Overseas Shipping Question?

[Taylor Martin Guild]

I see in many Ebay sales, that the seller won't ship overseas.
Why is that?

 

[Default]

If you look over in the coastie shipping thread, it's almost as cheap to buy a plane ticket and carry it over in person as it is to ship the guitar through USPS, Fedex and the like. I would imagine damage in shipping would be an even greater nightmare.


Although I wouldn't mind dropping in to have some bangers and mash with JerryR.

 

[coastie99]

If you look over in the coastie shipping thread, it's almost as cheap to buy a plane ticket and carry it over in person as it is to ship the guitar through USPS, Fedex and the like. I would imagine damage in shipping would be an even greater nightmare.


Although I wouldn't mind dropping in to have some bangers and mash with JerryR.

I imagine that a lot of Ebay transactions go pear-shaped when the international buyer, who probably has no idea of shipping costs, learns subsequent to the auction win, what it's actually going to cost him to have his guitar/whatever shipped. If I sold an item internationally, and the sale subsequently fell through, it would be the last time that I'd bother.

By the look of it, there are also "troublesome" markets; you'll often see a trader who'll ship internationally, but not to some specific countries, eg Indonesia.

It would actually appear that, international shipping isn't outrageously expensive, provided that you're not shipping an "oversized" item, and that seems to be pretty much any set-neck guitar.

 

[john_kidder]

USPS to Europe is less than $100, 5-7 day delivery. Never been a problem for me.

And There are numerous US sellers who won't ship even to Canada because of some perception of difficulty - they've never tried, of course, they just make a blanket statement that they won't ship to any of them dam furriners nohow nowhere. And Europe? My god, that's across a whole ocean somewhere, isn't it?

 

[caveman]

I bought around 5 guitars from the US through ebay, usually USPS or FEDEX, never a problem. Shipping cost depends on size, but also insurance and import taxes are being paid by the buyer. But with your dollar so low, we still make great deals buying from you... I just make sure that the seller is bonafide.

 

[West R Lee]

Well Coastie, maybe we should ship to John or Graham and have them ship this baby to you?

West

 

[coastie99]

Well Coastie, maybe we should ship to John or Graham and have them ship this baby to you?

West

This whole issue is so perplexing !

Quote John Kidder: USPS to Europe less than $100. How does the same guitar, weighing/measuring the same, cost 3 times more to ship elsewhere ???

 

[West R Lee]

I rest my case....who do you want her to go to?

West

 

[john_kidder]

Whoa there, folks. I said "USPS". That's "United States Postal Service". When I ship overseas, I take the guitar down to Washington State and ship from a US Post Office. Haven't had to for a year or so, but it sure was simple, inexpensive and reliable then.

 

[West R Lee]

I haven't checked with USPS, let me try that Gary. Thanks John.

West

 

[jwsamuel]

One problem with shipping overseas is that each country has its own set of rules and some of them can be pretty odd. For example, I just sent a guitar to Ireland and before the post office could accept it, I had to state that the box did not contain any printed materials instructing people how to lower their risk of contracting venereal disease.

For some people, minor hassles like that are too much to deal with.

Jim

 

[john_kidder]

I just sent a guitar to Ireland . . . I had to state that the box did not contain any printed materials instructing people how to lower their risk of contracting venereal disease.

That's wonderful - could be the start of a whole new thread on absurd regulatory requirements and warnings. Hard to top that one, though. Did they have a printed form with a checkbox and a place for a signature?

 

[West R Lee]

:lol: Wheew! Good to hear they have our best interest at heart. John, come to think of it, I was told at UPS that my box was too big to ship to N.Z. via USPS, but I didn't check with USPS.

West

 

[Default]

:lol: Wheew! Good to hear they have our best interest at heart. John, come to think of it, I was told at UPS that my box was too big to ship to N.Z. via USPS, but I didn't check with USPS.

West

Linky

http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/mo_024.htm#ep1737370

Maximum length: 46 inches
Maximum width: 35 inches
Maximum height: 46 inches
Maximum length and girth combined: 108 inches

I would think that an A-25(?) would fit nicely in those dimensions.

 

[Dr Izza Plumber]

I haven't checked with USPS, let me try that Gary. Thanks John.

West

West, hope that You can have a good rate to NZ. I recently sent a small box of chewing gum & candy to Germany, and it cost me over 42 dollars. Reason was, they only offer express mail to Germany, and the package weighed 12 pounds. :roll:

 

[coastie99]

Linky

http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/mo_024.htm#ep1737370

Maximum length: 46 inches
Maximum width: 35 inches
Maximum height: 46 inches
Maximum length and girth combined: 108 inches

I would think that an A-25(?) would fit nicely in those dimensions.

EXCELLENT !!

Thank you.

 

[jwsamuel]

Did they have a printed form with a checkbox and a place for a signature?

No form but the clerk had to run through a series of questions and check off each one as she did.

Jim

 

[West R Lee]

Linky

http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/mo_024.htm#ep1737370

Maximum length: 46 inches
Maximum width: 35 inches
Maximum height: 46 inches
Maximum length and girth combined: 108 inches

I would think that an A-25(?) would fit nicely in those dimensions.

EXCELLENT !!

Thank you.

Did anyone happen to get a shipping charge....Texas to New Zealand? We may just have to go with a smaller box Gary?

West

 

[guildzilla]

That maximum length and girth for USPS Priority International Mail shipping of 108" is not a no-brainer. A lot of larger guitar boxes will be bigger than that - 20W + 20W + 10D + 10D + 52L = 112" of girth.

To stay within the boundaries of responsible guitar shipping as advocated here on LTG, frankly, that 108" girth box is usually not going to be big enough.

And with USPS Express International, the box restriction is 78" girth, if I'm not mistaken. Pretty much impossible to ship any guitar that way.

That limits the e-Bay seller to the USPS Priority International option. Unfortunately, the maximum insurance you can purchase is only $675. If you are selling a $1,000 guitar, it sure feels risky to undersize the box and underinsure the contents.

Also, the seller is often asked, usually after the purchase is made, to declare a low value for the item to avoid customs duties when the guitar arrives. Maybe others are less paranoid than I am, but I don't want to be lying to the USPS. They are well funded and take enforcement rather seriously.

All that said, I've sold and shipped e-Bay guitars to international bidders with positive results. But it is more complicated, takes longer, and it always feels like you are taking additional risk.

 

[West R Lee]

Actually, I think we paid under $675 for the guitar.....and the A25 is a small guitar and might be able to be fairly securely packed and boxed in a bit smaller box. I'll have to do some checking....all contigent on Gary's approval.

West