Thread: Importing, Shipping, pitfalls and work arounds

Instead of hijacking the Kuiu shipping thread I thought I'd try and share some of my experiences.

Kuiu, Sitka, Eberlestock and other US companies that ship direct usually have a default shipper like FedEx, UPS etc.

The shippers have standard box sizes that up to a max weight (say 2kgs ) will be a set price to NZ. So you'll pay that for one jacket in the box or one each for you and a mate, and two tops, a beanie each and gloves.

Some retailers in the US, such as Moontrail won't sell / ship product such as MSR to NZ, because of licence agreements.

It was a guy at Moontrail that put me onto www.shipito.com, a US freight forwarding outfit. You register with them, set up an account, and bingo, you've got a bricks and mortar shipping address. I bought the MSR stuff, had it sent to myself in Torrance CA, then did my own shipping. Shipito will take photos, repack, consolidate, remove invoices.

Many US sellers offer free ground shipping via USPS, usually 7 days. So I look for free shipping inside the US..

I get 90 days free storage at the warehouse in Torrance. That has allowed me to get small items sent there from all over the US,(read Tenebraex scope covers, Swaro bino lens covers, Leatherman pouches and bits ) that are unobtainium here, and that if shipped seperately would be horrendously expensive.
They have options for consolidation, I just get the items reboxed in the retail packaging into one box.
Requests such as photos, etc cost $1 each. They're available on a drop down menu.
The box is weighed. You select shipping options from a multitude of companys, from FedEx to USPS, insured or not, etc.
DHL has come on board and is usually $USD10.00 cheaper than any of the other players....BUT you pay by weight, not a flat rate.

My US shipping address has got me around eBay sellers who won't ship internationally.

In my eBay account I change my shipping address to mine in Torrance CA....bingo, I buy it, they ship.

eBay is great for the likes of Meindls...if you know your size. I paid €55 for shipping for some from Germany, but landed them for less than half price.

UnderArmor base stuff from Cabelas or eBay, get your size sorted here, mates get an order together, free shipping to a forwarder in the States, sort the documentation, sort the shipping...boom, save heaps bro.

Prior to consolidating and shipping, you have to do your own online customs declaration.....this has certain advantages.....

Outfits such as Gateway.com will purchase on your behalf, some sellers won't ship if the billing address doesn't match the shipping address. They charge a minimal fee, but remember, you're going this instead of getting raped back here, and are still probably saving a bomb.

Things have changed. Most if not all US forwarders will not ship anything that is part of, or fits to a firearm. That's their policy, it's not illegal, they just don't want the hassle from the Feds.....so they won't ship scopes etc..anymore.

Consolidation and group buying just requires a bit of forward planning, but there are savings to be made, both on purchase price and shipping. A lot of the US apparel is seasonal, their winter is our summer, so I'd be ordering now for our winter, while their stock levels are up.

I've used NZ Posts UK YouShop twice. I made substantial savings using their shipping rather than default Royal Mail prices.

In my experience YouShop tracking info is shit compared to US tracking, and the time taken to induct a parcel into the warehouse in the UK is a joke.

I hope this answers a few questions for some who haven't tried.

You must do your homework on exchange rates and shipping.

B

You're the man. Thanks for the info.

Good post mate

I have also brought lots of goods from the USa
Scopes, clothing, Bipods, Rings and way to many car parts

I have also found that there is very cheap or free shipping with in the USA but after that it gets costly.

I have had quotes from many shipping options and have found
Youshop is great for small orders
USPS have been my main go too
And main freight from here for the heavy stuff

With USPS i have found a lot of the times it only take 4 days to his customs at a much cheaper rate then DHL

The only thing that gets up my noise is standard shipping options ( normally way to big for order ) and being charged duty for items you cannot buy in NZ

Originally Posted by 199p

Good post mate

I have also brought lots of goods from the USa
Scopes, clothing, Bipods, Rings and way to many car parts

I have also found that there is very cheap or free shipping with in the USA but after that it gets costly.

I have had quotes from many shipping options and have found
Youshop is great for small orders
USPS have been my main go too
And main freight from here for the heavy stuff

With USPS i have found a lot of the times it only take 4 days to his customs at a much cheaper rate then DHL

The only thing that gets up my noise is standard shipping options ( normally way to big for order ) and being charged duty for items you cannot buy in NZ

Good info mate.....

Hopefully enough of it in this thread to answer some questions for guys who haven't tried doing it themselves.

