Post by thread:[OT] Parallax to donate 100% of on-line sales on 9

They have a lot of cool stuff... Even for diehard PIC users. --- James. -----Original Message----- From: spam_OUTTestForumTakeThisOuTparallax.com [.....TestForumKILLspam@spam@parallax.com] Sent: 2005 Sep 02, Fri 11:17 To: jamesnewtonKILLspamsxlist.com Subject: Parallax to donate 100% of on-line sales to Katrina victims via Red Cross In SX Microcontrollers, SX/B Compiler and SX-Key Tool, kgracey wrote: Dear Customers, On Wednesday, September 7th between the hours of 8:00 am and 12:00 pm (Pacific Time) Parallax will donate 100% of our on-line sales (up to $5,000.00) to the American Red Cross. http://www.redcross.org/ This donation will be handled in a similar fashion as we did with the Asian Tsunami. forums.parallax.com/forums/default.aspx?f=3&m=58766 During this four-hour on-line sales drive, 100% of our revenue (up to $5,000) will be recorded and issued as a check to the Red Cross. We will post the results under the Announcements section of this forum once we have finished the fundraiser. forum.parallax.com/forums/default.aspx?f=3 Sincerely, Ken Gracey Parallax, Inc.

Actually, if you request USPS in the comments field, they'll oblige. I just ordered 3 of the SX52 dev boards, and the shipping was a very reasonable $7 (to Oakville, Ontario). On 9/2/05, Herbert Graf <.....mailinglist2KILLspam.....farcite.net> wrote: {Quote hidden}> Agreed, however, they only offer UPS as the shipping option for > international customers, and UPS is a company I will NEVER use again. > > Shame, really would like to pick up some of their RFID stuff... > > TTYL > > On Fri, 2005-09-02 at 12:46 -0700, James Newtons Massmind wrote: > > They have a lot of cool stuff... Even for diehard PIC users. > > > > --- > > James. > > > > > > {Original Message removed}

Ken was touting offering USPS for International in their SX forum a while back. Never happened for International shipping; nor would he respond to private enquiries about it. -marc On Fri, 2 Sep 2005, Herbert Graf wrote: {Quote hidden}> Agreed, however, they only offer UPS as the shipping option for > international customers, and UPS is a company I will NEVER use again. > > Shame, really would like to pick up some of their RFID stuff... > > TTYL > > On Fri, 2005-09-02 at 12:46 -0700, James Newtons Massmind wrote: >> They have a lot of cool stuff... Even for diehard PIC users. >> >> --- >> James. >> >> >> {Original Message removed}

You're kidding! Wow, well that's a pleasant surprise. Well, if that's the case I'll be placing my order during the special time. Thanks for the info! :) TTYL On Sun, 2005-09-04 at 13:22 -0400, Randy Glenn wrote: {Quote hidden}> Actually, if you request USPS in the comments field, they'll oblige. I > just ordered 3 of the SX52 dev boards, and the shipping was a very > reasonable $7 (to Oakville, Ontario). > > On 9/2/05, Herbert Graf <EraseMEmailinglist2spam_OUTTakeThisOuTfarcite.net> wrote: > > Agreed, however, they only offer UPS as the shipping option for > > international customers, and UPS is a company I will NEVER use again. > > > > Shame, really would like to pick up some of their RFID stuff... > > > > TTYL ----------------------------- Herbert's PIC Stuff: http://repatch.dyndns.org:8383/pic_stuff/

Yes, they'll do that *most of the time* if they pay attention to the comments field. They had to refund my UPS shipping (US$65) last time they shipped me $40 of parts UPS instead of USPS. At least they were gracious enough to do that; but I'd like to get an answer as to why having a USPS shipping option for Canadian orders is so trickey -- given that their web store often sets up a "default" shipping amount when errors occur. -marc On Sun, 4 Sep 2005, Herbert Graf wrote: {Quote hidden}> You're kidding! Wow, well that's a pleasant surprise. > > Well, if that's the case I'll be placing my order during the special > time. > > Thanks for the info! :) TTYL > > On Sun, 2005-09-04 at 13:22 -0400, Randy Glenn wrote: >> Actually, if you request USPS in the comments field, they'll oblige. I >> just ordered 3 of the SX52 dev boards, and the shipping was a very >> reasonable $7 (to Oakville, Ontario). >> >> On 9/2/05, Herbert Graf <mailinglist2spam_OUTfarcite.net> wrote: >>> Agreed, however, they only offer UPS as the shipping option for >>> international customers, and UPS is a company I will NEVER use again. >>> >>> Shame, really would like to pick up some of their RFID stuff... >>> >>> TTYL > > > ----------------------------- > Herbert's PIC Stuff: > http://repatch.dyndns.org:8383/pic_stuff/ > > -

