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Shipping Basses To Kazakhstan?
- Thread starter jakkkk
- Start date
+1
Xenophobia pure and simple. Everyone' raising the exact same issues that are raised when doing business on the internet, and probably don't realise how little international boundaries change things.
If there are taxes to be paid in country, the person/business those goods are sent to pays. It's that simple.
Scammers don't waste a year or so to try and get you. My feeling on this is he's real and has to ask a ton of people to see whos willing to ship to him and he probably wants the basses not for himself but for resale in his country for profit maybe? I don't make any money off talkbass or ebay but I have gotten things for friends who don't have accounts but I think its pretty logical that someone could make money off of it. Squire affinities go for 450 dollars new sometimes here and i can't imagine what its like over in Kazakhastan.
That being said, although not exactly the same... I'm in the dominican republic so I have things shipped to a private freight company in florida (which I use for my day job for parts) who forwards it to my office back home. Maybe he doesn't have that kind of option.
Me, I wouldn't take the risk unless it was a bank wire transfer and no way in hell the money could go back.
I've shipped to TBers in Brazil and south america with no issues using paypal by the way. Also shipped to Europe and no problems, buyer covers the fees as far as I'm concerned and understand.
Or he came into some money recently. Or he's aware most people won't bother and he's not picky (or likes lots of different things) so is trying to buy only one or two.
Exactly, and he will be prepared for this option, and it will cost him an extra $20 or so.
Are you dealing with an ex-pat (i.e. is the English used in correspondence reasonable?)? If so, you are unlikely to have any problems. And let's face it, if the funds clear before you send what's the big deal? It's not like the buyer will stand in the Kazakhstani airfreight Customs office and say 'oh but, some guy in America has to pay the duty'. If you want your stuff in these countries you have to pay.
I have received 8 basses from the states into a tin-pot SE Asian country and I have never had a problem. I received greif from one guy who didn't want to deal with me because of my location and his reaction was based on ignorance rather than experience or knowledge. His loss.
And I can't say this often enough, don't take advice on international matters from people who have never left their arm chair.
It's helpful for both the buyer and seller if the buyer has a US freight forwarding account (such as myus.com). The buyer will save more than the cost of membership on shipping one bass (due to DHL/FedEx discount available). Then you can ship domestically and he can take responsibility for the item from the freight forwarder's door.
I have received 8 basses from the states into a tin-pot SE Asian country and I have never had a problem. I received greif from one guy who didn't want to deal with me because of my location and his reaction was based on ignorance rather than experience or knowledge. His loss.
And I can't say this often enough, don't take advice on international matters from people who have never left their arm chair.
It's helpful for both the buyer and seller if the buyer has a US freight forwarding account (such as myus.com). The buyer will save more than the cost of membership on shipping one bass (due to DHL/FedEx discount available). Then you can ship domestically and he can take responsibility for the item from the freight forwarder's door.
This seems like a reasonably foolproof method. Other than wanting to avoid risk of any kind, can anyone see a potential problem if all funds are paid & cleared in $US in advance (not paypal)?
Thanks.
people, gimme a break
the best comments so far were about xenophobia. Really, you don't expect normal people live anywhere else, do you? Or, rather, you don't freakin' know what and where Kazakhstan is and don't care.
Okay, so I live in Russia, roughly 200 mi away from the Kazakhstan border. According to you, that marks me dead scam, or highly suspicious. My grandfather was born there, so even worse. There are a lot of Kazakh people in my state and in the neighboring states. I do think they are normal, probably most european people in the asian countries that I've met. So this doubles me as an untrustworthy filth, right?
The mere fact that I bought 3 Laklands in the US for myself and 3 - for guys I know and delivered them without an issue is obviously mere luck to the seller. And all this other small stuff I bought from the US, including a $800 roland processor, is just a miracle that no one was killed by me, the barbarian, right?
I guess if the guy who wanted to buy said he was jewish no such topic would ever occur. Go on, give me flame, I really can't bother less.
