Frank - half the trouble is that DHL have started to increase their rates at a silly amount.
I had an envelope - A5 size - and needed it to get to the UK quickly. They quoted Rands 950 -
which is 85 pounds. I sent it by air through the PO for 4 pounds and it was there in a week.

Perhaps it is better to trust the Post Office ? Mervyn

Frank,

Hate to say it, but I have had to add shipping to the cost of awards for some time now to determine cost vs value. More and more, I try to buy from a seller here in the US because, while his/her price may be a bit on the high end, their shipping is usually a whole lot less, bringing the final cost down below what it would have cost to deal, say, with a seller in the UK or beyond. Of course, this can severely limit your selection but, if you can wait, the item will usually turn up closer or the price will go down from the distant seller making his/her shipping cost (when added to the item) seem more reasonable. Unfortunately, the narrower your search (take for example PMR items), the fewer the sellers and, alas, the higher probability you'll wind up a victim of their shipping method. And now, of course, we're having issues with our postal system :-(

Yup, i hate shipping cost,
long way from US/UK/Europe to Indonesia make the shipping cost is high, so i always use the most economical, a kind of gamble then.. =p

Well, he lost my business... A merchant refusing to find viable alternatives for a paying customer will NOT have me as one...

Another bozo just asked me 35 EURO to ship a small light 22 EURO item...

Is it me? Seriously, is it?