Shapeways Post BREXIT - A nasty surprise

[NFWEM57]

Just tried to use Shapeways for an order, reluctantly, and magically at the final stage (4) of checkout the prices for each item increased by over 20%, nothing to do with VAT, shipping , handling etc which were al itemised separately.  Luckily I spotted it, so caveat emptor with Shapeways. I have sent them a complaint, doubt I'll get a response. I know the USA considers the UK to be treasure island, they can charge want they want and we will pay, but significantly uplifting the price during the checkout process..!  Surely that is illegal...in the UK at least..!

 

I was after Class 47 ETS and MW connecters. I make my own pipe work but the TTS and MW connectors would like parts more detailed than I can make myself.  The recent West Hill Wagon packs are too expensive for just the ETS parts and lack the MW connectors.  If only the UK developers of the parts would manufacture and sell within the UK.  For interest I have been running a separate thread on this. 

 

Edited September 24, 2023 by NFWEM57
typo

[Mike Harvey]

Be interested to see the Shapeways reply. Usually I find it my misunderstanding of the itemisation of the invoice lines. When I look more carefully that 20% is the VAT.

[Michael Hodgson]

It's a pity there doesn't seem to be a UK equivalent of this outfit.  I would have thought there must be a market, and unless there were a cost saving  it seems silly for British designers to have to go to an overseas firm to produce British outline models (or any other UK-specific products) that would only really have demand in the UK.  The technology seems to be readily available without excessive investment.  Opening there for some entreprenuer.

[Nick C]

16 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

It's a pity there doesn't seem to be a UK equivalent of this outfit.  I would have thought there must be a market, and unless there were a cost saving  it seems silly for British designers to have to go to an overseas firm to produce British outline models (or any other UK-specific products) that would only really have demand in the UK.  The technology seems to be readily available without excessive investment.  Opening there for some entreprenuer.

Wasn't there someone on this forum trying to set up such a firm (obviously on a much smaller scale!) a year or two back? I don't know how far they got...

Edited September 25, 2023 by Nick C

[billbedford]

There are plenty of 3D print bureaus in the UK, but they tend to be corporate, so dealing with them is not as easy as with Shapeways. There are two other companies with similar services that I know of iMaterialise in Belgium and Sculpteo in France. 

[john new]

27 minutes ago, billbedford said:

There are plenty of 3D print bureaus in the UK, but they tend to be corporate, so dealing with them is not as easy as with Shapeways. There are two other companies with similar services that I know of iMaterialise in Belgium and Sculpteo in France. 

The obvious, as yet unasked by anyone though, is post BREXIT do they still offer an imports edge over the USA? Not averse to 3D printing but the one thing I got my bro-in-law to print for me from a thingyverse file was disappointing. I have seen good stuff done though and bought some 3D printed items at the recent SWAG day.

[billbedford]

24 minutes ago, john new said:

The obvious, as yet unasked by anyone though, is post BREXIT do they still offer an imports edge over the USA?

 

No, the government sees the rest of the world as "foreign", so the HMRC wants its pound of flesh for anything imported. 

 

Quote

Not averse to 3D printing but the one thing I got my bro-in-law to print for me from a thingyverse file was disappointing. I have seen good stuff done though and bought some 3D printed items at the recent SWAG day.

 

Resin 3D printing is complicated in the sense that there are lots of interacting variables to balance. The higher cost of professional or prosumer printers includes in-depth support that overcomes the learning process for new customers. For the printers that most of us can afford, that level of support is lacking, and what is available is in the hands of amateurs who may be only a few weeks down the road of understanding the processes involved. 

 

[Covkid]

On 25/09/2023 at 13:09, john new said:

The obvious, as yet unasked by anyone though, is post BREXIT do they still offer an imports edge over the USA? Not averse to 3D printing but the one thing I got my bro-in-law to print for me from a thingyverse file was disappointing. I have seen good stuff done though and bought some 3D printed items at the recent SWAG day.

 

On 25/09/2023 at 13:52, billbedford said:

Resin 3D printing is complicated in the sense that there are lots of interacting variables to balance. The higher cost of professional or prosumer printers includes in-depth support that overcomes the learning process for new customers. For the printers that most of us can afford, that level of support is lacking, and what is available is in the hands of amateurs who may be only a few weeks down the road of understanding the processes involved. 

 

 

Interesting comments here.  I know little about 3D printing and don't have the personal resources for it, but would really like some of Jonny Duffet's wonderful wagon creations, which I believe can be downloaded from Thingeyverse.  Jonny has proved that his stuff produces very acceptable models, but how do people like me purchase the printed models we would like - obviously fresh off the printing plate but maybe after washing and curing ?  I am assuming part of the "graft" is trimming away all the support structure from the models prior to cleaning, fettling, tidying, priming and paimting.

 

There is no doubt in my mind that 3D printing opens up so much to the modeller, but it still requires equipment that some of us cannot justify.  Where are the stepping stones ?  

Edited September 26, 2023 by Covkid

[Neal Ball]

First a wagon / carriage etc. needs to be designed in CAD…. That’s my first stumbling block - I could learn that skill of course, but I’d rather focus on my railway…. Find a friend.

