Shipping a UB to Hawaii

808robertr · #1 04-09-2008, 08:12 PM

Aloha,

I'm looking to purchase a replacement for my UB, but interested if anyone has any input on shipping costs. Okay, so I live in paradise, but the shipping is so WAY out there. Is 200+ too much or am I just crazy...any input greatly appreciated!

Hawaii Islander · #2 04-09-2008, 08:24 PM

I emailed Gollihur Music with that very questions a couple of months ago. I never got a reply. Most of the major online music stores won't ship them to Hawaii due to the size.

There should be some way to get UB to folks like us in Hawaii. How much would it cost to stick it on a boat? People ship big things to us everyday, why shouldn't we be able to get UBs and 8x10 bass cabs shipped to us in an affordable way. $200.00 shipping for a UB or 8x10 cab is not too much. I'd pay it.

woolybass · #3 04-09-2008, 08:59 PM

Recently I had a bass shipped from china, I know my bad, the cost was 300 dineros including insurance. I'm glad that I had insurance because it came with a broken neck.Anyway 200 seems reasonable to come from Hawaii. Make sure it is well packed and supported inside and labelled for upright direction so there are no forces pulling in the wrong direction from the support. Good luck. Woolybass

drurb · #4 04-10-2008, 07:20 AM

It's only $200? Seems like a bargain.

808robertr · #5 04-10-2008, 09:16 AM

hey thanks for the input. i just wanted to make sure i wasn't being taken for a ride off a short pier when it came to shipping. that's about the average +/-. oh puna, i got a quote of 255 from bob golihir.

yeah, how can they ship such large ticket items like furniture, big screen tv's, hot tubs and such. sounds to me like somebody is collecting some extra dineros...lol.

Caveshmoe · #6 04-10-2008, 11:15 AM

I spoke to upton about just that issue...shipping.

They run an ad campaign suggesting free shipping, however due to the obvious increases in fuel costs this amounts to a variable.

So their offer is something akin to a "shipping allowance" and the further away from their shop (by say time zone for instance) the bigger the bite out your "shipping allowance".

They indicated that they ship via a "deal" they have with FedEx where the bass is kept upright during shipping and that they also take great care in packaging their product.

According to their best guestimates (subject to change without notice)...their free shipping deal at current shipping rates will get your bass from them to say...somewhere out about the Omaha line...maybe...or perhaps closer to the Chicago line.

To get a my bass to California was gonna approach $600...maybe. All the way out to Hawai'i was somewhere around the $800 mark so with 600-to-Cali that does make it somewhere around $200 for the extra Hawai'i leg

However they mentioned that they have recently shipped basses to Hawai'i Nei.

After pressing Matson for some info it seemed that they're not into the mixed load container program and the cost of the 20' can w/o trucking is close to 5k and the price is similar for a PODS container...from the West Coast ports of Long Beach, Oakland, with an increase for Seattle.

Back in the day I used to ship small loads to and from Hawai'i via DHX a shipping consolidation company that has since gone out of business and I have used Yellow for most of my loads since.

WARNING: As a private shipper if my load is in any way suspected for anything illicit...the feds will unceremoniously unpack / inspect / repack the load according to their definition of care and packing. They are supposed to be "required" to notify you with their little stickers that they slap all over your load to let you know that you made the grade.

woolybass · #7 04-10-2008, 09:38 PM

This may sound stupid, but you will want to make sure the amount insured is the full price of the bass.I found out today that my coverage is limited to $110.00. Try to get a neck repaired for that. Also be prepared to photograph the whole unpacking process, from the freight terminal to the end.Again good luck.

sixandeightstringer · #8 04-17-2008, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawaii Islander

I emailed Gollihur Music with that very questions a couple of months ago. I never got a reply.

Sorry to hear that, I don't recall seeing such an email (wonder if it made it through?), and we get that question a lot - at least, as it pertains to shipping a bass anywhere in the US. Going to Hawaii makes it that much more expensive, I'm sure.

