Updates/info for synecdochic's BPAL decanting

Got the shipping notice today for the Crimson Peak orders! I was actually not expecting that yet...

Going by previous transit times, they should be here Friday or Saturday. I'll try to get them decanted and out the door by beginning of next week, although I haven't done labels or prep yet, so it may be an extra day or two.

* If you are in the Anniversary or Great Pie Debate circles: I did not charge you shipping for those, so I'll hold your Crimson Peak decants for those unless you tell me otherwise.

* If you're planning on signing up for Yules when they drop, and want me to hold Crimson Peak to ship with those, let me know -- it's not at all a problem to hold things, I just need to know before I start packing and shipping.

Meanwhile, my running tally of accounting says that the usual minor loss I run circles at (not counting frimps or freebies, which I account for separately) has been getting a bit larger lately -- the USPS has increased their rates slightly, plus most of the supplies (vials, labels, pipettes, bubble mailers) I've been using have also gotten more expensive and PayPal fees, which I don't include in calculations, are killing me. So, starting in 2016 (ie, not the Yules circle, but anything after that), I'll be increasing prices slightly across the board for both shipping and decants:

Shipping:

* In-US shipping will go from $3 to $4. (For the weights we're working with, the USPS charges between $2.15 and $2.75; the extra is for the cost of bubble mailers, bubblewrap, the peel-and-stick shipping labels that are expensive but save me hours while shipping, and printer ink.) Shipping to Canada will be $8 for up to 15 decants and $10 for 16 or more decants or any order that has a half/full bottle. Shipping elsewhere in the world, other than Australia, will be $8 for up to 5 decants, $10 for more than 5 but fewer than 15, and $12 for 15 or more decants or any order that has two or more half/full bottles. Shipping to Australia will be $8 for up to 5 decants, $10 for more than 5 but fewer than 15, decants, $12 for 15 or more decants or any order that has 1-3 half/full bottles, and $14 for any order with 4 or more half/full bottles. (The price points by weight are slightly more expensive to Australia and the glass of the bottles is heavy; sorry, folks! I know the exchange rate is killing you right now.)

As always, any package that goes over 13 oz has to be sent Priority instead of First Class. In practice, that tends to mean any order with 7-8 half/full bottles or more. Domestic priority is $6.50 ($5.25 for the flat rate box; $1.25 for the supplies); international priority depends on the destination but usually runs around $26. For international packages that are over 13 oz, I do check whether it's cheaper to use my own box instead of a flat rate box (which it often is) or cheaper to break the shipment up into two first class packages under 13 oz (which it often is); I'm also perfectly willing to hold half/full bottles and add-ons for a few circles (and send the actual decants for you to test) until we fill up a flat-rate box and save you some postage that way. (I currently have four bags of stuff I've been holding for lindra for a few while, for instance.) I charge international priority at actual cost, just rounded up slightly, because if y'all are paying that much for shipping I can give you a break.

I've posted a much neater shipping cost price sheet that I'll start linking to in circle signups.


Decants:

* Decants for bottles that are $23, which have been $4, will go to $4.25. (Six slots in a $23 bottle is $3.83/decant; the extra goes for pipettes, vials -- $.15 per vial, up from $.13 per vial since last I bought them -- and labels, which have gotten crazy expensive for some reason.)

* Half bottles for bottles that are $23, which have been $11.50, will go to $12 -- I've been charging actual cost for those, but the extra $.50 will go to hopefully finding some 1-dram bottles that don't fucking leak everywhere, which I haven't been able to do yet, sigh. (Or to cover the cost of the vials if I have to send them in vials.)

* Decants for bottles that are $24, which heve been $4.25, will go to $4.50. Half bottles will go from $12 to $12.50.

* Decants for bottles that are $26, which have been $4.50, will go to $4.75. Half bottles will go from $13 to $13.50.

(Basically, all decants will get a $.25 price increase, and half bottles will go from "actual cost" to "actual cost plus $.50". Full bottles will stay at actual cost.)

Sorry about the increases, folks! I really don't mind running at a slight loss (it's inevitable, especially with bottles that don't fill completely) because I do benefit from doing this, but as circles get larger and more frequent and supplies get more expensive, I do need to tighten things up a bit, especially since we're saving up to redo the kitchen next year. :)

And finally, I've also updated the leftovers sale with the definite Weenie and Lilith rejects. (Sarah and I are hella behind on testing stuff, but those are the ones we know we don't want!) As always, holler if you want something and I'll ship with your next decant order.

Also, an announcement, shipping-wise: I've reconciled my "what I charged you" vs "what it actually cost to ship" and I don't think there's anyone else I need to refund money to, but if you think I overcharged you, let me know and I'll check it.

I've realized, however, that I've been pretty systematically undercharging for international shipping -- the difference between what "what you ordered" and "what I send you" is on me, but switching to more durable (and heavier) padded envelopes and the more convenient (and also heavier) peel-and-ship address labels has meant packages go over the 2oz ($7.16) weight at only three to five decants, depending on how much bubble wrap we use when packing them, instead of the eight-to-ten it was previously.

The last few circles have also been pretty large, in terms of number of decants people have been ordering, because of large updates. This has resulted in a few cases of the domestic postage costs eating into the $1 shipping-and-handling charge (which covers supplies like mailers, tape, peel-and-stick labels, etc).

So, starting with the next set of circles, I'm going to be raising my shipping costs a little:

* International shipping will change to a flat $10 for most orders. (That's the $8.88 for the 3-to-6-ounce international first-class mail rate, plus the $1 in shipping/handling charge that's built into the domestic postage, and rounding up the twelve cents to reflect the time and trouble inherent in having to go to the post office and talk to an actual human to ship those instead of just handing them to a carrier!)

* Exceptions to the above: International packages consisting of more than five half/full bottles will be $13. (If the package goes over 6 ounces, the price jump is pretty hefty.) International packages consisting of fewer than 4 decants will stay $7.16 (since that's about the point at which the package goes over 2oz).

* Domestic orders consisting of more than five half/full bottles, more than 25 decants, or any combination that in my best guess of shipping weight will go over 6 ounces, will be $4 instead of $3.

I'm sorry for all you lovely international folk who will be paying more for postage because of that!