Since 2018, when MonsterLabo was created, we have been working with DHL Express, which has always taken care of our packages for all destinations (Europe, Asia, North America, Oceania). We had the advantage at the time of having a depot in the immediate vicinity with a very small team that we knew well. And then of course, the rates had been negotiated and were very advantageous for our customers.
Let’s see an example with a First case!
In 2018 and 2019, sending a First case to the USA cost around €50.
Then in 2020, before the COVID crisis, sending a First case to the USA rose to around €65. Indeed, our offer is reviewed every year at the beginning of the year. And it rarely goes down!
Then, the health crisis turned the markets and prices upside down. Plus, this is the year MonsterLabo moved to France, forcing us to renegotiate our rates with the local branch of DHL Express.
In 2021, a First case sent to the USA cost around €90.
This price now included a surcharge called "emergency situation" based on the weight of the package. Here is an official communication in April 2020: “Given the significant impacts of COVID-19 on the global aviation industry and in order to help us maintain reliable and high-quality delivery services for you and your customers, DHL Express introduced a temporary Emergency Situation Surcharge in early April. Since the onset of this global pandemic, DHL teams have been working around the clock, adapting and adjusting the operations of our global network to align with new developments, regulatory requirements and constant changes in capacity and demand.”
In a nutshell, less freight, less commercial flights, less space = higher costs.
To date, this surcharge is still applied. Its price has certainly dropped over the months, but nevertheless remains clearly visible on each of our shipments.
In January 2023, our price offer was reviewed again. And the new rates were very far from what we had been able to know over the past five years.
From now on, sending a First to the USA costs 220€ without insurance.
There are several reasons for these prices: of course, general inflation, but also taxes and the number of parcels sent (for which the scales have been revised upwards). In short, DHL's price offer was no longer suitable for MonsterLabo.
We prospected with various world-famous carriers but it is clear that prices have increased everywhere and for everyone. We finally found a "reasonable" solution given the situation with La Poste, the national mail service in France. Admittedly, we will never be able to find the prices before, but this solution allows us to continue to export all over the world without having to pass on the freight increases to the price of the product (which itself is already experiencing its own increase in materials raw).
Below are the rates by weight range, as well as country zones.
These prices can vary from one month to another, because the fuel tax is never fixed.
A First sent to the USA will cost 175€ with insurance. That is 45€ less than the DHL offer. This price is equivalent to the UPS offer and which is the only carrier that obtains the same prices while having a “worldwide” offer (prices below without insurance).
At the same time, our partner 2CRSI will take care of sending the cases The Beast directly with its own shipping prices. Thanks to their volume of orders, the prices will be below the prices of MonsterLabo. These prices will only be effective for currently The Beast without electronics.
Unfortunately, we will not be able to find prices like in 2020. This is an overall observation that does not only apply to the shipping costs of our products, as you have certainly noticed in recent months. Nevertheless, we hope that this work on these specific costs will meet your expectations in terms of price.