from them before, and I've never had that problem before...

Reply
","","","
\"user-pic\"
masterasia
April 17, 2009 8:18 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Their shipping charges are outrageous. I would never buy from them.

This would have probably cost Think Geek about $10 to ship on their account, but they over charge you and make your shipments \"Dim Out\" so they make a profit. This is what pisses customers off and make them never buy from you again.

At my company, we try very hard to not make the shipments not \"Dim Out\", but sometimes we have to put it in a bigger box so it doesn't get damaged in shipping. UPS Ground is the worst shipping method on the face of the planet.

Reply
","","","","
\"user-pic\"
Bruce Bayliss
April 17, 2009 8:20 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@ Mike Kosten.

Spot on.

Consumerist frequently provides a useful service, but just as frequently its hysterical, biased snarkishness degrades its usefullness.

I've found Think Geek to be better-than-good in fulfillment, customer service and shipping. My last shipment was packed as tight as a duck's bum.

Reply
","","","
\"user-pic\"
erratapage
April 17, 2009 8:22 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

This ins't technically a problem... it's more of an absurdity.

Reply
","","","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
Erik Schlange
April 17, 2009 8:32 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

This sort of thing happens when an order comes down and the computer dictates how many boxes and what boxes have what. I used to work in a warehouse and the computer would do some stupid things like this as well, except I had the common sense to use my brain.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
Carrie Gouldin
April 17, 2009 8:32 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Good grief. What kinda moron would send--oh, wait, that's us. (*waves from ThinkGeek HQ*) WTF!?

We confirmed that a certain Micah in Ontario did in fact receive two boxes from us and we'll have to assume they were packed as described. In which case we apologize to Micah, DHL, Mother Earth, and the sticker, who was surely very lonely on his journey to Ontario. (He prefers to travel with Tux; R2D2 is a little too chatty.)

As for the nice folks at our warehouse who decided to traumatize both Micah and the sticker ... well, they'd apologize too but they're on the phone with us right now. Grr.

The good news: Micah wasn't charged for this extra box filled mostly with the sweet, sweet air from inside our New Jersey warehouse. That stuff is priceless.

Reply
15 replies
\"user-pic\"
Jabberkaty
April 20, 2009 7:38 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Carrie Gouldin: I love your store. You could ship me anything in giant boxes of monkey breath and I would still love your store.

Way to respond to a problem. Huzzah!

Reply
\"user-pic\"
BytheSea
April 18, 2009 5:00 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Carrie Gouldin: You catch more flies with honey than trendy empty snark.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
aerick79
April 18, 2009 1:46 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Carrie Gouldin: I think we should get all the Wi-Fi Detector Shirt for free.


I love that shirt.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Floobtronics
April 18, 2009 12:38 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Carrie Gouldin: I just had a nearly identical experience with Think Geek this past week.

I ordered two of their very nice Pirate badge holders (replacing a worn-out one I've had for a couple of years) this week. These things are roughly the size of your thumb, and were also packed in much the same way - along with loads of air from Edison, NJ. The air did enjoy the ride down the turnpike to my South Jersey home though.

Seriously though - Can't you guys get some smaller boxes for smaller orders?

Reply
\"user-pic\"
cupcake_ninja
April 18, 2009 5:48 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Carrie Gouldin:
I find it ironic and interesting that Carrie Gouldin worked for the Environmental Working Group prior to ThinkGeek. Doesn't that group say that the simple act of blinking is toxic and will keeeel you?

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Bs Baldwin
April 18, 2009 2:23 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Carrie Gouldin: What better product could you send then NJ air?

Reply
\"user-pic\"
lestat730
April 18, 2009 1:57 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Carrie Gouldin: I've got to forgive you guys, I love your store to much.

The airbags you use to pack fragile things claim they are filled with monkey breath! Monkey breath kicks ass. You don't get that kind of service every day :)

Keep the cool stuff coming!

Reply
\"user-pic\"
UniComp
April 17, 2009 10:58 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Carrie Gouldin: Wow, that was the most poetic apology I've ever heard from a company.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Mykah Bawn
April 17, 2009 9:24 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Carrie Gouldin:

\"We'll have to assume they were packed as described\"

Really? I like your site, you have some awesome stuff. I've purchased things from there multiple times. Why imply that I made this up? What do I have to gain from it? Maybe some other shipping options so that I'm able to purchase more things from you?

