You are spot on Revn!
Update to the SAPO strike (Important Warning)
- Thread starter WHeunis
- Start date
You are spot on Revn!
It's most certainly going to effect the ones that do use shipping options handled by SAPO once it lands.
Thank my lucky stars I stopped using SAPO about two months before the strike happened and switched to reputable couriers.
There's just no way anyone can risk shipments of considerable value handled by SAPO.
Any up and coming vendor (just as I did) would like to go with USPS and SAPO as it shaves a few bucks off the retail price here in SA. Some of them (as I did too when I started out) would even consider smuggling tactics to skip on paying duties and taxes. This unfortunately is not the way forward and with the new things being implemented at customs next year we can make life very difficult for not only ourselves, but damage the reputation of ecigs in SA to a point where they prohibit us from bringing it in to the country at all.... and for what? All in the name of coming in R10 cheaper than a competitor.
Vendors undercutting make it slightly harder for the ones who operate legitimately. It's a small percentage.... but the real damage is not in profits. It's the impression that it leaves behind once the "smuggling" stamp gets put onto nic imports... I'm convinced that if we continue on this "customs friendly" (what the hell does customs friendly mean anyway? It's called smuggling) path, that we're going to create some real issues for ourselves.
This is a topic I've started feeling very strongly about over the last few months and your question posed the perfect opportunity to rant on it for a bit, even if it's not entirely related. It's a thought I wanted to put out there for the guys to consider. Vaping in South Africa needs to stay, even more so once regulations are in place, when 80% of vendors will vanish in a heartbeat. Question is, are we all REALLY doing our part to ensure that it does? Do you really care about your products and the vendors who supply them to you as much as you do about your profit margins? I can tell you now that if US customs caught a company under declaring exports... do you have any idea what kind of penalty they will face?
If a news headline was ever to read: NICOTINE IMPORTS STOPPED DUE TO SO AND SO BEING CAUGHT SMUGGLING... so and so better find a very good place to hide... forever
I agree with what you have said here but unfortunately some of the usa vendors only use usps as a shipping option which sucks big time for us!!
USPS is a viable option if you're a consumer/customer... strike or no strike.
As a retailer, importing considerable amounts of liquid, you should set up an account with a courier and have a forwarding address.
thats howits supposed to work but unfortunately it doesnt always do!
IMO... if a supplier can't or won't facilitate this... move on.
There's many wonderful brands out there. We don't have to bend and break for one.
hahaha if i showed you my list u would lol
I'm not following... your list?
list of erm...no thanks move on haha
Oh... got ya!
Yeah those are long... I'm sure we all have them.
Finding a good supplier that not only has a good product that's going to survive for a few years, but also present well through marketing and presentation is not easy. It's a whole package deal or nothing for me personally. Making e-juice is a cash cow done properly or not. UNFORTUNATELY, there are many guys out there who really couldn't give a shizzit about what they put out, as long as it's selling. All about the dallas.... dallas... dallas.... eh eh eh.... Let's put crap in a fancy bottle, smack a nice label on it, give it a sassy name and sell it as "premium."
They are everywhere.
Weaving your way through them is fun though and teaches you a lot about liquids.
I have an order thats coming from fasttech, via their free shipping, to my home address. Would the local part be handled by SAPO or by a courier? Some of the items are still outstanding, so I have a day or so to put a hold on the shipment. Should I leave it at fasttech for the moment ?
Unfortunately it will go to your local post office. Only the notification to collect the parcel will be delivered to your street address.
As far as I know all FT shipping comes through SAPO when it lands in SA. My suggestion; put a hold on them asap.
Thanks @johan and @BumbleBee I will do that right NOW!
There is hope for the guys that have ordered from fasttech
http://support.fasttech.com/FAQ/what-happens-if-my-package-is-lost
The only problem I can see in this situation is if too many people claim their parcels are missing or lost then FT will class RSA as high risk and simply stop shipping here.
http://support.fasttech.com/FAQ/what-happens-if-my-package-is-lost
The only problem I can see in this situation is if too many people claim their parcels are missing or lost then FT will class RSA as high risk and simply stop shipping here.
Anything coming from FT will land in SA at JIMC then get moved on by EMS. EMS is supposed to be a subsidiary of local postal services around the world to deliver international packages. Unfortunately in SA that amounts to SAPO delivery times...
The fact that we are back to where we where with Amazon a few years back (not shipping to SA due to risk) is not a good sign.
Couriers:1
SAPO:0
I have asked fasstech if I can change the shipping options. Looking at http://support.fasttech.com/faq/?section=Shipping option 9, what would you guys suggest I change the shipping to ?
Probably only DHL Express that does not go via our post office. Could be expensive - let us know please.
Lucky bugger.... Mine still says "In Transit"
at least you getting something through the post office. thats something to be thankful for all on its own
One of the hubs. Could be either pretoria or jhb
At the bottom of that heap is my hd video camera ordered in may.
If it ever gets here, what is the chance of it working...
that makes me feel sick in my stomach!!
Holy crap. Thats scaryOne of the hubs. Could be either pretoria or jhb
At the bottom of that heap is my hd video camera ordered in may.
If it ever gets here, what is the chance of it working...
One of the hubs. Could be either pretoria or jhb
At the bottom of that heap is my hd video camera ordered in may.
If it ever gets here, what is the chance of it working...
@johan is not going to like this lol its his worst nightmare hahahaha
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