USA shipping costs...here we go again...

[bobjeffreson]

I've recently bought a very reasonably, let's say cheaply priced RACO, out of Minnesota.
The seller got back to me this morning and told me he had been in touch with UPS and they will ship the car to Sydney Australia, for US$2200...WTF!
"Oh, I'm thinking. That's nice! Maybe we should wander down the road and get a price from US Post."
"HEY, I'd already mentioned those options to the seller."
The price of the car is AU$500. This is the Gold medal of shipping costs for me. In 10 years of importing 1/4 scale cars from America, no-one has ever come close to that quote!
As one of my fellow Aussie collecters would say...
" For that money, I'll fly to Minnesota, pick the car up, have a holiday in the 'States, fly home to Sydney and be very happy."

[quartermortar]

Wow I guess this makes you the leader in the shipping cost war. I have sent one container with a funny car and a top fuel dragster in it to the middle east and it was $1400.00. I thought that was a lot. I have also shipped down under but never been charged anything like what you are. being charged. I use Fedex now but i don't think that the shipping companies are that far apart. I think there is more to this story.

[bobjeffreson]

John,
For the last 10 years I have imported 1/4 scale cars into Australia. Not many, just the ones on my wishlist, that totals 11 so far, some of these being rare. All but 1, have come via USPS, at prices I consider OK, as I live on the other side of almost everyone else in the world.
How can UPS/Fedex charge these prices, when the goods are coming the same distance from LA to Sydney....
Sorry guys, I just don't get it!
And what's more, I won't pay it!
Example UPS/Fedex .....sh!t loads.
US Post ............ about US$250ish

[vwguru75]

I'm blown away at what the shipping companies are getting most times I ship something WITHIN the states. You have every right to be upset. What is the resolution going to be to get the car to you?

[Mike Casey]

Not defending that quote as I believe there is something wrong, however a couple things to consider...

-UPS has a couple options for shipping but defaults to expedited worldwide which is AIR.
-USPS will not accept outgoing packages to other countries beyond a certain girth. A sprint car disassembled can meet these requirements, however anything larger can not.
-Correct UPS or Fedex shipping configuration should run $450-$700 for shipping alone, not including packaging. This would be for a full size GN style car. More or less for funny cars, trucks and sprints.

I ship quite a bit overseas. RC and non RC related. I use Shipnex as they will get you basically the lowest rate possible. A lot of the time its DHL, but for smaller packages its Fedex.

Lastly one of the major problems we deal with is any shipment with a value over $2500 we need to file to receive a EEI number from the government for that shipment. Sometimes this can take hours but can be as long as days.

I quote shipping charges based on my cost plus packing. If thats too much for someone, I always offer that they can arrange shipping on their own. I pack the box and they can send a call tag to have one of the carriers pick up the item. I have actually done this myself too when I have been quoted high prices in the past.

[bobjeffreson]

vwg,
I'm hoping the seller will come back with a realistic US Postal Service price, otherwise the sale will be cancelled.
My most recent purchase from your part of the world, late last year, was a Pacesetter Hi Tech sprinter. It came out of New Jersey and set me back approx US$250 with US Post. I can wear that sort of cost on shipping a 1/4 car, to the other side of the planet!
We down here, realize that we are afflicted with the tyranny of distance and we have to pay for that problem, but and here's the but, not rip-off prices!
I know I live a long way from anywhere. If I wanted to visit Al Gibson or Mike Casey say, I'd fly out of Sydney and 14/15 hours later, I'd land in LA.
When I go to London, it's 24 hours just in the plane, not counting a stop-over in Dubai, which can add many more hours, depending on connections. That's a very long flight, approx 20,000 Klms (12,500 miles ), however I could get a ticket for less than the price quoted for the 1/4 scale car's shipping to here.

[bobjeffreson]

Just went online with Qantas and without trying, found a return flight to Minneapolis for $2,308. Qantas is not a cheap airline, even though it's our National carrier. The quoted price was for me leaving Sydney next Thursday and returning 8 days later. So no discounts for advance booking. By doing further searching I'm certain I could get a fare, many hundreds of dollars cheaper.
Someone at UPS is kidding and needs to pull their head out of their respective ar$e!!!

[Mike Casey]

Going to UPS.com and inputing the basic information for a car that size. These are the rates that are listed. So yes, they must have done something wrong. I would show them this as well.

[vwguru75]

Hey Mike, how is the car going to get from Austria to Australia ?

Just picked up on what I think was an error.

[Mike Casey]

Oops.

[bobjeffreson]

OOPS,
That maybe the problem!
In the past..... I've had Austria confused with Australia!
How does this happen?
Forgive me.... but this is just ignorance on world geography!
But hey... it's is not the 1st time I've experienced this problem!.

[Mike Casey]

That or simply the fact they are right next to each other in the drop down.

[Mike Casey]

screen shot with country corrected.

[Mike Casey]

did you get this sorted?

[bobjeffreson]

Mike,
I given up on the deal. Sent the guy many emails....just does not respond! I suspect it is all too difficult for him.
No matter.