Shipping from US to UK

[ToddL]

I have some skis and a buyer in the UK.  He is willing to pay for tracked shipping.  It seems that USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL all ship.   I haven't started the quoting process for a ski box, but I was wondering if anyone has been there, done that, and has lessons learned to share.

 

[swbca]

First of all, you can't get a shipping quote from anyone without the buyers actual address . . . read on.

I ship stuff internationally several times a week.  It can be simple if you have a PayPal account.  Your buyer can use his credit card to buy your skis after you create a PayPal invoice on their web site.  He does not need a PayPal account to use his credit card to pay your PayPal invoice that PayPal has emailed to your buyer.  You also get a significant shipping discount if you go through PayPal, but there will be a 3% fee on the price of skis for the transaction.

Then for shipping, all PayPal shipping now goes through ShipStation.  PayPal with hook you up to ShipStation when you click on "Create Shipping Label".  There you create a label and the Customs Declaration Form by filling in the blanks.  ShipStation will provide pricing for USPS and UPS and  DHL.  You can choose.  Their pricing will be better than walking into a UPS Store etc. and process is simply filling in the forms on the ShipStation web site. 

USPS has become the least reliable because they still have staffing issues and the tracking is handed over to the UK postal service with sketchy tracking reliability in the process.  I have had packages disappear at the first stop in Illinois with their international shipping, and could not find a way to make a claim.  The tracking would just end at their Global transfer station and that was the end of it.  I was only dealing with a $100 item and I just gave it up.

Instead of using PayPal you can just walk into a DHL or UPS retail location but you will pay more and have to deal with the customs forms across the counter.

As noted, you can't get a shipping quote from anyone if you don't have your buyer's verified shipping address.

To get shipping pricing in advance, you could get a quote at a UPS Store for shipping.  You could then use the UPS quote amount with your customer and then continue to get your best price from PayPal/ShipStation.  If you over-charged your customer for shipping using the UPS quote, you can agree in advance that you will refund the buyer the overage, which is simple with the PayPal transaction.

Comment . . on the ShipStation web site, the Customs Declaration asks for some kind Homoligation code categorizing the product your shipping.  If a manufacturer is shipping something they would have the code to categorize it.  Its similar in concept to the UPC code but its not a UPC code.

You can leave the code field blank and just provide the product description "Water Ski Pair"  quantity "1"  Value "$900".

You won't know the customs fees your customer will have to pay when he receives or claims the item.  You should tell him that the customs fees are his responsibility paid at his end.

"disclaimer"  someone else may have better information.  This is my PayPal centric experience having shipped hundreds of items internationally over the last 10 years.  

Another PayPal comment . . PayPal allows transferring funds between friends and family without the 3% fee.   I don't think that applies if you are using their invoicing and shipping services.  

If you use something like Venmo there may be no fee, but you are on your own with shipping without the simplicity of the PayPal/Shipstation service with their integrated on-line Customs Declaration.

Edited April 3, 2023 by swbca

[BKistler]

Be sure to check customs implications. I sold a ski to a guy in Canada and shipped it UPS as I always do. Turns out he had to pay a significant customs charge that he would  not have had to pay if I had shipped it by US Mail. 

[RAWSki]

I think customs still applies even by USMail, we have avoided customs to Canada by actually driving to Windsor, Ontario.  About an hr south of us------ and taking a ski to Canadian Post office just a block from from the check point.  They shipped the ski to Toronto for about $25 Canadian!

[BKistler]

I say customs. There was some sort of fee involved that apparently could have been avoided. 

[swbca]

@ToddL While Exchanging my Boats damper plate for one that was the right size, I just learned you can use the PayPal shipping services without a Paypal transaction (except for paying for the shipping)  So the integrated Customs forms can be done from you computer along with the label in a few minutes. And you can collect pricing from the carriers before you finalize the transaction with your buyer.

On the main PayPal start page after you log in, there is a "PAYPAL SHIPPING" button.  This is relatively new to PayPal starting when they switched to ShipStation shipping.   So you can have the buyer pay you by some method does not involve the % PayPal fees and get multiple price quotes for shipping in minutes from your computer.

[ToddL]

So, I just attempted to estimate shipping on UPS.com.   $585!?!?!?!   Does that sound right??   

Here's the dimensions and info.  
 

The skis would ship from Round Rock, Texas, USA 78681 to London, England SE182UL.   The box weighs 12.5 lbs (5.6 kg).  The Radar box dimensions are 73 x 8 x 6 inches ( 185 x 20 x 16 CM ).   Declared value:  $800

 

Any way to get this from here to there for less?  
@swbca 

 

 

[swbca]

@ToddLThat price is shocking to me as well.    I have never shipped something that big internationally.  If I ship a "small flat rate box" to UK by Priority Mail International it costs $37.

In your screen shots they show "billable weight" Apparently all prices are by weight so they have a formula to convert the large dimensions to weight for pricing purposes.

You can take all the information to a UPS store to see what they say.  For domestic shipping the UPS store charges about a 35% premium over creating a label on shipstation.   I just checked that sending my Damper plate to the manufacturer.  Shipstation was $21, UPS store was $29 for the same box.  But it would let you know if their something way off about the pricing you show above.  

You could call the Denali factory.  Meg 330-398-6290 who makes the skis will probably answer the phone.  She would be glad to tell you what they pay to ship to EU area.  I don't know if that will help, but who knows.

or Meg Deeley <meg@denaliskis.com>

[mike_mapple]

it varies where you are shipping, as they typically do the DIM weight of the box, not what the item actually weighs, because of space it takes up. Shipping to EU can be anywhere from 150-400$ for us, and thats which an account that ships a lot. So it does not surprise me, however I would take it to a store and see what they say.

[BraceMaker]

Not saying you should take a trip to go waterskiing in the UK.  But if you were to have say a large shipment of skis going one way in a european country for the trip you were considering and they were all packaged neatly in a sport tube for your trip. this is what Shipskis.com was costing.  this was around a sport tube 2 skis, bindings, vests, gloves, towels etc.  Weighed nearly 75 pounds.  Went on DHL.

[chrislandy]

Shipping skis to the UK has always been expensive and is getting worse now we've left the EU.

 

Best and cheapest way to ship a ski is to find a UK skier visiting the US, they can then bring back as part of their luggage and declare at customs on the way though. 

[ToddL]

So, the skis are on their way to the UK.  Retail shipping would have been $585.   I created an account and got a discount code which saved the buyer $250!   All good.