LeftyBassist.com

Can someone give me advise on shipping a bass from the US to the UK? I tried the US Postal service shipping calculator, and it won't allow a package as big as the bass in its case (50 inches long I think is the problem). The bass is a neck through so I can't break it down. I could ship just the bass in bubble wrap in a smaller box I think via USPS. Does anyone here have experience shipping a bass from US to UK and if so, what shipper did you use? Also, case or no case, which is better? Thanks

I've shipped basses to England and used USPS without issues. their tracking system is a bit of an under performer once your package arrives at customs (my last shipment went without a tracking update for several days, and then suddenly the local carrier called my client noting the bass needed to pay VAT immediately)

I just did a cost estimate from Seattle to England for a 22 pound 8 ounce package measuring 8"x20"x52" (my standard shipping box size) and I get a shipping estimate of 6-10 business days in transit for a bit under $95US (about $90US if I pay on-line and drop-off at the PO) For reference, here's my search:

http://ircalc.usps.gov/MailServices.asp ... g=0&r=True


IIRC shipping FedEx, DHL, or USPS would have cost somewhere around $350US. the advantage with this higher cost service is that you have better protection for damage and loss, and the tracking is significantly superior. getting a feel for who you're selling the bass to should help you decide if you need the extra protection at the higher cost

all the best,

R

Great information thanks!

OK. This is an experience of being in Australia and buying something from the US. I used "Shipito". They give you (for $8.50 deposit) an address in California and then forward your bass to you from there. I just got an Ibanez SR500L BM from Bill's Music (who only ship within the USA)- they shipped it free to Shipito, who unpack, check, send photos and then forward it on. Pretty painless and fast. All payment via PayPal.

Rob.

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I shipped the Carvin fretless I sold to the UK using the US Postal Service International Service as Rodent suggested, and it worked like a charm. The bass arrived safely and it wasn't too expensive. Good advice

Also look into TNT. When I've shipped overseas, in some cases, they ended up being the cheapest carrier, though I haven't used them in a year or so:

http://www.tnt.com/express/en_us/site/home.html

Additional info... BTW, good info above..

A) USPS - When they hand off to foriegn PO's they cannot accurately track your bass. SO heres what DOES HAPPEN (this is fact based)
a) Many countries g-d forbid customes moves their butts and after 6 weeks the buyer doesnt want the bass SO
1. You now pay for return shipping, you're charged CC points on the buy and the refund because you went past the 21 day cc grace
2. The a-rod who bought the bass disputes the charge, he gets his money based upon non-delivery. The bass shows up and you CANNOT forse him to send it back. He has your bass and his money!

B) Tamporing - UPS is our only carrier out of the US and Canada because they have custody from pick up to drop off. I've had this issue with FedEx as in some countries theyll use 3rd party delivery (local PO). My old firm (Good Guys Guitars) sent a Les Paul Jr to the UK via FedEx. The guitar was "lost" then "found". While it was AWOL, EVERY part was stripped and replaced with cheap Epiphone repros. SO - I had to eat 400.00 shipping 2x and ate a 6k guitar which I had to file a claim on with MY insurance because FedEx denied everything. I shipped a 67 4001 via FedEx which was delivered sans the silver orig case. It ended up in a repro. I packed the box...

C) Guarenteed delivery times - Because the USPS has "suggested times" because theyre at the mercy of the foriegn POs many guys get sick of waiting and return the gear...

Basically as a retailer, I could be out over 1000.00 on RT shipping + 3.5% on the CC deal and then the refund. So end of the day its UPS or its nothing.

You also have countries that banking laws for CCs are not the same as US and tamporing are prevelant. Pacific rim and some Southern European countries are horrific - SO i'll lose a sale but I wont lose a bass

Mamma never told you this...

Ive had dealing with UPS and USPS here in Australia

Never had a problem with either but recently with USPS i had a bass shipped from Canada to Australia in 3 days
Thats pretty darn good if you ask me

do you have any experience using EMS? I know they appear to be a good carrier when importing from overseas, but I know nothing in regards to exporting an instrument using them as a carrier.

in the past 5 months I have sent 11 basses, or bass parts to my friend in Italy thru USPS. Yep, he knows the risks. the 50x20x8 is the largest size for USPS and costs around 80bucks. He sees basses here, buys them and I reship because he selection over there is nil, and if there is something he or his friends want it is usually 4x the price even with the double shipping charges ( seller to me, me to him ). I do open every box and repack it for a longer journey because some of these sellers pack jobs are a j.o.k.e.
The customs forms are easy. It takes more effort to stand in line and get it into their system

but all the good points listed above on the "what if" are very valid!

i just recently brought a 70s tribute les paul from a major guitar company in the USA.
it was shipped to me in Australia by fedex,no problems
inside the box was the gibson in a padded gibson soft bag and bubble wrap over the head stock.
Nothing else.
i freaked out but the guitar was perfectly fine

I understand the dilemma of my foreign lefty brothers so I try to help and sell whenever I can, but I only ship basses where I can unscrew the neck and ship with no hard case.

By doing so I can severly reduce the cost of shipping. half carton size, it normally fits in a 24x12x6.

Neck-throughs are an issue because often the carton is too big to ship internationally with USPS.

UPS and FEdEx are a no-go for me because the amount of paperwork required for customs is ridiculous! USPS is very straight forward: one short piece of paper, takes 3 minutes to fill (for customs).

So USPS with neck unscrewed is an easy and fast solution. The rest is a nightmare...

Hi all
I am thinking of buying a lefty bass from New York on eBay but the Seller does not ship to Germany.
Anyone out here who could ship me the bass from the US via USPS or DHL to Germany with neck taken off, as my friend in the US is in hospital and cannot help.
Happy that you keep then a great vintage short scale case for free and happy to provide some Dollars for your help
Thanks