To the OP. I would expect S&H to be around $175 for the bass, $30 for a bag or $100 for a case. Shipping to be expected in 2-4 weeks depending on the service you choose. If the guy asks to detach neck (never did this myself, but it happens), it is merely to custom restrictions (yeah, weird. But then it is illegal to shoot at whales from a balcony in some mid-continental state in the US).
Money order between physical entities (persons) is not very common in this part of the world and will be very expensive to the buyer; but tolerable. If he's okay with that, fine. You'll be quite safe with Western Union, and I believe, you can collect your money from just a store in US (whereas we have to send it from a bank).
Issuing personal check is a long shot, - if the guy has a bank account at all. I didn't have one for a long time, and over 80% people here don't. We just pay cash, and this is not a Borat joke, this comes from the communist times and I don't want to lose my time to explain. Simply cultural difference.
BTW, if he is ready to pay by PayPal he probably does have a bank account. Just FYI.
Paypal is okay, if you're so worried, just collect your money prior to sending the bass.
Other than that, as soon as you get your money (you're getting it in advance, I believe), all the rest is stastistics.
Come on, guys, we all are bass players. We better get to our "flame the Ric" and "best black pointy bass for metal threads" - who cares about practicing?
the best comments so far were about xenophobia. Really, you don't expect normal people live anywhere else, do you? Or, rather, you don't freakin' know what and where Kazakhstan is and don't care.
Okay, so I live in Russia, roughly 200 mi away from the Kazakhstan border. According to you, that marks me dead scam, or highly suspicious. My grandfather was born there, so even worse. There are a lot of Kazakh people in my state and in the neighboring states. I do think they are normal, probably most european people in the asian countries that I've met. So this doubles me as an untrustworthy filth, right?
The mere fact that I bought 3 Laklands in the US for myself and 3 - for guys I know and delivered them without an issue is obviously mere luck to the seller. And all this other small stuff I bought from the US, including a $800 roland processor, is just a miracle that no one was killed by me, the barbarian, right?
I guess if the guy who wanted to buy said he was jewish no such topic would ever occur. Go on, give me flame, I really can't bother less.
To the OP. I would expect S&H to be around $175 for the bass, $30 for a bag or $100 for a case. Shipping to be expected in 2-4 weeks depending on the service you choose. If the guy asks to detach neck (never did this myself, but it happens), it is merely to custom restrictions (yeah, weird. But then it is illegal to shoot at whales from a balcony in some mid-continental state in the US).
Money order between physical entities (persons) is not very common in this part of the world and will be very expensive to the buyer; but tolerable. If he's okay with that, fine. You'll be quite safe with Western Union, and I believe, you can collect your money from just a store in US (whereas we have to send it from a bank).
Issuing personal check is a long shot, - if the guy has a bank account at all. I didn't have one for a long time, and over 80% people here don't. We just pay cash, and this is not a Borat joke, this comes from the communist times and I don't want to lose my time to explain. Simply cultural difference.
BTW, if he is ready to pay by PayPal he probably does have a bank account. Just FYI.
Paypal is okay, if you're so worried, just collect your money prior to sending the bass.
Other than that, as soon as you get your money (you're getting it in advance, I believe), all the rest is stastistics.
Come on, guys, we all are bass players. We better get to our "flame the Ric" and "best black pointy bass for metal threads" - who cares about practicing?
If a con artist were smart enough to wait two years and build up a reputation he'd be smart enough to not put offers in on 30 members of the same close knit community to avoid suspicion. Guy really sounds legit.
denchiq said:people, gimme a break
the best comments so far were about xenophobia. Really, you don't expect normal people live anywhere else, do you? Or, rather, you don't freakin' know what and where Kazakhstan is and don't care.
Okay, so I live in Russia, roughly 200 mi away from the Kazakhstan border. According to you, that marks me dead scam, or highly suspicious. My grandfather was born there, so even worse. There are a lot of Kazakh people in my state and in the neighboring states. I do think they are normal, probably most european people in the asian countries that I've met. So this doubles me as an untrustworthy filth, right?
