Shipping Gear from US to UK - best shipping Co.

[SWAN808]

Im getting some gear shipped from the US.

It seems import charges can be a bit of a lottery with some shipping Co - but I have heard and experienced USPS being the least likely to incur higher charges - because they use the Royal Mail when they arrive in the UK - and the Roayl Mail are quite relaxed about these things. However we are having some postal strikes at the moment in the UK - so Im having to reconsider.

Ive used FedEx in the past and been charged...but not UPS...

Can anyone offer any advice on this?

[warhead]

In my experience, and I ship a lot outside of the USA, the USPS mail service is very successful and typically the lowest chance of getting hit with big fees on your end. That's no guarantee, but I actually have excellent results from using them.

War

[sashbash]

hi steve.

there's no way round the fees...doesn't matter who you go with...the fees are generally always the same (or similar). The import tax will be the same...as will the VAT regardless. The only slight difference between each service will be the relatively small 'handling fees'...and these differ very slightly.

My one and only bad experience has been with USPS - Parcelforce, where they temporarily lost my item...I ended up receiving it a month later. Parcelforce are slow compared to the others. Fedex & UPS are very good in my experience. For example, Fedex will ship the item to you regardless of the fees they incurr at Customs....and then you pay these charges retrospectively. Whereas Parcelforce hangs on to the item until you pay up-front the Custom charges.

[sniperschool]

put simply...

USPS for cost
fedex for speed

parcelforce are the downside of using USPS but i would say i only get hit with import fee's 50% of the time going this route
fedex i get hit everytime

[ProducerBoy]

What are the import fees typically?

[ProducerBoy]

eBay Guides - Import Duties and International Taxation

[Space Station]

Originally Posted by ProducerBoy

What are the import fees typically?

If you register online with Fedex they have and import duty and tax calculator tool, so you can work it out beforehand.

I like Fedex...because they are very, very quick. Also the insurance seems better. UPS never seem to pay out. Also if you get a problem with duty/tax Fedex seem to be able to sort it. With parcelforce you are stuffed if they make a mistake on the tax/duty which they often do.

[Llitsor]

Originally Posted by sniperschool

put simply...

USPS for cost
fedex for speed

parcelforce are the downside of using USPS but i would say i only get hit with import fee's 50% of the time going this route
fedex i get hit everytime

I agree with that thumbsup

[Fletcher]

There is also the security factor. Shipping via USPS [other than their "Express Mail" service] doesn't have tracking capability. If you ship something [or are expecting to receive something] and it doesn't arrive when you would like it to arrive... you have to wait 30 days from the date of shipment to make a claim... and then you can wait as long as 90 days for them to determine "IF" they have located the shipment... and if they haven't you can wait as long as 90 days to be reimbursed for the DECLARED VALUE of the shipment.

While they lose bloody few shipments, the fact of the matter is they ALL lose one from time to time. When they do, I know I like to be reimbursed in under 7 months [potential], hence why I favor UPS &/or Fed Ex... as always... YMMV.

Peace.

[cheu78]

Originally Posted by warhead

In my experience, and I ship a lot outside of the USA, the USPS mail service is very successful and typically the lowest chance of getting hit with big fees on your end. That's no guarantee, but I actually have excellent results from using them.

War

+1

I always ship my stuff back and forth San Diego, always with USPS..'til now with success.
I see what Fletcher says and he's right too, it depends how pricey are the stuff you're shipping..

my 0.02$,

Cheu

[Barish]

10kg Box or 25kg Box International Priority Service of FedEx works best in my opinion. And their boxes are pretty sturdy (and free) too. With a careful packaging, you can fit 19" rack gear in it safely with padding all around.

B.

[warhead]

Originally Posted by Fletcher

Shipping via USPS [other than their "Express Mail" service] doesn't have tracking capability.

Express Mail is certainly the most desirable if you can justify the cost difference and what you're shipping / its value. Depending on the size of the item though, this service may not be available. Express Mail packages typically have to be about 25% smaller than what is allowed using Priority Mail service. Anything much more than a single rack mounted piece packed pretty tightly isn't going to typically fit into the Express Mail requirements. Oddly enough the lesser expensive Priority Mail allows a pretty great size to ship by comparison.

USPS - The United States Postal Service (U.S. Postal Service) is best to check first to be sure it can even be shipped at all via USPS service. Sucks to stand in line for 30 mins only to be told NO! Trust me...it happens.

Also, many countries cannot be insured for very much (due to theft and other issues I guess) so you have to check that too. FedEx / UPS do not limit how much insurance you can buy.

If the shipper uses "Endicia" for their USPS service, they can insured it (at a much higher cost vs USPS though) through Lloyds of London at any value however.

War

[Space Station]

International Priority USPS to the UK can be tracked with the customs number. Works as a tracking number on the Parcelforce website...

[warhead]

Originally Posted by Space Station

International Priority USPS to the UK can be tracked with the customs number. Works as a tracking number on the Parcelforce website...

From what I always saw on the USPS site, it really only said when it left the USA and when it arrived to customs overseas. Somewhat helpful but not as track-y as other tracking.

War

[Space Station]

Originally Posted by warhead

From what I always saw on the USPS site, it really only said when it left the USA and when it arrived to customs overseas. Somewhat helpful but not as track-y as other tracking.

War

Hi..no it tracks all the way to delivery using the customs number on the Parcelforce site. Same as Express.

[fanriffic]

..I'd go with something other than USPS right now,but only cause of the postal strikes.I've been 100% happy with them in the past..Fed-ex has also been great but of course more expensive.

[Fletcher]

Originally Posted by Space Station

International Priority USPS to the UK can be tracked with the customs number. Works as a tracking number on the Parcelforce website...

Yep... and it is the same price as "not priority" shipping with UPS / Fed Ex. At the end of the day they all have the same overhead [± 3db] and they're all going to be in the ballpark of equally expensive. Depending on what country you're shipping to one can have better service than another [like I would use UPS into the UK before FedEx but FedEx in Germany long before UPS... and France if f*#$ed on its best day but if the location is near Paris then FedEx works and if the location is closer to Marseilles then UPS is better, etc., etc., etc.].

They all suck goats, the question is how well you can track an insured shipment and whether you decide to roll the dice and undervalue that shipment [as insurance only pays off on the insured value, which coincidentally is usually your "value for customs"].

Peace.

[nigel saunders]

Import fees into the UK are a bit random in practice.

The problem is that your item is held hostage and wont be released until you pay up.

Thanks for posting what the fees should be.

[SWAN808]

thanks for all the responses.

Being skint I think Im gonna take my chances with USPS this time round. If they use ParcelForce in the UK then apparently that is a different company from Royal Mail - so that will be cool?

[Lucian]

I get stuff from US sellers on ebay and always ask if they'll send stuff by USPS as a "gift", if they know the gambit, they do, and they mark down the declared value so it's not of any interest to customs. I've had stuff get here, delivered by the postie, no problems at all, other stuff I've had to pick up from a parcelforce depot and have had to pay a small charge, £20 or so. But if you get something sent by UPS or Fedex, you probably will get hit with the full import tax, which can be 30% or something.

[imaginaryday]

i've been using bax global for the last 5 years and had great success . you should give them a call.

[SWAN808]

Originally Posted by imaginaryday

i've been using bax global for the last 5 years and had great success . you should give them a call.

great success in what context? The items were delivered?

[imaginaryday]

price, speed. make sure you mention that your are shopping around for best price.