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Cyberxion101
April 17, 2009 9:36 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mykah Bawn: Yeah Mykah, no offense, but you're a little too literal minded. That's clearly a tongue in cheek joke. I'm pretty sure that Carrie isn't actually implying that you're a liar. ;)

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Mykah Bawn
April 17, 2009 9:44 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Cyberxion101:

Fair enough! I didn't take that from what she said, but a friend of mine noticed it and I got unduly offended. My mistake.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
brokedickrooster
April 18, 2009 2:29 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mykah Bawn: OHMIGOD! Unduly offended?! I hope your friend was an organ donor, although I pity the poor person who would receive those organs.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Patrick Harris
April 17, 2009 9:36 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mykah Bawn: Dude, other people have flat out called you a liar in these comments - Carrie was saying that there was no reason to believe you weren't telling the truth.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Sabbadeus
April 17, 2009 8:50 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Carrie Gouldin: I've got to hand it to you Carrie, and subsequently the folks at ThinkGeek, for the surprisingly quick response on the topic at hand.


Now as for Mike Kosten not being able to verify if Carrie works for TG or not, here's some proof.


[www.linkedin.com]


BUT WAIT THEY SAY! It could be argued that someone found this name and decided to impersonate them just for their own satisfaction. Isn't that the Kosten way?


I doubt that, so I'll go with my trust in the internet that this Carrie is for real. Kudos.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Carrie Gouldin
April 17, 2009 8:54 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Sabbadeus & @pecan 3.14159265: The consumerist.com/regform appeared to be down, and thus used my FB account; you can find me at @thinkgeek on Twitter to confirm. I just tweeted to @consumerchris (the author) and emailed tips@consumerist.com just to be sure.

Next time, retina scans.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Sabbadeus
April 17, 2009 9:09 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Carrie Gouldin:
So intstead, here's a compromise;


Please provide the following:


- Scan of your social security card with todays date clearly visible
- Business card
- Photo ID
- Bank account information including account number and all routing information
- Any major credit card that has available balance, including the security code from the back
- $100 dollars in nonsequential two-dollar bills as payment for me to verify that you actually are who you say you are

Reply
\"user-pic\"
feckingmorons
April 17, 2009 10:03 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Sabbadeus: Don't be an idiot there is no such thing as a two dollar bill.


Ask Taco Bell.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Sabbadeus
April 17, 2009 10:09 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@feckingmorons: The bank lied to me! I'd better burn all my two dollar bills before the police find out I have fake monies! OHNOESS!!!!

Reply
\"user-pic\"
theblackdog
April 17, 2009 9:14 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Sabbadeus: You forgot her mother's maiden name.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Sabbadeus
April 17, 2009 9:17 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@theblackdog: No I didn't, that comes later when I pass her onto the Nigerian Prince who has lots of money for her if she provides more information.


You can't mess with due process!

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Sabbadeus
April 17, 2009 9:03 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Carrie Gouldin: But you might have stolen someones eye for that there retina scan!

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Carrie Gouldin
April 17, 2009 9:08 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Sabbadeus: Myyyyy what pretty eyes you have!

Reply
\"user-pic\"
pecan 3.14159265
April 17, 2009 8:42 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Carrie Gouldin: I suppose Mike Kosten would have a problem with your post because he can't verify you actually work for Think Geek, so it must mean you don't.

Thanks for the info.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
drgncabe
April 17, 2009 8:45 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@pecan 3.14159265: They did post a notice they they replied on their twitter ([www.twitter.com]) account, but Mike Kosten wouldn't be able to verify it either. They could post it on the website, but Mike would probably just say they were hacked.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
drgncabe
April 17, 2009 8:46 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@slackdragon: Wow, I'm braindead. 'They did post a notice that they replied in this article on their twitter account' makes much more sense then what I originally had.

Reply
","","","","
\"user-pic\"
Vic Massey Penner
April 17, 2009 8:41 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

I bought two t-shirts from Think Geek once. I had some money and I thought, hey, I can totally afford this. I ended up completely broke. I can't believe how much their shipping costs. I've ordered things from Thailand which cost less, shipping wise.

Reply
","","
\"user-pic\"
veg-o-matic
April 17, 2009 8:43 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Chongo: But 60% of the time, they work... everytime.

Reply
","","","","","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
Nick Salyers
April 17, 2009 8:51 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

I buy from Think Geek semi-frequently, and have never gotten anything like this before.

But, if I DID, I would be HAPPY about it.

I use all my boxes over again to ship things or store things, one or the other, and the plastic air bags I reuse to pack things in as well.

Since it wouldn't cost any more than one box, and I reuse everything, why should I be upset.

This just sounds like a bunch of people in Canada upset that international shipping costs extra money. Want a solution? Start Think Geek Canada, and make money yourself, running it the way you want.

Otherwise, good lord, for a potentially fake, non-earth-shattering story, this generates a lot of buzz. If it IS Think Geek marketing at work, you people are all failing at not encouraging it.