>> Agreed, however, they only offer UPS as the shipping option for >> international customers, and UPS is a company I will NEVER use >> again. I just got a Digikey order via UPS - first time I've used them. Remarkably prompt form US to NZ and as cheap as any fast courier service I've met. Getting from the airport to me took the usual hassle I've come to expect from any inbound international courier parcel - they don't seem to be able to coordinate local delivery, handle tax payments, know what the last person you spoke to agreed to about delivery etc. But as every international courier seems to do that at this end I'm so far as impressed with UPS as with any other. RM

On Sun, 2005-09-04 at 15:21 -0400, Marc Nicholas wrote: > Yes, they'll do that *most of the time* if they pay attention to the > comments field. They had to refund my UPS shipping (US$65) last time they > shipped me $40 of parts UPS instead of USPS. At least they were gracious > enough to do that; but I'd like to get an answer as to why having a USPS > shipping option for Canadian orders is so trickey -- given that their web > store often sets up a "default" shipping amount when errors occur. Oh, well, now I'm starting to worry. UPS is a company I will never deal with again, and I usually avoid all companies that only offer them. I'll send Parallax an email, I doubt they'll respond in time, but there's no harm trying. Thanks, TTYL ----------------------------- Herbert's PIC Stuff: http://repatch.dyndns.org:8383/pic_stuff/

On 5 Sep 2005 at 8:24, Russell McMahon wrote: > The trouble with USPS for international is that you do not get track > and trace" or any accountability for delivery. If the parcel vanishes > you've lost it and the liability is yours. I've used it once for a > major order and it worked well, but I feel somewhat more comfortable > with a guaranteed delivery service for larger orders. Digikey send via USPS Global Priority Mail that is automatically insured for US$100. You can rise that amount. I've ordered international that way several times with zero problems. Mark Jordan

From: "Russell McMahon" <@spam@apptechKILLspamparadise.net.nz> Sent: Sunday, September 04, 2005 1:22 PM > I just got a Digikey order via UPS - first time I've used them. > Remarkably prompt form US to NZ and as cheap as any fast courier > service I've met. On shipments to Canada, UPS adds a border crossing fee that seems to be 2 to 5 times the value of the item being shipped. The one time I used them, it was for $16 worth of CR2032 batteries from Mouser and UPS added a $30 (this is on top of the normal international shipping fee I paid to Mouser and they paid UPS). I was stupid enough to pay the fee too instead of refusing the package. I've heard others (both on piclist and other places) tell similar stories.

On Mon, 2005-09-05 at 01:00 -0700, Jason wrote: > From: "Russell McMahon" <KILLspamapptechKILLspamparadise.net.nz> > Sent: Sunday, September 04, 2005 1:22 PM > > > I just got a Digikey order via UPS - first time I've used them. > > Remarkably prompt form US to NZ and as cheap as any fast courier > > service I've met. > > On shipments to Canada, UPS adds a border crossing fee that seems to be 2 to > 5 times the value of the item being shipped. > > The one time I used them, it was for $16 worth of CR2032 batteries from > Mouser and UPS added a $30 (this is on top of the normal international > shipping fee I paid to Mouser and they paid UPS). I was stupid enough to > pay the fee too instead of refusing the package. > > I've heard others (both on piclist and other places) tell similar stories. My "best" story was $0 worth of MCU samples. They were clearly marked "no commercial value" and "commercial sample", yet UPS still charged me $35 to receive them. Unfortunately a relative was home when the package arrived and since I get alot of packages they simply paid for the item. Now THAT was a ripoff. Even worse, I once worked for a computer company. One customer made the mistake of sending their computer in for repair with UPS. When the package arrived it clearly had been struck by a forklift, with quite a force. The box was punctured by the fork, and the case was severely dented. Despite something so obvious UPS still delivered it and tried to claim the package was in good shape! Took about 1 week for a UPS "adjuster" to arrive to confirm the damage. Took longer then that for the customer to receive their money from the UPS insurance. Every courier company has their bad day. Even FedEx has angered me on two occasions. But none have made as many errors and have tried to charge me insane brokerage fees as UPS has. Sorry for the rant, but some here may have been wondering why I'm so against UPS. TTYL ----------------------------- Herbert's PIC Stuff: http://repatch.dyndns.org:8383/pic_stuff/

