US PO Box? + Inventables (supplier)

[Andrew Milne]

Just came across this, they sell Maker Slide too!

https://www.inventables.com/

Also, would it be worthwhile for VHS to maintain a PO box in the states?

There have been several times when I've wanted to order something from the us (McMaster Carr, Ebay) and had the border be an issue. I considered getting a PO Box in Bellingham, but decided that it wouldn't get enough use to be justified.

Seems like the kind of thing that would make more sense as as group.

Anyone familiar with setting up a receiving address in the states?

[David Lowy]

If you only receive things occasionally you don't need to setup a PO box. 

There are lots of services in the border towns that will receive the package for you, and charge you a couple bucks to pick it up. 

No need to pre-register.  Just use your name and their address. 

I use http://www.thelettercarrier.com/  in Point Roberts, which is a one minute drive from the closest border to Vancouver.

Dave

[Harondel J. Sibble]

Ironically I was just looking at this while ordering from Monoprice on the
weekend, this is the service they recommend

https://www.monoprice.com/scripts/Kinek_Guide.html

WHAT´S KINEK SERVICE?

By shipping to one of Kinek's US border KinekPoints, Canadian customers can
order from US companies and benefit from the greater selection of products
and much lower prices. When your package arrives at one of our border
locations, you will receive an email notification and an optional instant
text message (SMS) letting you know it is ready to be picked up. You can then
drive down at a time convenient for you, pick it up, and bring it back across
the border yourself. This lets you save hundreds, and sometimes thousands of
dollars on your cross border shopping.

There are many options (Blaine, Point Roberts) where you don't have to
"maintain" a box, it's just pay per use.

For many years I used Blaine Enterprises, you'd get item shipped to their
address with your name, when it arrived, they'd call you or email you. You go
down, pick it up, pay a small fee ($5 or $10 IIRC) and go on your way.

I think the folks in Point Roberts do it the same way, my wife uses them for
exercise gear.

Personally I just get stuff shipped to me in Canada these days because the
shipping is generally still far cheaper than my billable hourly rate.

--
Harondel J. Sibble
Sibble Computer Consulting
Creating Solutions for the small and medium business computer user.
he...@pdscc.com (use pgp keyid 0x3AD5C11D) http://www.pdscc.com
Blog: http://www.pdscc.com/blog
(604) 739-3709 (voice)


--
VanHackspace (VHS) general list: vhs-g...@lists.hackspace.ca
http://vancouver.hackspace.ca/wp/mailing-lists/

[Dan Royer]

Maybe there's a seattle space that would take orders for us and then we'd have an (extra) excuse to go down and visit.

---

Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2012 12:26:01 -0800
Subject: US PO Box? + Inventables (supplier)
From: adpm...@gmail.com
To: vhs-g...@lists.hackspace.ca

[Andrew Hendriks]

We've used this service before:

http://www.thelettercarrier.com/

There are a number of companies located just south of the border in
Point Roberts.

Perhaps one of these is what you are looking for?

Cheers,
- Andrew Hendriks

[Daniel DeGagne]

Having done this for years I should warn you to be aware of issues with credit cards and not being able to deliver to any address but the one on the card. Eventually I did setup an account in Blaine that came with a VISA debit card and forwarded my mail to a Blaine address. Worked well.

2nd option maybe see about using Paypal to make payments. Though I hate them as it gives you a lot LESS protection from fraud then your cc. Despite what they try to imply in there guarantee.

[Miststlkr]

Kinek is who i use. No complaints at all

[Joe Bowser]

I just use Hagens of Blaine. I like having the e-mail notification
that my stuff has arrived, and it's walking distance from the Peace
Arch Border Crossing, so you don't even need a car (and you don't have
to park at customs when you have to pay HST).

http://www.hagensofblaine.com

[Tim Webster]

I have used
http://prshell.com/PriceList.htm
I use the tracking number to know when it arrives, but they send out
email notification as well.
They are a little further then thelettercarrier, but there is no line
ups so it is actually faster. It is within walking distance, but I
usually bike across with point roberts. It is quite small and makes
for a nice bike trip. Which allows me to conveniently visit a cafa
near by.

--
778 317 7769

[David Lowy]

Sounds like a pleasant option, but if you bike there you miss the opportunity to fill your car with cheap gas.

At almost 30 cents a litre cheaper than BC, a tankful saves enough to pay for the round-trip and the receiving fee.

Do it enough times and it saves enough to buy a Nexus card, which saves boarder line-ups and hassles, which, in turn, relieves more stress than a bike ride! :-)

YMMV

Dave

[Tim Webster]

ya, but I don't own a car, and renting a car just to fill it up is
just plain silly.

[Tim Webster]

With a bike, you don't need to line up. Which makes the bike very pleasant.

Honestly point roberts is one of the nicer places to take a bike.

[David Lowy]

I am sure it is quite pleasurable when you get there. How do you get through the Massey Tunnel?


Da...@Lowy.com
Sent from my iPhone

[Tim Webster]

bike on 620 express bus from Bridgeport to Tsawwassen

[Richard Sim]

Inventables are *awesome* people. I ordered a huge box of acrylic and aluminium from them a few months back, and it arrived in good time - plus they have flat-rate $40 shipping to Canada, which sure saved a LOT as the box was huge & heavy. The CEO even personally emailed me asking what my ordering experience was like. One of the things I ordered (purple anodized aluminium sheet) was out of stock, so in a separate shipment they sent me a piece twice the size I ordered. Woot!

There's a small black sampler box of square acrylic pieces is from them kicking somewhere around either the laser room or the space; almost every colour they sell has a swatch in it, so you can see the true colours before you order.

So yep, I absolutely recommend using their services.

On Mon, Nov 19, 2012 at 12:26 PM, Andrew Milne <adpm...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Dave Hylands]

Hi,

On Mon, Nov 19, 2012 at 12:59 PM, Daniel DeGagne <dande...@gmail.com> wrote:

Having done this for years I should warn you to be aware of issues with credit cards and not being able to deliver to any address but the one on the card. Eventually I did setup an account in Blaine that came with a VISA debit card and forwarded my mail to a Blaine address. Worked well.

2nd option maybe see about using Paypal to make payments. Though I hate them as it gives you a lot LESS protection from fraud then your cc. Despite what they try to imply in there guarantee.

I use a MasterCard. I called them up and added the address of the letter carrier as a "Shipping Address" on the credit card. Just make sure that they're adding this as an additional address and not replacing your real address where the statements go.

This can then be used as a "Billing Address" when ordering stuff.

Dave Hylands

[funvill]

Hello 

Inventables sounds awesome, and with a flat-rate $40 shipping to Canada I think we should do a group buy of some stuff like a Acrylic sheets. 

I will announce it on the general list later on today. 

@Richard

How long did the shippment take to get here? do you think we will get it in time for us to make xmas gifts?

- Steven Smethurst

abluestar.com

[Ninety Nein]

Sign me up for that!