Avoid PCBway

[ebclr]

I don't want to obligated to use DHL, I want to have the freedom to chose the deliver i want on a easy way

[Monkeh]

And they offer you a postal option.

Hey, if you know exactly what everything costs and how to run the business, why not start your own? You'll do great!

[Rbastler]

You can use whatever shipping service is available, and there are other options! So go and use those cheaper solutions, but don't complain that it'll take longer to arrive. You can even contact them to find a cheaper solution for shipping !!! Just don't be lazy.

[Kilrah]

Correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is, this guy ordered a board, forgot to choose a cheaper shipping rather than the default DHL, now he is blaming PCBWay for charging him more for shipping.

That is my understanding too.

I don't want to obligated to use DHL, I want to have the freedom to chose the deliver i want on a easy way

And you do...

Delivery
PCBWay.com offers flexible shipping methods for our customers, you may choose from one of the methods below.

1. DHL
2. EMS
3. FedEx
4. Hongkong Post

Hongkong Post is a good solution for customers who either do not have a tight schedule for the PCBs or need to save on the shipping.
It normally takes 7-20 business days to deliver the package.

5.   Air, Sea/air and Sea

You really have nobody to blame but yourself if you didn't make use of it.

[ebclr]

Show me  how you can chose any other freight other than DHL on Pcbway site please

[Kilrah]

By selecting it like on any other website? It even tells you how to proceed for unlisted options.

[Wilksey]

Whilst we are on the subject of DHL, I have always been hit with customs charges / handling charges from DHL (even on free samples, which got rejected), but very very rarely from any other i.e. FedEx, does everyone else have the same perception about DHL always charging this extra?

I am in the UK, and I usually opt for Fed Ex, it is usually 3 - 4 USD more but if you take into consideration the extra charges I am almost guaranteed to incur it seems to make sense to spend that extra in the order phase.

Just wondered if it was just me they didn't like!

[Rbastler]

I never had to pay extra for a DHL shipping. Not shipping from China or EU.

[Kilrah]

It's 100% depending on what the sender declares as value, not on the actually shipping provider.

Maybe there are things like the sender got caught undervaluing things too many times by DHL so they don't do it anymore, but still do with others...

[KE5FX]

Whilst we are on the subject of DHL, I have always been hit with customs charges / handling charges from DHL (even on free samples, which got rejected), but very very rarely from any other i.e. FedEx, does everyone else have the same perception about DHL always charging this extra?

I am in the UK, and I usually opt for Fed Ex, it is usually 3 - 4 USD more but if you take into consideration the extra charges I am almost guaranteed to incur it seems to make sense to spend that extra in the order phase.

Just wondered if it was just me they didn't like!

This happens to me in the US as well.  I've ordered a total of three FPGA boards from ZTex in Germany recently (meaning in the past year).  Nothing unusual happened after the first board was delivered, but a few weeks after the second and third boards arrived, I got an invoice in the mail from DHL for customs clearance fees. 

This is highly unusual in the US and somewhat annoying as well, even though the amounts in question weren't large.

Edit: to be clear, I don't blame ZTex for this at all.  As rx8pilot says, it doesn't pay for a small independent vendor to offer every delivery option from snail mail to Amazon drones. 

[Wilksey]

No, the declared value was the same on both packages, I think DHL are just holding packages to ransom by choice to make more money, I avoid DHL if I can, in some respect, not necessarily with PCB's, but it can negate the reason for buying overseas in the first place.

Aliexpress for example, for an extra £20-£30 I could have gotten an array of items here in the UK, but decided to grab them from Ali a bit cheaper, had I chosen DHL I would not have been any better off.  Luckily other shipping options are available.

[rx8pilot]

I don't want to obligated to use DHL, I want to have the freedom to chose the deliver i want on a easy way

My business offers one type of shipping because it is a major pain and expense to have multiple systems setup. The vast majority of customers don't care and few that do don't justify the effort of offering every option.

[Macbeth]

OP is clearly a troll. Nobody who can design a PCB is so inept they can't navigate a website, use google, realise that fast couriers cost more than sending by sea, or that businesses don't have magic fairies who package and post items at zero cost. 

[uncle_bob]

Whilst we are on the subject of DHL, I have always been hit with customs charges / handling charges from DHL (even on free samples, which got rejected), but very very rarely from any other i.e. FedEx, does everyone else have the same perception about DHL always charging this extra?

I am in the UK, and I usually opt for Fed Ex, it is usually 3 - 4 USD more but if you take into consideration the extra charges I am almost guaranteed to incur it seems to make sense to spend that extra in the order phase.

Just wondered if it was just me they didn't like!

This happens to me in the US as well.  I've ordered a total of three FPGA boards from ZTex in Germany recently (meaning in the past year).  Nothing unusual happened after the first board was delivered, but a few weeks after the second and third boards arrived, I got an invoice in the mail from DHL for customs clearance fees. 

This is highly unusual in the US and somewhat annoying as well, even though the amounts in question weren't large.

