COMC Mailbox Thread

[Telfs Card Park]

All good with handling high priced cards? Shipping back home solid?

They can repack your items which reduces the cost of shipping, I think its $1 for photo confirmation otherwise you just pay postage. I have a high priced card shipment coming soon so will be able to provide more feedback then but for my regular low-mid range stuff its been awesome!

 

[banzini]

They can repack your items which reduces the cost of shipping, I think its $1 for photo confirmation otherwise you just pay postage. I have a high priced card shipment coming soon so will be able to provide more feedback then but for my regular low-mid range stuff its been awesome!

Thanks heaps. The $3.90 per card (graded) @ comc plus the $1 fee for "supplies" after processing + shipping is a bit of a joke. Been a massive COMC fan for 3-4 years now (can see my active posts in this thread and I have defended them on many occasions, but this is the death knell).

 

[Brian Lee]

Thanks heaps. The $3.90 per card (graded) @ comc plus the $1 fee for "supplies" after processing + shipping is a bit of a joke. Been a massive COMC fan for 3-4 years now (can see my active posts in this thread and I have defended them on many occasions, but this is the death knell).

It seems to me that this price increase is designed to shut down the whole mailbox operations. I believe they are struggling to make it worthwhile since it can be quite time consuming opening packages, removing the cards, scanning them, data entry to the system, filing them away in the warehouse. I wonder how many they can do in an hour and how much the kid gets paid to process them.

They can probably do with faster equipment to make this operation more efficient rather than just doubling the price like this.

 

[banzini]

It seems to me that this price increase is designed to shut down the whole mailbox operations. I believe they are struggling to make it worthwhile since it can be quite time consuming opening packages, removing the cards, scanning them, data entry to the system, filing them away in the warehouse. I wonder how many they can do in an hour and how much the kid gets paid to process them.

They can probably do with faster equipment to make this operation more efficient rather than just doubling the price like this.

Or COMC account holders could mark their account 'for shipping only' and bypass the entire scanning, upload, remove from toploader, process back to shipment.

Just take a pic - email it, then place it away for shipping later, no need to push to the front screen of COMC. $1-2 per card and avoid all the extra costs. They certainly have negated this idea, one which many would want.

 

[Brian Lee]

I don't think the mailbox was originally intended for people consolidating overseas shipments. It just ended up being used like that because of price hikes by USPS. They wanted to funnel higher end cards into their system for flipping.

While they cannot stop that practice, they can only discourage it by raising the price in a way that will not affect the original target audience too much. I actually think the $3 package fee works like the $2 fee now, which is the minimum amount per package, you pay more if you have more than 5 cards at 0.6 each.

 

[AndrewG23]

I don't think the mailbox was originally intended for people consolidating overseas shipments. It just ended up being used like that because of price hikes by USPS. They wanted to funnel higher end cards into their system for flipping.

While they cannot stop that practice, they can only discourage it by raising the price in a way that will not affect the original target audience too much. I actually think the $3 package fee works like the $2 fee now, which is the minimum amount per package, you pay more if you have more than 5 cards at 0.6 each.

It was intended for help with group break shipments as well as international collectors (check link in OP).

I believe you may be right in regards to the way the fees work.

 

[Brian Lee]

I read an email that was sent to me from COMC to explain the situation, they said 80% of packages they received are for mailboxes and they only make up 1.4% of their total intake. So what they are basically saying is that it costs too much to open packages if there's only a handful of cards. So they are increasing the price to make it worth their while. So they are actually trying to driving customers away who are buying singles from eBay.

 

[banzini]

I read an email that was sent to me from COMC to explain the situation, they said 80% of packages they received are for mailboxes and they only make up 1.4% of their total intake. So what they are basically saying is that it costs too much to open packages if there's only a handful of cards. So they are increasing the price to make it worth their while. So they are actually trying to driving customers away who are buying singles from eBay.

to mymallbox.com we all go! $1 per package
I haven't used it but have signed up with $10 free credit
shipping rates back home look much better as well

 

[stormernumber1]

Ive been using mymallbox for quite a few things, the best part is you can get boxes/cases and other stuff like figurines or anything delivered there so its been pretty cool to pick up some stuff cheap off ebay and then just get a shipment once it all piles up. probably helps that I am not trying to flip much if anything these days, most stuff I buy is going into the PC.

 

[Brian Lee]

But they do have only a free 90 days storage period while COMC is pretty much free forever if you are just stashing and not selling.

 

[buyingstuffformikelee]

OMG, i just seen this thread!

Not sure if I can ask here, is it safe and reliable?

