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Deleted member 222586
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So I've been talking with w360 the last couple of days, and here's the thing: the cost to ship a bigger box is, unsurprisingly, more than a small box. Specifically, for a case in the 30L range, we're looking at a shipping cost of ~$80, which... is quite a bit. That means, basically, if we were to do this case exactly the same way as we're doing the M1 (i.e., manufacturing with LL, shipping from TW), we're looking at something probably at or near $300 after shipping, but before customs fees even kick in (for customers outside the US). That to me is really a nonstarter. It's in the ballpark of what the Kimera Industries Cerberus is going for (or would be), and it really seems to be the #1 sticking point for people, going by the comments on HardwareCanucks' preview. I'm not going to pretend that whatever I come up with is going to be so much better that people will overlook the price tag.
So we need a good product at a price that's viable. To that end, we've been looking into some alternative options to try to reduce costs. This also has implications to the design of the case, as certain aspects may need to be simplified or re-engineered, and some concepts may not be feasible. Unfortunately, this may mean some of the favorites have to be cut from consideration. Nevertheless, I think if we can deliver nice cases at a price that won't melt your wallet, we can do well and people will be happy. Making something that's good, but still accessible, is really what's most important to me, and, if we possibly can, we're going to try to make that happen.
Wowza! $80 frigging dollars... isn't there a way you could drop-ship the case? What I mean is that instead of individually sending every case to his future owner... send a big number to the continent in question, then resend them there. It should be much cheaper, IMO.
But still, there is one thing that you should realise with high shipping: I'm not buying a $120 case with $80 shipping. Its just pointless, as spending 40% of the budget on shipping is a big no-no. On the other hand, $80 on a $240 is something entirely different. Simply put: shipping is something that has no value for the customers. Its simply the means to get what we want. So do not save costs and consider a design that isn't #1 just to say $30 because, at the end, $30 on a $300 case (for Europeans it will be much more, if you consider taxes, so more to my point) is nothing.
PS: and this gives even more points towards LRPC