Guys have to offset the 'shock horror' reaction to postage /freight costs against potential savings, big picture scenario.

30 years ago I used to mail order lots of plastic model kits from the UK. In those days I had the option of Airfreight ( 3 weeks ) or Surface Mail ( 12- 16 ). Surface was waaaay cheaper.

These days, the only option is Airfreight, with delivery from 1-3 working days out to 21 days.

The various shippers and their options are laid out quite plainly when I use Shipito. Often the 7-10 working day options are substantially cheaper than the 3-5 working day option, but not that much more expensive than the 14-21 days.

At the end of the day I go through the whole process because I'm buying something that I can't get here, or I'm saving shitloads....so I want it here yesterday.

B

I can clearly see why john key, bill English and the retailers want the gst to be put on every items coming into the country before the end of the year.

Originally Posted by Friwi

I can clearly see why john key, bill English and the retailers want the gst to be put on every items coming into the country before the end of the year.

I am in both camps with this one,
As a retailer it would be great to have things a little more even but gst is not the issue its the pay rates between countries that's the main cost difference, our biggest business expense. ( trying to keep ontopic )

For example in the shop we sell Belly bars,
We buy direct from manufacturer in Thailand and put out at a good price but even so they are $25 - $35 per bar, Surgical steel, High quality.
But you can buy similar styled bars out of china for $5nz with free shipping off the net, Junk steel and rubbish quality.
We tried some but had to replace most of them under consumers guarantee act that does not apply when people buy direct.

But when buying when I can get better service, less of a run around then shopping local, The Item quicker and generally save some money ( Only got H&F now, Hamils was great)
Or you simply cannot get what your after in NZ then it will suck
but 15% isn't going to be a massive hit.

Example would be my under armour base 4.0 top i've had for 3 years now,
Contacted Under Armour nz at the time and they weren't importing them.

Originally Posted by Friwi

I can clearly see why john key, bill English and the retailers want the gst to be put on every items coming into the country before the end of the year.

And I'll pay it if applicable, but humour me if you will.....

When H&F started stocking UnderAmor ( not the fitted camo stuff )it was $119.00 per Base 2.0 top. Same item at Cabelas $US46.00, our dollar bought $US 0.82c or thereabouts. Mates and my son got sizing sorted, placed an order with Cabelas, shipped to me in CA. I sorted shipping.....

A 75ltr hard Samsonite travel case with 4 castoring wheels retails here from between $750-$799. I landed one for my wife to my front door 3 months ago for $315.00.....declared at full value. From a German seller on eBay, included free shipping in lieu of 20% EU VAT.

Retailers clamouring for GST to be payable on everything appear to me to be hiding behind the GST issue and ignoring the reason why I bypass their rip-off stores.

B

Retailers aren't trying to rip us off. We need to realise that we are a very small market at the bottom of the world. The reason thisngs are so cheap in the US is because they have a huge market and their expenses are probably less. They can survive on smaller margins.
One of my friends owned an outdoor store in Hamilton. His profit was 10%. So he sold a jacket for $500, his profit was $50, I don't think that is unreasonable. Remember any retailer has to pay a lease/rent, power, wages, insurance etc.
You can't just compare the US price with the NZ price, factor in the exchange rate and say we are being ripped off. If that was the case then a whole lot of people would be setting up businesses bringing in stuff from overseas and selling it for small margins.

Originally Posted by stug

Retailers aren't trying to rip us off. We need to realise that we are a very small market at the bottom of the world. The reason thisngs are so cheap in the US is because they have a huge market and their expenses are probably less. They can survive on smaller margins.
One of my friends owned an outdoor store in Hamilton. His profit was 10%. So he sold a jacket for $500, his profit was $50, I don't think that is unreasonable. Remember any retailer has to pay a lease/rent, power, wages, insurance etc.
You can't just compare the US price with the NZ price, factor in the exchange rate and say we are being ripped off. If that was the case then a whole lot of people would be setting up businesses bringing in stuff from overseas and selling it for small margins.

If a price differential of up to $NZ484 for an identical suitcase isn't a rip, then what is.

I bought our OR Goretex jackets from a store here probably much the same as your friends, but not at RRP, on sale, less 35%. I did check off shore prices, but there was nothing in it, so I didn't import.

Discerning buyers aren't the threat to people such as your mate.

The Briscoes / Rebel Sport and Warehouse / Torpedo7 / R n R Sport Groups with their buying power and vertical structures don't seem to be struggling.......

B

Also, it's not just about savings. Well, for me anyway.