Reply
1 replies
\"user-pic\"
EYESONLY
April 17, 2009 11:32 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Nick Salyers: I think the outrage is more because most people use boxes once and then toss (or at best recycle) them. I've lived in on-campus apartment housing for the past four years, and I notice it whenever I'm in the storage rooms--my locker's one of only a very few with a stack of broken-down cardboard boxes. Grad students tend to be both 1) poor and 2) \"green,\" yet every year I see people buying brand-new boxes from U-Haul etc. for their moves... just like they did the year before, right before using those boxes once, then tossing them. (The problem isn't lack of space, either--those storage lockers barely have any stuff in them.)

Sure, extra boxes are handy to have--for eBay sales, Christmas presents, moves, etc.--but still, I'd be annoyed if a company used an entire box to ship me a sticker. It's REDUCE first, then reuse, then recycle.

Reply
","","
\"user-pic\"
veg-o-matic
April 17, 2009 8:54 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@ajlei: I see the pattern now...

First, it was 99% of readers.. who then trust the 95%-fake stories... 90% of which are about Best Buy.

I think if we keep going, we can get him down into the low 70%'s.

Reply
","","
\"user-pic\"
drgncabe
April 17, 2009 8:57 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mike Kosten: Can you elaborate exactly what legal issues consumerist opens itself up to? I'd also like to know what school of law you have attended and in what sector you practice. Sometimes you do have to be careful what you say as some things can be considered giving legal advice and defamation.

Your point is valid to some degree but your presentation is seriously lacking. While it could be a fake article (though, has been verified by ThinkGeek as being legitimate) a minimal amount of fact checking is done and the commenters are a pretty smart group (excluding some choice facebook users). There have been a few stories debunked by commenters already. It happens.

Reply
","","","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
Mykah Bawn
April 17, 2009 9:15 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Well, I'm at least glad I didn't get charged for the extra box. Glad you're yelling at them about it. Still though, would it honestly be that difficult to offer DHL ground, or something other than just Express? I assumed that second box made it more expensive, but if not... that's still quite silly.

Reply
1 replies
\"user-pic\"
Skankingmike
April 18, 2009 1:42 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Mykah Bawn: why does DHL still do business? FedEx ground FTW

Reply
","","","","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
dunkinbean
April 17, 2009 9:51 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Trolled hard, here.

Reply
","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
Corporate_guy
April 17, 2009 10:03 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

If this disgusts you, life must be very hard for you.

Reply
1 replies
\"user-pic\"
Mykah Bawn
April 17, 2009 10:11 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Corporate_guy:

I get disgusted when people waste my money. The kind lady from ThinkGeek informed me that it didn't jack up my shipping rates, so I'm less disgusted and more mildly annoyed now.

Thank you for the concern though, life hasn't been too hard aside from this cold I've been having.

Reply
","","","","
\"user-pic\"
Crabby Cakes
April 17, 2009 10:22 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Methinks Mike Kosten may be a very recently fired Domino's employee.

Reply
4 replies
\"user-pic\"
ovalseven
April 17, 2009 10:41 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Crabby Cakes:


Yeah. \"Fake stories... That's how we roll at The Consumerist.\"

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Crabby Cakes
April 17, 2009 11:50 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@BathroomDuck: That was so obviously fake cheese he put up his nose! And that wasn't a pepper, it was lettuce. LIES! ALL OF THEM!

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Sabbadeus
April 17, 2009 10:49 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@BathroomDuck: \"You see this thread? In about five minutes it'll be sent out live, where somebody will be reading this, yes, reading this, and little did they know that pictures were fabricated and that there were some raging tempers that ended up in their comments\"

Reply
","","","","","","","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
Verucalise (Est.February2008)
April 17, 2009 10:57 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Paging Mike Kosten....


In all fairness, Mike- You could be right. You also need to read Consumerist articles when they have updates and replies from actual executives and employees of the company. (Many of which are apologetic)


If you are reading Consumerist to get a laugh at us gullible jackasses, fine. Just don't start a riot, comment on the actual story. We enjoy this site very much and don't need the likes of you clouding our decent judgement and morals.


On a side note: While you complain about how Consumerist readers are quick to note fault and judge these companies without facts... you are doing the same thing.


I believe the word i'm looking for is HYPOCRITE.

Reply
","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
Thorny
April 18, 2009 12:26 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

If we could only replace the dumbest of our dumb American workers with the smartest of the smartest illegal immigrants, I think we wouldn't have problems like this.

Reply
","","
\"user-pic\"
kreatre2009
April 18, 2009 1:06 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

I'm going to have to raise my bullsh*t flag. This has to be faked.

Reply
2 replies
\"user-pic\"
Diana Shotko
April 18, 2009 3:24 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@kreatre2009:
I agree. Although I lack the bullsh*t flag, I am going having to call shenanigans on this one.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
LetMeSayThisAboutThat...
April 18, 2009 1:16 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@kreatre2009: You have a bullsh*t flag?


