Shipping Busses Internationally!

hero5211314

hero5211314

Joined
Aug 22, 2009
Messages
1,026
Hey guys I am new to shipping Busses internationally. I really need some help on this process. Can any of you HOGS please help me? For example, has any1 shipped to Paris, France before? Any problem with their custom control using FEDX or UPS? Thank you very much!!! Enjoy the weekend!!!

Advices?

Recommandtions?

How should I fill out the Custom control paper work?

What service to select UPS or FEDX?

Possible Frauds?

What should I look for in a international transaction?

If I missed anything please let me know. Thank you all for replying!!!
 
hero5211314 said:
Hey guys I am new to shipping Busses internationally. I really need some help on this process. Can any of you HOGS please help me? For example, has any1 shipped to Paris, France before? Any problem with their custom control using FEDX or UPS? Thank you very much!!! Enjoy the weekend!!!

Advices?

Recommandtions?

How should I fill out the Custom control paper work?

What service to select UPS or FEDX?

Possible Frauds?

What should I look for in a international transaction?

If I missed anything please let me know. Thank you all for replying!!!
Click to expand...

I've not shipped to Paris before, but have to France... First, I'd run the name & forum ID of the Buyer through both the BF.com search and Google (or your favorite search engine) to see if the names are associated with any complaints from others who have dealt with this Buyer, or at least good experiences.

I shipped USPS Intl. Priority with no problems. No tracking number except the US Customs #, which is track-able, just not online. Fully insured to declared value. Be sure to have the knife wrapped well, secure, and the box stuffed enough that shaking the package would not 'rattle' when shaken or give away the contents without opening. Lots of tape around the package to insure no accidental opening. I photo the knife (all knives that I ship) on the shipping box with the address labels before packing, while packing, and also the package containing the knife ready to ship (3 images),and I always place a second shipping label on the wrapped up knife just in case the knife becomes separated from the box...This way it should either continue to the Buyer, or back to me, at least a much better chance at recovering the knife than without this second label.

On the Customs form, the knife to France was sent as a "Camping Tool". A stretch of the truth, but valid. (It was a Game Warden). Value declared= Price paid... Period. It is not worth it to risk breaking laws in 2 countries to lie or misrepresent the value on a customs form.

IF you cannot track or insure the package, be sure to tell the Buyer that. Let him/her know that they assume the risk, but that you will do anything you can from your end to help them find the package, if lost, or expedite an insurance claim, if one is necessary.

Best recommendation? Good Communication. :thumbup:
 
hero5211314 said:
WOW!! JAXX THANK YOU SO MUCH IT WAS VERY HELPFUL :D :thumbup:
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No problem! :thumbup: It's a little scary the first few times doing an international deal, so I don't mind giving as much 411 as I can to encourage others to give it a go. :)

One last thing... France has no restrictions listed on knives imported via mail. Here's the link to the USPS.com prohibitions list for France:

http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/fh_005.htm#ep1162625

EDIT: Alfaholic beat me to the link! :thumbup:
 
The only countries you cannot insure to are North Korea, Somalia, Montenegro and Iraq. Insist on insurance if you get paid by Paypal....if it is claimed by the recipient as lost they will automatically retreive funds from your bank....so get insurance....plus ensure you book the extra service of online tracking so each party knows what is happening and the service requiring a signature upon delivery so you know and can prove it was delivered. This avoids any risk of fraud. Online tracking might be offered with International Priority Shipping but do check. If you do these things there is no risk....and personally as a recipient from International Shipping I am always happy to pay for this...and I always offer it when I sell to the US...it keeps everyone happy.

Sales ads on the exchange which say the buyer must accept all risk etc are not well researched if they are getting paid by Paypal....hence why I suggest the above system works best....the above precautions mean you can ship without risk of fraud or loss of capital in your knife...
 
Also keep in mind if you do insure something and it gets lost or whatever you have to have some type of documentation of it's value. I always insist that once it leaves my hands it's on them.
 
Again Thank you all very much for replying. These information are extremely helpful. I had 1 last confusion, I went to a UPS store and the employee there told me that even tho I acquire insurance on my item but when the foreign country's custom control department seize my item for any reason then the insurance policy does not apply @_@. This sounds awful!!!
 
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hero5211314 said:
Again Thank you all very much for replying. These information are extremely helpful. I had 1 last confusion, I went to a UPS store and the employee there told me that even tho I acquire insurance on my item but when the foreign country's custom control department seize my item for any reason then the insurance policy does not apply @_@. This sounds awful!!!
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Just let the person know that the only guarantee that you can make is you'll ship it.
 
PeterPHWS said:
The only countries you cannot insure to are North Korea, Somalia, Montenegro and Iraq. Insist on insurance if you get paid by Paypal....if it is claimed by the recipient as lost they will automatically retreive funds from your bank....so get insurance....plus ensure you book the extra service of online tracking so each party knows what is happening and the service requiring a signature upon delivery so you know and can prove it was delivered. This avoids any risk of fraud. Online tracking might be offered with International Priority Shipping but do check. If you do these things there is no risk....and personally as a recipient from International Shipping I am always happy to pay for this...and I always offer it when I sell to the US...it keeps everyone happy.

