Silk Road forums
Discussion => Off topic => Topic started by: SlimScott on September 14, 2011, 10:02 pm
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Browsing around SR today and I noticed that sellers are offering cartons of cigs for what looks to be more than retail value.
I'm just curious as to what fuels the SR market for cigs... are there places in the US where you can't buy them? Or are underage smokers buying them here?
Understand that I am NOT condemning this practice AT ALL, I'm just curious.
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In some places (ie New York) it can run up to $10 for a pack of cigarettes because of the tax. For places like that, the cartons could be a good deal.
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Holy crap! I thought they were expensive where I live. That's crazy.
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I'd like to see a reasonable source of $50/carton prices....
(if that made sense; kind of tripping hard atm)
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dont know much about the states but here in england if someone could reliably get me sticks of 200 cigs for under £40 id buy them literally all the time if they were genuine cigs not the fakes that rip your throat out and if someone could get them as low as £35 a stick i know a lot of other people would take them regularly too, hell i smoke more than a stick a week easy, i smoke a cheap brand and they still cost me £55 a stick (thats about $8.70 per pack of 20 for you us guys) those with more cash to spend are paying near £70 ($110) a stick for b&h/lucky strike/embassy, i absolutely hate not getting change from a £5 note for a pack of god damn cigs.
personally i hate the fact that i get ripped off royal tax wise on my cigs and still get treated like a god damn second class citizen because im a smoker (the single main source of funding for the NHS. "smokers cost the nhs hundreds of millions a year" they whine, while it brings in between £6-8 billion a year in tax revenue) id rather see my money going to the black market at near the same amount and see the bastards not get the tax
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dont know much about the states but here in england if someone could reliably get me sticks of 200 cigs for under £40 id buy them literally all the time if they were genuine cigs not the fakes that rip your throat out and if someone could get them as low as £35 a stick i know a lot of other people would take them regularly too, hell i smoke more than a stick a week easy, i smoke a cheap brand and they still cost me £55 a stick (thats about $8.70 per pack of 20 for you us guys) those with more cash to spend are paying near £70 ($110) a stick for b&h/lucky strike/embassy, i absolutely hate not getting change from a £5 note for a pack of god damn cigs.
personally i hate the fact that i get ripped off royal tax wise on my cigs and still get treated like a god damn second class citizen because im a smoker (the single main source of funding for the NHS. "smokers cost the nhs hundreds of millions a year" they whine, while it brings in between £6-8 billion a year in tax revenue) id rather see my money going to the black market at near the same amount and see the bastards not get the tax
I totally agree, I would definitely be a buyer if they came up! I used to be able to get them regularly, but the source moved away. Cigarettes or Rolling tobacco is a definite must have on SR. if anyone can source at European prices (50g Golden Virginia is now around £4.40 in Belgium. The same pack costs £12.75 in the U.K.) or slightly above, I would be buying weekly! If not I may have to work on this myself as UK Tobacco legal imports for personal use are- 3,200 cigarettes & 3 Kg smoking tobacco although its not a great amount it might help me & a few others out..
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Name the actual cigarettes you are interested in. I live in Russia, where nobody up there really cares, so we have got quite inexpensive tobacco still. Depending of the brand, it can be around 1-2$ per pack. So may be I could help you.
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Cigarettes - Benson & Hedges, Lambert & Butler, any well known brand really
Rolling Tobacco - Golden Virginia, Drum, Again any well known brand
:)
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I'd buy filtered Lucky Strikes here if the prices was right.
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ill smoke most anything smokable (not jin ling though, i know they sell them in russia and theyre awful) my main brand are cheapos called sterling but ill happily smoke l&b, b&h, lucky strike, marlboro, richmond, or pretty much any of the major brands, if i were a rich man with all the choice in the world though id smoke lucky strike all day every day
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Ok, I can get Lucky Strike Original Red or Original Silver for about 15$ per carton (10 packs). Tell me where you live (country) and I will find out the shipping cost. And also I have no seller account, so I guess I we can go out of escrow or someone just help me get one. Any other suggestions? May be it would be better to send samples first, as I am not sure Lucky Strike in Ru and in Eu/US is the same Lucky Strike. The pack looks the same at least =] I wonder if it is legal to send it in Russia.
