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View Full Version : Problem: How to ship photo equipment overseas?

hando
14th of March 2007 (Wed), 21:16
I live in Australia and it looks like I have a buyer interested in my Canon 800mm L lens, but he is in the United States.

Do you have any suggestions for safely shipping a super telephoto lens from one continent to another? It weighs about 3-5kg with the hard case. Fedex want $450US and some excess baggage companies want $300US.

Anyone have any ideas or personal experience in this sort of problem, or recommendations of shipping companies/airlines etc?
PhotosGuy
15th of March 2007 (Thu), 09:25
I'd put the hard case in a cardboard carton, insure it, & send it by post. OTOH, if the buyer is salivating over it, & he's paying shipping, I'd let him decide. ;)
chakalakasp
15th of March 2007 (Thu), 12:30
One offtopic thing I'd recommend is that you NOT use Paypal. :) Require a wire transfer or several international postal money orders. Overseas shipping + Paypal = very easy to be ripped off.
DaveL
15th of March 2007 (Thu), 15:33
Price out your postal service. I seem to recall I shipped
a 70-200 last year from the US to Australia pretty reasonably.
Can't remember the actual charge but it was below fedex/ups
etc.. I believe it was via global express mail (at least that's
what it's called on our side) and the person had it within a week...
sierra_nova
15th of March 2007 (Thu), 17:42
Australia Post Express Courier.

http://www.auspost.com.au/eci/main.html

About AU$150, insured for up to $5000, delivered in 2-5 days.

Cheers
Naomi
hando
16th of March 2007 (Fri), 01:07
One offtopic thing I'd recommend is that you NOT use Paypal. Overseas shipping + Paypal = very easy to be ripped off.

Why is that the case?
chakalakasp
17th of March 2007 (Sat), 00:06
Why is that the case?

Because the person you ship the item to can receive it and then claim they didn't. They will get their money back (Paypal will take it directly out of your bank account) since you can't prove that they got it, and you will be out the item. There is no way to counter this with international shipments, unless you are shipping to the UK or Canada from America using Global Express Guaranteed.
hando
17th of March 2007 (Sat), 10:14
that is very alarming. Thanks for the advice. Iwill check with paypal about that.