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[Scorpionfolke]

definately picking up a bubble envelope today!

 

[amethal]

Its a shame its USA only, but I can see why! If only I knew some Americans .... Anyone on this site who doesn't want a free book, but is willing to put up with the hassle of getting mine for me?

I was hoping it would be free PDFs - doesn't matter where you live then.

And his birthday is the same as my brother's.

 

[Morrus]

When you send this in, send John a birthday card

I second that! Everyone who does this should take the time to include a birthday card for him.

 

[sjmiller]

I'm really sorry about the no-non-US rule, especially since I know a significant percentage of our customers are outside the USA. I couldn't figure out a way to do it easily, unfortunately. Different postage rates and classes, a higher percentage of lost/delayed shipments, plus the need to fill out customs forms by hand...it would just be inviting trouble.

While it is a little late for this very kind endevour, in the future you can have people send International Reply Coupons (I think that is what they are called). People can buy them in their home country and the USPS can take them for conversion to US postage. I've done this in the past and it works fine. Now, the custom forms, that's another story...

 

[devilbat]

To our Canadianianian...ian friends to the North (?):

You still have time! Cross the border, open a mailbox, and get the stuff sent to you...

Or have it sent to the one I keep for offers such as this.

Thanks John, and Happy Birthday!

 

[JohnNephew]

While it is a little late for this very kind endevour, in the future you can have people send International Reply Coupons (I think that is what they are called). People can buy them in their home country and the USPS can take them for conversion to US postage. I've done this in the past and it works fine. Now, the custom forms, that's another story...

Yeah, I have a huge stack of International Reply Coupons sitting in my desk, waiting to be taken to the post office for me to stand in line for half an hour and exchange each one for an 80 cent stamp...

Even with IRCs, there are problems. For one, there are different classes of postage, and different limitations for different countries. Global Priority Mail is one good method -- so for instance, we could have people send in 12 International Reply Coupons, which would be enough for a large flat-rate Global Priority Mail envelope. Unless you're in Canada, in which case it would be 9 coupons. But GPM doesn't go to every country, so people in Italy, for example, would have to be excluded. Or I would have to offer the option of Airmail Parcel Post for Italy and other non-GPM countries. A up-to-three-pound parcel to Italy, via Airmail Parcel Post, require 22 International Reply Coupons. If you wanted the slightly faster Airmail Letter Post, that would take 23 coupons. Of course, someone would object that they don't need such fast service; after all, surface letter post would only require 11 coupons to Italy. (To Australia, it would require 12 coupons.) Of course, surface mail can take months to arrive, and in my experience I start getting the e-mails after about 2 months, asking whether I'm sure I sent the package and when it might show up (which, for the cheaper classes of mail, you pretty much can't find out). This is all before the issue of customs forms...

Basically, I had to draw a line, so I drew it where the whole project is kept really, really simple for me. I have no idea if I'll get 10, 100 or 1000 people responding to this the way it's written -- but I think I can handle any of those numbers, since all I have to do is place the SASE on the postal scale, add some books, check to make sure it's still under 3 lbs, seal the envelope, and put it in the front hallway for the mailman to pick up. If I found myself having to fill out 1000 customs forms, and engage in e-mail debates with people over classes of mail service available to their countries (or why their country is excluded while a neighboring EU country is not), it would be a lousy birthday present for me.

 

[JohnNephew]

Another problem with IRCs is that, in my experience, they cost a lot more than they're worth. For example, to buy an International Reply Coupon in the USA costs $1.75; redeeming one from overseas only gets you an 80 cent stamps. There may be some countries where IRCs are cheaper, but I'll bet the members of the Universal Postal Union have set prices to discourage arbitrage (i.e., so that you can't buy a coupon for 30 cents in some country, send it to the US, and redeem it for 80 cents to make a profit).

 

[nerfherder]

It's a really cool and generous thing to do.

Happy Birthday for the 17th.

Cheers,
Liam

 

[scourger]

Happy birthday! You'll be getting my package soon.

 

[Alzrius]

I think I'll just be able to mail an envelope to him by the 17th. Happy birthday and thanks!