 

Then we need to take the CAD and refine it and start test prints…. 
 

It’s all achievable, but it depends if the individual wants to go down that road - personally it’s not for me.

 

So I start looking at Shapeways and find the quality variable, so it’s back to my first point - find a friend, then put a group together to produce a particular item. 
 

It’s not as far fetched as it sounds - I’ve enjoyed the process of being in a small group to produce a GWR 6 ton yard crane and I hope from there, we will be able to produce a few niche products.

 

3D printing certainly does open the mind up to all sorts of possibilities.

[Covkid]

19 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

First a wagon / carriage etc. needs to be designed in CAD…. That’s my first stumbling block - I could learn that skill of course, but I’d rather focus on my railway…. Find a friend.

 

Then we need to take the CAD and refine it and start test prints…. 
 

It’s all achievable, but it depends if the individual wants to go down that road - personally it’s not for me.

 

So I start looking at Shapeways and find the quality variable, so it’s back to my first point - find a friend, then put a group together to produce a particular item. 
 

It’s not as far fetched as it sounds - I’ve enjoyed the process of being in a small group to produce a GWR 6 ton yard crane and I hope from there, we will be able to produce a few niche products.

 

3D printing certainly does open the mind up to all sorts of possibilities.

I tend to broadly agree with you Neal, but I am actually metaphorically one stage on from that. As I said above, I would like several of Jonny Duffett's creations which I believe his frinds have already built and finished.  For me it is going to a place and having some of Jonny's, or anyone else's STL files printed so that I can fInish, detail, fit wheels couplers etc and paint. 

 

There are a lot of ideas I have in my head, which I would love to translate into 3D items in 1:76 but would they scale up or down ?

 

1960s Foden half cab tipper truck

Late 1960s/1970s Caterpillar D6 and D8 including "British" cabs

Late 1960s/1970s cable box scraper

Late1960s early 1970s Poclain LC200 360 degree excavator

Late 1960s/early 1970s Hymac 580  360 degree excavator 

Early 1970s Volvo BM artic dump truck

 

etc etc

 

And that is without going into railway stuff which is my prime interest

[Blandford1969]

On 01/12/2021 at 12:29, Blandford1969 said:

It really is a shame as the prices of things become to the point of not being economic. I'd love to buy some of the printed SECR railmotor bodies but at nearly 80 for one with no frames, or bogies just puts them way above what I could afford, @rue-d-etropal does great designs but the changes with Shapeways means they will always have to be a wish., especially when the page says 78 which is a lot and in the basket its then 93, how does that work? It becomes with postage over 200 for two coach bodies and then bits on top.

Having realised this was not economic I spoke with Allen Docherty who is working on etches for me of set 514 this set is slightly different to set 513 in terms of width of the pillars and end windows. I can't wait to see them. 

[Re6/6]

I'm a bit puzzled by the 'additional' charges mentioned

 

I'm planning to purchase an item from Shapeways and tested costing before committing and got this result. Would I be expecting to be charged more on delivery?

 

Items (1)              $92.76

Mfg. Speed           $0.00

Processing            $4.68

Shipping              $11.99

 

Tax  0                   $0.00

Total:                  $109.43

[billbedford]

You would also be charged £21.89 VAT. 

[Nick C]

14 hours ago, Re6/6 said:

I'm a bit puzzled by the 'additional' charges mentioned

 

I'm planning to purchase an item from Shapeways and tested costing before committing and got this result. Would I be expecting to be charged more on delivery?

 

Items (1)              $92.76

Mfg. Speed           $0.00

Processing            $4.68

Shipping              $11.99

 

Tax  0                   $0.00

Total:                  $109.43

You must have delivery country set to US - change it to UK and they add VAT to the items and treble the shipping cost...

 

[spsmiler]

On 27/09/2023 at 20:26, Re6/6 said:

I'm a bit puzzled by the 'additional' charges mentioned

 

I'm planning to purchase an item from Shapeways and tested costing before committing and got this result. Would I be expecting to be charged more on delivery?

 

Items (1)              $92.76

Mfg. Speed           $0.00

Processing            $4.68

Shipping              $11.99

 

Tax  0                   $0.00

Total:                  $109.43

Quite why the processing fee has to be added as an extra beats me - it should be included in their basic charge for the item

 

What peeves me is that prices start in US$, then switch to €Euros and finally £GBP. This must increase the final cost too?

 

To get around the VAT (and possible import tax) issue I delayed my purchase until they had a special cyber Monday offer that (this year 2023) includes multiple purchases and both discounts and free shipping (based on order value).

 

For a 3 coach MU train I am making several purchases which must be treated as different purchase orders - as otherwise the courier (UPS) will see the combined package value and assume that VAT has not been charged ... and charge it again! Plus add their brokerage fee.

 

This actually happened to me (just the once!) and whilst Shaepways refunded their VAT charge I still lost out because the UPS VAT fee included tax on the VAT element of the Shapeways invoces.

Edited November 27, 2023 by spsmiler