Shipping to USA

[GrahamGKD]

Someone has asked me to send one of my floor standing outdoor sculptures to the USA. Does anyone on here have any experience of shipping to America please - what service is best to use and are there any pitfalls?

The sculpture weighs 8kg and is 1000 long by 750 high by 350 wide (all mm).

Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[DanielW]

Simple answer to that is......

Let the recipient handle the shipping carrier....if they WANT it they will do it.

They will then be responsible for all what can happen to it in transit providing you can prove in the UK that it went on it merry way and once it left the UK thats down to them.

All you have to do is give them the sizes and weight of the sculpture.

 

[tlovatt]

We reguarly send things to the US, just use a courier as you would do for a UK shippment, there is some extra paperwork and you need to make clear to the buyer that they will be responsible for import duties etc. Use one of the better couriers such as DHL or UPS and avoid TNT

If you ring DHL or UPS they will come and pick the item up etc, but they should be able to give you a price online if you put in the dimensions (do not forget to add a good weight for packaging) and you can give the client a couple of prices, slow surface shipping or faster air shipping (but beware if there are any think steel sections as the item would not X-Ray)

 

[gerrymoore]

I've sent quite a few 'Beatles sculptures' to the states, all over Europe, and even Japan and Australia. I use interparcel or Ipostparcels...never had any problems and very reasonable price...which the customer pays anyway....I've also used UPS which, in my opinion, are the very best.

 

[chunkolini]

I have been using a company called Parcel Flight for years,very very good, never had an issue with them and cheap.
Not able to send a link at the moment. They are based near Heathrow and have a very easy to use online quote system.
Three years ago I sent a package I think around 80x70x90cm to the mid west of America for £450.00 including picking it up from me in Hereford. it arrived 48 hours after it left me. I will try and post a link later

 

[GrahamGKD]

Thanks for the replies folks - I have tried DanielW's suggestion in the first instance and have also highlighted the buyers liability for import duty. Looks like I need a ZIP code from the potential customer to get a proper quote from a lot of the couriers so I will ask for that if the guy is not keen on arranging collection himself.

Did you mean £450 Chunko, that sounds like quite a lot?

Thanks again,
Graham.

 

[Gareth0123]

I ship parcels 5kg X 115cm long almost daily to the USA and I exclusively use UPS via Interparcel

Let the customer know they are responsible for any import duty (if any) and for loss or damage in transit insurance, and price your shipping accordingly .

The items I dispatch to the USA are zero/nil rated, but I do ensure that I quote the Harmonised Tariff Code on each and every one of the commercial invoices so that there is absolutely no mistake.

The Harmonised Tariff Code that you require for an original sculpture is: 9703.00.00 00 Original sculptures and statuary, in any material and the rate is free/nil/zero. However, ensure that you write that on all the copies of the commercial invoices.

 

[chunkolini]

Graham check the dimensions. In fact it was bigger. Say 110x90x80.
Problem is shippers work out price/weight by the volume.
link to their website
http://www.parcelflight.co.uk/
type your package dimensions into the calculator.

 

[GrahamGKD]

Graham check the dimensions. In fact it was bigger. Say 110x90x80.
Problem is shippers work out price/weight by the volume.
link to their website
http://www.parcelflight.co.uk/
type your package dimensions into the calculator.

Thanks - that one looks quite competitive - around £125 if I have filled it out correctly.

 

[julianthegypsy]

I've shipped a couple of small stoves to the states by interparcel, cost £64 if I remember rightly. I was lucky, packed, they weighed a shade under 25kg which seems to be the standard max for a standard parcel, and the dimensions again were just within limits. I'll have a look at parcelflight, as I have had several enquiries from the states but freight costs over 25kgs seemed extortionate. Strangely, I looked at sea freight and found it twice the price and far more complicated. All the wood in the packing case has to be certified and stamped pest free or something as well, just a nightmare.

 

[TurtleDude]

Parcelmonkey have also impressed me today, gave me 50% discount as parcelforce delayed my package, no quibble, no argument.
Quite impressed tbh...

No monkey business there then!

 

[tlovatt]

I've sent quite a few 'Beatles sculptures' to the states, all over Europe, and even Japan and Australia. I use interparcel or Ipostparcels...never had any problems and very reasonable price...which the customer pays anyway....I've also used UPS which, in my opinion, are the very best.

UPS are good, but I would now rate DHL up there with UPS as well, they seem to have really upped their game in the last couple of years including getting some major packages over 1000kg to us from the states in under 24 hours. When we use DHL (it does depend upon the country we ar shipping to) we tend to do so through Inexpress which works out cheaper - but I am not sure what the minimum annual spend for a business account is.

 

[tlovatt]

Thanks for the replies folks - I have tried DanielW's suggestion in the first instance and have also highlighted the buyers liability for import duty. Looks like I need a ZIP code from the potential customer to get a proper quote from a lot of the couriers so I will ask for that if the guy is not keen on arranging collection himself.

Did you mean £450 Chunko, that sounds like quite a lot?

Thanks again,
Graham.

When considering that price, keep in mind you are talking of somthing the size of a living room easy chair - it would not fit in the back of some estate cars, also the delivery time.

Esentially you will be able to find a wide range of prices from a few pounds to a few hundred pounds depending upon the service you want.

Personally I would try to avoid the cheap couriers - quote the top ones and let the client request cheaper couriers if that the way he wants to go, it gives him the risk if something goes wrong.

 

[julianthegypsy]

Someone I know worked for a company who skipped hundreds of packing crates per week, as it was cheaper to buy certified pest free crates than it was to get uncertified crates certified (their component suppliers were in europe so the crates didn't have to be certified)

I didn't know you could buy packing crates, I had to make them myself, but buying certified wood and then making the crates seemed like more trouble than it was worth. Especially when it was more than twice the price of air freight, which got safely to my gobsmacked customers within two days! Not bad to addresses in California and Ohio!