Shipping to Europe? Is this a thing?

prisoner6

prisoner6

Joined
Aug 7, 2003
Messages
470
My story. I listed a few knives and multitool type things some time back on a popular auction site. On nearly every item I got questions on whether I would ship to various European countries.

I'm not opposed, but the number of these questions makes me wonder. Are these legitimate? Are they part of a scam? Is there a shortage of multi tools and knives in Europe? None of mine were rare or collectible.

I'm just curious.
 
I would say its only a scam if you ship, and never receive a payment. I think that reason for the question about shipping to Europe is because of customs. I recently shipped a small custom slip joint to Belgium. The transaction took place here on the forum. Shipping took about 5-6 days, and only cost about $9.00

The only hassle was having to fill out a detailed checklist of the item I was shipping. It asked questions like was it a gift or a purchased item. What was the value of the item. What the exact contents of the package was, etc.....

As for payment, it was immediate because it was via Paypal.
 
Between shipping and Customs dues, it can cost up to double, or even more, to buy an American knife in Europe than it would in the States. Perhaps its cheaper and easier to get one shipped from a private party than to order from an American website or find one within Europe. Many American knives and mulit-tools (which aren't very popular over there) might be scarce over there.
 
It's likely that they are legitimate questions. Some sellers prefer not to ship out of the US because of the additional effort required for the customs forms. It can also cost significantly more (the seller often asks the buyer to absorb the additional shipping fees). If a package is lost or stolen, recovery or reimbursement can be a bit more difficult. Always ship insured and with tracking. Because the buyer often has to pay significant import/customs taxes, some buyers may ask you to declare a lesser value for the package. It is illegal, and I would never do it but some do. The customs forms can be filled out on-line, paid for, and printed out at home so it really isn't a big deal.

Having said all of that, I've shipped rather valuable knives (Busse, Randall, etc.) to places like Slovakia, Germany, Austrialia, and Indonesia without a hitch. Many here do it on a regular basis without problems. Hope this helps. Mike
 
I have noticed a lot of "professional" sellers won't send to Italy, specifically. I don't know why.
Europe may be like Australia. Retailers sell goods at a 200% mark up.
Buying from a US online store is cheaper, but postage is often $25- $50.
A private person will often post for $10- $12.

Customs issues are risk for the purchaser.
 
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