Sales ads on the exchange which say the buyer must accept all risk etc are not well researched if they are getting paid by Paypal....hence why I suggest the above system works best....the above precautions mean you can ship without risk of fraud or loss of capital in your knife...
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That's some more good advice. :thumbup:
I don't think USPS Priority has online tracking past the US border. The US Customs number is trackable in the sense that it will help to find an insured package if missing. USPS Global Express Gauranteed & USPS International Express have better trackability when the US Sender calls USPS to inquire about a package.

"921.3 How to Initiate
Customers must call the International Inquiry Center at 800-222-1811 within the time limits listed in Exhibit 921.2 to initiate an inquiry. Customers will be asked to provide information regarding the mailing, including but not limited to the following:

Mailing receipt number or barcode number of the article.
Names and addresses of the mailer and addressee.
Date of mailing.
Description of contents"
(Taken from: http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/immc9_002.htm#ep985404)

One more thing... Be sure to verify not only the shipping address with the Buyer, but also the address format. Best thing to do is ask them to write it out exactly how they want you to write it on their package.

EXAMPLE of a French mailing address:

Société DUPONT
Mademoiselle Lucie MARTIN
Résidence le Capucines
56 RUE EMILE ZOLA
BP 90432 MONTFERRIER SUR LEZ
34092 MONTPELLIER CEDEX 5
FRANCE

One of my favorite links to research international mailing formats: http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/postal.html
 
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The documentation to prove value is a print out of the exchange listing and buyers post...plus the print outs of Paypal account...that is ample and all they need to pay out.

Seizure cannot happen for fixed blades or even auto's in France where they are legal...you always need to check the laws on knives where you ship to. Here in the UK restrictions apply to Auto's and to Samauri Swords which are cheap imports...."collectors" and practitioners of Aido ( Samauri Sword Skills ) are exempt but must produce for Aido a certificate of practise of the Sport...and in relation to "Collectors" the value of the item or it's scarcity will determine the issue. Therefore A/K's Rucks and Waki's at the prices charged might get away with the collector aspect but for safety's sake when selling swords to the UK get your money by Western Union International or by Bank Wire Transfer....not by Paypal...because of the risk of return of funds claims for none receipt. In the UK fixed blades, lock knives and slip joints are no problem regarding importing. Only Samauri Swords/Auto's/Shiriken Throwing Stars/Cane Swords/Umberella swords are an issue. Seizure on a dispute regarding a valuable knife such as a Samauri Sword and whether it passes the "collector" test should be left at the Recipient's risk...
 
When you book the extra sevice of signature on delivery the tracking on the USPO web site takes you all the way to delivery at the recipients address.
 
hero5211314 said:
Again Thank you all very much for replying. These information are extremely helpful. I had 1 last confusion, I went to a UPS store and the employee there told me that even tho I acquire insurance on my item but when the foreign country's custom control department seize my item for any reason then the insurance policy does not apply @_@. This sounds awful!!!
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That's true, BUT since there is no restriction on knives shipped to France, you should not have this problem. IF a package is seized by the customs department of the Buyer's nation, that is Buyer's problem so long as you declared the package properly and at the right value.

Bravado said:
Just let the person know that the only guarantee that you can make is you'll ship it.
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Pretty much. :) If you follow the rules & guidelines, and KEEP THE USPS RECEIPT & YOUR COPY OF THE CUSTOMS FORM, you can fight a PayPal dispute, should one arise. Also, that's where the images of the package & contents help. These are also needed for insurance claims (not so much the images, but the receipt & customs form copy for sure). :thumbup:
 
Jaxx is spot on with the photo's and copies of the forms....they will help with Paypal...essentially there is no difference between shipping this way and internally within Conus or Canada...you still need to prove value and have insurance and tracking and signatures upon receipt to avoid fraud claims...the only difference is the legal side of things but as Jaxx has said that is the Buyers issue not yours...shipping internationally is just as risk free as it is internally...if you follow the right steps.
 
Jaxx said:
Pretty much. :) If you follow the rules & guidelines, and KEEP THE USPS RECEIPT & YOUR COPY OF THE CUSTOMS FORM, you can fight a PayPal dispute, should one arise. Also, that's where the images of the package & contents help. These are also needed for insurance claims (not so much the images, but the receipt & customs form copy for sure). :thumbup:
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Yeah I've never done an International PP transaction I always did mine via Western Union wire transfer. I personally think PP would be too risky.
 
How much does Western Union will charge? (a %? or fixed fee?) I know that wire in BOA will be charged with $15 per wire. Thanks
 
hero5211314 said:
How much does Western Union will charge? (a %? or fixed fee?) I know that wire in BOA will be charged with $15 per wire. Thanks
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I don't know exactly but it ain't cheap. what kinda rep does this person have? if it's a really good one than you shouldn't have any problems.
 
I have accepted a Western Union International money order with the amount due in US Dollars before... The Buyer sent it from Australia, IIRC. I told him ahead of time (before it was sent) that I would treat it like a personal check, meaning that it had to clear into my checking acct. first. The Buyer had no problems with that, and that transaction was very smooth. The MO arrived within a week, took 3 days to clear, and he received the package in under 10 days from ship date.(including time in Aus. Customs). No fee to deposit these on your end. :thumbup:
 
My buyer is a brand new user on BF just register within the pass 2 days. I guess I will let him know different payment methods. I kind of have an idea on what to do now, :D Thanks :D:thumbup:
 
I've always accepted WU payments at my local grocery store and cashed them right at the checkout counter without a problem.
 
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