International shipping gone mad?

photek

I have shipped guitars overseas a fair bit over the years, not for a while now though. Just logged in to my usual haunts and they no longer insure guitars for damages, only loss and UPS want £260 to insure one to the value of £1k!

Am I missing a trick or has all of this changed dramatically?

shugz

Noticed this recently in a few deals involving shipping as I hadn't done too many deals involving shipping for a while myself.

Consensus now seems pack very well, use somebody not totally off the radar, don't buy any insurance and hope for the best. 

Sorry not better news
H

photek

Thanks Hugh

It is cheaper for me to fly there, have dinner, catch a show and fly back than it is for a company to lob it on a pallet! For £260 I would want it hand delivered by Kristen Stewart with her paying for lunch. What a crock.

shugz

Yeah, good times all round. I love being around guitars and quite enjoy the deals if and when they happen but that 24hr or whatever period it takes til you get the "its arrived and all's well" news is getting more harrowing as time goes on.

1st world problems probably - maybe we should just play Argos Squier Strats...

Enjoy your big Mac with Kristen too

Cheers 
Hugh

Strat54

Yes, the days of cheap shipping by UPS or FedEx in four days to the US have long gone. Daves Guitars once sent me a blackface Twin that arrived in four days for $120 which was £70 at the time! 

jpfamps

photek said:

I have shipped guitars overseas a fair bit over the years, not for a while now though. Just logged in to my usual haunts and they no longer insure guitars for damages, only loss and UPS want £260 to insure one to the value of £1k!

Am I missing a trick or has all of this changed dramatically?

£260 to insure £1k, would imply say 1 in 5 packages go missing assuming a 20% mark-up to account for profit.

Nightswan

I shipped one to the Netherlands this morning via UPS with a declared value of £1200 which cost £55. It was via their Express Saver option. Nowhere did I see an enhanced compensation option when filling out the form.

photek

Nightswan said:

I shipped one to the Netherlands this morning via UPS with a declared value of £1200 which cost £55. It was via their Express Saver option. Nowhere did I see an enhanced compensation option when filling out the form.

Was that via a broker or direct to UPS. If I can find it for that price and it covers damages then I would be happy as a dude lunching with Kristen Stewart (edit, make that Kiernan Shipka).

Nightswan

photek said:

Nightswan said:

I shipped one to the Netherlands this morning via UPS with a declared value of £1200 which cost £55. It was via their Express Saver option. Nowhere did I see an enhanced compensation option when filling out the form.

Was that via a broker or direct to UPS. If I can find it for that price and it covers damages then I would be happy as a dude lunching with Kristen Stewart!

Direct through UPS...I have an account with them. When filling out the shipping form the only mention of insurance is on the 'Declared Value' part you fill in. I can't guarantee for sure that this is you insuring the parcel for that amount but declared value does have a bearing on how much you finally pay for the shipping. Best to prob fire them an email. I've shipped and received a good few high end guitars with UPS over the last few years and never had a problem. You could also try these guys as well. They work with UPS and DHL and appear to offer full insurance. Would be interesting to see how much they quote you:

https://www.overlandexpress.co.uk/musical-instrument-courier

andrewaward

Use UPS direct on their website, because it’s near Christmas all couriers put up their prices, but it will still be reasonable. Check out parcel monkey also

Andyjr1515

Nightswan said:

photek said:

Nightswan said:

I shipped one to the Netherlands this morning via UPS with a declared value of £1200 which cost £55. It was via their Express Saver option. Nowhere did I see an enhanced compensation option when filling out the form.

Was that via a broker or direct to UPS. If I can find it for that price and it covers damages then I would be happy as a dude lunching with Kristen Stewart!

Direct through UPS...I have an account with them. When filling out the shipping form the only mention of insurance is on the 'Declared Value' part you fill in. I can't guarantee for sure that this is you insuring the parcel for that amount but declared value does have a bearing on how much you finally pay for the shipping. Best to prob fire them an email. I've shipped and received a good few high end guitars with UPS over the last few years and never had a problem. You could also try these guys as well. They work with UPS and DHL and appear to offer full insurance. Would be interesting to see how much they quote you:

https://www.overlandexpress.co.uk/musical-instrument-courier

It's worth querying it with them. 

 It is usually 8% of the declared value (pretty sure they state that on their website) excepting specific high-risk products.  I checked last time I shipped a bass and that was not regarded as a high-risk product.  So unless their policy has changed in the last 4 months, then this doesn't sound right.

Nightswan

My parcel collected today was from Derry Northern Ireland going to Sommelsdijk, Netherlands. Declared value £1200. Weight 9.6kgs. Total cost including Paypal surcharge - £55.55.

Nightswan

Interesting article here on Declared value vs Shipping Insurance:

https://blog.ecabrella.com/blog/declared-value-vs.-shipping-insurance