Hey y'all. Didn't post this on Halloween, as it's not really that scary. Also, I guess Halloween is less international than it seems to us over here in the states. Here's an Update on International Pricing.
Our shop has come a long way from its “let’s-see-if-anyone-wants-a-patch” beginnings. As it’s grown, so has our understanding of what it takes to run an international storefront. Folks from all over the world join us to nerd out on rockets, so we want to make sure we can serve the whole planet*.
After our recent warehouse move and the Flight 10 launch, a few of you flagged unexpected customs charges. That sent us down a rabbit hole of VAT, duties, fees, and acronyms we never wanted to learn. While fixing the new warehouse shipping setup, we uncovered a bigger issue with how our non-warehoused, print-on-demand items were being handled. The short version: we’d been unknowingly footing the bill for international taxes... they were being paid by the manufacturer, we were being charged for them, but we weren't collecting them during sale. Oof. Basically, all international prices on t-shirts, mugs, and other on-demand items were tax-free to the customer... but not to NSF. Talk about an observation. Not so great for a small shop trying to stay aloft and expand what we can offer you.
We’re now correcting that by including taxes and duties directly in print-on-demand product prices for international customers, which will result in a slight price increase on those items. It’s a necessary step to keep the shop transparent, sustainable, and able to continue funding our coverage. Thanks for sticking with us, and for your continued support as we keep growing.
* If you thought VAT and duties were tough, try to ship something to the ISS, or the moon. One day!
- John "Das" Galloway
Director of Operations
NSF
