VPC Webstore and MongoosT-50 Base Update

[ElCuco68]

I ordered the WARBRD base and planned to use it with the TMW Grip.

With VPC's last announcement, I went to their EU Store to investigate buying the T-50 Grip.

Was just about to pull the trigger when I noticed the shipping charge to the USA (via TNT Express), a whopping $56!

 

That's 33% of the purchase price of the grip.

 

That has to improve VPC if you want to sell to the market in the US.

 

Hey DevilDog! What Bn were you with? I was a chief corpsman with 1/2, 2DMARDIV.

[Patersonski]

That sounds a little high. I was going to buy the T-50 base and grip, plus a desk mount and shipping was $48 to Colorado.

 

 

 

What direction does the package come from? East or west? That might be the difference since you're in the east.

 

 

Both packages would/should be heading west. TNT’s international air hub is at Leige, Belgium, and FedEx’s is at Paris. FedEx acquired TNT a couple of years ago, so after shipping from the factory to either of these two hubs it’s pinged over to FedEx’s US Memphis hub, followed by a flight to CO/VA the next day. FedEx has two international express rates: Priority, which currently averages US$55/package globally, and Economy, currently averaging US$47/package, so what you were both quoted is in the ballpark. The sticker shock is due to the fact that Virpil is small so gets no volume discounts, and fuel prices are currently high, pushing FedEx’s current fuel surcharge to 15%. The good news is that FedEx is the “best” at international express so chances of loss, damage, or delays is minimal.

[Barefoot Bandit]

I'm clearly late to this party, did not realise the T-50 is being retired.

 

My best guess is the next release will be a WarBRD with an attachment mechanism similar to the T-50. Ideally, I'd love to see both options on the same base! Anyways, I own both, and am happy with both, my T-50 is not going anywhere, and it works perfectly for it's purpose.

 

I have a sneaking suspicion the EOL of the T-50 is more to do with parts commonality, and future products will use many of the same parts (or same processes, at least) as the WarBRD, reducing costs in terms of tooling/machinery. Just a hunch, though.

 

Z...

[jjohnson241]

Hey DevilDog! What Bn were you with? I was a chief corpsman with 1/2, 2DMARDIV.

 

HQ, 1st Field Arty Group, RLT 26, 3rd Mardiv.

I was a radio operator on an Arty Foward Observer team.

 

Roger on Corpsman. You people rock.

[jjohnson241]

Both packages would/should be heading west. TNT’s international air hub is at Leige, Belgium, and FedEx’s is at Paris. FedEx acquired TNT a couple of years ago, so after shipping from the factory to either of these two hubs it’s pinged over to FedEx’s US Memphis hub, followed by a flight to CO/VA the next day. FedEx has two international express rates: Priority, which currently averages US$55/package globally, and Economy, currently averaging US$47/package, so what you were both quoted is in the ballpark. The sticker shock is due to the fact that Virpil is small so gets no volume discounts, and fuel prices are currently high, pushing FedEx’s current fuel surcharge to 15%. The good news is that FedEx is the “best” at international express so chances of loss, damage, or delays is minimal.

 

Appreciate the info but 33% of the purchase price for a shipment that is less than 10 pounds and could fit in an average briefcase is ridiculus.

They better find a domestic distributor if they want any volume from the US. Even if they have to raise prices a bit.

[lazduc]

Shipping is as big of a joke as the availability of products from VIRPIL.

[ElCuco68]

Appreciate the info but 33% of the purchase price for a shipment that is less than 10 pounds and could fit in an average briefcase is ridiculus.

They better find a domestic distributor if they want any volume from the US. Even if they have to raise prices a bit.

I'm not convinced they really want any kind of volume from the U.S., brother. Personally, I'm at the point that I might see if there's something I can make in my humble little basement machine shop. The only thing I don't have ready at the moment is CNC, but I have a pretty good relationship with the local schools, which are well-equipped.

[jjohnson241]

Well the saga of the WARBRD order continues.

I ordered on July 17, order finally shipped on September 25.

I was overjoyed to see my Shipment notice, through an outfit named "EMS Express".

