Guitar Shipping Costs

[Don]

Hi Gang! What is a reasonable cost to ship a dread? Mailboxes Etc. wants $81 to ship one. The story goes because it's oversized it has to ship two-day express. I think the B-team is working at Mailboxes this week. I had a D212M (Same size but heavier guitar) shipped from California for under $35. Anyone with suggestions for reasonable shipping please pipe up right away as I have to decide whether I want this guitar badly enough to pay $81 to ship it. Thanks!

Cheers!

Don

 

[Ian]

Man I should have that problem. For $81.00 I wouldnt even think about it :lol:

 

[tjmangum]

All depends upon how far you're going with it. The key word is "Mailboxes Etc." They will want to charge for the box, charge for the foam peanuts that don't do anything etc. However, if the seller is not an experienced guitar shipper, they might be a bargain. Ground shipping alone (not the packing) should not cost more than 55 bucks coast to coast with UPS or FedEx or even USPS if you can get it in a small enough box, which with a dread it would be hard.
tj

 

[alpep]

guitars are oversized and should be packed well. but at the ups store etc they charge for the box and packing.
from NJ to CA usually it cost around $50 and is more depending on the insurance. this is for UPS come to think of it 81 for 3 day express is not that bad.

USPS can be cheaper but I don't like to use them for domestic packages. their thing seems to be mail.

fed ex is most expensive and I do not trust their ground delivery after I had a couple guitars come in a ryder truck with a pile of crap stacked up on them. overnight and 2 or 3 day they are fine.

 

[Don]

The guitar is already boxed and padded. The guy got Guitar WalMart to give him a Taylor shipping box. So the cost is purely shipping. I agree that $81 for two or three day shipping isn't bad. What raised my antennae was being told that because the box was oversized this was the only shipping option. We're going to try UPS directly, maybe from the office next.

 

[silverfox103]

I am a UPS business shipper, so I understand the game a little bit. Here is what you should do. Have the seller go to a music store and get a box. Have him pack it. Then have him go to a UPS (where the trucks get loaded) and have them tell him how much it would be to ship it. Guaranteed a lot less than $81. DO NOT go to a UPS store or a Mailbox unless you want to get hosed! To ship a guitar should be about $35 to $40 for ground.

Just today I received a guitar that I had shipped from Colorado to New Hampshire. At the store they wanted $146, I said no. I told the seller to do what I told you--$36 insured ground. Don't believe them, it is NOT oversized.

Tom C.

 

[GuildsSing]

Ditto to silverfox. I've had seven guitars shipped UPS Ground through several states over the last few years, ie. Minnesota to Washington for $35. You can use their estimate calculator online. The cheapest way to go is obviously pack yourself. The UPS Store will pack for you with box and wrap, etc. and I believe a guarantee for damage for about $55. All this from memory so..... :wink: Every guitar has arrived as originally shipped with no damage or added crazing. It is not the fastest way but has worked for me.

Dan

 

[Don]

Awesome Tom, thanks! He actually did what you suggested, that WAS the pack it yourself price. He's going to see if he can ship it UPS from his office. Keep your fingers crossed.

 

[charliea]

I always pay my UPS shipping on the internet, and print my own label. Then you have the option of dropping your package off at a Customer Service Center or a UPS Store without additional charges. For that matter, you can specify a pickup at your home or office, usually for an extra $3-$5.

 

[Dadaist]

Don,
Just shipped a guitar about the same size as you describe from SoCal to Ohio. Went UPS Ground, insured for the entire amount....in a proper acoustic guitar box with enough packing material to make sure that it was going to arrive undamaged. It cost $77.00...$53.00 for the shipping and $24.00 for insurance. Arrived safely and without drama...

David

 

[evenkeel]

I just shipped two guitars from Annapolis to St. Pete as we could not fit all our stuff and all the guitars in the car. FedEx ground, three days, less than $55 for both. I've used FedEx years. I have never had a problem, both shipping and receiving.

FYI, if you open a FedEx account (no charge), it saves you a few dollars.

 

[chazmo]

I always pay my UPS shipping on the internet, and print my own label. Then you have the option of dropping your package off at a Customer Service Center or a UPS Store without additional charges. For that matter, you can specify a pickup at your home or office, usually for an extra $3-$5.

I think this is the way to go. I've done this twice now for around $50. UPS nickels and dimes you a little after the package ships, but it's not terrible. Just pack it and bring it to the UPS store. You need to get your account going online, and that takes a little time, but it's very convenient to weigh, measure, and pack the thing at your house and also print the label...

I don't know if the other shippers offer this service. UPS still scares the poop out of me, but I don't know if there's any really good shipping option. I would probably still stick with USPS (even though they charge a lot more and don't offer tracking) for anything that would need to go through more than one transfer station, probably bigger than 500mi radius.

