Shipping to a foreign country.

UffDa

UffDa

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I noticed in the Exchange that someone asked why people don't like to ship outside the US. Here's my reason.....

1. Pack the item for shipment.

2. Take it to the post office, stand in line and get the shipping cost.

3. The clerk gives you the "correct" customs declaration form.

4. Go home and e-mail the buyer with the total cost.

5. Wait for payment.

6. Payment arrives. Fill out customs form. (If the address is in Thailand, suffer from writers cramp)

7. Go to the post office. Different clerk tells you that you have the wrong customs form.

8. Stand there like an idiot filling out the new customs form. More writers cramp.:grumpy:

9. Mail the package and wait forever. (And hope that it clears customs on the other end.)

Most foreign buyers want you to falsify the customs form so they don't have to pay import duty. That's fine except that the package can't be insured for more then is declared. If it gets lost or stolen, TS.

So, I have to make 2 trips to the PO and waste at least an hour. I doubt that the buyer would be willing to pay for my time, gas and aggravation, so I don't ship out of the USA.

Some would ask, how about Canada? In my experience, Canadian customs is one of the worst. Stuff sits there for weeks going in either direction. I have purchased items from Vancouver that took 5 weeks to get here. I have also puchased items from the UK that only took two weeks. Go figure.
 
You forgot checking the list of countries and regulations that control how and who you sell to.

PS. We have import duties here and should there be any question on value they will sit on it (like a turd) until you, the buyer, clears up the query. Or aution it off. The USA are beginners at this and sending undervalued parcels out is likely to do your customer serious a disservice and you a note on your courier service.
 
How do you know the postage for a domestic package?

If you have an inexpensive scale at home, you weigh the package and go to www.usps.com and look it up. You can do the same thing for international packages. I usually hit the postage right on. Every once in a while, I'm off by a buck or two because my scale differed from the POs by a fraction of an ounce. Such is life.

Writer's cramp from a customs form? Oh get real. The form is smaller than a postcard. Next time you're at the PO, pick up a handfull to have at home so you can fill them out ahead of time in the comfort of your own home and take the completed form to the PO with you. (Pick up a few each of the insurance, delivery, and signature confimation forms too.)

As for insurance vs. customs declarations, I ask the buyer what he wants. If he wants to save on duty, then he has to agree to assume the risk of underinsurring.

As a result, international shipping takes very little extra effort.
 
Go to section 123 of the International Mail Manual at this link. It describes the two customs forms and even has a chart that tells you which one to use depending on what you are mailing. I hope this helps.
 
moving-van.jpg
 
WOW!
I have never had ant trouble at all.
5.00 for sm global priority
10.00 for large
one customs form.
send them the tracking #
I make sure the other party knows that I can not insure delivery and that I have nothing futher to do with it after it is mailed.
I will add that I have send many knives outside the US without any problem except for one that the Canada customs stole.
 
I have shipped to foreign countries and some places will not allow the import of certain knives and its usually my type of knife. I get around it by declaring it as something else, its worked so far.
 
Did you know that you can order GPM Envelopes, PM Boxes, forms, etc. from the usps website for free and have them shipped to your home. The only time I spend at the PO is to drop off the package and pay the clerk. The customs forms that I use are also very simple. 2 addresses, basic info, sign and date.
Chris
 
I seems that you guys have had much better luck then I have.

RE: customs forms. Yes, I know what the postal regs are and which form to use, but have you tried to argue with a postal clerk? You may as well talk to the wall.

If you declare a knife as something else and it gets caught by customs in the other country, the buyer can get in real trouble. I sent a knife to Indonesia and the buyer had to get some kind of weapons permit before customs would release it. It cost him more then the knife. Listen to Tim-Gabz.

I was joking about writers cramp, but writing a street address that has 42 letters several times gets a bit old after awhile.

Hey. I was just relating my experience shipping internationally. I find it to be a pain in the butt. Your results may vary.
 
Tim-Gabz said:
These guys are clued up. They know more about our regs here than our guys who run the system here.
Click to expand...

Don't you share customs officers with Czech Republic (but they also have to be lazy, arrogant and dumb, just like ours)? :D
 
Never ship to a foreign country. If you do someone will steal the knife and
the buyer will post on here calling you a POS.

Just kidding :D
 
I have shipped to several different foreign countries. As long as the buyer understands that the item may be confiscated, whatever it is, and agrees to that in either email or pm, and you provide proof of shipment, you should be okay. I have shipped without incident to several foreign countries. All dvds, knives, books were received. Depends on the situation. The worst I've had, is a customs officer wrote a note to a buyer stating that they could have seized the knife, but chose not to.

As for shipping, I've had no problems with forms etc.
 
parkman21 said:
Never ship to a foreign country. If you do someone will steal the knife and
the buyer will post on here calling you a POS.

Just kidding :D
Click to expand...
Hmmm...
world_according_usa.png

:D
 
Gunnar S said:
Don't worry :D
Click to expand...

Hi Gunnar:

What? Me worry? I didn't ship the knife to Norway. I only had to send it to NJ. Hmmmmm. That's almost a foreign country. ;)

UffDa!
 
UffDa said:
Hi Gunnar:

What? Me worry? I didn't ship the knife to Norway. I only had to send it to NJ. Hmmmmm. That's almost a foreign country. ;)

UffDa!
Click to expand...
;) Technically, I did a foreign trade with myself.
It's like "me, myself and Irene" without Irene.

Gunnar

PS UffDa, I sent you an email earlier.
 
Gollnick said:
How do you know the postage for a domestic package?

If you have an inexpensive scale at home, you weigh the package and go to www.usps.com and look it up. You can do the same thing for international packages. I usually hit the postage right on. Every once in a while, I'm off by a buck or two because my scale differed from the POs by a fraction of an ounce. Such is life.

Writer's cramp from a customs form? Oh get real. The form is smaller than a postcard. Next time you're at the PO, pick up a handfull to have at home so you can fill them out ahead of time in the comfort of your own home and take the completed form to the PO with you. (Pick up a few each of the insurance, delivery, and signature confimation forms too.)

As for insurance vs. customs declarations, I ask the buyer what he wants. If he wants to save on duty, then he has to agree to assume the risk of underinsurring.

As a result, international shipping takes very little extra effort.
Click to expand...


Couldn't say it better. I buy knives from the USA on regular basis, mostly custom knives. I always state clearly how I want them shipped before concluding the transaction (USPS Global EX. or GP). If I ask for under-insurance I specify I'LL TAKE THE RISK. If the seller doesn't agree to the method of shipping, I don't buy, nobody's hurt.
 
I ship alot of international stuff and basically tell my customers the truth upfront in an nice a way as possible...

I don't guarantee they'll receive the item and won't be responsible for lost, stolen, confiscated, damaged or misdirected packages. I pass on insuring the item as the paperwork that you have to do if it doesn't show isn't worth the hassle imho.

:)
 
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