Something Wicked This Way Comes Part 3: "CardLauncher"!

[JSELS]

Why is shipping for 8 decks to Singapore $45?

[Mike Ratledge]

Why is shipping for 8 decks to Singapore $45?

No, it shouldn't be. Did you pick the $8 "Special Handling" item, maybe? It adds $15 to shipping - that single item. Either that or you got stuck in that look where it adds to shipping when it should not if it refreshes at that screen - for any reason, because you did or it caused it. It's the #2 error already listed.

I am happy to announce that after a thorough code audit and scripted code sweep including a deliberate attempt to take the website offline, we have concluded that the errors reported so far, 2 of which we knew about before we opened testing up around noon to registered users and one more we found before we opened it up for anybody - we're done!

Those problems shown are it, except for one more minor cosmetic issue found using a scripted automated code testing engine by a professional marketing analyst from Boston Partners, Inc., formerly with Gulfstream Aerospace, the code is as clean as a whistle, except those problems already detected and this: selecting "Back" when it's got "WePay" on the screen takes you to the same page as "Continue" instead of backing up to the pledge selection screen.

We open Sunday at 3PM, with all four decks funding and nothing but good times, finally. There will be no more code changes except those required to fix the 5 known issues, and as I noted - we're done!

I would like to thank everyone that helped out today, including Kai, Sher and everyone else that came and whacked on the code for us, and make it official:

CardLauncher opens in less than four days, in fact it's not about 92 hours until 3PM EDT/NYC time Sunday. At that time, all four projects will be relaunched with at least 50 "Early Bird" tiers available, and well as free decks for every 25th pledger for 7 more full days, or until we give out another 20 pairs of decks and then up to 200 single decks as well as one more Anything Is Possible bottle - a unique one, with Lorenzo Gaggiotti's "Stockholm #17" deck inside on it - as I noted, one-of-a-kind to a random one of the first 30 dual deck winners, which will be determined by "RANDOM.ORG" online.

That being said, I want to thank each and every one of you for putting up with by overzealous and hyperbole to the point of exhaustion, and celebrate the coming of something truly wicked: a revolution in CrowdFunding specifically designed from the ground up for funding Playing Card Decks projects only: CardLauncher!

[JSELS]

Why is shipping for 8 decks to Singapore $45?

No, it shouldn't be. Did you pick the $8 "Special Handling" item, maybe? It adds $15 to shipping - that single item. Either that or you got stuck in that look where it adds to shipping when it should not if it refreshes at that screen - for any reason, because you did or it caused it. It's the #2 error already listed.

I chose the $8, 8 deck option and shipping is displayed as $45 once I reach the checkout page with no refreshes at all. I'm not sure, could be a problem with my account.

[Mike Ratledge]

Why is shipping for 8 decks to Singapore $45?

No, it shouldn't be. Did you pick the $8 "Special Handling" item, maybe? It adds $15 to shipping - that single item. Either that or you got stuck in that look where it adds to shipping when it should not if it refreshes at that screen - for any reason, because you did or it caused it. It's the #2 error already listed.

I chose the $8, 8 deck option and shipping is displayed as $45 once I reach the checkout page with no refreshes at all. I'm not sure, could be a problem with my account.

Actually I just checked the S&H table for "Rest of World" for both GW & Lake Michigan Mailers, and 7 to 18 decks it $45. That does seem strange. I'll go change it so 7 to 11 decks is $35, 12-18 is $45. The problem is that's where you hit 750 grams or 3/4 kilogram.

Good catch, thanks! I'll fix the rate table. That's so easy I can do it.

[JSELS]

Why is shipping for 8 decks to Singapore $45?

No, it shouldn't be. Did you pick the $8 "Special Handling" item, maybe? It adds $15 to shipping - that single item. Either that or you got stuck in that look where it adds to shipping when it should not if it refreshes at that screen - for any reason, because you did or it caused it. It's the #2 error already listed.

I chose the $8, 8 deck option and shipping is displayed as $45 once I reach the checkout page with no refreshes at all. I'm not sure, could be a problem with my account.

Actually I just checked the S&H table for "Rest of World" for both GW & Lake Michigan Mailers, and 7 to 18 decks it $45. That does seem strange. I'll go change it so 7 to 11 decks is $35, 12-18 is $45. The problem is that's where you hit 750 grams or 3/4 kilogram.

