Best international shipper?

[BadgerDave]

I saw in another post that some of you have shipped guitars between the US and Europe for under $150.00.

FedEx is quoting $250 - $280 for their economy air service (around 5 business days) from Minnesota to the UK, including insurance.

I tend to use FedEx because UPS has broken two guitars and one amp that I've entrusted to their "care", and USPS doesn't offer any real tracking capability.

Anyone have any advice on a less expensive, reliable way to get a guitar safely to Europe?

[silentman]

Dave,

Have you tried shipping from work? Most companies have an account with FedEx, et al. that you can take advantage of the discounts.

[luiss]

We usually ask for USPS Global Express or simply Airmail by USPS,but I don't know if term conditions have changed since a year ago.Nick shipped to me some smal stuff through Airmail(Canadian) and it two packagesarrived safe and fast(about a week).I asked a couple of months Danny about shipping his Black Cat but he told me about some problems about size witth amps.One thing we must be awere is about double charging fees by UPS or DHL.They charge an extra(high) fee because customs tramitations they say to do but I was told by Custom employee they cant do that as it's illegal and they can be acussed breaking the(8spanish) laws.Be aware.

[GusS]

USPS. clarify that once the package is out of your hands you're not responsible. end of story.

[DaveL]

I use USPS global express and have shipped

maybe 5 guitars. (Italy, Sweden, Netherlands,

France, and England). Each cost me approx $120

to $130 insured. They have tracking which is ok

but isn't as detailed as UPS or fedex. In each case

the guy got it about a week or less and was pretty

happy.

BTW: I pack them like a mother and use guitar boxes

that I buy from U-line that are exactly the size of USPS

length vs girth requirements. They're nice strong boxes

and they're big enough to allow for extra packing and

or double boxing. They cost about $7.00 each delivered

which for me, was worth the cost of not having to drive

around and dumpster dive/grovel for boxes.

[sirDaniel]

USPS, end of story...

[belgian]

USPS was great for shippings to Belgium.

I had 6 guitars shipped trough them the last two years, and they all arrived within a week. In that time the local distribution company was GLS. Tracking and so went perfect. everything came in safe and they charged about 9 Euros on customs declaration (wich is very reasonable).

On two, they even forgot to declare on customs - there was no value marked on the shipping papers and the invoice- was in a plastic enveloppe on top of the box. I presume they were to lazy to open it. So I got a T-51 and a Newport Korina free of charges.

That changed, GLS lost the contract and ABX is now the local transporter. The first shipping is now the Centaura that Elduave shipped to me 13th of May. It left the USA the 14th trough Kennedy airport. No trace of it, since then. I was getting very nervous. AS ABX has no tracking system for international shippings, the only source was USPS tracking and that stayed for 11 days on the same status : Your shipment left the USA on.....

Then I started calling around and nobody over here had a clue where the package could be. Elduave did the same over with USPS and got the same answers.

This morning it popped up : Your shipment arrived today in Brussels...

12 days to cross the Atlantic. I hope it's still in one piece.

Bax was the transporter for a Valvetech order. It came in in about a week, but they charged about 70 Euros (100$)extra for custom declaration on a 200 $ shipment + the normal custom taxes.

Is this really illegal ? (then I could claim it back)

[Gabe]

USPS Global Express.

I completely agree with Dave L (one of the guitars he mentions was sent by him to me, a Newport packed like a newborn) and Belgian.

From the US to Europe this is about $ 90-130 (depending on weigth and size of the box) incl insurance for a guitar. All the Hamers I have have been shipped that way and all within a very reasonable time and a with a very reasonable tracking system. GLS does the service in The Netherlands too, but unlike Belgian they never forgot to let me pay taxes (about 19-20% of the price including shipping and insurance, so that adds up about $ 120 for shipping and $ 120 for a $ 500 guitar, totalling $ 740). Compare that to bying it in the US and having it packed and sent for about $ 540 for a guitar worth $ 500.

Still, the USA Hamer quality warrants the expenses.

Gabe

[tombo]

Have you tried shipping from work?  Most companies have an account with FedEx, et al. that you can take advantage of the discounts.

Yes! When I got my Anderson Classic in late 2003, the shipper sent it through his Fed Ex account at work (a university). He shipped it to Japan for about $110 versus $250 if he shipped it by himself. FWIW, we've never had a problem with the USPS method either.

[BadJaxx]

try these guys....i shipped a guitar to Australia....arrived in under 3 days....third party shipper thru DHL at less than half what DHL quoted me....$130 shipped and insured from Pittsburgh to Australia...and DHL picked it up from my house...

APX

[luiss]

Belgian I was told that by a custom employee so go figure.They are tired of UPS way of working as they wait until they fill a cointainer so they don't ship in time,so Customs charge an extra fee they want you to pay(in fact they bill this extra fee to you too) but that's not your fault..