Did you get it from ThinkGeek?


Anyway, I had a credit card provided by my last employer for purchasing items for our shop, and I have seen very similar things from both HP and NewEgg. It is stupid and it does happen.


And I loves me some NewEgg, but it does happen.

Reply
","","
\"user-pic\"
HogwartsAlum
April 18, 2009 1:17 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

Staples does this all the time. We order from them at work. I've gotten boxes of air a lot. I just reuse the air pillows.

At least we get free shipping if we order over $30 worth of stuff. If I had to pay for the box of air, I'd be pissed too.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
Meathamper
April 18, 2009 1:19 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

You people are idiots.... they're doing the whole minimalist design thing. Don't you get it?

Reply
1 replies
\"user-pic\"
Meathamper
April 18, 2009 1:21 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Bearded Rapper: And also, fiance and fiancée both like this geektastic store? Keeper.

Reply
","","
\"user-pic\"
Shannon Wheeler Howe
April 18, 2009 1:22 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

Wow, ThinkGeek is a class act. /cheers!

Reply
","","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
Mike Kosten
April 18, 2009 5:24 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

I think an apology is in order since we did somehow get proof in the form of an employee comment. But my opinion still stands, I don't know everyone here personally, so I am not going to believe everyone on faith.

Reply
1 replies
","","
\"user-pic\"
Randy Treibel
April 18, 2009 6:56 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

Mike is right though there is ALOT of BS you fall for. But amazon did the same to me recently. Shipped tons and tons of stuff in 1 box tightly, then put like 1 box of crackers in its own box of the same size. But we all know this is par for the course for amazon.

Reply
1 replies
\"user-pic\"
MMD
April 18, 2009 1:22 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Randy Treibel: It's easy to say there's a lot of BS. It's another thing to prove it. Can you?

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
John Harvey
April 18, 2009 7:03 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

Try being overseas if you want to see stupid shipping and US sellers are the worst at it.

I recently bought a book from the author who has his own website - it cost me the same price as amazon wanted and was autographed but the kicker was the $10 delivery fee and the book; shipped USPS arrived in 6 days.

Being a regular Amazon buyer the cheapest shipping they use takes at least 4 weeks to Australia which is insane especially when I regularly mail documents and other items to US addresses from here for well under $10US which get there in about 5-6 days.

From most of Europe its always under 10 days and from most US companies if they ship to us its always more than 14 days for no good reason I can find but of ourse you can use DHL or Fedex at high rates.

And Think Geek is the same ive bought of them in the past but their shipping charges for Australia orders are simply stupid - I think if you are serious about selling to over seas customers stop gouging on price.

My fav however is the Google T Shirt I wanted to buy a few years ago which cost $20AU and had a shipping quote of $120AU. Needless to say I cancelled the order.

I sort of cannot work out how a country like America which has supposedly this incredbile network of connections and transport hubs cannot manage to ship good to me faster than those I buy online from China, the UK and even Russia.

Reply
1 replies
\"user-pic\"
sodomanaz
April 18, 2009 3:15 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@John Harvey: \"Try being overseas if you want to see stupid shipping and US sellers are the worst at it.\"


Maybe you should just move. Or find a friend who will mail the package out to you via USPS (which to save even more money, won't be tracked or insured).


Or you could stop your crybaby shit and just deal with it.

Reply
","","","","","","","","","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
mauispiderweb
April 18, 2009 9:09 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Living in Hawaii, I still can't understand why some online sellers (including Think Geek) do not offer USPS Priority Mail. Postage paid mailing labels can be purchased/printed from their online service and mail is delivered/picked up 6 days a week. I don't mind waiting the extra time for delivery if it means that I'm paying way less for shipping.

Reply
","","","
\"user-pic\"
Connor Wack
April 19, 2009 12:23 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Micah, a tech geek, is in Ontario?

Thanks for spoiling the next episode of Heroes.

Reply
1 replies
","","","
\"user-pic\"
blash
April 21, 2009 12:34 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

I'm sorry, but if you live that close to the border just go across and open a P.O. box, or else get an American friend that will hold the package for you until you can bring it across the border.

Reply
","","
\"user-pic\"
hellbent
April 22, 2009 7:27 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

i live in hawaii. hawaii is a part of the united states of america. many ebayers will not ship to us, even though we have USPS (and it doesnt cost anything extra). zipzoom charges an extra fee to ship to hawaii and alaska.
on amazon, a few times i added a $20 item into my cart. shipping was $20, and it didnt weigh that much.
i wanted to order 2 items from newegg yesterday. a led keyboard for $35. shipping was $20. i recall that the first item shipping is kind of expensive, i needed a dvd-rw too, i added a $25 one. shipping changed to $35. they do not offer USPS.

Reply
");