Good catch, thanks! I'll fix the rate table. That's so easy I can do it.

I see, thanks Mike!

The pricing of $45 to ship 12 decks is on the high end in comparison if I were to post rewards to a U.S address and ship it through a forwarding service to Singapore.

Why the higher rates?

[Mike Ratledge]

No, it shouldn't be. Did you pick the $8 "Special Handling" item, maybe? It adds $15 to shipping - that single item. Either that or you got stuck in that look where it adds to shipping when it should not if it refreshes at that screen - for any reason, because you did or it caused it. It's the #2 error already listed.

I chose the $8, 8 deck option and shipping is displayed as $45 once I reach the checkout page with no refreshes at all. I'm not sure, could be a problem with my account.

Actually I just checked the S&H table for "Rest of World" for both GW & Lake Michigan Mailers, and 7 to 18 decks it $45. That does seem strange. I'll go change it so 7 to 11 decks is $35, 12-18 is $45. The problem is that's where you hit 750 grams or 3/4 kilogram.

Good catch, thanks! I'll fix the rate table. That's so easy I can do it.

I see, thanks Mike!

The pricing of $45 to ship 12 decks is on the high end in comparison if I were to post rewards to a U.S address and ship it through a forwarding service to Singapore.

Why the higher rates?

I guess I didn't say that accurately: it should not be. It should be about $32 for 7 or 8 decks. If you do 9 decks you go over 1kg. That's when the USPS pricing gets stupid ($45 for even one gram over 1kg).

[JSELS]

I guess I didn't say that accurately: it should not be. It should be about $32 for 7 or 8 decks. If you do 9 decks you go over 1kg. That's when the USPS pricing gets stupid ($45 for even one gram over 1kg).

Ah, International shipping through USPS is pretty expensive yes. Okay thanks for the clarification!

[Mike Ratledge]

I guess I didn't say that accurately: it should not be. It should be about $32 for 7 or 8 decks. If you do 9 decks you go over 1kg. That's when the USPS pricing gets stupid ($45 for even one gram over 1kg).

Ah, International shipping through USPS is pretty expensive yes. Okay thanks for the clarification!

Exactly! As soon as I can, I'm going to have International Mailing Service tables built for all 19 zones instead of using one "homogenized" rate for "Rest of World" being everything overseas from the United States other than Canada. That's the way it's been done for years, so nobody should be too terribly upset that I didn't recognize that until it was too late to put in the code change, but - it's #2 of things to do (after #1 which is adding multiples of each item, when the campaign creator allows it).

That way it will finally be completely fair to everybody and noone is subsidizing shipping for anyone else any more. The way it has been for 5 years on KS is everybody pays the same rate, even Canada in most cases because almost nobody bothers to separate them from the rest, and it's _definitely_ less to ship it to Canada than everywhere else truly 'overseas' by definition.

We've done 90% of what we set out to do at this point, but that last 10% for international backers is coming, along with Amazon Payments as well. (and if I can ever find those #@*&^% from PayPal - that, also - as soon as I can get it re-approved). It's pretty strange that they were happy for more than 6 weeks until the day before we went live, and I'm done with my conspiracy theories, but . . . It certainly did happen.

[JSELS]

Can't wait

[Mike Ratledge]

Can't wait

And, I haven't announced this yet, but for every project where decks are mode by Expert (or Legends) PCC, delivery to the Asia/Pacific/Oceania region will be done by our very on "VA Fulfillment" out of Singapore. Again, it was something that happened too close to the launch for me to change the code, but - it'll be "soon enough"! Actually, that doesn't just mean less expensive for that region - always if it is made in Taipei - it means it's going to get there 2 or 3 weeks BEFORE the same decks even get to the United States for train/rail/truck shipment from Oakland (Pacful) or Port of New York/New Jersey for Lake Michigan Mailers & Gambler's Warehouse (hmmm - haven't thought that one through, yet - might work better to get to Arlington Texas from Oakland instead of New York City area?).

In any case, we promised a revolutionary change to funding playing card decks, and we're just getting a good start, "more news at 11" as we like to say. We gave up on "Quantium Fulfilment" in Taiwan - they just could not meet our expectations and requirements for the very specific demands we had for "handling" specifically. As we all know, playing card collectors are very (very!) hard to please: if you even put a ding in the tuck box, for example: it might as well be crushed!