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im in the uk, lucky reds would be perfect, out of escrow would be fine for a stick as a tester but would you still take BTC? i guess its all about how you pack it and what you declare it as (if you have to declare it that is) im willing to give it a go, certainly at those sorts of prices (here a single pack of lucky strike red will run you £7 or around $11 us!) as for the cigs they may well differ a bit from ones produced in a different country but i usually find as long as they are a decent brand like luckies theyre still a perfectly good cig and in some cases even better as many other countries dont pierce god damn holes in the filters like they do here (seriously why do they have to do that?)
as for the legal side of things its basically if it gets caught by customs, and i think even then technically they will still deliver it as long as you pay the owed tax to make it up to the price in your country, itll be basically a letter asking you to pay turning up rather than the cigs if its picked up, you can either pay or let them keep the cigs as i understand it
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www.cigs.eu (clearnet) :)
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www.cigs.eu (clearnet) :)
Are they for real or a scam? I see they accept bitcoins
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Hi PlutoPete, just thought I'd throw in a +1 here for cigs.eu. 3 successful orders so far, with more on their way. Delivery time can be anywhere from a week and a half to 3 and a half, but they're 100% legit. :)
- grahamgreene
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I can get a 3 carton box for $40.00.
Currently not selling though.
New york is crazy
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Hi PlutoPete, just thought I'd throw in a +1 here for cigs.eu. 3 successful orders so far, with more on their way. Delivery time can be anywhere from a week and a half to 3 and a half, but they're 100% legit. :)
- grahamgreene
Thanks man,
I feel better knowing that someones used them :)
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I buy cigs online all the time. Finally found a source offering American style cigs(not the harsh nasty Eastern europe ones), picked up 10 cartons of Marb Red 100's for $250 with New York stamps on the bottom. They are shipped from China, but say made in USA on them. So anyone want the site?????? Ten dollars.....ha ha. Was thinking about selling cigs on here myself with that connection..........ha ha.
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I'm just curious as to what fuels the SR market for cigs
Countries like mine (Australia). It is almost impossible to find a carton (200 cigs) much under A$100 (US$103) and that is for the absolute cheapest brands. Last time I checked Marlboro Reds were close to A$140 (US$145) a carton.
I've tried to order from OS a few times because the prices are so, so attractive but so far customs has caught every package. I mean it's not like you can conceal 1000 cigs in a business sized envelope. I really don't know whether people have any success importing ciggies and avoiding customs but would love to know.
Fortunately there are no legal ramifications they just work out the duty that is owing and you pay them and then they release the package to be delivered. In fact, for the very expensive brands it can actually work out slightly cheaper but it's just a real hassle. And you have to think well ahead of time because it usually takes between 3 to 4 weeks from door to door due to all the bureaucratic interference.
It's almost cheaper to fly over to Indonesia, stock up, and fly back than buying them locally. Crazy huh?
So generally we just end up having to pay the government their extortion money. :(
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Thanks man,
I feel better knowing that someones used them :)
No worries!
I've tried to order from OS a few times because the prices are so, so attractive but so far customs has caught every package. I mean it's not like you can conceal 1000 cigs in a business sized envelope. I really don't know whether people have any success importing ciggies and avoiding customs but would love to know.
If you check out cigs.eu's site they offer a 100% money back guarantee (copy and pasted below for your convenience! ;)) :
Quality Guarantee
We are so confident you will be satisfied with the the quality of our cheap cigarettes, we offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee. If, for any reason, you are not completely happy with your purchase, return the cigarettes along with a printed invoice to us and we will quickly issue you with a refund or exchange, depending on what you choose.
Delivery Guarantee
Concerning the delivery, every country has its postal regulations that allow the buyer to refuse the delivered package and return it to the sender free of charge. Our 100% Money Back Guarantee covers this and we will return your money back in full in case we receive a refused package back. We cannot guarantee that import duty taxes will not be charged in every country. In cases when payment of duty taxes is requested, the buyer is always free to reject the order and ask for his/her money back. Money will be credited to the credit card used to purchase goods on our website. For more detailed information, please read our Terms & Conditions.
As part of their T&C's you can also opt for the order to be resent once they receive the refused package back.
I know I sound like a total shill for these guys :P but I'm just a very satisfied customer who thinks everyone should avail of this service! Where I am a pack of 20 cigarettes costs €9.10 ($11.92 USD) so the savings are huge when you buy 2 / 3 cartons (buying 3 cartons of Marlboro Reds costs €84 / $110 USD as opposed to €273 / $357.50 USD locally) - with the savings allowing me to indulge my more enlightened side here on SR. Everybody wins! :P
- grahamgreene
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I'd buy a carton of marlboro red kings if they were the kind that come from africa in the novelty carton that looks like a gigantic cigarette pack with the flip-top. They are better tasting than the ones in the states and are also not fire safe like the ones in the states.
