Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilW
Hi dluth,
USA is certainly cheaper sometimes, but their postage can be very expensive. For instance, adding the shipping on to TeleVue eyepieces from B&H make them dearer than you can buy them locally.
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In those cases you can sometimes find going through a freight forwarder works out cheaper. It must be because they get volume discounts from couriers compared to retail shops.
I ended up ordering a padded case for my Celestron 8SE from OPT Telescopes through the PriceUSA service, because OPT's freight was ridicolous. They wanted nearly $500 via UPS Expedited (it was too large for USPS) which I tried to argue was excessive (it only cost me just over $250 via UPS for my 8SE in a similar sized box via PriceUSA) to no avail. Ended up getting PriceUSA to order it and the freight cost half what OPT wanted to charge.
This probably only applies to large bulky items but it's worth investigating if you think the retailer's freight charge is excessive.