The service I recieve from a number of off shore vendors make our local shops look terrible by comparison. Truly, truly terrible.

I dont mind paying a premium if I get good service. There are a number of NZ shops that I am very happy to spend serious coin with, without batting an eyelid. Purely because of service.

But paying WAY above what I can get something for elsewhere, AND be subjected to shithouse service is completely unacceptable.

Even if GST gets applied to every import, that won't stop me importing...

Service is a big deal, like PK nothing pisses me off more than local retailers who have learned nothing about improving backup service and the time availabity of stock from their competition who are not even resident in this country.

Periodically I try a local shop, but if I hear yes we can get that for you, and we are ordering again next week, then that will be the last time they see me for a while. Why they can't grab the phone order the product while you are there and even address it to your address, take the money off you before you leave the shop and have it arrive the next day at your home so that you don't have to make another trip into the shop 1/2 a dozen times to check whether it has turned up........ I have no idea.

The cost of freight should be the penalty/benefit for not having the item in stock when the customer walks in.

Can't see the sloppy attitudes changing much until they get over the sense of entitlement to your business that most seem to exhibit. Maybe I am just getting too old and crusty, but I also don't enjoy some know-stuff-all attempting to prove why I should buy what they have in stock rather than what I asked for..... that gets tiresome real fast...

If GST and associated charges goes on small import items, all that will happen for me is that I will do large consolidated orders. The customer charges are per import, the shipping charges drop per dollar spent up to 20lbs and the additional GST is effectually negated if you plan...

Take good care of your employees, and they’ll take good care of your customers, and the customers will come back.

– J. Willard Marriott

Originally Posted by shift14

Retailers clamouring for GST to be payable on everything appear to me to be hiding behind the GST issue and ignoring the reason why I bypass their rip-off stores.

B

I couldn't agree more

The blokes arguing that we should pay higher prices because we are a small market are ignoring the fact that on line shopping makes the whole world one global market so that logic doesn't apply any more. I agree with the comments around bad service, the difference between service in NZ and from on line stores in the USA and elsewhere is night and day. I brought a scope recently from H&F (had a voucher otherwise would have brought it on line) and was told that warrenties were handled through NZ Asia but there was a $50 shipping fee for any warrenty work. WTF? Shipping fee when I brought it locally. Not only is that more than it would cost me to send a scope back to the states it's technical not allowed under consumer guarantees act (retailer handles warrenty) and there have been many horror stories on here about NZ Asia batching up all their warrenty scopes and taking six months to send them to the states.

Buy local, get good service and warrenty support, yeah right.

Originally Posted by MassiveAttack

The blokes arguing that we should pay higher prices because we are a small market are ignoring the fact that on line shopping makes the whole world one global market so that logic doesn't apply any more. I agree with the comments around bad service, the difference between service in NZ and from on line stores in the USA and elsewhere is night and day. I brought a scope recently from H&F (had a voucher otherwise would have brought it on line) and was told that warrenties were handled through NZ Asia but there was a $50 shipping fee for any warrenty work. WTF? Shipping fee when I brought it locally. Not only is that more than it would cost me to send a scope back to the states it's technical not allowed under consumer guarantees act (retailer handles warrenty) and there have been many horror stories on here about NZ Asia batching up all their warrenty scopes and taking six months to send them to the states.

Buy local, get good service and warrenty support, yeah right.

We are a small market. Say Hunting and Fishing go to Remington and say we want a good deal on rifles because we will sell 10,000 in one year. Remington laugh at them and say Cabela's sell 1,000,000 a year take the deal on offer. Our retailers will pay more for the same product than the American retailers, then they have to ship it half way across the world. We are a market of at most 4 million, USA has 318 million. There retailers can afford to make smaller margins because their turnover is so high.
The cheap deals we can access on the internet are because of the buying power of the US domestic market.

We all want a good wage/salary for our job, but someone has to pay us, whether they are our employer or customer. We all want our money to go further, but if we all send our money overseas then that money is not circulating in NZ, there is less money to go around, and one of the first things to drop is wages/jobs. Just look at the prediction for the rural economy with the low milk payment.

If we all buy everything overseas then the local suppliers will close, then we will have to buy everything from overseas, and good luck getting someone to ship gunpowder. I can't even find someone that will ship a carbon fibre stock overseas.

If you get bad service then tell them, a letter email to head office might make a difference, if it doesn't shop at another shop in NZ.

Failing that then set up as an importer, I'll buy off you for the really cheap prices you will offer.