Shipping US to China - HELP! :)

[kathimac05]

I need some help with best way to ship a pair of altec lansing cabinete speakers to China. I've check UPS and the cost (air) is more than the speakers. I'm not familiar with the global shipping program. The weight will be about 200 lbs, crated, from US 37405 to Yulin China, 537000. Can anyone give me some direction on what would be least expensive way to ship these speakers to China? Should I check the global shipping box so that is an option?  I did uncheck it when first appeared bc it was messing things up but have shipped to many countries overseas, including Asia, with no problems. I've never shipped anything this heavy. Surely there is a way that is not so expensive. Thanks in advance for any help or direction you can give. kathi 

PS - The prospective buyer wants " Use wooden and packing blanket, fixed box tray."

[a_c_green]

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@kathimac05 wrote:

There is no correclation between my willingness to research shipping and wanting to lose anything.

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Understood; that's certainly fair, but those of us recommending against doing it in the first place were basically just skipping to the end, and saying that the whole idea was not good, even if your shipping methods did manage to get past the physics involved in safely transporting that much mass halfway around the world.

If they arrived damaged, it would be pretty much a total financial loss for you, and if they did not arrive damaged, the buyer could still claim that they did, thus netting himself a free set of speakers either way.

In other words, I wouldn't recommend taking on the task of shipping them anywhere, whether the next state or the next country. Items that big would be best listed as Local Pickup Only, thus relieving you of the risk of shipping damage (to anywhere).

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@kathimac05 wrote:

I was hoping someone who had done so might see this post and let us know if it worked out for them. 

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I've successfully sent expensive and relatively fragile items to both Moscow and Beijing, among other places (and have one shipment on the way to Beijing right now, as a matter of fact), but my rule of thumb is always (1) it must be able to survive travel in general, regardless of the destination, and (2) (I have two thumbs) it must be something I can afford to lose if Something Bad happens.

[dbmm-media]

i can see big problems with this.

you will get robbed, be out the speakers and your money.

do not attempt to sell it if you can not afford to give it away.

do NOT do business with a communist country 

[kathimac05]

Excellent point I had not even considered. The other speakers like this I saw were sold to Japanese buyers. Thank you!

[kathimac05]

OK, I called eBay and reinabled the Global Shipping. (I had disabled when it showed up on all my listings and buyers revolted. I have to deselect on each listing to have it on the ones I want.) From what they told me, including that they deal with any lost or damaged items, that seems to be the only way to go. The price is comperable to quotes I've gotten from other sources and the buyer wanted it so that is what we are going to do, if he buys. Thanks again to everyone who helped. kathi

[missjen831]

Edited because another posted already stated that the item is too big to be shipped to china using gsp

http://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/shipping/global-shipping.html#m17-2-tb4

[kathimac05]

Thanks, I read before calling and then checked with eBay rep. so weight is okay. This will be a first if we go through with it and I've had a number of tough lessons on eBay despite reading, researching, asking, etc. so fingers crossed. 

[missjen831]

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@kathimac05 wrote:

OK, I called eBay and reinabled the Global Shipping. (I had disabled when it showed up on all my listings and buyers revolted. I have to deselect on each listing to have it on the ones I want.) From what they told me, including that they deal with any lost or damaged items, that seems to be the only way to go. The price is comperable to quotes I've gotten from other sources and the buyer wanted it so that is what we are going to do, if he buys. Thanks again to everyone who helped. kathi

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You can't ship the speakers using the GSP though. I thought that was already covered? They exceed the size requirement right? Not the weight but the length requirement And what are you going to do if the buyer says you sent the wrong speakers? Or they are defective? The GSP doesn't cover those. And is the buyer aware that they will be paying even more now? They will pay international shipping x2 and GSP import fees x2. @kathimac05

[kathimac05]

eBay rep Lisa said they take responsibility if they are lost or damaged. I think the weight limit is 150, which this is. When I first posted, I had weight at 200 after weighing them on a bathroom scale and trying to guesstimate what crating, etc. for packing would weigh. Lisa said I ship them to KY and they ship them to China and that the cost of shipping to China is included in the calculator for buyer to pay. 

