Why can't we have an alternative to DHL??

[IAteYourBacon]

Where I live, the only option to receive mail is a PO Box (very common in North America). DHL does not deliver to PO Boxes and over charge the crap out of people living in the following 100.000 postal codes after they have your parcel hostage...

https://www.dhl.de/content/dam/images/Ex...ervice.pdf

My last order was a pinephone  and I was told DHL was the only option because "batteries"...

This time I ordered only SBCs and still can't have it shipped by regular post. My very first order was shipped through China Post and came through Canada Post to my PO Box with no problem. Why is that not possible anymore?? An exclusive deal with DHL?? Clearly a deal for the seller only, the customer can get raped by DHL after the sales is done and nobody cares...

And the cherry on top, after accepting my order and payment with a PO Box address, Pine64 wants to charge me to cancel the order because I don't have an alternative address... And you expect people NOT to make paypal claims?? way to go... Here is the appalling correspondence:

Pine64 after accepting PO box address and payment

Order 204099 to ship via courier shipping that request home or office address.

Please let us know your physical address for delivery purpose.

My answer

This is the only address I can receive mail at, please use a delivery method compatible with PO boxes.

Thank you.

Pine64

We hope you are doing well. May you provide home or office address for courier service to deliver.  If no responded by Oct 25, 2021, we will cancel order.

Me

This PO box is the only address I can receive mail at. Please use chinapost for this shipment like you did for my previous order #141889.

Pine64

Urgent! Final notice.

We would like to follow up order 204099 regarding request shipping address unable ship to PO Box because courier service carrier unable access to your mail box. Please provide physical address either home or office address for delivery purpose.

If no response from you by Monday Oct 25, 2025 your local time, we will cancel order. PayPal commission fee US$10.67 is non-refundable.

Thank you!

I'm not sure anybody even read my emails...

You guys have to sort out your shipping situation, this is not acceptable.
Either find an alternative to DHL or don't take an order with a PO Box to begin with.
You should also let people know extra charges will apply after the carrier has the package hostage and nothing can be done instead of pretending it's a flat rate.

[Merc]

I knew about the customs and brokerage fee going into it. I never had a problem with the delivery, it came quickly and intact, got an email for brokerage and customs fee which I paid, no problems. The single problem I have with DHL is simply how expensive it is. I kid you not after the delivery fee + remote location fee + brokerage and duty fee + tax I paid around half the cost of the PinePhone simply in delivery fees and as you mentioned because of the battery I couldn't order anything else along with the phone which I would have liked to. I'm complaining but also not really. I wish there were a different option but it is what it is.

[ryo]

I had to look up what PO box even means.
Looks like those inboxes you'd right outside of apartments and in the main hall of mansions (usually between the main entrance and elevator) over here.
It's not like the PinePhone fits into these inboxes anyway, so they'll need to deliver it right at your front door.

[IAteYourBacon]

I had to look up what PO box even means.
Looks like those inboxes you'd right outside of apartments and in the main hall of mansions (usually between the main entrance and elevator) over here.
It's not like the PinePhone fits into these inboxes anyway, so they'll need to deliver it right at your front door.

PO Box means "Post Office Box". It's a mailbox located inside the post office. It's used in North America for people living outside of delivery zones. The post office will hold mail and packages up to 50lbs there, then the recipient has to come pick it up.

[ryo]

PO Box means "Post Office Box". It's a mailbox located inside the post office. It's used in North America for people living outside of delivery zones. The post office will hold mail and packages up to 50lbs there, then the recipient has to come pick it up.

Ah, I see.
In that case, it's understandable they won't deliver to PO boxes, considering you need to personally sign upon arrival if you receive something from overseas.
Although I doubt they actually check whether it's your signature or of that of your friend's son's dog.
So if you have a friend who can receive at their home, use their address and then just pick it up at their house for example.
Or at your office if you work at one.
There are always ways around everything.

[IAteYourBacon]

PO Box means "Post Office Box". It's a mailbox located inside the post office. It's used in North America for people living outside of delivery zones. The post office will hold mail and packages up to 50lbs there, then the recipient has to come pick it up.