 

[GarnettFan4Life]

COMC? It is safe and reliable but the fees are getting so high now that you have to make sure you do a bulk lot and/or do the submission process through your COMC dashboard. I got charged $3.90 for a 3 week processing of 1 card in a one touch because it didn't have "paperwork" so I gather the other process would be to go "submit items" and fill in what exactly you were sending (mine was just an ebay purchase that I got sent there so it looks like they are trying to discourage this by placing a $3 fee on it for "missing or incorrect paperwork")

Here's the current structure and fees for cards (any year) and cards (current year)

 

[buyingstuffformikelee]

COMC? It is safe and reliable but the fees are getting so high now that you have to make sure you do a bulk lot and/or do the submission process through your COMC dashboard. I got charged $3.90 for a 3 week processing of 1 card in a one touch because it didn't have "paperwork" so I gather the other process would be to go "submit items" and fill in what exactly you were sending (mine was just an ebay purchase that I got sent there so it looks like they are trying to discourage this by placing a $3 fee on it for "missing or incorrect paperwork")

Here's the current structure and fees for cards (any year) and cards (current year)

Thanks heaps for this information, so, when you say "bulk lot", you mean like having a bulk lot of cards set to you back in Australia for example?

 

[GarnettFan4Life]

Thanks heaps for this information, so, when you say "bulk lot", you mean like having a bulk lot of cards set to you back in Australia for example?

Na just have a look at their minimum items for which category you want to use, some are 5, 10 and 100 items.

 

[buyingstuffformikelee]

Na just have a look at their minimum items for which category you want to use, some are 5, 10 and 100 items.

Ok, i'm lacking some understanding and sorrry for asking another dumb question.

So, the minimum is 5 items? So, I cant use it to purchase and receive anything less than that?

 

[buyingstuffformikelee]

Na just have a look at their minimum items for which category you want to use, some are 5, 10 and 100 items.

Well, I just signed up and i think i got the address thingy sorted.

However, I can't seem to add store credit? It gives me an error....

So, what happens if something is shipped to someone whom has no money in their account? lol

 

[GarnettFan4Life]

Ok, i'm lacking some understanding and sorrry for asking another dumb question.

So, the minimum is 5 items? So, I cant use it to purchase and receive anything less than that?

Years ago it was 50c or $1 per card and they processed it in a few days into your account, then they got swamped. I have not adapted yet to the changes so I have just been putting up with the $2 and now $3 fees since some ebay sellers didn't send to AUS so I figured it was just a cost of getting it in the US, save some there in the COMC inventory and then send back a bulk lot. Even the postage costs from COMC to us have increased drastically though.

So, see above where I posted the fee structure? it looks like now if you do one card it will be $3 or $3.90 because you can't say you have one card incoming to them, that's how I read it. Whereas say if you bought cards off a USA seller OR sent cards of your own to sell on COMC you would have to chose what service you want (how fast you want them processed into your inventory).

5 cards (any year) on premium service would be processed in 3 days once received and cost $6.
Current year cards would have to be 10 cards on the 1 week service and cost $6.

BUT - If you knew you had 5 cards coming from a US seller you would have to go through the SUBMIT ITEMS process in your dashboard so when they arrived from the seller you would not get charged the "missing paperwork" rate of $3+ ea.

Point being, figure out your preferred method and do it right, otherwise fees will kill you. Hope that is somewhat clear, it's hard to explain!

 

[GarnettFan4Life]

On another note, just looking back through my purchase history on COMC since 2014 when I joined, MANNNNN is there some regret purchases!

$13usd for a Nik Stauskas Prestige RC AU, $10usd for Anthony Bennett Hoops Signatures AU - anyone else care to share???

 

[buyingstuffformikelee]

Years ago it was 50c or $1 per card and they processed it in a few days into your account, then they got swamped. I have not adapted yet to the changes so I have just been putting up with the $2 and now $3 fees since some ebay sellers didn't send to AUS so I figured it was just a cost of getting it in the US, save some there in the COMC inventory and then send back a bulk lot. Even the postage costs from COMC to us have increased drastically though.

So, see above where I posted the fee structure? it looks like now if you do one card it will be $3 or $3.90 because you can't say you have one card incoming to them, that's how I read it. Whereas say if you bought cards off a USA seller OR sent cards of your own to sell on COMC you would have to chose what service you want (how fast you want them processed into your inventory).

5 cards (any year) on premium service would be processed in 3 days once received and cost $6.
Current year cards would have to be 10 cards on the 1 week service and cost $6.

BUT - If you knew you had 5 cards coming from a US seller you would have to go through the SUBMIT ITEMS process in your dashboard so when they arrived from the seller you would not get charged the "missing paperwork" rate of $3+ ea.

Point being, figure out your preferred method and do it right, otherwise fees will kill you. Hope that is somewhat clear, it's hard to explain!

Really appreciate the effort in trying man, it has made things a bit more clearer.

The only thing that isn't, is "missing paperwork"?

There is paperwork involved in receiving cards?

 

[GarnettFan4Life]

Really appreciate the effort in trying man, it has made things a bit more clearer.

The only thing that isn't, is "missing paperwork"?

There is paperwork involved in receiving cards?

Ha, it used to be easier! Just have your COMC address correct and get stuff sent there!

By that it just means having gone through the "submit items" process in your dashboard, they will know items are coming and match it up wiht the paperwork in your box/package.

Having just thought of that, are you thinking of sending yourself to list items there or have it for an eBay seller to send stuff you buy there? Just trying to think how the seller would be able to get that paperwork in the package if you are completing it. Maybe you'd have to say to the seller you need to send them some paperwork to include in the package can you send it to their email? This is where it could get annoying for the seller.