Mises Store - Shipping

About Help and Support
1

Hey guys.. I sent a message to the contact email at the mises store but got no reply, so maybe this will work better… apologies if this is not the place to ask…

I’d like to buy stuff from the mises store but it’s extremely expensive to do so when I’m given no shipping options. (I live in Australia)

For example, if I want to buy human action, the book costs $25, thats fine, but the shipping is $45! That brings the total to $70!! kind of pricey, especially when I have a whole library of books I want to buy. This problem is exclusive to the mises store, I buy books from the USA on Amazon/eBay etc all the time (because in Australia our book prices are taxed to hell to ‘support the small writing industry from foreign competition’) anyway, buying from those sites it still works out nice and cheap, because I can choose the slow mail option (or whatever it’s called). Can you guys pleeeeeeeease add some more shipping options to the store? I want to help support the site/institute by buying books direct, but I can’t afford to pay hundreds of dollars in shipping fees!

2

G’day g’day.! [:D]

I was in the same boat, having the same problem.. I’ll post the exchange, it may be of use to you. (Will cut to the chase on both sides)

Me:

I made a purchase several months ago from the LvMI store. I bought about 13 books are they were all great and of an amazing quality.

I am looking forward to purchasing some more… However, I realised when adding a few to the cart that there is no longer the (Flat Rate $12.95) international shipping for books.. Only EMS as the cheapest option?

Some books that used to be $12.95 individually shipping to get to Australia, now cost… $32.95!

Is there a reason for this? Glitch? Or is flat rate no longer offered? (Btw, I realise some books are massive and do not do flat rate)

Mises Store:

I’m glad to hear that your order arrived and was intact. We were losing 90% of all Australian orders when shipped by Flat-Rate methods. Since we replace the orders at our expense, it was costing us a tremendous amount of money. We can still ship by way of Flat-Rate, but we do it on a case by case basis. We ask for an acknowledgement that we are not at all responsible for lost or damaged materials.
…
Me:

Are you guys still losing 90% of Australian orders? Or has it improved with the new higher priced method?

How would I go about using the flat rate method and risking it?
…

Mises Store:

It has greatly improved since we changed the shipping options to Australia. Flat Rate is not an option customers can see when checking out. You will need to email me after you have placed an order instructing us to change the shipping method and acknowledge that we are not held liable for any missing or damaged shipments and that any replacements will be at your expense. I will immediately issue a refund for the difference in the shipping price back to you.

…

Personally, since they have to send it out through USPS (United States Postal Service) ← I blame them. They need another Lysander Spooner.

So risk it.. or alternatively, http://www.bookdepository.com/ ? Btw, if this info is old news (it was many months ago) someone let me know and I’ll take it down etc.

3

I just bought 15 books from the Mises store. Shipping was about $25, to the USA, via UPS. Through USPS, it was about $56, but I was wondering why they couldn’t put it into one or two USPS Flat rate boxes. At most, that would cost between $12 and $25. However, I’m guessing that there is a handling fee.

But yeah, shipping international keeps getting more expensive every few months. Especially, through USPS, and they’re (USPS) still loosing hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

4

Wow, I knew USPS was terrible, but how do they lose 90% of their packages to Australia?

5

Market failure.

6

It could also be related to the quality, or lack of quality, of the local federal mail service.

7

This particular book is odd because it is just over some weight limit for super cheap shipping.

the good thing is that we have knocked down the price (again!) to $20. charity!

8

$20 for Human Action? You guys are crazy. Crazy awesome.

9

Thanks for the info! Would I be able to get a quoted price from someone if I email them what I want to order?

how sad is it that it’s almost always cheaper to buy a book online and have it shipped half way across the world and delievered to my door than it is to just walk to the local store and buy one… [:S]

ps. I went to buy that rothbard enemy of the state flask… ($15 is a great price!) and it cost $105 to ship so… out of the question [:'(]

10

Some guys at the USPS like reading Austrian Economics and Libertarianism? [:|]

11

No. It’s obviously the Aussie postal men who are stealing the books Socialism, Human Action, etc. Btw, that couldn’t more ironic. [;)]