 

[kokotele]

FWIW, the UPS store near me charges the same shipping rates as the counter at the depot. Regardless, I also usually print my own shipping labels and either have UPS pick up the package or drop it off at the store.

It's been years since I've shipped a guitar for less than $40, though. Makes me wonder if you guys who are shipping so cheap have some magic guitar shrinking machine or something. With the increase in rates (and another one around the corner), it's tough to ship without spending an arm and a leg.

 

[bodger]

How about shipping to Australia? I recently checked into shipping a guitar via USPS International, box dimension was 48" long, 18" wide, 12" deep, and estimated weight 18 pounds.

USPS web site postage calculator sez they don't take packages of that size for shipment to Australia. UPS wants like $650 for that.

And UPS calculator sez that same package going from Los Angeles to Ohio is $78 insured for $1600.

Have prices gone up and what's up with that Aus shipping thing?

 

[kokotele]

bodger, you might run the calculation again for the Australia shipping cost. Less than 2 years ago I shipped a PBass to Australia for right around $200 by USPS and the box was bigger than your dimensions. Rates have gone up a bit since then, but not that much.

 

[twocorgis]

bodger, you might run the calculation again for the Australia shipping cost. Less than 2 years ago I shipped a PBass to Australia for right around $200 by USPS and the box was bigger than your dimensions. Rates have gone up a bit since then, but not that much.

In the intervening time, the rules for shipping to Oz have done a complete turnaround. I sold two guitars to SouthernGuild, and it was impossible to get them there via the USPS for anything less than $400. Luckily I had a friend of a friend who gets a big discount with Fedex. That was the only thing that got them there for anything approaching a reasonable price. $160 for the F20 in a 46x20x8 box, and $175 for the JF65 in a 28x21x9 box with his 60% flat discount. I'd be reluctant to ask him again, or ship a guitar to Oz.

If you look at US-based eBay sellers that will ship internationally, most of the m exclude Italy and Australia.

 

[Graham]

In the intervening time, the rules for shipping to Oz have done a complete turnaround. I sold two guitars to SouthernGuild, and it was impossible to get them there via the USPS for anything less than $400. Luckily I had a friend of a friend who gets a big discount with Fedex. That was the only thing that got them there for anything approaching a reasonable price. $160 for the F20 in a 46x20x8 box, and $175 for the JF65 in a 28x21x9 box with his 60% flat discount. I'd be reluctant to ask him again, or ship a guitar to Oz.

If you look at US-based eBay sellers that will ship internationally, most of the m exclude Italy and Australia.

Hi Sandy I know that's a typo unless you sawed it in half. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[kokotele]

bodger, you might run the calculation again for the Australia shipping cost. Less than 2 years ago I shipped a PBass to Australia for right around $200 by USPS and the box was bigger than your dimensions. Rates have gone up a bit since then, but not that much.

In the intervening time, the rules for shipping to Oz have done a complete turnaround. I sold two guitars to SouthernGuild, and it was impossible to get them there via the USPS for anything less than $400. Luckily I had a friend of a friend who gets a big discount with Fedex. That was the only thing that got them there for anything approaching a reasonable price. $160 for the F20 in a 46x20x8 box, and $175 for the JF65 in a 28x21x9 box with his 60% flat discount. I'd be reluctant to ask him again, or ship a guitar to Oz.

If you look at US-based eBay sellers that will ship internationally, most of the m exclude Italy and Australia.

Thanks for the info. I mean, it's bad, bad news, but I'm glad to be up to date anyway.

Does anyone know why it suddenly costs so much to ship to Australia?

 

[twocorgis]

In the intervening time, the rules for shipping to Oz have done a complete turnaround. I sold two guitars to SouthernGuild, and it was impossible to get them there via the USPS for anything less than $400. Luckily I had a friend of a friend who gets a big discount with Fedex. That was the only thing that got them there for anything approaching a reasonable price. $160 for the F20 in a 46x20x8 box, and $175 for the JF65 in a 28x21x9 box with his 60% flat discount. I'd be reluctant to ask him again, or ship a guitar to Oz.

If you look at US-based eBay sellers that will ship internationally, most of the m exclude Italy and Australia.

Hi Sandy I know that's a typo unless you sawed it in half. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Oops! that's what I get for multitasking.

 

[twocorgis]

Thanks for the info. I mean, it's bad, bad news, but I'm glad to be up to date anyway.

Does anyone know why it suddenly costs so much to ship to Australia?

Honestly, I have no idea, but it must be something on the governmental level I would guess. Australia used to have some of the stiffest import duties years back. They relaxed them some, but maybe are heading back in that direction.