Why does everyone in the Exchange, only ship CONUS?

Because... when you've gotta go you've gotta go! I can't be flying international every time!!!

Oh that might be a typo... :D



Risk - as a maker I have had to replace two blades this year and had two sent back from around the world ($40 shipping each way) because they were lost while shipping international, I had to work for free for a week because of that.

I still ship international and offer insurance as way to negate any problems.

It is also more work but that is not as big of a deal as losing a knife.
 
I've shipped knives to Africa, Australia, and India several times. No problems really except you have to be a bit vague on the customs form. "Camp tool" etc. I just feel weird doing that, and it just feels sneaky, dirty and dishonest. I also have been told that insurance etc isn't an option to some of these places. I got into a HUGE shouting match inside my local post office due to the staff being total morons about me wanting to ship to India. Long story. They were calling the cops on me as I was storming out.

Shipping anywhere is nerve racking. I always do delivery confirmation and insurance on my packages to give me a bit of peace of mind. Nothing is ever over 8 bucks or so. I've delivered packages overseas with nothing to fall back on and it almost feels like I'm throwing the knife away.

Plenty of buyers in the US and shipping is cheaper and more trustworthy. That's the short answer.
 
I have a hard enough time trying to stay compliant with state laws. I'm not interested in learning other countries' laws and/or dealing with customs and the increased risk of theft or loss. Knives are the closest thing to weapons that some other countries citizens are able to have and as such they seem taboo... ... I'm just not interested in participating in that scene.

I avoid buying or selling from other countries. If you want to buy/sell knives freely do like everyone else and sneak into the US.
 
Josh Mason said:
... you have to be a bit vague on the customs form. "Camp tool" etc. I just feel weird doing that, and it just feels sneaky, dirty and dishonest.
Shipping anywhere is nerve racking. I always do delivery confirmation and insurance on my packages to give me a bit of peace of mind. Nothing is ever over 8 bucks or so. I've delivered packages overseas with nothing to fall back on and it almost feels like I'm throwing the knife away.

Plenty of buyers in the US and shipping is cheaper and more trustworthy. That's the short answer.
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I agree with this. I live in Alaska and in the last month or so I have shipped knives to Canada, Russia, Holland, Australia as well as all over in the U.S. Canada doesn't bother me but some of the others have been a bit stressful. For the amount of stress and back and forth that it seems to take for international deals, I'd rather ship within the USA any day.

One related note is that I had someone in the "lower 48" refuse to ship a knife to me up here in Alaska the other day because they thought that was too risky! Couldn't figure that one out.
 
The Logical One said:
First of all because it is a bit of a hassle filling out all the paperwork, but most importantly it's because there could POTENTIALLY be an issue with customs. I remembered a few months back there was a guy who started a thread saying he shipped an umnumzaan to Australia and it got seized by customs..... the buyer ended up filing a claim on paypal and got his money back. The seller was out a knife and money.

I personally have had no issues shipping knives to Asia and Europe, but incidents like the one I stated above makes me think twice. Unless I'm having a really difficult time selling a knife I would prefer to ship CONUS, and if I do ship it internationally I would make it VERY clear that once the knife leaves my hand, I am no longer responsible for whatever happens to it.
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This was the fault of the buyer. One handed openers, assisted anything that can be opened one hand are unlikely to make it through customs in AUS.

This is why I only have a small selection of lock knives..

Not right that seller has to cough up for this. Anything seized by customs is not legal and its the buyers responsibility to ensure what they are purchasing is legal where they are.

Its no wonder people don't want to ship OS when dealing with fools like the guy mentioned here.

I have not had a knife seized by customs EVER. I have been buying knives and swords for over 10 years from the US.

I have had plenty of CONUS sales sent my way (australia), there may have been some begging and pleading involved :)
 
There have been a few people stating that they make it known that once the knife leaves the country it is the buyer's responsibility. Unfortunately, Paypal does not honour this sort of arrangement(regardless of whether it is in writing or not). Nor, do they accept anything other than a signature as proof of delivery. Paypal works just fine if the seller takes the time to read and honour the policy as outlined by the company.

