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Nick Feakes
USA
3511 Posts |
 Posted - 26/11/2024 : 22:03:08
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This is my starter for ten. Please contribute constructive ideas as to how we can, as a community of like minded enthusiasts enable buyers and sellers to ship parts to one another.
Nick
(with due credit to Bamber Gascoigne)
Webmaster |
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chapelfarmer
United Kingdom
248 Posts |
Posted - 26/11/2024 : 22:20:05
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I'm afraid a lot of UK sellers are reluctant to post parts abroad nowadays. It's a real shame since our community is spread a lot wider than this and we've all benefitted historically from 'hands-across-oceans': socially as well as commercially. I really miss the days of yore and I think that insularity like this damages the cars' future prospects too. It may be asking for trouble, but should parts-for-sale on the forum be made compulsorily available to anyone in the world? IE don’t list if you’re not prepared to mail….. I sent some rear wings to NZ a while ago which was a major kerfuffle but resulted in a useful introduction to a restoration expert, a very entertaining and protracted correspondence and a very nice thank- you present when they finally arrived. I’ve also been sent an item from a Dutch trade member who refused payment on the basis that processing it would be a life-shortening experience! Confession: Confession: I have been known to specify 'UK only' myself, now that I think about it that was probably a mistake….
john |
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Simon Johnston
United Kingdom
6355 Posts |
Posted - 26/11/2024 : 22:20:21
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Will buyers be shipping to sellers? 
Joking apart, within reason I can probably help out with bits going to and from the EU as Norn Iron remains in the customs union so I can post items to the EU without needing a CN22 (under £270) or a CN23 (over £270) form, and vice versa
However, this does involve two lots of postage to be paid - once to get the item to me and then for me to forward it on. And I’d only do this for things that can be posted. I’ve had experience of shipping bigger items with UPS and DHL and it’s a pain the backside (UPS lost my gearbox twice!).
Simon J
J3437 |
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johnmereness
USA
81 Posts |
Posted - 26/11/2024 : 23:47:51
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My thoughts on the issue:
Sellers should sell to anyone, and Buyers should not be stingy on the shipping costs (there will always be a certain % of people though).
Also, a heavy or breakable object in a box of Styrofoam peanuts is about the same as putting a live missile into a box - the heavier or more breakable the object the more the object stands a chance of being broken (ie needs to be a box within a box or super well wrapped and padded within the peanuts. Two generators/dynamos later of receiving empty boxes with a big hole in the side of the box (not MG, but RR).
And hate to say it, though unfortunately "issues" sour the ownership.
JMM |
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NZ_monty
New Zealand
66 Posts |
Posted - 27/11/2024 : 02:10:47
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As one this those pesky foreign buyers, I'm always grateful to the efforts some sellers will go to get ship downunder. I’m also spoilt with some good UK MG friends I can stock pile parts with until they or I travel to NZ. (My suitcase is often on the heavy side haha) but that doesn’t work for bigger items like some much needed 12’ brakes.
S/H parts are in shorter supply in NZ and restoration more pricey when you have to pay with the pacific peso, cover shipping and import costs etc.
We also carry some risk paying for something with a degree of trust to a stanger 12,000 miles away and waiting for a weeks for something to turn up.
The other frustration is waking up and checking the forum only to find the much needed part appeared and sold while I was sleeping.
Not much help to the overall thread sadly, but a big thank you to those willing to help the MG mad colonists.
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PaulusPotter
Netherlands
205 Posts |
Posted - 27/11/2024 : 08:09:35
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Unbeleavable several years ago I send a pre selector gearbox by DHL to Charles and Bob Jones to have some connecting parts manufactured by them.
The box was collected at my home at 17.55 h and arrived at the Jones workshop next morning by 10.00 h. Just 16 hours to arrive, oh no 17 hours because one hour difference, who complains about that?
But just transferring some money to pay for parts from Australia took nearly 4 weeks to arrive. So I promised the seller I will bring the money if it does not arrive.
Paul
Netherlands |
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Simon Johnston
United Kingdom
6355 Posts |
Posted - 27/11/2024 : 08:38:19
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I’ll just add that I would find it totally unacceptable for there to be an obligation placed upon sellers to arrange shipping to anywhere in the world. If you’re offering your property for sale, it's up to you to decide how much hassle you’re prepared to put up with in terms of shipping it to the purchaser.
Simon J
J3437 |
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Teifion
United Kingdom
168 Posts |
Posted - 27/11/2024 : 10:01:44
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Perhaps members can post courier company recommendations, after good/reliable experiences (not hard to post about bad ones!).
Teifion |
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John James
United Kingdom
974 Posts |
Posted - 27/11/2024 : 11:41:41
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Over the years, I have sent well over a hundred items using the Royal Mail International 'Small Parcel' service (up to 5kg) and never had one go missing.