[chach]

Made a couple bug reports on deck refinery, decided to take a break for now. Really need to look into the whole modifying thing though, things look quite goofy and it doesn't show what you pledged after clicking modify.

Also, $12 to ship 4 decks to the US? That's kinda up there isn't it?

[StanKindLee]

Also, $12 to ship 4 decks to the US? That's kinda up there isn't it?

Yes - a small flat rate box is $5.25, so $6.75 handling is being added... the price of using a fulfillment service I guess.

About CL - when I went to modify my pledge from my mobile phone, I was forced to enter in all the CC info again... really?

And what if I wanted to change the CC my pledge is on - right now it is not obvious, though I did eventually click the use a bank account link and found that it changed to a use a new CC link on the bank account info page that loaded.

Is there any way to pre-load CC and/or bank account information into my account, so when projects launch, all I have to do it hit the pledge button, enter in a pledge amount and then just hit the make it so & yes I verify buttons?

Speaking of data entry, (1) I notice that some fields which require numerical entry defaults to the number keypad on my mobile, and others which require numerical entry defaults to the regular keypad which requires the user to switch to numbers... not a consistent experience. (2) Why is the website offering me choices which throw errors... see images below.

[sprouts1115]

@mike - Just let you know your Mailchimp sent me 2 emails of the same thing within 5 mins of each other twice. The first time it happen I discounted it. When the second time it happened. I thought well some ppl might call this annoying. I'm I the only one? "There can only be one"

[volantangel]

I think the CC info is a double edged sword, CL doesnt want any records of your CC hence we dont store the information. However wepay doesnt let you keep an account like paypal & amazon. Sooo.. its best to keep it this way for now, paypal is still in the midst of getting sorted out.

Testing with multiple cards will definitely be tried out.

[sprouts1115]

Booya!


@Mike - can you change the text to say, " Hey $ucker, you can't pledge that high!" F=$

[sprouts1115]

Booya!

[StanKindLee]

Testing with multiple cards will definitely be tried out.

Make sure you test the condition of successful pledge using CC #1 followed by pledge modification using a bad CC #2 (real card but won't authorize). I would hope the original pledge is maintained and not lost due to a programming bug.

[DragonSoul]

I've posted a few bugs on DeckRefinery but I can't seem to post an image there. This is one I'm seeing. A comment is overlaying the Update.

[DragonSoul]

Got the image upload to work so, I've put this on DeckRefinery.

[sinjin7]

I want to thank each and every one of you for putting up with by overzealous and hyperbole to the point of exhaustion, and celebrate the coming of something truly wicked: a revolution in CrowdFunding specifically designed from the ground up for funding Playing Card Decks projects only: CardLauncher!

So $12.00 shipping for 4 decks is "truly wicked" and a "revolution"? Maybe for the fulfillment company. Color me unimpressed. Even Jack$on only charges $7.00 to ship 4 decks. Please tell me this is one of the mistakes that will be corrected by the launch.

[Oswin]

All bugs have been fixed?
I wanted to test with the dummy project by $ 1, and validating the site told me that the minimum accepted for this project is $ 2 ..... Thanks

[StanKindLee]

I am posting here instead of deckrefinery because that website is not allowing me to post images.

>>>- On the profile page I am presented a "Send a Message" button. Who am I sending a message too, myself? So I try and yes, I get an error saying I cannot message myself. When logged into CL, I should not be given the send a message option from my own profile. Also on the profile page, the formatting in mobile (android/chrome) is messed up with the page elements overlaying each other... see right side of image below.

>>>- although it currently says 17 supporters, only one is listed...

I sent that supporter a message and it showed up as a conversation in my inbox. I also sent the project creator a message ans that thread showed up to, but it did not have a header saying who the conversation was with, the thread with the supporter does have a who is this conversation with header.

>>>- How is the ask a question button different from message creator? Are these public postings? Where do they post to & how can I review the questions I ask?

*** general comment - It would be nice to see the funding goal of the project without have to go to the very bottom of the project page... just sayin'.

Also - This really needs to be tested with multiple project listings just like there will be on opening day.

[Mike Ratledge]

I want to thank each and every one of you for putting up with by overzealous and hyperbole to the point of exhaustion, and celebrate the coming of something truly wicked: a revolution in CrowdFunding specifically designed from the ground up for funding Playing Card Decks projects only: CardLauncher!