As for the CONUS discussion... most problems that occur in customs are from neglegence, either on the part of the seller or buyer. Cross your t's, dot your i's and you should have no problems shipping anywhere in North America... or anywhere else, for that matter. I sell a lot to Japan, France and the UK. The only countries I have had problems with is Australia and Germany. After taking hits on both occasions, I stepped up my game on overseas shipments with regard to legality and insurance. There is a cost to secure shipping and I have found that most international buyers aren't afraid to pay a little more for it.

All of my sale threads state that shipping to anywhere in North America is included in the selling price. Anything else may cost extra.
 
I have shipped to Canada, and to Australia.

I tend to not want the risk. Paypal means that if the knife gets seized, or stolen, I am out the knife and the shipping.

I shipped to Australia with a knife that was not too expensive only about 220 or so. But by the time I paid for the extra shipping and insurance it cut into my money. The buyer did not want the insurance amount, but I put it anyway, because I thought it would be safer. He sent me more by paypal when he found out I put out extra cost, which was very nice. I would deal with him any day, but I sure do worry about customs. Basically if they take it, there is nothing short of having super powers, like flying, and laser vision etc to be able to get it back. They you are screwed if the buyer used paypal and does a charge back, stating he never got his knife. It does not matter what you agree to. You loose with paypal if you can't prove they got their knife.
 
I always put Con US but its really just because once most buyers find out that I ONLY ship internationally using USPS Express Mail, I dont lie on forms, will NOT under any circumstance be held responsible once I ship the item (meaning you pay using the gift option), and charge them for all of it they dont usually want to do it so I save myself the headache. If someone PMs me I will almost always ship internationally.
 
I don't ship international anymore because several folks have asked me to understate the value on their knife on forms. Also, I've had several problems with buyers receiving their purchases or trades. Canada is the worst. At least two major malfunctions there. One package showed up at the buyers door with the knife completely out of its sheath (I package up my knives VERY carefully to prevent this) and the box it was shipped in had all sorts of foreign nuts and bolts in it. :confused: Just weird. The last knife I shipped internationally was to Belgium. It got hung up in customs there for at least 6-7 weeks. The buyer was totally and rightfully frustrated.
Not worth the hassle but "shipped CONUS only" is not meant to be a slight to our international friends.
 
An answer for the OP... The risks and costs associated with international shipping.

I've been buying, selling, and trading 12" records on various markets and forums for over 7 years now. Most people simply ignore the costs of commerce, as if all the unseen costs between buyer and seller don't exist. They only see an item they want right now. Sorry folks, it's more complicated than that. 12" records are one thing, knives have MORE risks involved. I've found most potential buyers are not willing to absorb SEEN costs IN PART, let alone in full. As a matter of fact, I occasionally field information to potential buyers in order to enlighten them. Most become skittish afterwards and disappear.

Bottom line, there is a level of fear a lot of humans simply will not deal with in commerce. The only way to offset this fear is more reassurances and protections, which cost. Someone has to pay.
 
I will ship outside the US but it is on a case by case basis.Depending on where it is going and the value.I used not to mind at all but it has gotten to be more of a pain and expensive in the last few years.I miss those small flat rate international envelopes that used to cost 9.00.Another thing about international shipping depending on where it is going is the shipping time.Canada can take 2-3 weeks and seeing as how on deal is done unless both parties are happy many may not want to drag a deal out that long before it is finalized.
 
try to imagine the worst possible nightmare scenario in the world.

that nightmare scanrio has nightmares about shipping outside the US.
 
comoha said:
I don't ship international anymore because several folks have asked me to understate the value on their knife on forms. Also, I've had several problems with buyers receiving their purchases or trades. Canada is the worst. At least two major malfunctions there. One package showed up at the buyers door with the knife completely out of its sheath (I package up my knives VERY carefully to prevent this) and the box it was shipped in had all sorts of foreign nuts and bolts in it. :confused: Just weird. The last knife I shipped internationally was to Belgium. It got hung up in customs there for at least 6-7 weeks. The buyer was totally and rightfully frustrated.
Not worth the hassle but "shipped CONUS only" is not meant to be a slight to our international friends.
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Canada Post may be slow and expensive, but they are fairly reliable, remember the package may have been damaged by USPS

Josh Mason said:
I've shipped knives to Africa, Australia, and India several times. No problems really except you have to be a bit vague on the customs form. "Camp tool" etc. I just feel weird doing that, and it just feels sneaky, dirty and dishonest. I also have been told that insurance etc isn't an option to some of these places. I got into a HUGE shouting match inside my local post office due to the staff being total morons about me wanting to ship to India. Long story. They were calling the cops on me as I was storming out.

