Shipping a kit to Australia

[Leester]

A gentleman in Queensland is interested in a Oriental kit I have for sale. The USPS wants 198.20 for shipping It is 46X 7X7 at roughly 6 lbs. anybody know of a cheaper method of shipping ??

Thanks Lee

[Brian Gardner]

Perhaps talk to Eric Rule at RSM or Brodaks. They sent me kits all the time when I was their Aussie dealer.

If you do talk to Eric or Patti at Brodaks tell them I said g'day :-)

[RandySmith]

A gentleman in Queensland is interested in a Oriental kit I have for sale. The USPS wants 198.20 for shipping It is 46X 7X7 at roughly 6 lbs. anybody know of a cheaper method of shipping ??

Thanks Lee

Post office  will not deliver  anything  over 46 inches, and  I mean 46 if you give them a 46.1 inch  pack they will  NOT deliver, and it has to go Global express at  198.20
Priority is 42 inch max

" GXG and Priority Mail Express International™ Options   Scheduled Delivery Date   Retail   Click-N-Ship®
Global Express Guaranteed® (GXG)**
Value of contents can not exceed $2,499.00
See Service Guide Before Mailing
Min. length 9-1/2", height 5-1/2"
Max. length 46", width 35", height 46" and max. length plus girth combined 108"
1 - 3 business days to many major markets
$198.20
$198.20

Product Selected   Price Description   Retail   Click-N-Ship®
Global Express Guaranteed® (GXG)
Expected Delivery Day 1 - 3 business days to many major markets
Total
$198.20
$198.20 "

[Chancey Chorney]

Not too bad. From your info entered into Canada Post, my rate would be $377.05 CAD, or $287.92 USD!

[Daniel_Munro]

DHL Express perhaps? I use them all the time and find the prices very reasonable. Very fast service too.

[Leester]

Thanks for the reply's !! The person in Queensland made a dummy order through Brodaks web site and they listed his shipping at 39.00 ?? They usually ship FedEx in the U.S. I'll have to give them a call and see what's up.

[john e. holliday]

Sure it wasn't DHL Express they gave it to.  I've had FedEx and UPS both tell me go to DHL.  And you are right about USPS on shipping sizes.

[Craig Beswick]

Hi Guys,
I am the customer Lee is trying to help in Australia.
Firstly, I would like to thank you Lee for reaching out to the community to try and make the sale happen, thank you, also it has been a long time since I have been accused of being a gentleman!
Randy is spot on in his description of the postal situation to Australia.
Brodaks use USPS Priority Flat Rate to send to Australia. But having said that their price is the best of all the suppliers in the US, not sure how they do it.
RSM have a blanket $50 international delivery charge, no matter what you buy! Unless it is more than the $50 then it goes up.
Action hobbies is around the $50 mark for their, "Short", kits.
Ty, how would it be if the purchaser were to pay any additional shipping charges? That is what I do.
Guys, I am a novice in control line, I am back into it after a 40+ year absence and I do not want to be the cause of any unpleasantness on the forum.
Every single person I have dealt with has been exceptional in their advice and assistance, in particular Randy Smith. No question was too stupid or annoying for him to email me an answer. Thanks Randy. You are getting back to me with that delivery price.
So thanks to all guys I appreciate it. It doesn't seem we are any closer Lee unless the box is shortened!
Regards
Craig Beswick

[Craig Beswick]

Just goes to show Ty there are low class people all over the world!
Better luck in the future.

Craig

[Leester]

Craig, Was at the PO yesterday and the lady there said the length 46" width  and height at 7" ea that it was under the size limit for Priority International at a price of 64.?? USD forget what the change was. So I'll PM you with the details. Oh and Sorry I called you a Gentleman !!

[Craig Beswick]

Lee?
great news PM sent.
Craig

[Mike Griffin]

Just as a general note .... I have shipped kits all over the world and a lot of them to Australia in particular.  I use a postage program called ENDICIA which is the same as Stamps Dot Com but ENDICIA is geared for the MAC user like me.  I know Eric Rule at RSM uses Stamps Dot Com which is the same as I use but is geared toward the PC user.  I can tell you that a standard kit box that measures 37" long  x 5" x 5"  that weighs around 3-4 lbs., will cost in the neighborhood of $50.00 - $55.00 to ship by Priority Mail International to Australia and most other places in the world.  Before I ship to someone overseas, I get their exact address and I can give them exact postage after weighing it by using my ENDICIA program.  I rarely exceed any box bigger than a kit box to be shipped internationally because it can get quite pricey.

Mike

[eric rule]

What Mike says is so true!

The important thing to look at are the postal regulations the various countries have. Stamps.com automatically lists these when you enter the address so you can reference them immediately. This helps a lot as you can make certain that the box size you plan to use will ship there with no problems. Most countries limit the length to 36" (Japan goes to 42") for normal priced shipments. It is always better to "adjust" the kit contents so they fit into the normal sized box for International Priority Mail than to use the large size which must go by Express Mail!

It is also a good idea to know which countries you can ship to with little or no problems. Canada, most countries in Europe, the UK and Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Japan Taiwan, Israel and even Russia have decent post offices. I have shipped to each of these using both regular First Class envelopes and both small and large Priority Mail packages with no problems at all. Brazil is OK but only for International Priority Mail using the large US Customs Form. Any other mail class is likely to be stolen. I have shipped packages by Priority Mail to Chile and Argentina with success. Don't ever consider using the post office for China or South Africa. South Africa's post office is a total disaster and the package will never be delivered to your customer. At least you are likely to have the package returned to you unlike China where the package simply disappears and neither you nor your customer every hears about it again.

[Leester]

Thanks for all the great info.. I took the package to the P.O. and they refused to ship it Priority International because of the 46" length. She said I could try it but at the risk of the 65.00 shipping and return postage or the loss of the package.. So it's not being sent, I tried !!

[Mike Griffin]

Lee I would say you made a good decision.  Just not worth the chance.

Mike

[Tony Drago]

Last year I sold a Walter Umland Cobra kit to a gent in OZ.  $200.00 USD. I took it to Fedex and they wanted 185.00 to ship it. Whoa!!  So I took it to my local USP office. 47.50 and they give it to Fedex to ship it....!!!!! Go figure..Thus I will NOT evership anything outside CONUS,ever.

Ty.
  Since 911. All USPS mail regardless. USPS sends it by FedEx. Then it goes to the local post office's hubs for distribution and sorting. UPS might get some for the holidays, but most if not all the time FedEx.
 If you ship FedEx Smart Post. It starts out FedEx deliver to the Postal zip code sorting hub. USPS takes it from there.
 One big Merry Go Round.

[john e. holliday]

You know,  the Oriental is such a simple kit, all he needs is the wing ribs, fuselage formers and full size set of plans.   That would make for a very small package with the plans folded right.