Ff

Feanorelf

22/11/2004 11:15 PM

Alternatives to McMasterCarr?

Hallo.
sometimes I need plastic raw materials for my projects. The problem is
that in Italy they're difficult to procure in small quantities (an
example: I'd rather not purchasing 20 sqft garolite for my router
mounting plate!).

So sometimes I found McMasterCarr a convenient way: the problem with
them is they are insanely in love with DHL, which (both for direct cost
and income taxes) makes it much less convenient.

So I wonder If you can suggest alternative online retailers dealing this
kind of stuff (and, may be, they will be more willing to ship by USPS or
even surface mail)... or, if I am going too far OT, readdress me to a
more proper NG.

Thank you,
Luciano


This topic has 11 replies

cC

[email protected] (Charles Erskine)

in reply to Feanorelf on 22/11/2004 11:15 PM

23/11/2004 12:34 PM

Some of the advertisers in the Home Shop Machinist Magazine sell small
pieces of various kinds of materials. They appear to be small
businesses which might be willing to ship by your preferred method. I
didn't see any links to them in the web site,

http://www.homeshopmachinist.net/index.cfm

so you may have to order a back issue if you can't find one in a
library. Or you could write or email the magazine and see if they will
recommend a supplier.

Feanorelf <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Hallo.
> sometimes I need plastic raw materials for my projects. The problem is
> that in Italy they're difficult to procure in small quantities (an
> example: I'd rather not purchasing 20 sqft garolite for my router
> mounting plate!).
>
> So sometimes I found McMasterCarr a convenient way: the problem with
> them is they are insanely in love with DHL, which (both for direct cost
> and income taxes) makes it much less convenient.
>
> So I wonder If you can suggest alternative online retailers dealing this
> kind of stuff (and, may be, they will be more willing to ship by USPS or
> even surface mail)... or, if I am going too far OT, readdress me to a
> more proper NG.
>
> Thank you,
> Luciano

Ff

Feanorelf

in reply to Feanorelf on 22/11/2004 11:15 PM

23/11/2004 7:08 AM

Rumpty wrote:
> The dollar has declined about 40% against the Euro, just how bad can the
> freight be???
>
> --
>
> Rumpty
>
> Radial Arm Saw Forum: http://forums.delphiforums.com/woodbutcher/start
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
>

Well: there is a strange fact: small value packets, when sent by mail,
are not subject to income taxes (probably they're not worth the cost for
the customs to check).
This kind of exemption does not exist whent they're sent by courier, so
that let's imagine I have a 15 US$ value item to be shipped. Probably,
by USPS I could pay about 20 US$ shipment, for a total of 35 US$, and
annoyancess. On the other hand, by DHL I could pay, maybe, also 20 US$.
Then I will have a (probably) 15% income tax the whole value plus 20%
income tax over the new total, so I end up spending 50 bucks, and WHAT
IS WORSE, with the annoyance of forms to compile, declarations to make
and whatever...

Bye,
Luciano

Ff

Feanorelf

in reply to Feanorelf on 22/11/2004 11:15 PM

23/11/2004 7:57 PM

> For international shipments, you are most likely to be stuck with duties, if
> its shipped by a U. S. based shipper. I don't know if it will work any
> better for you, but you might try www.use-enco.com.
>

You're right, but I experienced that using USPS or, in any case, a mail
service instead of a courier, there are high chances the item passes
unnoticed through the customs.
On the other side, couriers provide themselves to deal with custom
duties, so that, as custom duties are applied to an amount = to declared
values + shipping:
1) You pay custom duties+VAT >= 100% of item value
2) You have to pick up the packet yourself, in order to pay duties.

Hallo,
Luciano

Ff

Feanorelf

in reply to Feanorelf on 22/11/2004 11:15 PM

23/11/2004 7:53 PM

>
> I suspect our friend means Value Added Tax, rather than income tax.
>
Sorry... I meant VAT and custom duties


> Although why, in a country with manufacturing as sophisticated as Italy's
> obviously is, there is no source for such materials locally, is beyond me.

Surely they exist, but not in a B2C market. Unfortunately hobbyists are
not considered a valuable target here, so raw materials are hard to find
in small quantities and, in general, for individuals.
Actually the same holds also for wood essences, veneers and whatever you
like.