So $12.00 shipping for 4 decks is "truly wicked" and a "revolution"? Maybe for the fulfillment company. Color me unimpressed. Even Jack$on only charges $7.00 to ship 4 decks. Please tell me this is one of the mistakes that will be corrected by the launch.

It should be either $6 or $8. It's one of the known bugs in the code. I haven't kept up everything over on TDR, so I'll go do that here in a minute, but - here's the list that I have right now, subject to change when I review the requests for enhancements on TDR. I'm not going to add anything to the code right now except one thing that is critical for international users: a 'extended'/'second' address line. That is required for almost any address in Great Britain, for example. There's just no way to get there with a single address line. Several other countries including Hong Kong and India absolutely HAVE to have an extra / second address line. We're just going to use it for all users, so if you need an "Attn: xxxx" or other field that you can't put in now, you will be able to - hopefully later today.

Known bug list (it's in "** KNOWN BUGS : 4 **" FAQ in the 'General' section. Please check that before you submit a new trouble ticket on TDR, and yes - I know - it's not supposed to be your problem, it's ours. I just don't want people to waste a bunch of time. We have already wasted a lot of everybody's time)


1) It doesn't show the rewards on "My Pledges" correctly - both user side and project/campaign side - both related. It _DOES_ send the correct information in the verification message about which tiers you selected. Existing pledgers _should_ have the reward tier(s) checked. Various things related to this bug have been consolidated into one issue. (especially the fact that once you have pledged, none of the reward tiers shows up any more, and you can't tell if limited number tiers are available at all). All of these are inter-related and have to do with it not properly storing the S&H amount separately from the actual pledge tiers total.

2) Under certain conditions, for example if you refresh the screen or back up a page and move forward again, the S&H is added to incorrectly. Again, partly related to #1

3) Apparently the bug that causes "Cancel Pledge" to lead to a "Not Found" (404) error is back a fourth time.

4) Trying no amount or $1 pledge gives two different errors, one that doesn't make sense and one that shows up as a "Liquid error" ('liquid' is the programming code).

COSMETIC ISSUE: The words "Self Fulfillment" shows up on-screen even when "Guaranteed Rewards Delivery" logo does - we know.


One thing that we will be doing: letting people get at their existing pledges an hour early to fix things that were either not processed correctly or "halfway", meaning the message from WePay came but not the one from CL. Everybody got those dumb messages saying you pledged for "No Reward". The easy fix for that is just to "Modify pledge" and don't change things. It should send the corrected e-mail message then.

Please don't abuse this, it's not fair to others waiting on those Early Bird tiers if people just go in there and rape and pillage those all, but - as I noted, at 2PM Sunday the campaigns will be kicked off so you can fix things that aren't right from the other night.

I said this already, but I want to personally think Paul Riccio from Boston Partners (formerly of Gulfstream Aerospace) who took his biggest scripted automated toolkit and through it as hard as he could into every single field and entry purposefully trying to break things for several hours last night around 4-6PM. The system is impervious to any SQL injection errors and numerous other things that hackers use to break into websites. The entire scripted testing resulted in thousands of errors being popped up on the screen but only one single bug was found: if you hit <back> when it is on the payments screen, it doesn't go back to the pledge tier rewards selection screen.

[Mike Ratledge]

I am posting here instead of deckrefinery because that website is not allowing me to post images.

That's odd because I just looked at several images uploaded over there. You do have an account, correct? I'll have to ask Joe to see if he can figure out why that isn't being allowed some times.

The other problems (including trying nothing, $0 or $1 causing error message that are either just plain wrong or terribly cryptic - about "liquid errors". 'Liquid' is the program that is being used to do the processing) Under normal circumstances those should never show up, obviously. It is being worked on right now, and the list has grown to a handful you can count on your fingers once you put several things that are all inter-related into one 'bucket' or issue, and really it is one problem: it's not storing the S&H separately from the total of the pledge reward tiers. Obviously, once that is fixed it will allow anything related to be handled correctly.

Folks - I worked until 4:30PM yesterday and do again today and tomorrow. I'm a little behind answering questions, and anything that is a "feature enhancement" other than the one asking for the second/extra address field will have to wait until we have all of the code working exactly as it should.

[StanKindLee]

Deckrefinery went through the motions of posting images, but after submit is hit, they do not show up.