Only yesterday, I sent one of my XPAG engine tappet chest 'kits' to North America.
I am happy to help out with sending items (as per Simon's earlier posting).
jj(at)ttypes.org [Please substitute @ for (at)] |
Edited by - John James on 27/11/2024 11:44:29 |
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coracle
United Kingdom
2102 Posts |
Posted - 27/11/2024 : 14:04:11
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I agree with Simon regarding any obligation to ship anywhere; even Ebay allows a seller to exclude purchasers from selected locations.
Such a requirement would only discourage some people from putting up for sale surplus parts that they might otherwise be prepared to part with.
Royal Mail International Economy is reasonably priced if the item is not too heavy and the buyer is not in a hurry. It is generally faster than advertised but is however hidden away on their website unless one hits the show more services button. |
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John James
United Kingdom
974 Posts |
Posted - 27/11/2024 : 15:22:09
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I use the Royal Mail International Economy service occasionally.
The downside is that it can take up to 6 weeks to arrive in more distant destinations as the item travels by surface mail.
However, if the purchaser is not in a hurry, it is around half the price of the International Standard service.
I agree with Coracle's observation that the Economy service is generally faster than advertised. |
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LewPalmer
USA
3292 Posts |
Posted - 27/11/2024 : 19:49:59
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My last two packages from the US to the UK were sent through a service called Parcel Monkey. They ship to an intermediary which bundles and forwards. They provide all the paperwork including shipping manifest and customs forms. I pack the item along with the paperwork and deliver to my local UPS office. The cost is a fraction of the cost by shipping directly through UPS. It takes a few days extra, but in both cases the items arrived safe and sound. One of the items was a radiator shell which arrived in about 6 days.
I don't know whether Parcel Monkey is available in the UK, but there are likely other 3rd party shipping services there which take away much of the hassle of traditional companies.
I have also had good luck using DHL for items coming from overseas,
Lew Palmer
PA1169, NA0651 |
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coracle
United Kingdom
2102 Posts |
Posted - 27/11/2024 : 21:56:41
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Yes Parcel Monkey is available in the UK. I have used them to ship to the antipodes in the past.
Once an item disappeared for a month, then came back to life and was delivered OK. It had been sitting in a shipping container at the docks causing the delay. |
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Oz34
United Kingdom
2635 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2024 : 21:22:12
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As probably the one who triggered this thread, although I know there are quite a few like-minded folk, I can see the "ship worldwide" argument and understand it. I do however agree with Simon J and Nigel B that a seller should be able to decide to whom he or she sells. It's nothing personal and, contrary to its superficial appearance, it's not directed at any particular group, which would be despicable. It could be argued, probably correctly, that it's laziness on my part and it's nothing to do with not being prepared to mail, John (chapelfarmer), after all, I do that happily within UK and, until relatively recently, Europe. It's entirely the pesky customs which I find too much hassle.
If someone could point me at one of Teifion's couriers who would do all that without charging the earth, I might be prepared to change my mind, but certainly not as things stand.
Dave |
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tholden
United Kingdom
1650 Posts |
Posted - 29/11/2024 : 10:42:21
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I have just recently shipped a radiator shell from UK to Sweden. It was not very expensive but booking it was quite a long winded and frustrating business. All the courier companies have lists of items they will not carry and even if they will carry an item it is often excluded from the list of items that can be insured. I looked at all the well known companies and they are all much the same. You may have to contact the courier with photos and details of the item to check if they will carry and insure it.
Customs and import duties were all dealt with by the courier. I just had to state the exact details of the item and its value and they completed the necessary forms. The import duties were paid by the purchaser when the package was delivered. Packaging is important. In my case the shell fitted nicely inside a heavy duty cardboard box with packing to secure it. I then had to add packing around that and build a plywood encased frame to protect the whole thing from damage. Despite this the courier would still not insure the item. The purchaser was prepared to accept the risk of loss or damage so it was collected and finally delivered about 7 days later although I selected 3 day delivery.
So all in all a bit of a gamble but we had a successful outcome. As I said completing the booking and dealing with the insurance issue is not straightforward.
I would also recommend that you do not look at the tracking information after the parcel has been dispatched. Mine went in a big loop around UK and Europe before arriving in Sweden which was most concerning.
Terry
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DK6780
United Kingdom
354 Posts |
Posted - 29/11/2024 : 11:42:38
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quote:
Originally posted by coracle
I agree with Simon regarding any obligation to ship anywhere; even Ebay allows a seller to exclude purchasers from selected locations.
I'd like to think that there's a difference in buying/selling within a closed community such as this and an open market with scammers etc. But I wouldn't buy from/sell to someone who didn't have an established reputation which makes things difficult for those who are starting out.
Is there a difference between not selling overseas and not being willing to ship to anyone and require collection? |
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Shipping parts to overseas destinations
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