[shadowgenesis]

Didn't know which forum to put this in.

I'm in the process of trying to sell my DC727, but I've never shipped a guitar to anyone before. What's the easiest/best way to package things if i've already got a hardshell case, and what's the best service to use (USPS, Fed Ex, UPS, other)? And what's involved in shipping overseas? I have a potential buyer in Belgium and I didn't know if it's a lot of trouble to ship a guitar over there. People always seem to not want to ship overseas, so I'm figuring there's prolly a reason for that, right?

[heffergm]

As for packaging:
- guitar in case. Try to put some bubble wrap around any contact points (headstock, etc)
- bubble wrap outside of case
- sturdy box

Shipping overseas is a pain in the ass because the buyers are typically not cognizant of all the fees that may be due on their end (i.e. customs duties, etc). So you give them a shipping quote, they pay you, and they think they're in the clear when in fact they may need to pay something additional.

I just don't bother unless it's someone I know personally, the hassle just isn't worth it, and the shipping costs for something as large as a guitar are not small.

Everyone's got a different favorite shipper depending on their own experiences. Just use UPS of FedEX and cross your fingers.

[ukfswmart]

I personally don't see the issue with sending guitars overseas as long as you make it clear to the buyer how much it will cost them; I think the 'oh, it costs too much' excuse is a bit of a poor one seeing as you're not the one paying for it. Shipping domestically and internationally both involve a trip to the post office; you just have one more form to fill in for sending overseas. I don't see what the fuss is about, myself

[heffergm]

Originally Posted by ukfswmart

I personally don't see the issue with sending guitars overseas as long as you make it clear to the buyer how much it will cost them; I think the 'oh, it costs too much' excuse is a bit of a poor one seeing as you're not the one paying for it. Shipping domestically and internationally both involve a trip to the post office; you just have one more form to fill in for sending overseas. I don't see what the fuss is about, myself

Of course not... you're in the UK

I can't count the number of times I've had people ready to buy something in Europe, and then they figure out at the last minute they need to deal with customs, and I'm left holding the bag. Or they want me to falsely declare an item, or it's value. Sorry, but it ain't fucking worth it. I ship to relatives and friends in Ireland all the time, but if I don't know you, I'm just not going to bother anymore.

[Emperoff]

Originally Posted by heffergm

Of course not... you're in the UK

I can't count the number of times I've had people ready to buy something in Europe, and then they figure out at the last minute they need to deal with customs, and I'm left holding the bag. Or they want me to falsely declare an item, or it's value. Sorry, but it ain't fucking worth it. I ship to relatives and friends in Ireland all the time, but if I don't know you, I'm just not going to bother anymore.

I always get angry when someone don't want to ship a guitar overseas. I mean, it's just putting an address in a fucking box, where's the problem? Anybody knows that overseas shipping is expensive and that there's customs, but the fact is that it's STILL cheaper than buying things in europe...

And what's the deal declaring less value? If something happens, the buyer is the one screwed it, not you. Or are you offended because you consider it immoral? I'm pretty sure that if were you the one who had to pay 2500$ for an Universe, you wouldn't be so close-minded... Because of people like you, I've lost a lot of opportunities to buy a guitar

[heffergm]

People like me? Dude, it's not my fucking job to solve the disparity between a week dollar and a strong GBP. World economics is what it is. And if I was never going to sell an item to an overseas party, then it was never an opportunity you had... so there's not much point get bent out of shape about not being able to get something that was never available to you in the first place.

And "anybody" definitely does NOT know about customs. As I've already said, I've been left holding my hat too many times for me to dick around with it anymore. People in Europe who've never had dealings buying goods overseas before are generally oblivious, and that lack of knowledge is the problem.

I have no doubt there are plenty of people with whom I'd have smooth transactions. But the number of idiots taints the pool sufficiently for me to not care to try anymore.

[ukfswmart]

Originally Posted by heffergm

People like me? Dude, it's not my fucking job to solve the disparity between a week dollar and a strong GBP. World economics is what it is. And if I was never going to sell an item to an overseas party, then it was never an opportunity you had... so there's not much point get bent out of shape about not being able to get something that was never available to you in the first place.

And "anybody" definitely does NOT know about customs. As I've already said, I've been left holding my hat too many times for me to dick around with it anymore. People in Europe who've never had dealings buying goods overseas before are generally oblivious, and that lack of knowledge is the problem

+1 to you, sir . I guess as is the case with all things, it only takes a couple of idiots to ruin the experience for everyone

For me, if I spot something on eBay US that will only be shipped within the continental states or to Canada, and I want it, I'll shoot the guy an e-mail asking if he'd consider sending it overseas. Granted, I've not bought a guitar from eBay US, but the sellers have always agreed to it as long as I pay the shipping, which is an absolute given. So Emperoff, just ask next time!

[shadowgenesis]

so i need to put the hard case in a box, eh? and then drag that shit down the the post office and be like "send." Doesn't sound so fancy... Now i just need a box.
Is there a way to price shipping beforehand??

[heffergm]

Originally Posted by shadowgenesis

so i need to put the hard case in a box, eh? and then drag that shit down the the post office and be like "send." Doesn't sound so fancy... Now i just need a box.
Is there a way to price shipping beforehand??

https://wwwapps.ups.com/ctc/request?...WT.svl=PNRO_L1

You can even set up an account, print a shipping label, and schedule a pickup, assuming you've got a tape measure to measure your package and a scale to weigh it on.

[HighGain510]

Originally Posted by shadowgenesis

so i need to put the hard case in a box, eh? and then drag that shit down the the post office and be like "send." Doesn't sound so fancy... Now i just need a box.
Is there a way to price shipping beforehand??

No, don't just drop the case in the box. You're going to want to bubble wrap the headstock and neck to make sure it doesn't get fucked up in transit, and then you're going to want to bubble wrap (safest method IMO) the outside of the case before you stick it in that box. You don't want them dropping something heavy on top of that box without some cushioning in there. Also you are going to have to fill out customs forms. The cheapest method in my experience for shipping overseas is USPS but you don't get the convenience of real-time tracking like you do with FedEx or UPS. The price of shipping internationally with UPS and FedEx is disgusting though, so if your buyer is looking for cheap, go with USPS. Also, don't lie on the customs form and declare the value lower than it really is. If your buyer is paying via Paypal and that guitar gets broken before it gets to him/her, they're going to want to get reimbursed and since there would be no insurance (due to the lower declared "fake" value) all they have to do is reverse the payment with their credit card. If the buyer (overseas) is trying to pay you via a wire transfer and you don't know the person personally, beware as that's not a great method to accept payment when you don't know the person. Hope that helps. As stated above, make sure they know that once they go to claim it from customs there WILL be more fees that THEY are responsible for paying. Don't say "this is all you need to pay for shipping..." because then you're going to have a cranky buyer. Good luck.