Ah, I see.
In that case, it's understandable they won't deliver to PO boxes, considering you need to personally sign upon arrival if you receive something from overseas.
Although I doubt they actually check whether it's your signature or of that of your friend's son's dog.
So if you have a friend who can receive at their home, use their address and then just pick it up at their house for example.
Or at your office if you work at one.
There are always ways around everything.

You are completely missing the point...
Why would I pay 3 times more for shipping through carrier only to be unable to have it delivered to my address?
For many people, using regular postal services makes more sense if carriers are unable to deliver.
The point is that Pine64 should have more than one option for shipping. I understand things got messy at the beginning of the pandemic but 2 years later, alternative solutions should be in place, especially when so many people have problems with DHL.

[lot378]

What is the actual DHL remote area surcharge cost for your home address? $20 USD?

If it is that low then it would have made sense to give Pine64 your home address and your SBC order would have reached you.

You lost $10 USD on your refund because Pine64 would not refund the PayPal commission - which seems fair to me.

When you ordered a PP that time, DHL was OK wasn't it?

[IAteYourBacon]

What is the actual DHL remote area surcharge cost for your home address? $20 USD?

The surcharge is $38

If it is that low then it would have made sense to give Pine64 your home address and your SBC order would have reached you.

That's beside the point

You lost $10 USD on your refund because Pine64 would not refund the PayPal commission - which seems fair to me.

How is that ok for Pine64 to accept an order and payment with an address they know they can't deliver to and then to charge for cancellation?

When you ordered a PP that time, DHL was OK wasn't it?

No, it was not ok then and it's not ok now. 
It is not ok to :

• Offer only one size fits all overpriced shipping option (without even mentioning what it is by the way...)
  
• Advertise $30 shipping at the time of the order knowing that the carrier will charge $38 extra later
  
• Accept an address they can't deliver to at the time of the order / payment
  
• Disregard whether or not the customer can provide another address
  
• Tell the customer it's on them to deal with DHL's limitations after receiving their payment when there ARE other shipping options that can deliver to their address for cheaper
  
• Ignore customer feedback for 2 years
  

It is baffling to me because those shipping practices go so much against all of Pine64's values. One of the reasons of Pine64's success is their commitment to transparency, openness and to empower their users to have full control on their devices. Why not doing the same thing when it comes to shipping? Why hiding the true cost of shipping at the time of the order? Why hiding who the carrier is? Why not simply refusing an order they can't ship? And the main question remains:

Why can't we have an alternative to DHL??

I have a hunch that DHL gives "a good deal" to the seller if they ship exclusively through DHL and then make up for their low bid by overcharging the customer after they hold the shipment hostage... I have seen other businesses fall for that with major carriers. If there is no other option available, they don't have to stay competitive and they know most people will pay whatever to get their package... That doesn't make it right!

[lot378]

That surcharge is a lot and twice what I see looking at DHL prices. Not disputing what you said.

When you keep saying there is only one shipping option -- I see two: courier ($30) and standard ($11.99).

You appear to be saying you only see express as a shipping option: confirm?

(I just chose a random SBC and got an estimate).

[IAteYourBacon]

That surcharge is a lot and twice what I see looking at DHL prices. Not disputing what you said.

When you keep saying there is only one shipping option -- I see two: courier ($30) and standard ($11.99).

You appear to be saying you only see express as a shipping option: confirm?

(I just chose a random SBC and got an estimate).

Correct, see my correspondence with pine in the first post, obviously they don't offer any alternative.

I tried my order again (3 SBCs and a few accessories) and now I get this for shipping :

Courier Shipping Method – 30 + Remote Area Subcharge: $65.00

Still only one unnamed carrier option, but at least the surcharge is now disclosed at ordering time. That's progress!

---

That surcharge is a lot and twice what I see looking at DHL prices. Not disputing what you said.

I think the surcharge is location specific but I can't find where I saw that.