Cheapest method of shipping a reasonably heavy item overseas?

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jtan

122 posts

Master Geek

#161806 20-Jan-2015 15:27

Hi all,

Wondering if someone who has experience with this might be able to help or suggest something. I purchased a computer item (external enclosure) from the US a couple of months ago and encountered a failure with the unit last weekend - Performed some troubleshooting over the phone but it looks like it is requiring repairs/replacement - I have been issued an RMA form.

The item is rather large (would take a reasonable sized box) and is about 3-4kg and I need to ship it back to the states. They will pay for the shipping back but this leads to my problem - I received a quote from NZ Post today and it is estimated to cost about $100 AND take about 2 weeks to get there!

Does anyone have any experience with shipping things overseas that might be able to suggest a cheap and reasonable solution?

Thanks in advance

wasabi2k

2096 posts

Uber Geek

#1218390 20-Jan-2015 15:47

I don't think $100 is that expensive for a bulky item - don't know if you will find a whole lot cheaper.

heylinb4nz

656 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#1218403 20-Jan-2015 16:04

I recently sent some Coilovers 20kg worth to Australia and was surprised at the cost ($140 from memory)

jtan

122 posts

Master Geek

#1218406 20-Jan-2015 16:09

heylinb4nz: I recently sent some Coilovers 20kg worth to Australia and was surprised at the cost ($140 from memory)

Interesting heylinb4nz. Was this through NZ Post?

xpd

Geek @ Coastguard NZ
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#1218410 20-Jan-2015 16:19

NZ Post quoted me $60 to send an external hard drive to Malaysia a while back - didnt bother tho, was cheaper long term to cough up extra few $$ and buy a new drive.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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timmmay

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#1218461 20-Jan-2015 17:40

Try pack and send, though they might be even more and their online quote tool just sends it to a person to price.

Geektastic

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#1218484 20-Jan-2015 18:27

$100 seems cheap.

I Fedexed a camera body to Manila last year and it cost $240.

Geektastic

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#1218485 20-Jan-2015 18:27

The cheapest method may be to get a container booked and have GZers fill the spare space with orders from US retailers...! ;-)

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TLD

902 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1218492 20-Jan-2015 18:43

Goodness. Like others are saying, $100 sounds very reasonable to me. In the last six months I've paid about $40 each to post a couple of pro sized projectors in Pelican cases from Blenheim to Greymouth, and Wellington. The year before I had to pay $60 to get a pair of — admittedly heavyish — speakers from Wellington to Blenheim.

Trevor Dennis
Rapaura (near Blenheim)

blakamin

4431 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1218520 20-Jan-2015 19:26

Weird isn't it... Last year I bought a guitar from the US and it was $100 for shipping, arrived in 6 days via fedex. If I wanted to ship it back, it'd probably cost 3x that.

jtan

122 posts

Master Geek

#1218591 20-Jan-2015 20:57

Thanks guys. I'll probably have a look around to see if I can find any better options, else may just bite the bullet and pay the $100 to send it back. Considering it cost about $60USD to get sent over here (via. DHL), I was hoping it would cost something similar to send back..

richms

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#1218738 21-Jan-2015 00:23

The places that you are buying from get good discounts from the freight companies. You are getting priced at the schmuck off the street price. 60% is a common discount for freight if you do a reasonable amount.

Richard rich.ms

jpoc

1043 posts

Uber Geek

#1218784 21-Jan-2015 07:57

Geektastic: The cheapest method may be to get a container booked and have GZers fill the spare space with orders from US retailers...! ;-)

I think that the OP wanted to post stuff in the other direction but a shared container would be a cool way to get stuff from the states.

There is a lot of stuff that I would buy if that was a shipping option. Large things that are not urgent but which cannot sensibly be shipped by themselves.

The real deal though would be to get a sane way to deal with customs. You would want all of the incoming items to be dealt with in the same way as regular incoming post.

Or perhaps youshop could be convinced to do a slow and cheap service where the parcels only got sent when a container was full.

Paul1977

5039 posts

Uber Geek

#1218822 21-Jan-2015 09:07

jtan: Thanks guys. I'll probably have a look around to see if I can find any better options, else may just bite the bullet and pay the $100 to send it back. Considering it cost about $60USD to get sent over here (via. DHL), I was hoping it would cost something similar to send back..

US$60 is about NZ$80. I would argue that NZ$100 to send it back is comparable.