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I have various cigs products on my profile..please have a look.
if u ever wonder why u have to buy cigs at SR instead of clearnet?
This is the answer:
1. SR ESCROW = Your insurance safety of transaction. (for what u have to deal with anonymous clearnet vendor with no reputations?)
2. All the cigs i sold is real & NOT counterfiet,each pack have a "indonesia duty stamp" on it.
3. I have the best price on the darknet,even if u compare with clearnet vendor,my price beats them! ;)
So what are u waiting for? place your order now.
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In Canada you can pay up to $15 a pack. It's called a "sin" tax. Alcohol along with cigs are heavily taxed here. Nothing like paying $24 for a 12 pack of Budweiser and $15 for a pack of smokes.
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In Canada you can pay up to $15 a pack. It's called a "sin" tax. Alcohol along with cigs are heavily taxed here. Nothing like paying $24 for a 12 pack of Budweiser and $15 for a pack of smokes.
Damn man..15$ a pack,i feel sorry for u bro.
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In Canada you can pay up to $15 a pack. It's called a "sin" tax. Alcohol along with cigs are heavily taxed here. Nothing like paying $24 for a 12 pack of Budweiser and $15 for a pack of smokes.
Damn man..15$ a pack,i feel sorry for u bro.
NYC = $12-$18 a pack. depends on how "touristy" the area is.
Cigs.eu is a vendor here. I can not think of his name here, but I know he is. Obvious reason for him to take bitcoins. :)
Joy - your shipping is WAY TOO MUCH! to the US. Over $50 to ship a carton of only 120 (not the US 200) cigs. Way too much.
I use to order Kretek from a clearnet site years ago, straight from Indonesia, surely your shipping can not really be $50. you are losing business because of it.
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I just looked at a clearnet site and added a carton of blacks to my shopping cart. Shipping to my door via Express mail = $23.
1 carton of Blacks shipped to me door = total $37.20USD.
Joy - your shipping is too much. plain and simple.
I do not need escrow to feel "safe" I ordered Kretek for years direct from Indo and only ever had 1 order not show up. Was stuck in US customs and never got it. The site reshipped for free based on being able to see that the package was stuck in customs.
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I just looked at a clearnet site and added a carton of blacks to my shopping cart. Shipping to my door via Express mail = $23.
1 carton of Blacks shipped to me door = total $37.20USD.
Joy - your shipping is too much. plain and simple.
I do not need escrow to feel "safe" I ordered Kretek for years direct from Indo and only ever had 1 order not show up. Was stuck in US customs and never got it. The site reshipped for free based on being able to see that the package was stuck in customs.
Ok,let me get this straight now.
I use the reference shipping cost to each continent by counting it from the farest country from each continet,
Example american continent,i use brazil & chile as my reference shipping price.
As i said in other topic,just contact me on the market & tell me wich country u are,so i can give u a nice deal.(simple)
No need to harsh & bashing here,Everything in this world is negotiable.
I even dont bash a usa vendor that sell a weed lollipops & charge 75$ to my country. chill & have a pill man.
You want me to add 200++ country on my listing? come on man..
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I just looked at a clearnet site and added a carton of blacks to my shopping cart. Shipping to my door via Express mail = $23.
1 carton of Blacks shipped to me door = total $37.20USD.
Joy - your shipping is too much. plain and simple.
I do not need escrow to feel "safe" I ordered Kretek for years direct from Indo and only ever had 1 order not show up. Was stuck in US customs and never got it. The site reshipped for free based on being able to see that the package was stuck in customs.
Ok,let me get this straight now.
I use the reference shipping cost to each continent by counting it from the farest country from each continet,
Example american continent,i use brazil & chile as my reference shipping price.
As i said in other topic,just contact me on the market & tell me wich country u are,so i can give u a nice deal.(simple)
No need to harsh & bashing here,Everything in this world is negotiable.
I even dont bash a usa vendor that sell a weed lollipops & charge 75$ to my country. chill & have a pill man.
You want me to add 200++ country on my listing? come on man..
I meant no offense, and do not intent to intentionally hurt your business in anyway.
I was simply stating it from the customers perspective, and as most customers stated, you need to re-think your shipping prices.
If I am on one coast of the USA (it doesnt matter which one) how can a clearnet site ship to me for $23. you are telling me if I was on the other coast of the USA that clearnet site would charge me $50? Im sorry I do not think so.
I know it is a bit harder to make a buck with SR fees etc, but I fail to see your value....and I WANT TO SEE!!!
I would love to buy kretek from you, but as I stated before $50 shipping (America Continent) as you worded it is too much. I do not expect you to list add 200+ shipping options to your listings, but I do not think it is unreasonable for you to have an organized price for the USA.