Shipping anywhere is nerve racking. I always do delivery confirmation and insurance on my packages to give me a bit of peace of mind. Nothing is ever over 8 bucks or so. I've delivered packages overseas with nothing to fall back on and it almost feels like I'm throwing the knife away.

Plenty of buyers in the US and shipping is cheaper and more trustworthy. That's the short answer.
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Then maybe Bladeforums should shut the regular knife exchange to ConUS only, its so frustrating anyway, and maybe then we "Internationals" won't need to waste money on paid memberships.
 
You know I have to say that I have bought MANY knives from the exchange here and all have arrived safe and sound. Maybe I don't spend much time away from the Busse/SwampRat/Scarpyard but I have yet to find a blade that that I 1) wanted 2) could afford and 3) could not find a way that was satisfactory to BOTH parties to see it here in Aus.

I DO NOT bother trying to import folders here now, I never ask for any description other than "Fixed Blade Knife" (every package is x-rayed on the way in so the paperwork fools no one and only makes people wonder what it is you are trying to hide) and I always ask for full value on the forms (because here in Aus we are not liable for any additional payment/tax/duty unless the value with shipping exceeds $1000Aussie.

If a buyer has a solid reputation most people I have worked with are happy to work back in kind... !!

Andy
 
tendy said:
Then maybe Bladeforums should shut the regular knife exchange to ConUS only, its so frustrating anyway, and maybe then we "Internationals" won't need to waste money on paid memberships.
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There is also a Canadian exchange section... I dont understand why people get so worked up about this? When you use paypal to pay for an item and it never shows up because it was seized or just lost paypal is almost automatically going to side with the buyer. That is a risk I am normally unwilling to take. I already mentioned in this thread I will ship internationally but you are paying the shipping charges for the service of my choice (an extra $40-50) and you are sending the money using the gift option. Most international buyers are not ok with that so I choose to say CONUS in my thread.
 
Why does everyone that lives outside the USA whine about people that don't want to ship outside the USA? (because they can't get knives as cheaply as they sell for here as a rule, is a big factor I'd say) I don't like to do it, because the buyers almost always want me to lie about what's in the package and the value of it. Also many places aren't knife friendly getting through customs can be iffy. Some have no way to track a package and insurance may not be available. I like to cover myself with tracking and insurance when I'm the seller.

The only trouble we ever had was before on eBay was from shipping a couple of knives to Russia. Both parties complained about everything and wanted to try to exploit partial refunds. (they threatened bad feed-back on NIB knives) We blocked them and certainly won't be shipping there again.
 
jill jackson said:
Why does everyone that lives outside the USA whine about people that don't want to ship outside the USA? (because they can't get knives as cheaply as they sell for here as a rule, is a big factor I'd say) I don't like to do it, because the buyers almost always want me to lie about what's in the package and the value of it.
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Rather narrow minded, I buy most of my knives abroad with the majority coming from the States, it has absolutely nothing to do with cost or getting something cheaper - after postage it would work out more expensive than buying local if they were available in my country.

I buy from the USA because the knives are simply not available outside of the States or in New Zealand. Hinderer and Busse for example.

And I'm a knife fan just like you so why should I not try to buy them? are you suggesting people outside the states should stick to only local distribution?

I buy my Beckers, Esee, Fallkniven and Spyderco (expect sprint) local, CRK, Hinderer and Busse from very helpful and decent forum members who are not so lazy or closed off to a great deal of other knife and blade fans - this is a community and the CONUS only thing just seems to close off a great many forum members.

I have NEVER had an issue with shipping or customs and one easy way which everyone seems to already use is PayPal gift which appears to be the default method and solves any liability to the seller.

The only issues I have had are from a few dishonest US sellers on this forum.
 
Don't ship fixed blades over 13 inches, don't ship any sort of assisted folders, don't ship machetes or swords or butterfly knives or any sort of other knife mod. And you will be fine. That is the general consensus for overseas shipping, although shipping any kind of folder now days is risky.
 
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