I was further overjoyed when the shipment arrived at JFK Airport and was handed to US Customs at 4:18pm on 9-28-18.

 

And that's where it sits as of today, 10-2-18 at 1800 hrs.

 

There's no way to find out if and when Customs will grace me with action and hand the package to the USPS.

 

Seems to me that two full working days should be enough time for Customs to do their thing, but whaqt do I know.

[dburne]

Well the saga of the WARBRD order continues.

I ordered on July 17, order finally shipped on September 25.

I was overjoyed to see my Shipment notice, through an outfit named "EMS Express".

I was further overjoyed when the shipment arrived at JFK Airport and was handed to US Customs at 4:18pm on 9-28-18.

 

And that's where it sits as of today, 10-2-18 at 1800 hrs.

 

There's no way to find out if and when Customs will grace me with action and hand the package to the USPS.

 

Seems to me that two full working days should be enough time for Customs to do their thing, but whaqt do I know.

 

In my experience with EMS, customs is about where the real time tracking stops. Your package may show up before you see it moving in the tracking site.

[jjohnson241]

In my experience with EMS, customs is about where the real time tracking stops. Your package may show up before you see it moving in the tracking site.

One can only hope.

Per the EMS Global -US, EMS in the states is USPS. Their customer care call center is in fact the USPS customer care center.

I've never had any luck trying to speak to a human at USPS.

 

EDIT 10-3-18: Figured out that the USPS tracking system should have info on my WARBRD and sure enough, USPS tracking says my package cleared Customs at 10:15am this morning and is pending pick-up by USPS. 2+ days clearing Customs. OK, feeling hopeful again.

Edited October 3, 2018 by jjohnson241

[Barefoot Bandit]

Appreciate the info but 33% of the purchase price for a shipment that is less than 10 pounds and could fit in an average briefcase is ridiculus.

They better find a domestic distributor if they want any volume from the US. Even if they have to raise prices a bit.

 

I actually have a business where shipping is a thing, and international is a killer. We shipped some very small items to a bunch of countries for a specific group (including the USA, UK, and a bunch of EU countries), and due to shipping costs actually being more than item cost, what we ended up doing was simply adding the product cost and shipping together into a single figure, and called priced the item as "includes shipping".

 

There is simply nothing you can do about it if you are not shipping hundreds of items a day, every day.

 

Really can't blame VPC/VKB, or any of these guys for this.

 

In another case, I had a fairly large item I need shipped from Italy for my automation business, it was a motorised TV lift. Shipping ended up being about US$1500. I was very close to simply buying an airline ticket and taking a 3 days holiday to Italy. The only thing that stopped me, was not being certain if I could fit said bracket in my check in.

 

When the item arrived, I confirmed that it could, in fact, fit in my check in. If ever I need another one, I'll be flying to Italy for a weekend...

 

Z...

[some1]

 

We feel it is now time to move on and we will be launching the FINAL VPC MongoosT-50 base sale! Our remaining stock of VPC MongoosT-50 bases will be available with a 10% discount - so be quick, as this will be the last opportunity to purchase this base!

 

Okay, so the most important question for me right now is when this last batch from Monday will be assembled and shipped? Days? Weeks? Months?

 

 

EDIT:

Just got an email, already shipped! :)

Edited October 3, 2018 by some1

[Cyph3r]

Okay, so the most important question for me right now is when this last batch from Monday will be assembled and shipped? Days? Weeks? Months?

 

 

EDIT:

Just got an email, already shipped! :)

 

Yes everything was in stock, ready for dispatch. Everyone will get their shipping notification within 5 days as per the shipping information page :)

[jjohnson241]

I actually have a business where shipping is a thing, and international is a killer. We shipped some very small items to a bunch of countries for a specific group (including the USA, UK, and a bunch of EU countries), and due to shipping costs actually being more than item cost, what we ended up doing was simply adding the product cost and shipping together into a single figure, and called priced the item as "includes shipping".

 

There is simply nothing you can do about it if you are not shipping hundreds of items a day, every day.

 

Really can't blame VPC/VKB, or any of these guys for this.