Basing a shipping price to the USA via the price to Chile or Brazil simply does not make sense. does it?
I know you have been here a long time, and I am SURE that you pride yourself on your business. Again I do not intend any disrespect, but I do not think this is the first time that you have heard USA people tell you that shipping is 2x the price of your product.
If you need help formulating a USA address to base USA shipping on, feel free to contact me. I can help you with addresses on both coasts and an address to the center of the country, so you could take an average from there. (I do not think the shipping would be any different for any part of the USA though)
On to better subject:
I smoked Kretek for years! some of my opinions are:
Djarum Black = the best Clove taste! a HEAVY rich smoke full of clove; what you would expect from any decent Kretek!
Super = I smoked Super 16's (that 16 cigarettes to a pack) these were by far my favorite. I smoked these full time for about 3 years. Full clove taste, but also a richer mix of tobacco (it seemed) and these things burn FOREVER. 16 in a pack = 30 USA cigarettes burn time!
Gudang Garam Surya = I got a pack of these free when I use to order Supers/Blacks. I always think of these as an "old timer" smoke. They are strong and seem to be not as refined as the djarum products (that does not mean they are not good!)
Gudang Garam unfiltered = I do not recall the name of these exactly, but they came in an all orange soft pack. These things would knock you on your ass if you were not careful. FULL clove and tobacco flavor UNFILTERED
*EDIT* after looking at the listing. I think the unfiltered were Djarums after all. :\ Sorry, it has been a long time.
http://silkroadvb5piz3r.onion/index.php/silkroad/item/9511f60cad
Djarum black/menthol = OK, but not a substitute for a USA menthol
Djarum Black/Cherry? = I think it was cherry. Not very good. To me anyway. The clove taste is the thing to love about Indonesian smokes - to mask it with menthol or cherry just was not a great mix to me personally.
Red Tea / Cappuccino - I never had the pleasure of trying these.
LA Lights - I have also received these as a freebie (I ordered for years) They are not bad, but again I prefer the full Kretek taste!
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I just looked at a clearnet site and added a carton of blacks to my shopping cart. Shipping to my door via Express mail = $23.
1 carton of Blacks shipped to me door = total $37.20USD.
Joy - your shipping is too much. plain and simple.
I do not need escrow to feel "safe" I ordered Kretek for years direct from Indo and only ever had 1 order not show up. Was stuck in US customs and never got it. The site reshipped for free based on being able to see that the package was stuck in customs.
Ok,let me get this straight now.
I use the reference shipping cost to each continent by counting it from the farest country from each continet,
Example american continent,i use brazil & chile as my reference shipping price.
As i said in other topic,just contact me on the market & tell me wich country u are,so i can give u a nice deal.(simple)
No need to harsh & bashing here,Everything in this world is negotiable.
I even dont bash a usa vendor that sell a weed lollipops & charge 75$ to my country. chill & have a pill man.
You want me to add 200++ country on my listing? come on man..
I meant no offense, and do not intent to intentionally hurt your business in anyway.
I was simply stating it from the customers perspective, and as most customers stated, you need to re-think your shipping prices.
If I am on one coast of the USA (it doesnt matter which one) how can a clearnet site ship to me for $23. you are telling me if I was on the other coast of the USA that clearnet site would charge me $50? Im sorry I do not think so.
I know it is a bit harder to make a buck with SR fees etc, but I fail to see your value....and I WANT TO SEE!!!
I would love to buy kretek from you, but as I stated before $50 shipping (America Continent) as you worded it is too much. I do not expect you to list add 200+ shipping options to your listings, but I do not think it is unreasonable for you to have an organized price for the USA.
Basing a shipping price to the USA via the price to Chile or Brazil simply does not make sense. does it?
I know you have been here a long time, and I am SURE that you pride yourself on your business. Again I do not intend any disrespect, but I do not think this is the first time that you have heard USA people tell you that shipping is 2x the price of your product.
If you need help formulating a USA address to base USA shipping on, feel free to contact me. I can help you with addresses on both coasts and an address to the center of the country, so you could take an average from there. (I do not think the shipping would be any different for any part of the USA though)
On to better subject:
I smoked Kretek for years! some of my opinions are:
Djarum Black = the best Clove taste! a HEAVY rich smoke full of clove; what you would expect from any decent Kretek!
Super = I smoked Super 16's (that 16 cigarettes to a pack) these were by far my favorite. I smoked these full time for about 3 years. Full clove taste, but also a richer mix of tobacco (it seemed) and these things burn FOREVER. 16 in a pack = 30 USA cigarettes burn time!
