Shipping Prohibitive $$$

Tornado

Tornado

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Just priced out a shipment from the UK for some Norton parts, around $80 worth, nothing large or heavy, $120 shipping only option offered was DHL, so need to expect another $20-30 tacked on for their "brokerage" fleecing.

Those are all USD dollar figures to Canada, so got to add another 25% exchange rate.

I cancelled my order.
 
Try using Royal Mail, if possible.
RGM & Andover have been sending stuff to me that way. It can take a bit longer but It's much more reasonable for shipping . With Royal Mail there hasn't been any border cost so far, just a straight shipping fee. In the old days Canada Customs opened every package and then charged a fee. They seem to have stopped doing that.

Ups, FedEx, DHL all are outrageous when it comes to International shipping.
When the Canada/US border partially opened a couple of months ago, I purchased some Riser bars and other items from a US based Triumphrat member. He shipped the items from Florida to Lynden, Wa, about 5 miles from here, but still in the US.
That 3000 mile shipment cost $15.
Just as the goods arrived Canada changed the rules and went back to the requirement of a $200 PCR test, even for day trips.
So I asked the P.O box owner to ship the items to me. He only offers UPS and FedEx.
Cost of shopping a 4 pound box 5 miles was just under $250 CDN!
The total value of the items was $185.

Won't ever do that again!
On the other hand, US Postal Service on international shipments is quite reasonable. I have been getting a few US based items direct shipped that way.

Glen
 
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I should add, best to speak directly with RGM. Their site shipping calculator must be based on one of the Courier company rates. I end up paying about 1/4 the calculated amount when Roger or one of the ladies looks after it.
The Andover site will calculate shipping and it is quite reasonable right off. ( Royal Mail)

Glen
 
Mail is always best price if time no biggie …. I have new to me Suzy dr650 coming this wknd from Quebec ,$400 all in plus 6 big cold cans of “Keith's IPA”($20) … big Henry still the Man , when it comes to moving just bout anything , coast to coast every two wks ….
 
In 2012, my 490 Maico was shipped from Toronto Ontario to me in Vancouver BC, about 3000 miles. Cost was $250, same as UPS moving a 4 lb package 5 miles in 2022!

Glen
 
We are getting old , sadly things seem to change much quicker than in our past ,..
 
That's true, however back in 2012 UPS would likely have charged about the same $250 to move the 4 lb package 5 miles.
They just steal your stuff and ransom it back to you!

Glen
 
The seller website only had DHL as shipping choice for Canada. I'm sure postal service would provide some relief but have not been successful requesting that in the past.

To reduce duty fees, be sure to have shipper use the antique vehicle customs declaration code for your country. That makes it free for import to Canada, save for tax and any courier applied brokerage fee.
To avoid brokerage charge, tell the courier you want to act as your own broker. This get tricky b/c its not clear how to communicate to the courier, which office there. Then it get more complex b/c you need to go to a nearby custom/border crossing office with your shipping manifest, fill out the forms, have them clear package with courier, then figure out how to convince courier to release package to you.
 
Yes when DHL delivered my new wheels & axles from Madass , I didn’t know of the vintage waiver the taxes & importation charges were the only downer in the entire process , got the bill after wheels mounted , was so pleased with result , didn’t dampen my spirits that much ….
 
worntorn said:
Try using Royal Mail, if possible.
RGM & Andover have been sending stuff to me that way. It can take a bit longer but It's much more reasonable for shipping . With Royal Mail there hasn't been any border cost so far, just a straight shipping fee. In the old days Canada Customs opened every package and then charged a fee. They seem to have stopped doing that.

Ups, FedEx, DHL all are outrageous when it comes to International shipping.
When the Canada/US border partially opened a couple of months ago, I purchased some Riser bars and other items from a US based Triumphrat member. He shipped the items from Florida to Lynden, Wa, about 5 miles from here, but still in the US.
That 3000 mile shipment cost $15.
Just as the goods arrived Canada changed the rules and went back to the requirement of a $200 PCR test, even for day trips.
So I asked the P.O box owner to ship the items to me. He only offers UPS and FedEx.
Cost of shopping a 4 pound box 5 miles was just under $250 CDN!
The total value of the items was $185.

Won't ever do that again!
On the other hand, US Postal Service on international shipments is quite reasonable. I have been getting a few US based items direct shipped that way.