What we usually recommend is this: Due to size, for the continental portion of the journey you'll need to ship it by freight truck; and unfortunately, unless you have an agreement through work or someone with a business, the "retail" walk-in customer pays an absolute fortune. However, discounts of 40% and on up are given to businesses with accounts with the shipper.

Often you are best off just going to one of the chain shipping companies, not the little mailbox ones but those that deal more with commercial customers, even some UPS stores-- they have databases for devising shipping crates and/or boxes, and even though you pay more to have someone make the container and pack the bass for you, this way you are confidently covered by insurance against famage or loss. Trucking companies are notorious for breaking stuff, and they'll be happy to blame it on your packaging- can't blame you if "they" did it themselves!

No matter what you do, it won't be cheap, but IME, the above process is probably your best bet.

downneck · #9 04-17-2008, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 808robertr

hey thanks for the input. i just wanted to make sure i wasn't being taken for a ride off a short pier when it came to shipping. that's about the average +/-. oh puna, i got a quote of 255 from bob golihir.

yeah, how can they ship such large ticket items like furniture, big screen tv's, hot tubs and such. sounds to me like somebody is collecting some extra dineros...lol.

volume

everyone buys tvs and furniture, not very many people buy URBs

Hawaii Islander · #10 04-17-2008, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sixandeightstringer

Sorry to hear that, I don't recall seeing such an email (wonder if it made it through?), and we get that question a lot - at least, as it pertains to shipping a bass anywhere in the US. Going to Hawaii makes it that much more expensive, I'm sure.

What we usually recommend is this: Due to size, for the continental portion of the journey you'll need to ship it by freight truck; and unfortunately, unless you have an agreement through work or someone with a business, the "retail" walk-in customer pays an absolute fortune. However, discounts of 40% and on up are given to businesses with accounts with the shipper.

Often you are best off just going to one of the chain shipping companies, not the little mailbox ones but those that deal more with commercial customers, even some UPS stores-- they have databases for devising shipping crates and/or boxes, and even though you pay more to have someone make the container and pack the bass for you, this way you are confidently covered by insurance against famage or loss. Trucking companies are notorious for breaking stuff, and they'll be happy to blame it on your packaging- can't blame you if "they" did it themselves!

No matter what you do, it won't be cheap, but IME, the above process is probably your best bet.

Thanks for your response and advice.

I emailed via my hawaii.edu email account and it didn't give a delivery error message.

sixandeightstringer · #11 04-18-2008, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawaii Islander

Thanks for your response and advice.

I emailed via my hawaii.edu email account and it didn't give a delivery error message.

No worries - we do our best, but we're not infallible and sometimes emails do slip through the cracks. That said, if you don't get an answer when emailing us, please try again, from a different email account if possible. We don't ignore folks on purpose... ;-)

**Bob Gollihur** · #12 04-18-2008, 12:33 PM

We shipped a five string Bulgarian bass to Hawaii in March, and I quoted an Engelhardt to Hawaii last month (I usually do the quotes so Mark wouldn't have seen it). The Engelhardt was $260 at the time, not a bad price at all, though fuel surcharges are bumping up the numbers almost daily.

We're rapid and rabid about answering emails in most cases, so if you don't get a reply, try again and/or from another email account. Spam is horrendous these days and I've seen good messages go astray.

MingusAmongUs · #13 04-18-2008, 12:50 PM

I'll chime in as an internet programmer guy to say that emails can and all too often do just vanish in the ether. More often than not you will get no delivery error message, or any response at all, thanks to newer "greylisting" techniques. I have about a dozen different email addresses and sometimes I have to try sending from 4 or 5 of them before one makes it through, and nobody has any idea why... spam sucks in so many ways.

808robertr · #14 04-23-2008, 02:43 PM

thanks to all for the input. i apologize if i came off too presumptious or unrealistic. i want to thank golihir music for all their help with my shipping inquiries, etc.

at least now i have a realistic picture of what it will cost to get a URB shipped here to Hawaii. Unfortunately, we live in an area where our mom and pop music retailers that are unable to bring in these instruments cost effectively. to illustrate a point, one of our local retailers has a CCB on display going for over $1500.00. so i might actually be saving some money afterall....