One more question I have and didn't ask is if they charge final value fee on shipping when it is so high (2000) and I get no part of it.

[lintbrush*]

@kathimac05

eBay rep Lisa is wrong.

The GSP won't ship a crated package that large or heavy to China.  The weight may be fine for a single speaker but the dimensions are too big if put together

eBay rep does not make decisions for the GSP.  Pitney Bowes run the GSP.  They are the ones who take responsibility. 

http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/shipping-globally.html

The total weight is 66 lbs for items to China.  Dim Sum is NOT the same.  The package must not exceed the stated maximum "dimensions sum", which is determined using the following formula: 2 x (width + height) + length, where "length" is always the longest dimension of the package

You would have to create two separate listings in order for it to be REMOTELY possible.

Please take the advice of the people here.  They know a lot more than the eBay CS when it comes to the GSP. 

Even if you got them to KY, Pitney Bowes will NOT ship them.  They will NOT be returned to you.  They will be liquidated.

Do you even have the correct weight in the listing?  That should exempt them from being allowed in the GSP

DO NOT DO THIS. 

[missjen831]

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@kathimac05 wrote:

eBay rep Lisa said they take responsibility if they are lost or damaged. I think the weight limit is 150, which this is. When I first posted, I had weight at 200 after weighing them on a bathroom scale and trying to guesstimate what crating, etc. for packing would weigh. Lisa said I ship them to KY and they ship them to China and that the cost of shipping to China is included in the calculator for buyer to pay. 

One more question I have and didn't ask is if they charge final value fee on shipping when it is so high (2000) and I get no part of it.

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The maximum weight to China is 66lbs/130dim. You are well over that and you need NOT use a bathroom scale. You are setting yourself up to fail here. You need the exact weight. Yes the GSP covers shipping DAMAGE. That is all though (well that and non-receipt). They do NOT cover you if the buyer says:

You sent the wrong speakers

The item does not match the listing

The speakers are defective

In otherword, damage is covered, all other reasons considered "signifigantly not as described" are not. So you are STILL at risk of a total financial loss.

You have to list the speakers separately, so the buyer is paying shipping and GSP twice. Are they aware of that?

Ebay is not charging you a FVF fee on the international shipping cost. They are charging you a FVF on the domestic shipping cost. The international shopping cost isn't paid to you, its paid to the GSP. 

Did you calculate the dimensional weight and volumeric weight? There are 3 different factors that determine if the your item does not exceed the requirements. Weight is one. Based on the measurements in your listing, it looks like the speakers exceed the dimensional weight so you have to list them separately and ship them separately and even then 1 speaker is pushing it because if the dimensions in the listing are for 1 speaker, 1 speaker is TOO big to ship through the GSP.

[kathimac05]

I've been clear in listing and in talking with this buyer that I won't know the weight until they are crated. Until they are sold and it's worth packing and getting exact weight, a bathroom scale is the only thing I have that will weigh that high.  I'd have no problem listing and shipping them separately if that would work. I do appreciate the input. 

Is there something I can to to certify they are as described, working, condition, etc. before shipping to negate possibility of things misjen mentioned?

I'm still researching and don't even know if he is going to want to go through with the sale. I put the dimensions (estimated, again, won't know until crated) in and GS didn't make me correct. 

[lintbrush*]

Your listing is showing Worldwide shipping NOT through the GSP.

It does not look like you have set up calculated shipping even for the domestic option - just some flat fee.  What if someone from Alaska buys it? 

For the sake of you $$, please get that listing correct before you lose your shirt.

[kathimac05]

Who knows, maybe someone local or in country will buy them and this will be a non-issue. There is someone local who buys vintage speakers that I've been speaking with. In any event, the info and help I've gathered here will surely be useful in the future. Thanks!

[kathimac05]

I had to change the local in order for the global to work. I checked it a number of times and even used the global calulator to see what the Chinese buyer would see. Will check again. thanks

[kathimac05]

You have to use the drop down menu on shipping tab, select China, and it shows the global rate. The flat rate I had to put in for the states will work where ever at full price. I shipped 200 lbs of LPs to CA yesterday (I'm in TN) so have a recent idea of what it may cost.