Gudang Garam Surya = I got a pack of these free when I use to order Supers/Blacks. I always think of these as an "old timer" smoke. They are strong and seem to be not as refined as the djarum products (that does not mean they are not good!)
Gudang Garam unfiltered = I do not recall the name of these exactly, but they came in an all orange soft pack. These things would knock you on your ass if you were not careful. FULL clove and tobacco flavor UNFILTERED
*EDIT* after looking at the listing. I think the unfiltered were Djarums after all. :\ Sorry, it has been a long time.
http://silkroadvb5piz3r.onion/index.php/silkroad/item/9511f60cad
Djarum black/menthol = OK, but not a substitute for a USA menthol
Djarum Black/Cherry? = I think it was cherry. Not very good. To me anyway. The clove taste is the thing to love about Indonesian smokes - to mask it with menthol or cherry just was not a great mix to me personally.
Red Tea / Cappuccino - I never had the pleasure of trying these.
LA Lights - I have also received these as a freebie (I ordered for years) They are not bad, but again I prefer the full Kretek taste!
Ok,i know that u are a vendor too..well just imagine " what if u have a customer from another country beside usa & up north,lets say u have to ship to south america (from indo i say & u will have to use the indo postal reference price) do u know also know that the postal will charge extra for a package that have over 30 cm long (they call it metric volume cost),"
Will u gonna say "oh the shipping cost to your country is not appropriate bcoz that shipping cost is only for usa buyer-north america buyer & i cant cover the ship cost (instead of covering,u will end up losing $ instead of making it)"..with that kind of statement,the customers will run.
As business man,i know that u aware that we have to take precautions before this kind of event take place. also u have to count packing material,vehicle gas,human labor & other expenses to get it on the air.
What most people don't take in to considerations are the hidden costs.
Do you know exactly how much it costs to send an item?
Not just stamps, but envelopes, packing/wrapping materials, enclosures (paper, cardboard, gift cards, thank you cards, inserts), vacuum sealer roll, wipes/cleaners/disinfectants.
What about the cost of goods sold/inventory?
Different margins at different levels?
If it's lost/stolen/undelivered/scammed/etc, and you provide a 100% reship or 50% refund, how much does that cost you/how much are you losing? How many of your packages are successfully delivered? What options do you have to mitigate or reduce that loss (discount replacement, bonus on next order, smaller refund, 50% reship? How much are you losing now? Less? More? How do you maintain cashflow for operations if it's all tied up in escrow? If you need your supplier to front you for a bit, how much more are you paying now? How does that affect the cost of goods sold? What are your margins now? What does it cost to convert BTC -> local currency? SR is going to take a 4% hedge fee, possibly some of your list price if you use post commission. Do you use a mixing service? What do they charge? (typically in %). Whatever exchange you go through is going to charge some sort of % for converting BTC, and possibly again if the currency conversion isn't to your currency of choice. What does it cost to actually get the money sent to you?
Again more fees, possibly % based. If you're pricing in USD, yet your local currency is not, what is the exchange rate difference and how much more is that costing you? Oh, and the BTC you received when the order finalized, is it worth more or less now that it's all cleaned and ready to be cashed out. I swear I've lost more money this way than any other. Get my coins @ 7, launder then a few days, cash out after the weekend, BTC is down to 5, but you cant wait, you need money now for more supplies and inventory.
There are a lot of extra charges that a vendor pays that the buyer has no clue about, and they all come right off the top, before you have cold hard cash in your hand. Then you need to resupply, both for product and shipping supplies. Depending on where I go through, I estimate that I lose 10-20% right off the top, just in fees paid out before I even see my cash.
It's a lot to learn for a new vendor, but if they can master it, navigate through and get out the other side, they just may make it.
Please do provide me with the average cost for USA shipping cost per carton that cover the whole coast if u have this info. so i dont have to split east / middle /west cost.It would be more nice if the cost can cover the whole america continent ;)
I promise to give u a free 1 pack of Djarum Black if in the future u place an order from me.
Oh ya,my fav kretek is Gudang Garam Professional. i smoke this every day.
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I just looked at a clearnet site and added a carton of blacks to my shopping cart. Shipping to my door via Express mail = $23.
1 carton of Blacks shipped to me door = total $37.20USD.
Joy - your shipping is too much. plain and simple.
I do not need escrow to feel "safe" I ordered Kretek for years direct from Indo and only ever had 1 order not show up. Was stuck in US customs and never got it. The site reshipped for free based on being able to see that the package was stuck in customs.
