[Milsurplus] European shipping(was Czech radios)

[jan@skirrow.org]

Hi All ...

It can be a pain shipping off continent, but for the most part it's quite 
simple. It's mostly a matter of becoming familiar with how to do it.

I have shipped radios etc to most parts of the world and have yet to have a 
bad experience. Also, I've found that sometimes it can be quite simple to 
break a piece of equipment into separate shipments so that it can go by 
surface post. The buyer is usually ready to pay an extra packing fee for 
this in return for getting the total shipping cost down sharply. I find 
most overseas hobbyists are more than ready to wait the time it takes for 
surface shipping.

If you use UPS or similar, most of the documentation can be filled out 
on-line, and it is simpler than it first seems!

My rules:

I always require payment up front in US dollars. For most countries, US$ 
are the simplest currency to use. I don't care what form it comes in so 
long as it is negotiable. This means I have to be able to give an accurate 
shipping cost - but this is pretty simple given that all the parcel 
companies have on-line sites where you can quickly get an exact cost. These 
days almost everyone pays using PayPal which really makes it 
straightforward. BidPay is another one that overseas customers often use, 
and it is very risk free. Doesn't have to be an auction. Western Union also 
offers a service from many countries to the US.

I pack very carefully. I use strong boxes, and sometimes double box. I use 
a combination of ordinary rigid sheet foam to make it very difficult to 
penetrate the box with sharp objects, and something resilient inside this 
to cushion the item. It must not be something that will permanently deform, 
or all you do is create a strong box within which your treasure bounces 
around. I sometimes put a sheet of 1/4" plywood to protect a delicate front 
panel. Finally I band the box tightly to be sure everything inside is nice 
and snug. I use plastic banding which is cheap and easy to find and use.

I've noticed that because most North American sellers won't ship off 
continent, that the sales prices for such customers are often higher.

My two cents worth ...

Jan