Glen
Click to expand...
"Ups, FedEx, DHL all are outrageous when it comes to International shipping"

UPS are robbing B*stards and their drivers are liars. I was expecting something from Germany for my 961. The cost for the parts was €138 of which €23.50 was UPS Express shipping charge. when tracking the package I was informed there was duty to pay of 34 Swiss Francs ( about $34) over 20 francs was their "brokerage fee". Then on the day the parts were due the driver left a note saying nobody was home - I was home all day.. He did not even come to the house as my neighbour saw him just pull up and pop the "infoform" in the letterbox. So on an order worth €114 I paid an additional €45 to UPS for a non express delivery.
 
cliffa said:
"Ups, FedEx, DHL all are outrageous when it comes to International shipping"

UPS are robbing B*stards and their drivers are liars. I was expecting something from Germany for my 961. The cost for the parts was €138 of which €23.50 was UPS Express shipping charge. when tracking the package I was informed there was duty to pay of 34 Swiss Francs ( about $34) over 20 francs was their "brokerage fee". Then on the day the parts were due the driver left a note saying nobody was home - I was home all day.. He did not even come to the house as my neighbour saw him just pull up and pop the "infoform" in the letterbox. So on an order worth €114 I paid an additional €45 to UPS for a non express delivery.
Click to expand...
I've had a similar thing in the UK with parcel force
On the tracking it said attempted delivery at 5.58 pm and returned to depot at 6 pm
No card left ,and I was home and the depot is 20 miles away!
 
I hope most of this terrible service is related in some way to the covid , at least it should be , whatever happened to taking pride in whatever you happened to be doing …..
 
Typical nowadays! :( "Proof of delivery" is the driver saying it was delivered. I did not receive a package though it was shown to be delivered. It was, but to the wrong address. The shipper said they showed "proof" that that item (2000 USD that stated a signature was required) had been delivered to me. Turns out that nowadays a "signature required" means that leaving it on the front porch and not even ringing the doorbell constitutes "proof" of delivery...

Also, as noted, the price of shipping is getting very high. Frankly, I think that the days of us ordering on-line/having items shipped as as normal thing is coming to an end. I think that the shipping costs will become so high that it won't be practical to order everything from Amazon (or whoever) and have it delivered to the house.

I suspect that will end up being an historic anomaly that people will talk about in 20 years..."Remember when stuff used to be delivered directly to your house for free?" "Yes, and I remember when bread was 18 cents a loaf..." ;)
 
Home delivery became the biggest method during the covid times. Now, with The War being the new covid, delivery , due to fuel cost , isn't so attractive. I suspect it is still cheaper for the vendor because of the overhead of brick and mortar shops. One wonders if High Street will come back. Actually, no, it won't.
 
Welp, I've had several recent Amazon deliveries for no added cost....and this was not with their "Prime" arrangement. Just careful selection of items with free delivery and watching for the naughty way the shipping options default to paid or prime deliveryto catch out the un-aware. Amazon typically has a photo snap taken of your package on your doorstep...as their proof of delivery, but of course there's no way to prove it is your doorstep nor even if the actually left it there after the photo...loads of cases where the doorbell security cam has caught the delivery guy walking away with your package after taking their pic. This is what happens to service levels when delivery people are treated as the new sweatshop/slave labour industry.
 
baz said:
I've had a similar thing in the UK with parcel force
Click to expand...
DHL do this to me regularly, wait till just before end of shift and then report address inaccessible, last one was due to no turning space, previous because track is too high in middle. Always reported from 5 to 10 miles away so never been near me.
 
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Yes international shipping is outrageous with DHL UPS etc. On the other hand I sent some rods and a cam to Italy by regular mail and they were "lost" for nearly a year. Had to send replacement parts and was lucky to get the original shippment back. Other regular mails to places like Australia have taken 3 months and again I have had to send replacements and lost money. You're stuck between a rock and a hard place. Its better to pay the high shipping price and know your parts are going to get there.
 
Try getting parts shipped from North America to the UK, you'll then see how cheap shipping from the UK is.
Remember you can also have parts courier collected, it may work out a lot cheaper.
 
jseng1 said:
Yes international shipping is outrageous with DHL UPS etc. On the other hand I sent some rods and a cam to Italy by regular mail and they were "lost" for nearly a year. Had to send replacement parts and was lucky to get the original shippment back. Other regular mails to places like Australia have taken 3 months and again I have had to send replacements and lost money. You're stuck between a rock and a hard place. Its better to pay the high shipping price and know your parts are going to get there.
Click to expand...
I gave up sending or buying from Italy. Just across the border but unreliable in the extreme.
 
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