Off topic shipping question - help please!

[tsarter]

Not Rick specific in this post, but I'm hoping some of you can help.

I'm selling a few basses right now. A couple of them might be going overseas - to the UK and France. I'm finding UPS and Fedex REALLY expensive (around $350). The boxes, at 51" long are too long to send via the USPS. What service have folks been using, if any, to ship across the Atlantic? Any of them in the $125 - $200 range?

Thanks,

Tim

[jakeox]

Tim,

For what it's worth, the USPS limits for a lot of European countries (including France and I think the UK too) is 60" length, 108" length + girth. Boxed basses, including HSC, should come in under this limit. That's for Priority Mail International, which has been pretty reliable in my experience. The downside is that you can only insure up to $650. You might be able to insure for more with the more expensive types of shipping, but USPS should be right in the 120-140 range, insured for 650.

That's what I've used, but the insurance limit is a potential issue. The price and delivery time are hard to beat though.

[ilan]

I hope the basses you're selling are not Rics because the only solution I can think of is to detach the neck from the body and send in a box that is small enough for USPS. Otherwise, yes, $300-350 with FedEx or UPS. By the way, USPS will ship a short scale bass.

[tsarter]

I tried the USPS first. Oh their website it says the maximum length is 46" and my box is 51". I used to ship a lot of basses internationally, but with rates like this I'm afraid I may have to start saying no.


Oh yes, while I am selling one of my Ricks, the ones heading over the seas are an old Kramer and a MusicMan. Suppose I could remove the neck on the Kramer...

- Tim

[jakeox]

The 46 inch limit is only for Global Express Guaranteed. You can get up to 60 for Express or Priority -- regs here.

[tsarter]

The 46 inch limit is only for Global Express Guaranteed. You can get up to 60 for Express or Priority -- regs here.

Yay! Good eye Jake. I read that too, but didn't catch it was only for Global Express.


Thanks so much!

- Tim