Ok,let me get this straight now.
I use the reference shipping cost to each continent by counting it from the farest country from each continet,
Example american continent,i use brazil & chile as my reference shipping price.
As i said in other topic,just contact me on the market & tell me wich country u are,so i can give u a nice deal.(simple)
No need to harsh & bashing here,Everything in this world is negotiable.
I even dont bash a usa vendor that sell a weed lollipops & charge 75$ to my country. chill & have a pill man.
You want me to add 200++ country on my listing? come on man..
I meant no offense, and do not intent to intentionally hurt your business in anyway.
I was simply stating it from the customers perspective, and as most customers stated, you need to re-think your shipping prices.
If I am on one coast of the USA (it doesnt matter which one) how can a clearnet site ship to me for $23. you are telling me if I was on the other coast of the USA that clearnet site would charge me $50? Im sorry I do not think so.
I know it is a bit harder to make a buck with SR fees etc, but I fail to see your value....and I WANT TO SEE!!!
I would love to buy kretek from you, but as I stated before $50 shipping (America Continent) as you worded it is too much. I do not expect you to list add 200+ shipping options to your listings, but I do not think it is unreasonable for you to have an organized price for the USA.
Basing a shipping price to the USA via the price to Chile or Brazil simply does not make sense. does it?
I know you have been here a long time, and I am SURE that you pride yourself on your business. Again I do not intend any disrespect, but I do not think this is the first time that you have heard USA people tell you that shipping is 2x the price of your product.
If you need help formulating a USA address to base USA shipping on, feel free to contact me. I can help you with addresses on both coasts and an address to the center of the country, so you could take an average from there. (I do not think the shipping would be any different for any part of the USA though)
On to better subject:
I smoked Kretek for years! some of my opinions are:
Djarum Black = the best Clove taste! a HEAVY rich smoke full of clove; what you would expect from any decent Kretek!
Super = I smoked Super 16's (that 16 cigarettes to a pack) these were by far my favorite. I smoked these full time for about 3 years. Full clove taste, but also a richer mix of tobacco (it seemed) and these things burn FOREVER. 16 in a pack = 30 USA cigarettes burn time!
Gudang Garam Surya = I got a pack of these free when I use to order Supers/Blacks. I always think of these as an "old timer" smoke. They are strong and seem to be not as refined as the djarum products (that does not mean they are not good!)
Gudang Garam unfiltered = I do not recall the name of these exactly, but they came in an all orange soft pack. These things would knock you on your ass if you were not careful. FULL clove and tobacco flavor UNFILTERED
*EDIT* after looking at the listing. I think the unfiltered were Djarums after all. :\ Sorry, it has been a long time.
http://silkroadvb5piz3r.onion/index.php/silkroad/item/9511f60cad
Djarum black/menthol = OK, but not a substitute for a USA menthol
Djarum Black/Cherry? = I think it was cherry. Not very good. To me anyway. The clove taste is the thing to love about Indonesian smokes - to mask it with menthol or cherry just was not a great mix to me personally.
Red Tea / Cappuccino - I never had the pleasure of trying these.
LA Lights - I have also received these as a freebie (I ordered for years) They are not bad, but again I prefer the full Kretek taste!
Ok,i know that u are a vendor too..well just imagine " what if u have a customer from another country beside usa & up north,lets say u have to ship to south america (from indo i say & u will have to use the indo postal reference price) do u know also know that the postal will charge extra for a package that have over 30 cm long (they call it metric volume cost),"
Will u gonna say "oh the shipping cost to your country is not appropriate bcoz that shipping cost is only for usa buyer-north america buyer & i cant cover the ship cost (instead of covering,u will end up losing $ instead of making it)"..with that kind of statement,the customers will run.
As business man,i know that u aware that we have to take precautions before this kind of event take place. also u have to count packing material,vehicle gas,human labor & other expenses to get it on the air.
For other continent,i think i already give a fair shipping cost.
Please do provide me with the average cost for USA shipping cost per carton that cover the whole coast if u have this info. so i dont have to split east / middle /west cost.It would be more nice if the cost can cover the whole america continent ;)
I promise to give u a free 1 pack of Djarum Black if in the future u place an order from me.
Oh ya,my fav kretek is Gudang Garam Professional. i smoke this every day.
I DO understand your points, but you have to understand that the USA is very much different then shipping to Brazil.
I am not trying to change your business pratices by any means. I can just tell you that although this is the first time we have spoken I HAVE looked at your listings and even had an item or two in my "cart" and then when I did the math on the shipping I canceled my order. I am sure that I am NOT the only person to do this as I have had read others in other threads say the same thing.
