1SKS international sales policies...

knifeO , you're rite.. maybe the system gaji proposed ,or something related with feedback , could work..
the dealers registered with bf could check the feedback on GBu, and/or the gold membership , and if an user is enuf time that he's registered here ,and has a good feedback, the dealer could give a relatively secure approval..
as happened to me with knifesite.com ,steve never shipped international, but when saw that i'm a member here, accepted to ship my beloved paramillie.. and now he has a new customer.

i understand that you have enough people in usa so you can live without us overseas :) and mostly without overseas crookers ..

..but also feel the pain of an overseas knifenut that CAN'T reach a long time sought after knife -happened to me two times in a month -
IT'S A REAL PAIN !

..and what if the buyers signs and fax a letter assuming the whole responsability for shipment (a thing that i would accept ONLY with dealers i know , sometimes also the dealers could be - in a less percentage, of course- not so reliable..)

thanks and regards all
 
If we were paid by international money order and could ship via UPS then we would do international business. But UPS is expensive and customers want mail. Mail is the problem because it isn't trackable and really isn't insurable, contrary to what the USPS will say. If a customer claims non receipt I get my money back from UPS. With mail I pay for it.

I also wouldn't have problems with dealing with people that are part of this forum family. Obviously it works for New Graham. It is just a matter of percentages and the percentages on a worldwide basis make things unprofitable. If the percentage can be repaired by limiting shipments to a known group of honest customers then that fixes thing too.

People in Latin America have a few companies in Florida available to them that do forwarding. They order on line and the shipment goes to the forwarder in Florida who takes the responsibility for the shipment. I think the forwarders have employees in the receiving country to resolve issues. We have had no chargebacks from customers who use this kind of service. Perhaps there are forwarders that work with European customers as well. If not, perhaps it might be a viable business opportunity for someone.
 
i understand your point. those services are too high in rates (100 usd to italy ).. also on usps.com international rate calculator they give the insurance as an option - i always used it- ,but maybe only for italy.

i'm sorry.. your site , with 1sks it's one of those i would like to use.
i know somebody in usa , i'll ask if ...
(but they have to use their credit card , since shipping to a different address it's not possible, i think)

take care ,and thanks a lot for the explanations
 
As I understand it the problem with insurance is not that they won't take your money. They will take your money, and they will tell you the shipment is insured, but if it doesn't get delivered they won't actually pay for it, at least not unless the dealer invests so much time in hassling with them that his time is worth more than the insurance settlement.
 
thanks cougar..
damn, this kind of disservice is spreading the whole world.. so the insurance i always bought , is totally worhless.. next time better save those 2 bucks.
 
In my experience, it isn't even the international thing, it's the fact that for all intents and purposes USPS insured mail isn't. It's an enormous pain, takes forever, and they seem to just deny claims if they feel like it. I'm sure it isn't quite that bad, but it feels like it.

That said - for inexpensive stuff (say, knives under $50 or $100) USPS is my preferred shipper. I've probably shipped (or had shipped to me from Ebay, etc) 200 knives in the last ten years. I alway use USPS, given a choice, for the cheap ones. They've never lost any (although one took three months, within the lower 48, Priority mail.) They damaged one point, which was insured, which they denied the claim on.

So I stopped insuring. And I figure by shipping uninsured Priority (and First Class, especially for little lightweights) rather than UPS or insured USPS, I've saved at least $400 on those 200 knives. Will this bite me in the @ss eventually? I'm sure it will. But I have that ~$400.

I insure when a buyer or trading partner requests it, and if I buy a valuable knife, I ask for UPS (or FedEx), insured. But for 'regular' knives coming to me, given teh option, I save the two bucks. Every time i do that five or ten times, that's another funky old beater from Ebay or the Knife Exchange paid for. My intermediate way of still saving a buck and a half is to have them shipped Priority, Delivery Confirmation. This proves the Ebay weasels actually shipped my knife, rather than claiming they did and keeping my money. :mad: And it doesn't depend on me having to go through the Postal snailocracy to chase an insurance claim.

Of course this has nothing to do with running a business. It's how I spend my hobby cash. When I make someone a knife, it goes insured, UPS.

Nick
 
It's a tricky situation. I guess all we, on the other side of the planet, can do is keep trading with those who will do international shipping until they get burned too badly and stop. When that happens we'll find another way of doing it.
 
