Hi all,
Even though I am not building at this time, I do hope to be again soon as I do get emails asking about the rods I build often.
In the time that I have been building fishing rods I have gathered emails from all over the world but have not entertained the option of international shipping as getting a fishing rod across the states alone is sometimes a bit of a trick without breakage.
Have many of you shipped outside the United States?
How heavy is the expense to other continents when shipping?
Is insurance an option when shipping to other countries or a waste of time?
Who would be the best couriors for international shipping?

Thanks for any information that can be supplied,
Wylie

Wylie
I've had good success with DHL for international shipping. I believe they are the most reasonable company out there now for international. I'm also lucky enough to have a DHL shipping center about 5 miles away (as well as UPS and FedEx). Expense climbs as the number of days decreases - as you would expect. Strangely I've had the longest delays in shipping to Canada - longer than to Europe and longer than to Japan or Australia. I think that's because if you designate "slow boat" to Canada they put it on a truck (after there is enough stuff going that direction but with sending to Europe or the Far East there are so many international air freight carriers they simply put them on -- as long as the lenght or weight aren't excessive.

Ken

Wylie,

As I live in Australia and buy all my stuff from the States as it is still cheaper than buying the guides etc etc here. I have used USPS for all multi piece blanks sections up to 40inchs, and have never had a problem even with the badly packed blanks. Now one piece blanks up to say 8' Fedex seems to be the most helpful and cheapest, havn't shipped with them yet as to warrant that much freight costs for one blank as it seems no more expensive to ship 10 blanks. Give Fedex an email they seemed to bend over backwards to help me and still answer my questions for quotes even though I havn't used them yet.
If I was sending a completed rod, I would send it in one of those pre made travel rod tubes with plently of bubble wrap.

Myles
Brisbane, Australia

I have used USPS to ship to no less than 11 different countries in the past year....with only 1 glitch. The rates are great, the paperwork is minimal, and the service seems to be very good.

Andy Dear
Lamar Reel Seats
www.lamarreelseats.com

I know there are Import duties on merchandise over $xxx coming from out of the US - are there also Export duties? Something to keep in mind as from wha tI've heard if they happen to hit you with teh Import duty there is nothing you can do excpet pay it, and it ain't cheap...from what I've heard.

Thanks folks,
Wow that's odd the U.S.P.S. has broke more rods than any mail service I have used.
Insurance and then Tarrif, oh boy sounds like a bunch of time and money to me that the customers may have bare the weight of. I sure hope they want a bunch of them!

Thanks again,
Wylie

Hi Wylie
I live in Canada and order a lot of things from the US. USPS doesn't do too well with long items that look solid ( an aluminum rod case is in more danger than a pvc tube ). Still the best, most cost effective method. Please avoid using UPS for shipping to Canada, they must be a much better company in the US than they are here ( their brokerage charges are very high, and service ( in my experince ) is poor ).
Regards
Neil

I've just ordered some kits at MudHole. I live in Spain. I'll told you how much freight cost when I'll get it. I placed order on 22nd. Do you know how long it takes for they to send it?.