My point is only (if nothing else) to make you aware that you are losing business to the USA simply because you are grouping USA shipping with Central and South American shipping. If you were not aware of this, I hope you are now. If business is good for you and you do not want to consider a real shipping cost to the USA that is fine by me. After it all I only hope to raise your sales to this area.
I understand that getting "short coined" on shipping is no way to do business, but to lump the USA shipping price in with Brazil, Chile,Mexico and even Canada for that matter is not accurate and people in the USA know this. :(
Notice how I did not link to the clear net site that I referenced my shipping price from? I do not intent to hurt your business. I know some Indonesian people, and you are all GREAT!
While I can not tell you how to look up EMS shipping prices from Indonesia I CAN provide you with some valid USA addresses from which you could potentially find out what a real EMS shipping price would be.
I thank you for the offer on the Blacks, but if I were to ever order from you it would not be from this account and you would never know its me. Security, im sorry to say, but your offer is most generous!
Again, feel free to PM me if I can help at all.
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I just looked at a clearnet site and added a carton of blacks to my shopping cart. Shipping to my door via Express mail = $23.
1 carton of Blacks shipped to me door = total $37.20USD.
Joy - your shipping is too much. plain and simple.
I do not need escrow to feel "safe" I ordered Kretek for years direct from Indo and only ever had 1 order not show up. Was stuck in US customs and never got it. The site reshipped for free based on being able to see that the package was stuck in customs.
Ok,let me get this straight now.
I use the reference shipping cost to each continent by counting it from the farest country from each continet,
Example american continent,i use brazil & chile as my reference shipping price.
As i said in other topic,just contact me on the market & tell me wich country u are,so i can give u a nice deal.(simple)
No need to harsh & bashing here,Everything in this world is negotiable.
I even dont bash a usa vendor that sell a weed lollipops & charge 75$ to my country. chill & have a pill man.
You want me to add 200++ country on my listing? come on man..
I meant no offense, and do not intent to intentionally hurt your business in anyway.
I was simply stating it from the customers perspective, and as most customers stated, you need to re-think your shipping prices.
If I am on one coast of the USA (it doesnt matter which one) how can a clearnet site ship to me for $23. you are telling me if I was on the other coast of the USA that clearnet site would charge me $50? Im sorry I do not think so.
I know it is a bit harder to make a buck with SR fees etc, but I fail to see your value....and I WANT TO SEE!!!
I would love to buy kretek from you, but as I stated before $50 shipping (America Continent) as you worded it is too much. I do not expect you to list add 200+ shipping options to your listings, but I do not think it is unreasonable for you to have an organized price for the USA.
Basing a shipping price to the USA via the price to Chile or Brazil simply does not make sense. does it?
I know you have been here a long time, and I am SURE that you pride yourself on your business. Again I do not intend any disrespect, but I do not think this is the first time that you have heard USA people tell you that shipping is 2x the price of your product.
If you need help formulating a USA address to base USA shipping on, feel free to contact me. I can help you with addresses on both coasts and an address to the center of the country, so you could take an average from there. (I do not think the shipping would be any different for any part of the USA though)
On to better subject:
I smoked Kretek for years! some of my opinions are:
Djarum Black = the best Clove taste! a HEAVY rich smoke full of clove; what you would expect from any decent Kretek!
Super = I smoked Super 16's (that 16 cigarettes to a pack) these were by far my favorite. I smoked these full time for about 3 years. Full clove taste, but also a richer mix of tobacco (it seemed) and these things burn FOREVER. 16 in a pack = 30 USA cigarettes burn time!
Gudang Garam Surya = I got a pack of these free when I use to order Supers/Blacks. I always think of these as an "old timer" smoke. They are strong and seem to be not as refined as the djarum products (that does not mean they are not good!)
Gudang Garam unfiltered = I do not recall the name of these exactly, but they came in an all orange soft pack. These things would knock you on your ass if you were not careful. FULL clove and tobacco flavor UNFILTERED
*EDIT* after looking at the listing. I think the unfiltered were Djarums after all. :\ Sorry, it has been a long time.
http://silkroadvb5piz3r.onion/index.php/silkroad/item/9511f60cad
Djarum black/menthol = OK, but not a substitute for a USA menthol
Djarum Black/Cherry? = I think it was cherry. Not very good. To me anyway. The clove taste is the thing to love about Indonesian smokes - to mask it with menthol or cherry just was not a great mix to me personally.
Red Tea / Cappuccino - I never had the pleasure of trying these.