I have had shipments lost partial loss but it is all a learning experience. I find that generally dealers are willing to send to old BF members. I am grateful for that. I would also like to state that being an honest person and swallowing legitimate lost shipments instead of charging back the dealers will establish out reputation.
 
Knife Outlet said:
I think if you find a knife dealer who ships overseas by mail on a credit card order, it is an inexperienced dealer and the policy won't last long.
Click to expand...

All knives I have came from US. I ordered them from arizonacustomknives, robertsoncustomcutlery, GPknives, PVK and many others (including custom makers and forum members). The only problems I had were when the sellers did not follow my instructions how to ship the package (how to describe it, what service to use). But so far all packages made it OK - sooner or later.

David
 
Gosh, this post should be in the Asian forum also eh?
Samo & Kevtan posted :Personally, I've lost a few shipments from the US to Malaysia
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Am sorry to hear this Samo, but have to ask when was the last problem, and what were the specifics, ie which carrier?
There seems to be a bit of a problem with Malyasia receiving. Maybe good for a post in Asian forum.

Cougar Allen posted
Cougar Allen posted: As I understand it the problem with insurance is not that they won't take your money. They will take your money, and they will tell you the shipment is insured, but if it doesn't get delivered they won't actually pay for it
Click to expand...
Cougar hit it exactly on the head and very discerning of you.

K, my two cents for a Thailand point of view.
Close to $45,000 dollars worth of shipments in the last 4 years, 75% of that being knives incoming, and not one lost, not one. How many shipments, dunno but the guys down at the main PO pickup point here in Bangkok know me by name.

When I first began buying knives and stuff from the US, it all began with TAD. The first rule I learned was to contact the company personally, in this case Patrick, and explain that I was overseas and would there be any problem shipping to me? This was my first example, and became the basis for all subsequent dealings which include so many of the Knife outlet stores is impossible to list all.
When it came to 1sks I was told that they would not, and they explained why, no problem, I can understand. Is a shame because they had so many things that I wanted but through time and effort was eventually able to find someone who would ship that particular item overseas.

If I had know that Spark would allow me to sign a waiver (just read that part when he posted) I would have done so, but never ever resented the fact that 1sks or others would not ship overseas. Am very aware from reading bullitens about CC fraud, especially Visa in SE Asia to understand why they can not.

Points being,
1)If they wont ship overseas, is thier poragative, and is probably due to bad experience.
2)Always contact personally first, at least by email, and tell them who you are, ie if you are one of the Knife forum members, let them know. Call them... this is good and is worth the minor cost of the call to establish good relations.
3)Never insure. Is a totally waste of money and will get you nothing back if the shipment is lost.
4)USPS rules. (I know, TAD likes UPS and always gives me a heart attack, but some $8000 from them have never lost a shipment.)

I must point out that Thailand may be a different case from others, ie Malaysia/Singapore/Australia in that Thai shipping, EMS is exemplary, especially coming in, mostly due to the fact that they charge 40-55% duty. They make sure it is delivered because they get so much from it is the only thing I can figure.
So USPS from the states, which turns into EMS, has been Golden. I will not get into the other carriers which have found to differ in "goodness" depending or where it comes from, and I have recieved from Noraway, Ireland, UK, Netherlands etc, but still, all with never one shipment lost.

The main point in this thread is that some US companies will not ship overseas, and that is where this thread was
started. Personal experience, if is is a large company with many hierarchies to wade thru to get to someone who can make a decision, forget it. If it is still a smaller based and tuned in to customer needs type company, have never had a problem. Never. Ever.
If I contact them first, and explain and let them know who I am.

This is all contigent on the fact that I have a US credit card, and verified US Paypal account of course, and am not stupid in realizing that overseas credit cards are suspect but there are other means of payment which are more secure, if you wish to take the time and expense.

Still, is the point of letting them know who you are, talking personally to them. I mean, one charge back and thats it, you name is mud, and hopefully the Knife suppliers keep and share a list of these names. Hopefully also, they keep and share a list of the good guys, like us BF members :)

Most of us in SE Asia have become experts in what works and what doesnt, who will and who wont for international shipping. Bottom line is the personal touch, irregardless the carrier (that is another post entirely ok guys?). If they know you, or know of you, no problem, if not, go take a hike, but that is the way things are done.

Sorry for the long post, so many point to cover.
Barry
 
Yeah, some sort of good list of us asian guys would make it a hell of a lot easier for us to deal with dealers not only in the US.
 
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