I posted the following as an issue on DR -
"So I pledge $999 and selected tiers $1, $2 ans $4 and got a total of $1017, so $18 shipping for 7 decks. Oh, I made the pledge using a debit card which doesn't have nearly $1017 in the account. Then I opened another CL account, and pledge $999 and pledged at every tier level for a total of $1015, so $15 shipping for 39 decks and an uncut. It looks like it added NO shipping for the tiers, but did add the $15 special shipping/handling of the one tier. BTW, I used the same debit card to make the pledge on the second CL account."

I understand about the various shipping issues, but I figured the bogus card authorizations should be looked at.

[Mike Ratledge]

Kind of strange, because they do show up - for me, anyway. I just forwarded that whole message to the support people.

Right now we are down to 3 items:

1) Under certain conditions, for example if you refresh the screen or back up a page and move forward again, the S&H is added to incorrectly.

2) Apparently the bug that causes "Cancel Pledge" to lead to a "Not Found" (404) error is back a fourth time.

3) If you "back out" from the WePay page, it treats it as if you have already backed the campaign. Example: from that page hit "Browse Projects" and then you are shown the page without any items on it and "Modify" instead of "Contribute". It also appears the backing out or getting stuck in a "Modify" pledge attempt cancels the pledge.

COSMETIC ISSUES: "Self Fulfillment" shows up even when "Guaranteed Rewards Delivery" does - we know. (we can live with this - it just doesn't look right)

I expect that all of these will be fixed before COB in Salt Lake City, and am told that #2 is a simple fix. (I guess it might be, as I noted, it's been fixed three times already).

[SpecialK]

Still showing $12 shipping for 4 decks. Thought you mentioned it was a bug but it's not on your 3 item list.

[Mike Ratledge]

Still showing $12 shipping for 4 decks. Thought you mentioned it was a bug but it's not on your 3 item list.

TL;DR / Executive Summary: you might want to actually read this one, but if you don't, there's bound to be another message after it any moment

That's not really a "bug", per se - I thought is was an error in the shipping table (If I said it was a 'bug' then I misspoke), but unforuntately the fact is that it costs the exact same thing to ship 4 decks as it does up to 6 decks. Just like once you get to 9 the price doesn't change until you get to 19 decks. There is one screw-up in S&H tables that someone found, fortunately: a 7- or 8-deck pledge overseas (anything beyond US or Canada) is getting $45 shipping, it should be $33 (it was charging the "up to 2kg" price, but 8 decks weighs 720 to 760 grams, and even with packing materials it's under 1 kilogram). I wish we could do better, and eventually we will once we fully implement the IMS (International Mailing Service) 19-zone system, but for now we're stuck with the automatic 3-zone model - 1) US = 5-digit ZIP code; 2) North America beyond 5-ZIP land and 3) "Rest of World". Of course since nobody else computes the precise S&H price for anyone at all, we're WAY ahead of the crowd! The big problem is there's no difference between 1001 grams and 2000 grams the way they charge for it. If it's over a kilogram, it's charged as two, same for 2001 grams, charged as if it's the full 3kg. I can't do a thing about the stupid pricing the U S Postal Service charges - not a single thing. I can use somebody like IMS that consolidates packages on this side and distributes them on the other to bypass them, though - and that's the plan.

The problem as it's perceived here is that before, people always 'buried' S&H costs in the tiers, and we're not doing that, so we're charging the actual price for the handling fee + actual shipping cost. Over 13 ounces you go to Priority Mail: that's $6 cost for postage, and they charge per deck to pack them, always have - you just didn't know it before because all of that was hidden from you. Now, if you add two more $8 decks, it's still $12 S&H. That's just the reality of the way it works. We're not even trying to hide things, we're doing it the right way, even if it does make it very evident that all of that's been hidden from backers before and you didn't know it. Of course, you have to assume that project creators were shuffling some of those charges around and purposefully making certain smaller tiers less expensive at the cost of charging a little more for some of the higher-end tiers. We can't do that: CL charges the ACTUAL shipping+handling with nothing hidden.

A "bug" is an error in the software code, pretty much by definition. Of course - the very first 'bug' was a moth discovered by Admiral Grace Hopper's staff in the U S Navy back in the late 50's. But I digress...

