International Shipping - NEED ADVICE!!

MikeXbass · #1 12-28-2009, 03:33 PM

I'm tryin to get pricing on shipping a bass to Ecuador for a potential buyer but I'd need to get a hard case..
I've also hard of people taking the necks of and that brought the shipping cost down..

Any advice on shipping prefs would be GREATLY appreciated..
After seeing the UPS ran over my bass thread ..I'm very concerned bout it..

Want to get the bass in it's entireity to the buyer and not cost him an arm and a leg..!

Thanks guys!!
Mike Zuniga

roadkill2309 · #2 12-28-2009, 03:47 PM

Yeah, UPS is a terrible choice, especially for something crossing a border. Their 'brokerage fees' can be a deal-killer on top of the dangers to the product. Will USPS ship it? if you can get a tracking number, it's probably a lot better.

Johnny Alien · #3 12-28-2009, 03:52 PM

To be honest I have shipped international 3 times and 2 of those times the guys tried to scam me. I have vowed to never do it again.

With that aside....shipping with the neck off does save a bit and makes it safer to ship but sometimes that is not desirable to the buyer. Check the package limitations with the USPS as some countries have size and/or weight restrictions.

While USPS has tracking it stops when the instrument hits customs and Paypal will not acknowledge it because if that. FedEx is way more expensive than USPS but will track 100% of the way.

MikeXbass · #4 12-28-2009, 04:49 PM

Any ballpark $$$ range from your 3..
Just to have a basic idea..I am goin to tak to FedEx tomorrow ..should I ship just with case or in a shipping box as well..

I've never shipped international..
Thanks guys!!!

Johnny Alien · #5 12-28-2009, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeXbass

Any ballpark $$$ range from your 3..
Just to have a basic idea..I am goin to tak to FedEx tomorrow ..should I ship just with case or in a shipping box as well..

I've never shipped international..
Thanks guys!!!

You absolutely want to put the bass in the case and then the case into a shipping box. Pack it very well.

It really depends where you are shipping to but I found out that FedEx was about twice the cost of USPS. I shipped to Germany once and the package did not meet the size restrictions so USPS would NOT ship it at all. They quoted me $160 and it was close to $300 through FedEx.

MikeXbass · #6 12-28-2009, 08:44 PM

How did they try to scam you..to beware of those things..

Jim Campbell · #7 12-28-2009, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeXbass

How did they try to scam you..to beware of those things..

it is common for buyers to have paypal claims after delivery....i'm not sure how it works but i would not ship until the money is locked in and let the buyer arrange his own shipping.....course you need to stipulate everything in your auction to avoid feed back issues

MikeXbass · #8 12-30-2009, 07:03 AM

Need some advice..

everone says UPS is HORRID
FedEx only inusres $500
and USPS will cover full amount but only track to border customs,
after that no tellin what could happen and how long it would take

What do u guys recommend for me to do....buyer really wants my bass..but apart from flyin down there myself im not sure what to do..

mrpackerguy · #9 12-30-2009, 08:07 AM

I too have been leery of int'l shipping, but recently shipped a bass to a TB'er in Luxembourg. You have to check the country - Luxembourg - a guitar box was fine. I did ship a bass to a TB'er in Australia several years ago and it had to go in two boxes because of box-size restrictions.

I go to a shipping store that offers fedex, UPS, USPS, DHL. Fedex was competitive and I agree with the above poster, it tracks continually - more peace of mind. USPS tracking is not really tracking, but more delivery confirmation.

The buyer also recommended I list on the customs "gift" which I did to help get through customs and the bass got from Madison WI to him in Luxembourg delivered in 4 days at a standard fedex delivery rate. In addition, I believe I was able to insure for full value (not 100% sure on that) - not sure why you can't. In total for a 7-10 business day int'l rate, it was $167, but well worth it imo because of the tracking. It was in Paris by Day3 and delivered on Day4.

Pilgrim · #10 12-30-2009, 09:58 AM

I just shipped a bass to Greece. I removed the neck, wrapped nack and body both in bubble wrap, and padded well around them. Allowed me to make the box about half the size it would have been otherwise.

I learned that UPS and FedEx are RIDICULOUS when shipping overseas - USPS is the only affordable way to go that I found. It was about 30% of the cost of the other services. You can insure when shipping through them. I found their online postage calculator was pretty darn accurate.

One thing my buyer clued me in on was that if a shipment to his country is worth more than $120 he has to pay a duty on the value. I was shipping a parts bass as a refin project, so at his request, I just insured for $100 and avoided forcing him to pay a duty.

I seldom ship overseas, and when I do I expect the buyer to fill me in on the ins and outs of shipping to his country. I can't know all those details, and he's the one who gets stuck if he's wrong. I will NOT EVER ship overseas unless I am paid 100% before shipping. Period.

Geddyfleaharris · #11 12-30-2009, 04:38 PM

I ship in Canada (obviously) and CONUS. I am not interested in shipping anywhere else. If I can't get in my truck and drive somewhere to straighten out a problem then I ain't shipping a bass there.

There was another thread about overseas shipping awhile ago that sounded like the scam jim Campbell mentioned. Buyer gets the bass. Makes a claim to Paypal that it didn't arrive or was damaged. Gets refunded his money plus keeps the bass that 99% for sure arrived. Paypal is not going to go to some Eastern European country (not to pick on Eastern Europe; just an example) to try and verify whether the claim is legit or not. Seller has no bass and no cash.

MikeXbass · #12 01-01-2010, 04:20 PM

Scary..Thankfully the deal that was brewing did not go thru.!