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Cheapest way to ship a large amp?

coryt

coryt

Supporting Member
May 16, 2009
152
100
#1
hey all,
I live in Canada, and I just bought a large tube head from someone in the states. Packed up, it’s about 3’x3’x3’ and 100lbs. Using online shipping calculators from dhl, fedex, ups, etc. I’m getting quotes of $450-$1200.
Does anybody know a cheaper way to ship across the border?
Thanks
 
#2
coryt said:
hey all,
I live in Canada, and I just bought a large tube head from someone in the states. Packed up, it’s about 3’x3’x3’ and 100lbs. Using online shipping calculators from dhl, fedex, ups, etc. I’m getting quotes of $450-$1200.
Does anybody know a cheaper way to ship across the border?
Thanks
Click to expand...

Ship with USPS/Canada Post. It will be a higher cost up front but it will be much less in the end. You are limited to your insurance value, however, so the seller may refuse to use this method. Bear in mind that any courier will add significant upcharges to your shipment just for bringing it across the border. Using Canada Post you will still expect taxes but it will only be about 10% of the item's value, there will be no additional charges.

Can we ask what you bought? I'm guessing an SVT.
 
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#3
There are private carriers, folks who wander the country hauling stuff.

My son sent up an oak dresser and bookcase from San Francisco to Portland. I can look see if I can find their contact info. If memory serves they were headed to Toronto and then Boston.

Failing that consider advertising in CL to find someone traveling from-to and ask them to haul it along with the passengers..good luck
 
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#4
coryt said:
hey all,
I live in Canada, and I just bought a large tube head from someone in the states. Packed up, it’s about 3’x3’x3’ and 100lbs. Using online shipping calculators from dhl, fedex, ups, etc. I’m getting quotes of $450-$1200.
Does anybody know a cheaper way to ship across the border?
Thanks
Click to expand...

Most companies ship heavy cabs and heads using a freight service. It is shipped via truck in North America. All the courrier companies, such as FedEx, have freight divisions.

Register with the company online, then get your quotes.

When borders are involved, it helps to authorize the carrier to handle customs and taxes for you. You sign a power of attorney form for customs and they take care of it and charge it to your credit card. It speeds up the delivery process.
 
Last edited:
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#5
3' x 3' x 3'??? That's part of your problem. I know of no tube amp head that would require anywhere near this size box, even with 2" of dense foam all around. 100 pounds is the other part of your problem, but dimensions are a bigger issue.

Postal service seems to handle customs clearing better going into Canada. There are also services that will accept \your package on the US side of the border, you can pick up there carry it across the border and handle customs yourself. Sometimes this is a better way to do it (if you live reasonably close to the border), especially if you can combine the trip with a 1 day "vacation".
 
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#7
beans-on-toast said:
Most companies ship heavy cabs and heads using a freight service. It is shipped via truck in North America. All the courrier companies, such as FedEx, have freight divisions.

Register with the company online, then get your quotes.

When borders are involved, it helps to authorize the carrier to handle customs and taxes for you. You sign a power of attorney form for customs and they take care of it and charge it to your credit card. It speeds up the delivery process.
Click to expand...

I don't know how things work down South but I don't think that is necessary up here, the courier already handles the customs process and forwards you the cost. If the package comes Fedex, they will bring you the item and leave it with you upon getting a signature. You will then get a bill in the mail. I'm pretty sure they do it this way because people would refuse packages after seeing the additional Fedex charges. Fedex will also charge you $9 for covering the customs, even if the cost is $2. UPS or DHL will just have you pay them directly upon delivery.

@agedhorse makes a good point about picking it up but, bear in mind, that the daily limit is only $75 so you would still pay taxes importing the amp. If you choose to lie, U.S. border guards have a crazy amount of clearance with your phones/computer/data. Their Canadian counterparts will check your e-mail and texts as well if they feel you are lying.

At the end of the day, a box that big will not be cheap. You are pushing the limits into freight territory (I think that is 150lbs). The logistics on freight is a whole new ball game that you want to avoid. The 3' cube is probably oversized, ensure the seller does not over do it or you will pay for it.
 