We're going to try a few other side-steps around the processes that are holding us back, like seeing if it makes sense to ship to Guam (where Sher is) and then drop-ship to the US fulfillment centers for Expert PCC produced decks. It might work, might not - but if it doesn't, I'll keep trying until I figure out something. I'm a stubborn person, and that's one thing Lotrek and I share: tell me something "Can't be done", and both of us are going to figure out just how you can do it. It's not just that simple, but - it's not going to slow me down. I have a few other tricks still up my sleeve, and I truly think what we're doing is going to make the playing card decks CrowdFunding world a better, more cost-effective and hope that people will pass along the savings I can aggregate by consolidating services and turn it around into even more savings for the end customers: the pledge backers. I'm not going to retire on that 5% fee we charge, that's just absurd to even think. I'd have to take in $1,000,000 to have $50,000 to work with, and I've got to pay bills out of that. Nothing is free these days, and it's certainly not going to fly in the window and smack me in the arse. Go figure? Anybody that thinks I'm doing this to take the place of my day job needs to have their head gasket checked for leaks. I didn't say it wouldn't make money, I'm just saying - realistically, unless it takes in $20,000,000 a year, there's not a whole lot to work with, and even then you have to figure that the costs aren't small either. I paid for a big-time hosting scenario: Amazon Cloud Services: that by itself is going to cost us almost $20,000 per year. Where'd that first $50,000 I spoke about go? I just spent almost half of it before I even get started. It's NOT a sure thing, for from it, we have to work on this and it's not going to take over the world next month even if it is wildly successful, but it can start to make that part of the process a more reasonable thing cost-wise - IF - the people I am passing along my saving to will actually do right and turn around and give it back to the end users: the backers.

I can hope for that all I want, but I can't MAKE anyone do it. I hope that it will be obvious to people that it _IS_ a better way to do things, and it does take the 'onus' off the artists and designers by basically pretty much automating the production and fulfillment phases of the process, leaving those artists/designers/managers with the need to design great decks and concentrate on that part of the process because everything else is - from their perspective - pretty much on remote control.

Let's see if this works:

Awesome, Joe! Man, we have some good people here on UC! All I have to do is ask and - check it out?!?

[SpecialK]

Thanks for the extremely thorough explanation. I'm not sure where the 5% fee came in...but I don't think anyone has asked you not to take a fee.

Anyways, it's extremely disappointing and frankly baffling to me that card decks cost so damn much to ship. I bought 4 golf clubs that shipped for $3.99 FedeEx Ground. I also bought 3 dozen golf balls that shipped for $6.99 UPS Ground. Has to be a way to get costs down for a freaking deck of playing cards.

I guess Jackson can get his pricing down because he doesn't charge the $1 per item to those purchasing from KWF. Oh well. It looks like at the moment it doesn't make sense to buy 4 decks off CardLauncher. I only hope that the creators begin pricing their decks to take into account the shipping stuff. If its 12 bucks shipped on KS it really shouldn't be $10 + shipping on CardLauncher (assuming same deck on different platforms). Just my IMO.

[Mike Ratledge]

Thanks for the extremely thorough explanation. I'm not sure where the 5% fee came in...but I don't think anyone has asked you not to take a fee.

Anyways, it's extremely disappointing and frankly baffling to me that card decks cost so damn much to ship. I bought 4 golf clubs that shipped for $3.99 FedeEx Ground. I also bought 3 dozen golf balls that shipped for $6.99 UPS Ground. Has to be a way to get costs down for a freaking deck of playing cards.

I guess Jackson can get his pricing down because he doesn't charge the $1 per item to those purchasing from KWF. Oh well. It looks like at the moment it doesn't make sense to buy 4 decks off CardLauncher. I only hope that the creators begin pricing their decks to take into account the shipping stuff. If its 12 bucks shipped on KS it really shouldn't be $10 + shipping on CardLauncher (assuming same deck on different platforms). Just my IMO.

In general, the price should be about the same if not a bit cheaper, and as I have pointed out the "one deck" price is always the worst case, and I know some people subsidize that tier by a buck or two - sometimes, other times they don't. Anything beyond 4 decks should always be less expensive from us, I would think. That 4-deck = over 13 oz (most you can ship as "First Class" mail makes it have to go either as a parcel (absolutely the slowest possible except "media mail" or you ship "Priority Mail". We chose to go to Priority Mail because it's going to get there in a couple of days, even to the territories and Hawai'i in a reasonable amount of time. It's a trade-off, I agree, but it's like comparing apples and oranges, it's not one-to-one if one side is shipping on a slow boat and the other is flinging it like skipping a rock across the lake.