 

In another case, I had a fairly large item I need shipped from Italy for my automation business, it was a motorised TV lift. Shipping ended up being about US$1500. I was very close to simply buying an airline ticket and taking a 3 days holiday to Italy. The only thing that stopped me, was not being certain if I could fit said bracket in my check in.

 

When the item arrived, I confirmed that it could, in fact, fit in my check in. If ever I need another one, I'll be flying to Italy for a weekend...

Z...

 

I'm aware of a startup that will manufacture and sell high end flight yokes for flight sims. They have already secured a deal with Amazon for distribution and potentially shipping domestically. The yokes will be manufactured in China. The company is us based.

I believe it's possible to do if VPC so desired. They've invested a significant amount of money to have shipping cost impede their return.

[Cyph3r]

I'm aware of a startup that will manufacture and sell high end flight yokes for flight sims. They have already secured a deal with Amazon for distribution and potentially shipping domestically. The yokes will be manufactured in China. The company is us based.

I believe it's possible to do if VPC so desired. They've invested a significant amount of money to have shipping cost impede their return.

 

Getting this set up is not entirely difficult, but there are of course not insignificant fee's for selling on Amazon either as a third party seller, FBA or as a vendor.

 

It'd be entirely possible to show a more palatable shipping cost by incorporating these fees into the cost of the product itself. But we would rather be as transparent as possible with the pricing - the prices are in fact better than the worldwide shipping costs we were able to offer previously via EMS.

 

I'm sure if the VPC WarBRD for example was priced at 180-200 EUR instead of 150 EUR with only 10 EUR shipping there wouldn't be any mention of it.

 

We've had a great number of orders from the US with the new store launch so we're glad to see the merge has been successful.

 

We are always working to improve our distribution network to improve the ordering experience, merging our worldwide and EU stores was simply the next step as it offered better and cheaper worldwide shipping and better payment options. However, it certainly isn't the end point.

Edited October 3, 2018 by Cyph3r

[Seb71]

Was just about to pull the trigger when I noticed the shipping charge to the USA (via TNT Express), a whopping $56!

 

That's 33% of the purchase price of the grip.

 

That has to improve VPC if you want to sell to the market in the US.

EU customers pay 21% VAT (the Lithuanian 21% VAT rate is applied). So the total price (including shipping and VAT) is actually higher for EU customers than for US customers.

 

For instance, if I would order a MongoosT-50 grip (129.95 EUR without VAT), then VAT and shipping add up to another 55.06 EUR (about 63 USD).

 

That is a 42.37% increase of the purchase price of the grip. Well above your 33%.

[jjohnson241]

Getting this set up is not entirely difficult, but there are of course not insignificant fee's for selling on Amazon either as a third party seller, FBA or as a vendor.

 

It'd be entirely possible to show a more palatable shipping cost by incorporating these fees into the cost of the product itself. But we would rather be as transparent as possible with the pricing - the prices are in fact better than the worldwide shipping costs we were able to offer previously via EMS.

 

I'm sure if the VPC WarBRD for example was priced at 180-200 EUR instead of 150 EUR with only 10 EUR shipping there wouldn't be any mention of it.

 

We've had a great number of orders from the US with the new store launch so we're glad to see the merge has been successful.

 

We are always working to improve our distribution network to improve the ordering experience, merging our worldwide and EU stores was simply the next step as it offered better and cheaper worldwide shipping and better payment options. However, it certainly isn't the end point.

 

Transparency is always a good thing but I'll just repeat my point; VPC needs to establish relationships that greatly reduce the shipping cost component of their product line. I believe the up front fees to VPC for doing so would be immediately offset by volume of sales.

Thanks for your reply.

[Cyph3r]

Transparency is always a good thing but I'll just repeat my point; VPC needs to establish relationships that greatly reduce the shipping cost component of their product line. I believe the up front fees to VPC for doing so would be immediately offset by volume of sales.

Thanks for your reply.

 

It's not up-front fees. It would be on going fees (with selling on Amazon for example) - as I said it would be very simple to increase the product price to reduce the shipping cost, but in the end the total cost would be the same.

 

We're of course always working to expand on distribution network in ways that brings real value to our customers but it's no simple task.

[Hoffster]

Any news regarding pedals? :smilewink: