Postage
This is a large and complex area of our business, but one which is critical for our effectiveness and our customers satisfaction.
At the outset, we have to state that Flying Tigers have no intention of making money from our postage and packing duties – by the same rule, we have no intention of losing money either! Our aim is simply to provide the highest possible standards of service and pass on our costs. This service will be fast and effective, ensuring you receive the items you require in the most efficient manner possible.
Having been in business for five years now, we can proudly boast the quality of our packing service. Our dispatch department has now handled many hundreds of parcels, sent to destinations all around the globe! We use purpose designed, high grade cardboard boxes, after wrapping each item in a quality bubble wrap. We also check each item before it is packed (obviously we will not break seals, but a thorough inspection will highlight all but the most obscure problems), as we try to ensure that the models we send out are in the same condition when you receive your parcel. Many of our customers have been kind enough to commend us on the standard of our packing and we are extremely grateful for these kind comments. Please give our service a try…..we are sure you will not be disappointed!
Dependent on the weight and destination of your parcel, we will use either a Royal Mail (usually Signed For) service, or our individually negotiated Parcel Force contract, which allows us to provide outstanding value on heavy, or multiple item orders. We are always keen to improve our service, so if you have any particular requirements outside these arrangements, please do not hesitate in contacting us – we are always happy to discuss your individual requirements.
UK POSTAGE RATES
As previously mentioned, our UK postage service usually falls into one of two categories. For SMALLER items, we would try and use a Royal Mail ‘Signed for’ service. Most individual small fighters can therefore be sent for this figure, as can most of the Gemini 1/400th scale Airliners. The current cost of this service is between £2.50 and £6.00, dependent on the size of the final package. For lower priced items such as individual Corgi Warbirds, we may send these Second Class recorded, to try and keep the postage costs down. These prices are usually reflected accurately within our on-line shopping package.
By far the most cost effective method of dealing with Flying Tigers, is to use our very attractive Parcel Force contract rate. This allows heavier items, or multiple purchases to be sent in an extremely cost effective manner. In essence, the more STOCK models you order at the same time, the more cost effective the postage is! Whether you order one model or ten, our Parcel Force contract rate is the same price for our customers. Unfortunately, some Highland and Island destinations carry an additional surcharge, which are detailed below, although if you do live in these locations, I am sure you are well used to these by now!
Our current Parcel Force shipping rate is an extremely attractive £7.00 per parcel, for UK Mainland postal addresses. Unlike our competitors, this rate is capped and does not rise with weight! Our Store and Save system also helps Flying Tigers collectors to save money on postage – we hold onto your models, until a number are available, before shipping them all for the one postage charge. This is becoming an increasingly popular benefit to our collectors – please contact us to discuss your individual requirements!
For most UK destinations, our illustrated postage rates should be correct, bearing in mind the limitations of the on-line catalogue software and the permutations we have to account for. Remember, we are simply passing on the costs we have to pay, in order to get your models to you – we do not even charge for our packing service!
Again, as discussed previously, there should be little problem in providing an accurate postage figure for smaller items. As the size and weight of your parcel increases and our Parcel Force service is required, the following surcharges are applicable for certain UK destinations.
Highlands and Islands
IV (all), HS (all), KA27-28, KW (all), PA20-49, PA60-78, PH17-26, PH30-44, PH49, PH50, ZE (all)
All the above postcodes have a Maximum Flat Rate charge of £15.00. Where we can send items for less (small packets under 2kg) we will use Royal Mail and charge accordingly.
Northern Ireland
BT Postcodes. These postcodes have a Maximum Flat Rate charge of £15.00. Where we can send items for less (small packets under 2kg) we will use Royal Mail and charge accordingly.
Isle of Man and Isles of Scilly
These postcodes currently attract an ADDITIONAL £8.00 charge, on top of our standard Parcel Force charge.
If your postcode falls into any of the above categories, please contact us in order that we may be able to give you an accurate postage cost.
OVERSEAS POSTAGE RATES
The Flying Tigers dispatch department prides itself on the standard of its service. We use an insured International Signed For Service, which is cost effective, professional and protects the interests of both parties whilst in transit. It is critical that you receive your models in good order and that we can track its progress! Should anything go wrong, we need to find out why and send replacements as soon as practicable.
If you wish to save on postage and select a cheaper option, we would be happy to look at this for you. We must stress that we cannot be held responsible for loss or damage under these circumstances – we find that the huge majority of our collectors are not prepared to risk their valuable models.
Recent changes in the way carriers charge for their services have led to some significant implications for Flying Tigers. Parcels are now rated and charged in one of two ways:
- Either off the weight of the parcel, or
- The physical dimensions of the parcel (volumetric). This is designed to make allowance for the actual space taken up in an aircrafts hold.
Obviously, THE HIGHER COST OF THE TWO is charged!
Due to the economies of scale, we do qualify for some very healthy discounts from our carriers. These shipping charges are illustrated as accurately as possible on our shopping package, but again if you require an exact figure, please contact us. The limitations of the shopping software can lead to a problem that you must be aware of! It assumes that ALL the items you have selected are in stock and works out the cumulative total weight for the order (although the volumetric charge could be higher still!). Should any of the items be pre-orders, this will obviously lead to an error, but you can be assured that we will endeavour to find the most cost effective shipping method for you and simply pass on that shipping charge. When the pre-ordered items come into stock, they will obviously be sent in the same manner, with the appropriate shipping costs passed on! Although we endeavour to provide as accurate a postage illustration as possible, these can only be viewed as an estimate and you should contact us directly if you require an actual figure.
The catalogue software we use assumes that all models are in stock at the time of ordering and a cumulative shipping weight is applied for postage purposes. With regard to pre-ordered items, this will obviously be incorrect and we will simply charge the required level of postage for each parcel sent, unless a prior arrangement has been made. Please contact us on 01706 522112, or e-mail info@flying-tigers.co.uk for further details.
FLAT RATE OVERSEAS POSTAGE RATES
This is an extremely valuable benefit and could mean that a number of additional models may be shipped at the same time for little, OR NO ADDITIONAL POSTAGE COST!
Certain postal destinations qualify for some very attractive flat rate charges. These are extremely beneficial rates and would definitely support the ordering of slightly more items than you would usually consider. In essence, this charge is capped and the more items you include, this cap remains the same!
Flat rate destinations are:
Channel Islands (Jersey & Guernsey)
£10.00 Maximum Charge
Republic of Ireland
£15.00 Maximum Charge
Belgium, Luxembourg & Netherlands
£13.20 Maximum Charge
France, Germany, Denmark & Monaco
£15.50 Maximum Charge
Greece, Italy, Portugal & Spain
£27.00 Maximum Charge
Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Malta, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Gibraltar & Austria
£35.50 Maximum Charge
For all other postal destinations, or further information on the above, please do not hesitate in contacting us.
