Smaller companies like TubesUSA.com cannot be expected to compete with the big boys on all levels. If you've ever tried running your own business or have been an active part of small company, you'd know this first hand. It sounds to me that George quoted his standard rate for shipping, the same as everyone else who buys that tube from him would pay, and when you asked him he tried to politely explain some of the reasons why he charges what he does. You agreed to pay it - you could have said no and looked for the tube elsewhere. Would you have preferred he just mark the tube itself up to $268 and offered "Free Shipping"? If he did not pay for insurance that means that he alone is taking the risk if the tube is lost or damage in shipment, and I know he'd stand by that based upon his actions with myself and others I know. I suppose it's his business whether he does or does not actually insure it - but it is more likely that someone just overlooked the insurance. Other retailers don't charge for Paypal because they've somehow absorbed the fee (or the same fee for using credit cards through their own bank) in some other way, either by marking the items up a bit higher, or compensating by making up for it in some other way. I agree that it's a bit odd to break it out like that. It is the cost of doing business and, as I pointed out to you before, if you are a small business, trying to survive, and you start giving away your time and expenses in order to try to compete with larger businesses who operate on an entirely different level, you will not stay in business long (and then where would you get your EML? - last time I checked there was not a listing on Amazon). Why shouldn't he be charging for the time and effort it takes him, as a small shop, to pack and ship items individually, and take care of the related bookkeeping and supplies? It's like someone taking a look at your salary from work and telling you that you shouldn't be making this much money for your time and that you could survive on less. I get that your issue here is in what George told you vs the label - so if it really bothers you that much, then write to him or call him and ask. Personally I think this is as silly as buying something from anywhere for a price you agree upon, and then calling back and challenging the vendor for marking up their product by X amount - It's a bit insulting on some level. But since he told you something seemingly conflicting, and that bothers you enough to post what you have about it, I would call him.
AFAIK, TubesUSA is the North American distributor for EML tubes. There aren't many folks selling them as dealers in North Amercia last time I checked so the choices are limited. They are also manufactured in very small batches and imported sporadically as they are available. At least one of your annoyances came not from TubesUSA, but from the USPS - Priority Mail normally is delivered within 2 days of shipment, but I have noticed around these holidays that they've really slipped on that, and I do hope it is not a permanent slip as I really like that service otherwise. In mid-December I shipped a package from Seattle to Stockton, CA by Priority. This would normally take a day or two. It arrived ten days later. It had sat in a shipping center near Seattle for about five of those days for some reason (according to the tracking). USPS could not explain it and would not refund my money because the service is not guaranteed. So if George was reasonably expecting a 2-day service from them, I think he was probably surprised like many others have been, and is probably as disappointed as you are at that service. Again, given that your complaint is with something George told you, I would take it up directly with him before posting about it on a public forum. I bought an EML tube from him several years ago and paid just about the same price for shipping. It arrived in two days in my case. I don't recall using PayPal though.
