Thou shalt not... - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 02:26:29 am
content: Forget to check Ebay before buying something from Aliexpress. Paid $3 for a 2M HDMI cable from China. Later in the day saw a 2M cable on ebay for $0.99 with free shipping from the US.The HDMI to DVI adapter also was the same price in the US with free shipping.I ordered the ebay ones as well. If I can, I'll cancel the Aliexpress order but if I can't no big loss. It's the up to a month shipping time from China that's the worst part.

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 02:35:37 am
content: Quote from: Stonent on September 09, 2013, 02:26:29 amIs that what they told you? I've ordered from China several times and it takes about a week and a half.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 02:38:16 am
content: I have definitely had packages take very nearly a month from China. Not usually, though.

author: David_AVD
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 02:39:51 am
content: I've found that packages from sellers on AliExpress often take 4-6 weeks to get to me. Same for eBay if it's a Chinese seller.

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 02:40:50 am
content: Usually 10 days to 2 weeks for me, though sometimes it takes longer.QuoteThat doesn't seem possible. All told, it costs about $2.50 to mail a First Class package and I've never heard of any cheaper shipping method. I understand when it comes from China their government subsides their shipping cost, but that won't work within the U.S.

author: ablacon64
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 02:41:15 am
content: Lucky you! It takes 60 or 70 days to arrive to Brazil....Edit: I meant from china.

author: David_AVD
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 02:54:30 am
content: A lot of the time it is shipped from China, despite what the auction or web site may say.

author: notsob
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 02:54:48 am
content: I always check to see if it is available from HK instead of china, generally much quicker delivery from HK

author: rexxar
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 03:26:55 am
content: Quote from: rdl on September 09, 2013, 02:40:50 amI think just an HDMI cable might qualify as a Flat package. IIRC, <1lb is 92 cents.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 04:40:22 am
content: I was working on a way to connect a real screen to my Raspberry Pi. I managed to get a 19" HP LCD monitor for $5 this weekend at the local Habitat for Humanity store. Unfortunately I powered it on and there's a spider web crack about 2 inches from the bottom right corner. The monitor had no cables with it so I haven't been able to test how bad it is but it didn't look like the typical "ink leaked out" cracked LCD so it could be livable. I also picked up a 4.5" car headrest mount LCD at Goodwill. It had a proprietary DIN style connector but I was able to get a pinout, and my jumper wires worked fine as DIN pins and got my R-Pi running on it, but very blurry. But at $3.15 a bargain!

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 05:28:29 am
content: If it's flat enough, it's a letter - one stamp per ounce. Otherwise, it's a package - 3 oz. minimum for $2.07 at the Post Office (around $1.80 through eBay) plus envelope, packaging, label and so on. Boxes and flat-rate are even more expensive.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 05:33:44 am
content: I'd be worried about the quality of any HDMI cable that can be 99c including shipping.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 05:35:55 am
content: Quote from: Psi on September 09, 2013, 05:33:44 amWell certainly better than RCA Cable, alligator clips, and jumper wire to a 4.5" LCD.I still have the $2.99 one coming from China. I guess I could compare the two.

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 05:46:41 am
content: My shipping times to Lower Mainland, BC, CanadaDigikey - Next day before noon if I order before 3pm (courier)All the rest are mailHong kong - 2 weeks mailChina Ebay - in general 2 - 3 weeksAliExpress - 4 weeks at minimumSingapore - Under a week (crazy fast)Britan - 5-7 daysAnything in the us by mail 1-4 weeks crazy (korea is the same)?

author: poorchava
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 05:53:01 am
content: When I'm ordering to Poland from ebay, aliexpress, dx, elecrow, itead and such it's about 3 weeks on avarage. Fastest was like 12 days and longest about a month.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 06:10:18 am
content: Quote from: pickle9000 on September 09, 2013, 05:46:41 amThat's because Canada is a small communist island nation in the middle east and we don't trust you!'Merica! Woo!

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 06:28:12 am
content: Yes we plan on world domination by holding doors open for people and saying thank you.Biggest military decision in Canada? Which coast to put the tank on.We have an aircraft carrier, that a row boat with a piece of plywood on it.We have 3 battleships, two of them float!

author: notsob
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 06:48:36 am
content: we have trouble keeping 1 out of 6 subs sea worthy, got them designed by a landlocked country - go figure.

author: Corporate666
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 06:49:10 am
content: Quote from: rdl on September 09, 2013, 02:40:50 amUS Postal First Class Mail (with delivery confirmation) starts at $1.69 for up to 4oz packages. So they are charging $0.69 for shipping but it costs them $0.70 more. So they end up getting $2.30 for the cable, less packaging costs (they probably buy the cables in bulk from China pre-packaged, so it's probably just sticking a label on and dropping in the mailbox).What I find more amazing is that it something like a cable can be made and transported all the way from China to the USA for a price that lets the American sell it for $2.30 and make a profit. They are probably paying $1/ea for the cables, shipped. That boggles the mind... just the fuel and handling costs to get the cable to America you would think would total over $1!

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 07:03:53 am
content: Quote from: notsob on September 09, 2013, 06:48:36 amWe do pretty good under the water, we do have working subs and Phil Nuytten.http://nuytco.com/products/newtsuit/

author: Dago
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 07:08:40 am
content: I've had some packages from china take like 1.5 months to arrive. The average seems to be 2-3 weeks or so. Last week I had a record, I had a package arrive 5 days after shipping from Shenzen to Finland. That's even faster than from the US or UK to here...Time of the year affects the shipping speed a LOT. The 2-3 months before Christmas the shipping slows to a crawl. Also seems like the location from where the package is shipped seems to affect the speed. Hong Kong packages tend to take longer than mainland China packages.I have a LOT of experience with shipping from ChinaDamn eBay, such an infinite swirling money hole of doom...

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 09:31:34 am
content: 2-4 weeks is pretty normal for china/aliexpress stuff to New Zealand.Digikey is about 3-4 days during the week and 2 days when i order at like 2am on Saturday, then it usually arrives first thing Monday morning.

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 01:13:06 pm
content: QuoteNot that it matters that much, but that is incorrect. Besides, the OP stated :QuoteUsing the Post Office, the minimum charge is $2.07 for a package by First Class Mail (with delivery confirmation). eBay, and others, do offer discounts. Maybe you use one of these other service providers?I use eBay fairly often, I think their price is about $1.80 or so, but it's been a few months since I shipped anything through them. Envelopes aren't free and I'd be surprised if the cable weighed under 4 oz.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2013, 02:09:30 pm
content: Quote from: pickle9000 on September 09, 2013, 06:28:12 amJust please don't feed Mr. Pink to the woodchipper.