The Cost of Ownership

[MiniDave]

I think you're right - maybe they've realized most people won't bother to fight it so it's an enhanced source of revenue....

[BruceK]

I think you're right - maybe they've realized most people won't bother to fight it so it's an enhanced source of revenue....

Yes, 100%. 

I think there's a bunch of factors here. Primarily there is a ton of inertia at these courier companies to continue to do things the way they've done for decades. I realize the imposition of the tariffs and the elimination of the $800 de minimus loophole was not something they were expecting, but they sure have not risen to the occasion in terms of customer service. I totally believe they are basking in the confusion and using it as an opportunity to profiteer over the situation.

The most damning thing is that even if you contest the tariff and other charges, the courier companies completely control the process, and can arbitrarily deny any challenges. Or, in the case of my dispute with UPS, just never respond to it. It's their world and they control it. They have no incentive whatsoever to be responsive to the general public who may only receive one international package a year.

[94touring]

I went to order 4 $1.00 circlips from minisport usa yesterday and they wanted $40.82 for shipping. You could stick them in an envelope with stamp.

[MiniDave]

Good grief...

[BruceK]

I went to order 4 $1.00 circlips from minisport usa yesterday and they wanted $40.82 for shipping. You could stick them in an envelope with stamp.

Two weeks ago I purchased two small items from an Etsy seller in the UK and my items were put in a stiff envelope sporting a £3.80 stamp with King Charles portrait on it. What's keeping MiniSport from doing that?

[94touring]

I went to order 4 $1.00 circlips from minisport usa yesterday and they wanted $40.82 for shipping. You could stick them in an envelope with stamp.

Two weeks ago I purchased two small items from an Etsy seller in the UK and my items were put in a stiff envelope sporting a £3.80 stamp with King Charles portrait on it. What's keeping MiniSport from doing that?

Their disdain for King Charles would be my guess.

[BruceK]

I went to order 4 $1.00 circlips from minisport usa yesterday and they wanted $40.82 for shipping. You could stick them in an envelope with stamp.

Two weeks ago I purchased two small items from an Etsy seller in the UK and my items were put in a stiff envelope sporting a £3.80 stamp with King Charles portrait on it. What's keeping MiniSport from doing that?

Their disdain for King Charles would be my guess.

Haha. 

I suppose they could draw a mustache on him. At least we have the option of using an Elvis stamp. Or a Snoopy one! 

[MiniDave]

I'm really struggling with this today, as I need to order a fairly expensive bunch of parts from England for my Mini (tyres, suspension cones, shocks and other bits) and I'm really not anxious to get hit with thousands in tariffs because the shipper can't figure out how much to charge me because the damn rules keep changing. First all the tariffs were struck down and the next day the 10% on everything was increased to 15% added to the original 2.5%, unless it's car parts which are still at 25%.......or are they? who knows?

Last shipment I got from Sport over a month ago was more than $600 in stuff and a month later I still haven't been billed any tariff money for it. Yet I read and hear all sorts of stories of people getting outrageous bills for even small items under $50.

At the same time I read that FedEx is now charging up to $150 "dispute fee" on tariffs that even if you win you don't get back.

On top of that, it seems the tyre stores have also lost their minds - it used to cost $25 a tire for mount and balance, today more than 5 stores contacted claim $60 ea or more for carry in tires. Discount says $25 if you buy the tires from them, but they don't carry any that will fit my Mini - of any brand, otherwise $60 ea. WalMart has some sketchy brands in 13", but still nothing that fits my Mini (50 series).

I was debating between the Yoko A539 that I have on the car now and really like, and tho they have plenty of tread left they are going on 11 years old. I don't know if I can trust them on a 3K mile trip this summer. Sport and Spares also carry the Nankang brand in the right size that are 1/2 the cost of the Yokos.....I'm not nearly as aggressive a driver as I used to be and I wonder if those wouldn't do just fine from now on?

Analysis paralysis is killing me!

[94touring]

25% but appears that is reduced with the exemption. 

[BruceK]

Tire Rack and Discount Tire are owned by the same company now. But obviously they are different entities and the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. I have enjoyed Discount Tire's lower in-house mounting services with tires that I "bought" online from Tire Rack and that I carried into the local DT store. Just sayin'


That $150 charge by FedEx to dispute a tariff calculation is highway robbery. Resolving customer issues should never be a profit center.  As we can all see that gives them carte blanche to do what the hell they want because they're gonna make money either way. 

I would hope that MiniSpares and MiniSport are behaving professionally enough to include the correct HTS codes on their invoices necessary for tariff calculations AND providing their information to their shipping courier companies.

[94touring]

Make sure they actually got it wrong I guess.

[MiniDave]

Yes, and how exactly do I make sure they got it wrong, when they don't know themselves?

And I have to say, the two things you posted read like AI, and I've found AI to be mostly wrong in some of the details they regurgitate. I am NOT an AI fan in any respect.

Don keeps throwing chatgtp at me when he's asking me questions on which parts he should get for one of his cars - and I usually find while there may be nuggets of truth in there, you only know that if you already know your shit. So for someone who doesn't know their shit, it's very easy to be misled. A current example, chatgtp insisted that he had an oil cooler mounted behind the front bumper on his 2006 JCW......another, chatgtp insisted that his MG had a vacuum retard device on his dizzy - it doesn't.

So, IMHO, AI can kiss my ass when it comes to finding out the truth....about pretty much anything.