The mere fact that I bought 3 Laklands in the US for myself and 3 - for guys I know and delivered them without an issue is obviously mere luck to the seller. And all this other small stuff I bought from the US, including a $800 roland processor, is just a miracle that no one was killed by me, the barbarian, right?
I guess if the guy who wanted to buy said he was jewish no such topic would ever occur. Go on, give me flame, I really can't bother less.
To the OP. I would expect S&H to be around $175 for the bass, $30 for a bag or $100 for a case. Shipping to be expected in 2-4 weeks depending on the service you choose. If the guy asks to detach neck (never did this myself, but it happens), it is merely to custom restrictions (yeah, weird. But then it is illegal to shoot at whales from a balcony in some mid-continental state in the US).
Money order between physical entities (persons) is not very common in this part of the world and will be very expensive to the buyer; but tolerable. If he's okay with that, fine. You'll be quite safe with Western Union, and I believe, you can collect your money from just a store in US (whereas we have to send it from a bank).
Issuing personal check is a long shot, - if the guy has a bank account at all. I didn't have one for a long time, and over 80% people here don't. We just pay cash, and this is not a Borat joke, this comes from the communist times and I don't want to lose my time to explain. Simply cultural difference.
BTW, if he is ready to pay by PayPal he probably does have a bank account. Just FYI.
Paypal is okay, if you're so worried, just collect your money prior to sending the bass.
Other than that, as soon as you get your money (you're getting it in advance, I believe), all the rest is stastistics.
Come on, guys, we all are bass players. We better get to our "flame the Ric" and "best black pointy bass for metal threads" - who cares about practicing?
Your post does very little for your cause.
depends on, which cause you mean.
I am aware one post from the despised world somewhere around the US can't cure xenophobia, arrogance and ignorance whithin it, so this is not my cause.
Up to date, I don't have GAS. In fact, my new bass is arriving in a few days. I am not the person who asked for the topic starter's bass and to buy was not my cause.
I am sorry I couldn't be more helpful about shipping to Kazakhstan since I don't live there. But hopefully, I gave a few tips that can help.
This was.
To be fair, I'd be suspicious of anyone who PM'd 30 different people about their basses, barbarian or not.
okay, this may change the picture. I can't vote for every single person in the world.
However, when I am looking for something, I do send PMs to - not 30, but to several people. Some refuse to send abroad, sone turn out to have sold already, etc. I never closed the deal with several people though, only the one we make an agreement with
most welcome. Also, it just occured to me -
there is this company Music Outlet / Dostavka USA, they buy and send musical stuff on request from the US to Russia and former USSR republics. They have offices in Russia and Arizona. I used their services plenty a time, find them reliable enough. They will pay you whithin the States on behalf of the buyer AFTER they have his money, you only ship to Arizona, and they take care of everything else.
They can be reached at dostavkausa.com or here:
Invalid Link Removed
you may want to advise the other party to contact them
I'll throw in my 2 cents; I've got a feeling the guy is legit. I'm an expat in Indonesia, and I've got the biggest pains in the ass getting stuff shipped here for the same reasons. As for him not being able to use gift pay on Paypal, some countries (Indonesia, Kazakhstan, some more of them) have "restricted" accounts; this means that you can't do a whole lot of things that most of you guys in the US can.
Personally if I had the money for it, I'd be sending out 40 PM's to see if I could load up on 30 used basses that I can resell here for a little profit, and I'm thinking the guy is doing just that.
To be safe, you can tell the guy that paypal is right out, and that a WU money order would be better, since you actually get the cash, before shipping. Risk free, don't you think?
Personally if I had the money for it, I'd be sending out 40 PM's to see if I could load up on 30 used basses that I can resell here for a little profit, and I'm thinking the guy is doing just that.
To be safe, you can tell the guy that paypal is right out, and that a WU money order would be better, since you actually get the cash, before shipping. Risk free, don't you think?
