unclejim,
I am sorry you had a bad experience with a delivery. FedEx does sometimes cost more than other shippers, depending on what you’re shipping where, and how it gets cleared. We’re happy to work with you before shipment to specify how you want it cleared for FedEx. We also offer USPS and, more recently, UPS, if you have a preference of one of those over FedEx.
For any questions regarding shipment, before or after you place an order, feel free to call or email us at customerservice@sparkfun.com. We’ll get you as much information as possible so you can make an informed decision. International shipping usually goes smoothly, but there always seem to be odd cases where the unexpected happens. And those unexpected things usually cost more. Sorry this happened to you.
Please let me know if you have any further questions or comments
~Paul