LA Lights - I have also received these as a freebie (I ordered for years) They are not bad, but again I prefer the full Kretek taste!
Ok,i know that u are a vendor too..well just imagine " what if u have a customer from another country beside usa & up north,lets say u have to ship to south america (from indo i say & u will have to use the indo postal reference price) do u know also know that the postal will charge extra for a package that have over 30 cm long (they call it metric volume cost),"
Will u gonna say "oh the shipping cost to your country is not appropriate bcoz that shipping cost is only for usa buyer-north america buyer & i cant cover the ship cost (instead of covering,u will end up losing $ instead of making it)"..with that kind of statement,the customers will run.
As business man,i know that u aware that we have to take precautions before this kind of event take place. also u have to count packing material,vehicle gas,human labor & other expenses to get it on the air.
For other continent,i think i already give a fair shipping cost.
Please do provide me with the average cost for USA shipping cost per carton that cover the whole coast if u have this info. so i dont have to split east / middle /west cost.It would be more nice if the cost can cover the whole america continent ;)
I promise to give u a free 1 pack of Djarum Black if in the future u place an order from me.
Oh ya,my fav kretek is Gudang Garam Professional. i smoke this every day.
I DO understand your points, but you have to understand that the USA is very much different then shipping to Brazil.
I am not trying to change your business pratices by any means. I can just tell you that although this is the first time we have spoken I HAVE looked at your listings and even had an item or two in my "cart" and then when I did the math on the shipping I canceled my order. I am sure that I am NOT the only person to do this as I have had read others in other threads say the same thing.
My point is only (if nothing else) to make you aware that you are losing business to the USA simply because you are grouping USA shipping with Central and South American shipping. If you were not aware of this, I hope you are now. If business is good for you and you do not want to consider a real shipping cost to the USA that is fine by me. After it all I only hope to raise your sales to this area.
I understand that getting "short coined" on shipping is no way to do business, but to lump the USA shipping price in with Brazil, Chile,Mexico and even Canada for that matter is not accurate and people in the USA know this. :(
Notice how I did not link to the clear net site that I referenced my shipping price from? I do not intent to hurt your business. I know some Indonesian people, and you are all GREAT!
While I can not tell you how to look up EMS shipping prices from Indonesia I CAN provide you with some valid USA addresses from which you could potentially find out what a real EMS shipping price would be.
I thank you for the offer on the Blacks, but if I were to ever order from you it would not be from this account and you would never know its me. Security, im sorry to say, but your offer is most generous!
Again, feel free to PM me if I can help at all.
Ok man, thanks for the constructive criticism.
I'll get that shipping price to america continent short it out.
I have a few previous buyers from usa & i'll use the new shipping price references from them and get the thin red line.
Will have a new shipping quote for america continent in a few hours!
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You fine sir/madam have just earned yourself a new customer then! And I will spread the word that shipping will no longer be 2x the price of a carton.
I am told often that I come off brash. I am sorry, but I am excited to see new shipping price to USA! ;D
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Browsing around SR today and I noticed that sellers are offering cartons of cigs for what looks to be more than retail value.
I'm just curious as to what fuels the SR market for cigs... are there places in the US where you can't buy them? Or are underage smokers buying them here?
Understand that I am NOT condemning this practice AT ALL, I'm just curious.
Can i ask you something...
Why do Americans assume everyone online are also Americans? I know your education system is shit, but surely you can teach yourself geography & demographics... fills me with rage.
A 50 gram pack of rolling tobacco (eg. Virginia Gold ) retails for over $35 in my country. A 20 pack of Marlboro cigarettes retails for about $18, depending where i buy.
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Browsing around SR today and I noticed that sellers are offering cartons of cigs for what looks to be more than retail value.
I'm just curious as to what fuels the SR market for cigs... are there places in the US where you can't buy them? Or are underage smokers buying them here?
Understand that I am NOT condemning this practice AT ALL, I'm just curious.
Can i ask you something...
Why do Americans assume everyone online are also Americans? I know your education system is shit, but surely you can teach yourself geography & demographics... fills me with rage.
Whilst I generally dislike sweeping generalisations; this X 1,000,000.
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wow.. in canada a 25 brand name pack can run you over 12 bucks depending on where you buy them....
but the minimum for the cadillacs even in the ghetto is 10 bucks
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You fine sir/madam have just earned yourself a new customer then! And I will spread the word that shipping will no longer be 2x the price of a carton.
I am told often that I come off brash. I am sorry, but I am excited to see new shipping price to USA! ;D
Ok cool & thanks for spreading the word.