Bye,
Luciano

Kk

KS

in reply to Feanorelf on 22/11/2004 11:15 PM

22/11/2004 10:29 PM

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> Hallo.
> sometimes I need plastic raw materials for my projects. The problem is
> that in Italy they're difficult to procure in small quantities (an
> example: I'd rather not purchasing 20 sqft garolite for my router
> mounting plate!).
>
> So sometimes I found McMasterCarr a convenient way: the problem with
> them is they are insanely in love with DHL, which (both for direct cost
> and income taxes) makes it much less convenient.
>
> So I wonder If you can suggest alternative online retailers dealing this
> kind of stuff (and, may be, they will be more willing to ship by USPS or
> even surface mail)... or, if I am going too far OT, readdress me to a
> more proper NG.
>
> Thank you,
> Luciano
>
Try these
http://www.jlindustrial.com/

http://www1.mscdirect.com/

pp

patriarch <[email protected]>

in reply to Feanorelf on 22/11/2004 11:15 PM

23/11/2004 6:17 AM

Feanorelf <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> Well: there is a strange fact: small value packets, when sent by mail,
> are not subject to income taxes (probably they're not worth the cost for
> the customs to check).
> This kind of exemption does not exist whent they're sent by courier, so
> that let's imagine I have a 15 US$ value item to be shipped. Probably,
> by USPS I could pay about 20 US$ shipment, for a total of 35 US$, and
> annoyancess. On the other hand, by DHL I could pay, maybe, also 20 US$.
> Then I will have a (probably) 15% income tax the whole value plus 20%
> income tax over the new total, so I end up spending 50 bucks, and WHAT
> IS WORSE, with the annoyance of forms to compile, declarations to make
> and whatever...
>

I suspect our friend means Value Added Tax, rather than income tax.

Although why, in a country with manufacturing as sophisticated as Italy's
obviously is, there is no source for such materials locally, is beyond me.

Patriarch

Rr

"Rumpty"

in reply to Feanorelf on 22/11/2004 11:15 PM

22/11/2004 7:13 PM

The dollar has declined about 40% against the Euro, just how bad can the
freight be???

--

Rumpty

Radial Arm Saw Forum: http://forums.delphiforums.com/woodbutcher/start

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ma

Mark and Kim Smith

in reply to Feanorelf on 22/11/2004 11:15 PM

22/11/2004 10:54 PM

Feanorelf wrote:

> Hallo.
> sometimes I need plastic raw materials for my projects. The problem is
> that in Italy they're difficult to procure in small quantities (an
> example: I'd rather not purchasing 20 sqft garolite for my router
> mounting plate!).
>
> So sometimes I found McMasterCarr a convenient way: the problem with
> them is they are insanely in love with DHL, which (both for direct
> cost and income taxes) makes it much less convenient.
>
> So I wonder If you can suggest alternative online retailers dealing
> this kind of stuff (and, may be, they will be more willing to ship by
> USPS or even surface mail)... or, if I am going too far OT, readdress
> me to a more proper NG.
>
> Thank you,
> Luciano


http://www.grainger.com

b

in reply to Feanorelf on 22/11/2004 11:15 PM

22/11/2004 5:30 PM

On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 23:15:23 +0100, Feanorelf <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Hallo.
>sometimes I need plastic raw materials for my projects. The problem is
>that in Italy they're difficult to procure in small quantities (an
>example: I'd rather not purchasing 20 sqft garolite for my router
>mounting plate!).
>
>So sometimes I found McMasterCarr a convenient way: the problem with
>them is they are insanely in love with DHL, which (both for direct cost
>and income taxes) makes it much less convenient.
>
>So I wonder If you can suggest alternative online retailers dealing this
>kind of stuff (and, may be, they will be more willing to ship by USPS or
>even surface mail)... or, if I am going too far OT, readdress me to a
>more proper NG.
>
>Thank you,
>Luciano



ebay?

b

in reply to Feanorelf on 22/11/2004 11:15 PM

23/11/2004 5:39 PM

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 19:53:29 +0100, Feanorelf <[email protected]>
wrote:

>>
>> I suspect our friend means Value Added Tax, rather than income tax.
>>
>Sorry... I meant VAT and custom duties
>
>
>> Although why, in a country with manufacturing as sophisticated as Italy's
>> obviously is, there is no source for such materials locally, is beyond me.
>
>Surely they exist, but not in a B2C market. Unfortunately hobbyists are
>not considered a valuable target here, so raw materials are hard to find
>in small quantities and, in general, for individuals.
>Actually the same holds also for wood essences, veneers and whatever you
>like.
>
>Bye,
>Luciano


got any friends either in industry or the supply chain?

Bb

"Bob"

in reply to Feanorelf on 22/11/2004 11:15 PM

23/11/2004 12:49 PM


"Feanorelf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> So sometimes I found McMasterCarr a convenient way: the problem with
> them is they are insanely in love with DHL, which (both for direct cost
> and income taxes) makes it much less convenient.

For international shipments, you are most likely to be stuck with duties, if
its shipped by a U. S. based shipper. I don't know if it will work any
better for you, but you might try www.use-enco.com.


Bob Davis
Houston, Texas


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