On Monday 05 September 2005 08:10 am, Herbert Graf scribbled: > ... > Every courier company has their bad day. Even FedEx has angered me on > two occasions. But none have made as many errors and have tried to > charge me insane brokerage fees as UPS has. > > Sorry for the rant, but some here may have been wondering why I'm so > against UPS. TTYL IME, Fedex has messed up several times, but never once did they rectify the problem. Fedex is also known to re-use tracking numbers so packages are not always trackable. I've had problems with UPS twice, one of which was an item received in damaged condition. Both times they resolved it satisfactorily. And these were after many uses of these companies to and from various cities/countries (ie: the issues were not location-specific). To each their own, I guess. Cheers, -Neil.

I have a local UPS story that can even top that: A local company is in the business of providing first-level credit card authorizations. Because of that they have credit card info on 40M US credit card customers. On a routine update, the tapes of all 40M customers were lost in shipping... by UPS. Almost nobody here in Tucson, AZ uses UPS anymore. --Bob Herbert Graf wrote: {Quote hidden}>On Mon, 2005-09-05 at 01:00 -0700, Jason wrote: > > >>From: "Russell McMahon" <RemoveMEapptechTakeThisOuTparadise.net.nz> >>Sent: Sunday, September 04, 2005 1:22 PM >> >> >> >>>I just got a Digikey order via UPS - first time I've used them. >>>Remarkably prompt form US to NZ and as cheap as any fast courier >>>service I've met. >>> >>> >>On shipments to Canada, UPS adds a border crossing fee that seems to be 2 to >>5 times the value of the item being shipped. >> >>The one time I used them, it was for $16 worth of CR2032 batteries from >>Mouser and UPS added a $30 (this is on top of the normal international >>shipping fee I paid to Mouser and they paid UPS). I was stupid enough to >>pay the fee too instead of refusing the package. >> >>I've heard others (both on piclist and other places) tell similar stories. >> >> > >My "best" story was $0 worth of MCU samples. They were clearly marked >"no commercial value" and "commercial sample", yet UPS still charged me >$35 to receive them. Unfortunately a relative was home when the package >arrived and since I get alot of packages they simply paid for the item. >Now THAT was a ripoff. > >Even worse, I once worked for a computer company. One customer made the >mistake of sending their computer in for repair with UPS. When the >package arrived it clearly had been struck by a forklift, with quite a >force. The box was punctured by the fork, and the case was severely >dented. > >Despite something so obvious UPS still delivered it and tried to claim >the package was in good shape! Took about 1 week for a UPS "adjuster" to >arrive to confirm the damage. Took longer then that for the customer to >receive their money from the UPS insurance. > >Every courier company has their bad day. Even FedEx has angered me on >two occasions. But none have made as many errors and have tried to >charge me insane brokerage fees as UPS has. > >Sorry for the rant, but some here may have been wondering why I'm so >against UPS. TTYL > > >----------------------------- >Herbert's PIC Stuff: >http://repatch.dyndns.org:8383/pic_stuff/ > > > -- Note: To protect our network, attachments must be sent to spamBeGoneattachspamBeGoneengineer.cotse.net . 1-866-263-5745 USA/Canada http://beam.to/azengineer

On Mon, Sep 05, 2005 at 01:00:36AM -0700, Jason wrote: > > From: "Russell McMahon" <TakeThisOuTapptechEraseMEspam_OUTparadise.net.nz> > Sent: Sunday, September 04, 2005 1:22 PM > > > I just got a Digikey order via UPS - first time I've used them. > > Remarkably prompt form US to NZ and as cheap as any fast courier > > service I've met. > > On shipments to Canada, UPS adds a border crossing fee that seems to be 2 to > 5 times the value of the item being shipped. I found out the hard way about this when I shipped something to a friend in Canada and he then told me that the item had cost him a bunch of money. Lesson learned, avoid UPS to Canada at all costs! -- Nate Duehr <RemoveMEnateTakeThisOuTnatetech.com>