Edit: to be clear, I don't blame ZTex for this at all.  As rx8pilot says, it doesn't pay for a small independent vendor to offer every delivery option from snail mail to Amazon drones.

Hi

*Everything* I have had come in from China via the Alibaba / DHL route has had a customs charge on it. Since it's all been multi kilobuck gear, that was not a big surprise. DHL from Germany on FPGA boards ... no customs charge. 

Bob

[janoc]

Whilst we are on the subject of DHL, I have always been hit with customs charges / handling charges from DHL (even on free samples, which got rejected), but very very rarely from any other i.e. FedEx, does everyone else have the same perception about DHL always charging this extra?

It is not just you. I believe DHL charges a "processing fee" or whatever they call it for filing the actual customs paperwork for you and getting your item through customs, separately from the shipping fee (which pays only for the actual transportation). They do it rigidly for every package, even if there are finally no customs due, either due to the low value of the item or the item being exempted from customs. That fee can be sometimes more than the value of the actual item.

If you ship by regular airmail/post, you will rarely see this, because most of the items coming by post are small and thus fall under the customs exemption limit (usually something like 200 euro, depends on the country). On the other hand, if your item needs to go through customs, you will have to handle the clearance yourself, the post will not do it - that typically means a trip to the customs office, filing paperwork and paying the fee before your item is released.

Of course, if you are shipping within EU/US, you don't see this, it applies only for items coming from the outside.

I can't speak about Fedex - I have used Fedex only once and paid only the actual customs (they probably included the "paperwork" charge in the shipping fee itself already) and that was ages ago.

[Kilrah]

FedEx, DHL, UPS all do... I've got bills from all 3 on my desk right now 

But again it depends on value, there is usually a threahold in each country below which things are not taxed.  If it's below then you may or may not get a handling charge, I find it's a bit random. Maybe when they're too busy they just shove the package out and don't bother making the bill.

[ebclr]

That  "processing fee" is some countries can go far away than a hundred, without talking about any taxes, this is why regular post must be a easy option

[wraper]

That  "processing fee" is some countries can go far away than a hundred, without talking about any taxes, this is why regular post must be a easy option

If this is the problem in your country, then avoid those suppliers who do not offer shipping options suitable for you. Most of the big component and PCB prototype suppliers don't ship by post at all. But making a tread about this and calling this a scam is just ridiculous, and even more ridiculous because PCBway do offer the shipping by post. Their DHL shipping price is about the same as your beloved Elecrow offers.  BTW I don't like their annoying ad/spam policy at all.

[wraper]

That  "processing fee" is some countries can go far away than a hundred, without talking about any taxes, this is why regular post must be a easy option

Most of the big component and PCB prototype suppliers don't ship by post at all.

Mouser and DK offer USPS service. DK offers a $4.99 USPS service, while Mouser offers UPS pickup and USPS last mile delivery for $7.99 (UPS MI).

That USPS is within USA only IIRC.

[Monkeh]

That  "processing fee" is some countries can go far away than a hundred, without talking about any taxes, this is why regular post must be a easy option

Most of the big component and PCB prototype suppliers don't ship by post at all.

Mouser and DK offer USPS service. DK offers a $4.99 USPS service, while Mouser offers UPS pickup and USPS last mile delivery for $7.99 (UPS MI).

That USPS is within USA only IIRC.

And even within the US, likely to take your package on a trip to the wrong coast for the hell of it..

[uncle_bob]

That  "processing fee" is some countries can go far away than a hundred, without talking about any taxes, this is why regular post must be a easy option

Hi

Guess what ... *if* the value hits the threshold, the "regular post" will charge you a brokerage fee and the customs / taxes as well. The only thing you might find is that the post office isn't quite as rigorous about obeying the law....(as in checking the declaration information on the package).

Bob

[poorchava]

I don't think they make money on freight.

Heck, even if they did i still think they offer the best value for money when it comes to cheap chinese PCB services. I have started using them instead of Elecrow about a month ago and so far I don't see an downside.

Their pricing model (board area instead of maximum dimensions) is more convenient for me. They also seem to charge less premium for panelizing multiple designs onto one panel

Recently, I have ordered 40pcs of 99x134-ish mm panel with tab routing and otherwise standard PCB tech for $167 with DHL shipping to Poland and the total turnaround time was like 7 days or somehing (but that's just luck i think). At this point I really don't give a shit if they charge a bit more for shipping (which btw i doubt they do).

They also made 10pcs of 10x300mm PCBs for $27 with airmail shipping. And i still don't give a shit if they charge more. I'd have to pay like $50-100 anywhere else for those boards.

I'm not gonna do another 1000-th pcbway review video, but I do like them and will recommend them further.

[Chumanista]

To answer questions about quality, here is my video on this topic, complete with an in-depth analysis of the accuracy:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/eda/pcbway-review/

[Harvs]

The irony of this thread is I learnt about PCBway from it, have now put 4 PCB runs through them which I'm impressed with.

[bitseeker]

Gotta love a good irony.