That’s Royal Mail for you! No way to pick an alternative provider and then they hit you in the pocket because of that.
Hi @peter . It’s good for all us to reduce shipping costs as low as possible, but until we own airplanes, trucks, and delivery staff we must rely on available shipping carriers and adhere to international import law. As noted, we use the Shopify ecommerce system for shop.weatherflow.com. Within the Shopify platform, we use Shopify Shipping which leverages scale to negotiate discounted shipping rates with the domestic and international carriers including USPS. This allows us to offer lower shipping rates for our customers.
Shopify Shipping integrates with carriers via API to dynamically query and set the shipping cost based on delivery address. We offer a couple classes of service to give buyers options on time to deliver / price. Over the last couple weeks, Shopify Shipping has notified us multiple times that the USPS API services have been experiencing partial outages. We guess that at the time when you purchased your Solar Panel, the USPS API was only returning the Priority Mail option at the $24 rate you selected. We also have another rate tier for USPS First Class International which is likely the $15 rate that you refer to (all pricing dynamically determined by Shopify Shipping and USPS). There was never any intent to penalize any customer with higher shipping rates. That is not in anyone’s best interest. And, WeatherFlow does not make any extra $$ on the postage fees ---- those are simply the difference between Priority Mail and First Class rates.
Hope that clarifies. Cheers.
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Thanks for taking the time to reply - another reason you guys are so great to deal with 
.
I appreciate it sounds like the issue is not so much under your control, but I would like to note that when I checked out I did select USPS First Class International. When I view my order (#2028) in the WeatherFlow shop, it says the shipping method is “First Class Package International”. I was offered the option of Priority Shipping, but the quoted cost was between $40 and $50 (sorry, I can’t remember the exact amount!) so I didn’t select it. Perhaps this is something you need to take up with Shopify, as while I understand WeatherFlow receives no monetary benefit, it still leaves a bit of a sour taste for the customer!
In the end though, I am still hugely looking forward to receiving my SPA (hopefully tomorrow if the Royal Mail don’t mess up) and getting it up and running! Thanks for building such a great weather station.
Hi @peter . Thanks for letting us know more details about your checkout experience. We’re baffled as to why the dynamically generated shipping rates would have fluctuated so drastically. Will inquire with Shopify Shipping to see if there is a rational explanation. If you want WF to send you $9 to compensate you for the shipping cost difference, please send us a direct msg.
We also look forward to you receiving, installing, and enjoying your Solar Power accessory. It’s so much less hassle than international shipping! 
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Just to back up what Peter said, I am sure Priority Shipping was $54 and First Class International was $24 when I looked originally (and when I made my post about the shipping costs).
@peter I hope yours actually gets delivered. I paid my customs fees online on Monday, and have the receipt. Selected today for redelivery as I knew I would be in the office. Postie came this morning, with no parcel. Checked tracking. Royal Mail says current status, Held due to Customs Fee. Then latest update says Fees Paid. Sat on phone for best part of 30minutes before I gave up. I will just have to leave early and visit them armed with print-outs and receipts. Royal Mail really are a bunch of clowns…
I’ve actually just had confirmation that mine has been delivered 
. Hope you have some luck down at the delivery office!
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Received mine today(Melbourne Aus.) and installed it straight away. I noticed some wispy spider webs in the gap but the top was clean. But I do have a plastic owl perched on top of the TV antenna. Checked the AA cell voltages, 5 at 1.5 volts, 5 around 0.9 to 1.1 volts and the remaining one at 0.6 volts.They don’t work well in parallel.
What? Wait! That’s 11 cells. Must be that Oz math.
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Hi It should have been 3, 4 and 1
Regards
Dennis Nolan
-
0451 662 093*
"I contend we are both atheists, I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours."
…Stephen F Roberts
Pleased to report I managed to pick it up last night, so plan to install it tomorrow 
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I have received mine today. I’m curious: the solar panel doesn’t look like a solar panel at all. Instead of a shiny black or dark blue surface with obvious metallic interconnections, it looks like a piece of rough greyblue fabric. Does someone care to explain this?
Recieved mine yesterday, easy install, works well
Checked the Energizer Lithium that had been working for almost 12 months
6 cells at 1.5V 2 cells at 1.8V. Stange that 2 have decided to increase
Sounds like a perpetual mobile.
12 months and more voltage them at the brginning 
That what I thoght, in winter the voltage went down, then as it warmed up, the voltage rose above the starting point.
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Given the size and energy output, I’m guessing that WF spent a little more money to put a first-class solar cell onto the SPA. There are many different types of solar cells beyond the common ones used in cheap garden walkway lights and throwaway solar-powered calculators…
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If you look at under bright light you can see the familiar solar cell like pattern under the surface. As @vreihen said, it isn’t a cheap one.
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Ah yes, indeed there are 8 segments visible underneath. So on top of the solar cells is some kind of protective, fabric like layer. Maybe to repel dust, dirt, water? Or to grab more light from all directions and direct it to the solar cells underneath? Both? Very interesting design!
So awesome to hear it’s shipping with solar panel. My test unit still going strong.
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Does the solar power unit allow for the original base plate from the Sky unit to be remounted into the base of the solar power unit? I ask this because I have mounted my Sky unit on top of a 6x6 wood pole buried in the ground and extending 10 feet above ground, and I attached the Sky unit to the top of this pole with the mount recommended for purchase from Amazon for the AIR unit.
In fact, it does allow.