#9
I just brought an SVT head from Boston to Lima, Peru on a plane, total cost with ticket (for me) was about $600.00, head cost $200.00 to ship, see if you can find a cheap plane ticket, I covered the front and back with several layers of cardboard and took the knobs off in case.
 
#10
DiabolusInMusic said:
I don't know how things work down South but I don't think that is necessary up here, the courier already handles the customs process and forwards you the cost. If the package comes Fedex, they will bring you the item and leave it with you upon getting a signature. You will then get a bill in the mail. I'm pretty sure they do it this way because people would refuse packages after seeing the additional Fedex charges. Fedex will also charge you $9 for covering the customs, even if the cost is $2. UPS or DHL will just have you pay them directly upon delivery.
Click to expand...

It depends on the service. With some types of delivery, they cover brokerage, taxes, fees as you said. This costs more. I was refering to ground freight service which is usually the least expensive.

Googling Fedex internation ground turns this up: Invalid Link Removed
 
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#11
I think that you didn’t fully understand the advantage of cross border shopping that Andy mentioned.

When you ship to a US depot close to the border, you have it marked, hold for..., the shipping cost is way less than if it crosses the border. It isn’t just about customs, taxes, etc. The cost goes way up. You then bring it across the border yourself, pay taxes whatever at the border.

In your case, from Saskatoon to the FedEx depot at Williston North Dakota is a six hour drive each way. That cost would have to be factored in. Too bad Amazon doesn’t ship used items.
 
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#15
Pack it reasonably small, (couple inches of foam all around, and IDEALLY, all tubes removed and sent separately in bubble pack) and if it makes the weight limit then USPS definitely the way to go. It will come via CanadaPost, whose flat rate brokerage charge is only CAD 9.95!

** Compare to UPS or FedEx brokerage, which just go up and up and up with the insured value of the item. Their "to Canada brokerage charges" are VERY WELL HIDDEN on their website, by the way. CRIMINAL...
 
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#17
mikewalker said:
Which reminds me - maybe Greyhound freight? ( Do they even do international?)
Click to expand...
Greyhound is certainly the cheapest way to ship big things within Canada, in my experience. I dunno if they'll do cross-border stuff though. When I've bought over-sized items (a bass, in my case) I had it shipped to NYC, took a weekend vacation and brought it back with me. It was a simple process and I got to visit a friend at the same time! :D
 
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#18
DiabolusInMusic said:
I don't know how things work down South but I don't think that is necessary up here, the courier already handles the customs process and forwards you the cost. If the package comes Fedex, they will bring you the item and leave it with you upon getting a signature. You will then get a bill in the mail. I'm pretty sure they do it this way because people would refuse packages after seeing the additional Fedex charges. Fedex will also charge you $9 for covering the customs, even if the cost is $2. UPS or DHL will just have you pay them directly upon delivery.
Click to expand...
All the courier companies (FedEx, UPS, DHL) charge you extra brokerage charges in Canada over and above the shipping cost and taxes, and they can be substantial. If you have your own account and do the authorization paperwork ahead of time, it can be cheaper.
Google around for all the horror stories of people north of the border getting nasty brokerage surprises.
 
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#19
devnulljp said:
All the courier companies (FedEx, UPS, DHL) charge you extra brokerage charges in Canada over and above the shipping cost and taxes, and they can be substantial. If you have your own account and do the authorization paperwork ahead of time, it can be cheaper.
Google around for all the horror stories of people north of the border getting nasty brokerage surprises.
Click to expand...
EVERY SINGLE TIME someone has used FedEX or UPS to ship me a pedal (usually less than 1kg), I've been sent a bill for $50-$60 after the fact. They claim that it's Customs that charges this fee, yet every time I've used USPS/CanadaPost and I've had customs charge me taxes, it's never cost more than $22-$26.

I can't imagine what they'd demand for shipping a 100lb amp! I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up with a $300-$500 bill in the end.
 
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#20
devnulljp said:
All the courier companies (FedEx, UPS, DHL) charge you extra brokerage charges in Canada over and above the shipping cost and taxes, and they can be substantial. If you have your own account and do the authorization paperwork ahead of time, it can be cheaper.
Google around for all the horror stories of people north of the border getting nasty brokerage surprises.
Click to expand...
Happens to us down here as well, say how do they calculate customs charges on moose sausage anyway? ;)
 

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