Shipping from Canada to Singapore. Very $$$ transaction

[cardpecker]

Hi, I am shipping a guitar to Singapore from Canada and I want to know the best way where I am fully protected and covered as an ebay seller if something should go wrong. I have never shipped anything to Singapore and this is a $10,000 transaction so obviously I am concerned about shipping it overseas.

The buyer will be paying by bank if I were to accept his offer.  Could something go wrong if he pays by bank?

(Note: Buyer made me a best offer. Do I accept it WITH my own terms/conditions? If so, what terms/conditions should I give to the buyer?)

How do I go about doing this the right way? I don't want something to happen like me shipping it to him and he claims something went wrong and somehow gets his money back with the guitar or something to that extent.

Please help

Thanks in Advance.

[i*m-still-here]

I shipped something to Singapore recently and was surprised to find that Third Party Insurance was not available for Singapore.

 That means it's considered a high risk country but I have no idea why that would be.

I think you can get insurance from the CPO but only up to $1,000, but that will be with tracking and probably signature confirmation.

Obviously shipping will be expensive.

However, that's another issue.

Since you'll hold all the cards you don't need upgraded shipping if you opt not to buy it.

In any case, if he's doing a direct deposit into your account it seems to me that he's waiving all protections............. Especially since the buyer is in Singapore.

IMO it's a high risk transaction for the buyer, but for you it seems fairly safe.

I think I'd do it.

Once the money is in your bank account you hold ALL the cards.

[surplusdealdude]

For $10,000, I'd buy 2 seats on a plane and go there myself.

If the buyer's paying by wire transfer, there's no problem.  They forfeit their buyer protection.  BUT if they pay by bank DRAFT, that's just a check and it might be no good.  Both are forbidden by ebay if you demand them, so......

Best solution is to ship overnight by Fedex and have the buyer arrange insurance.

[marnotom!]

Sorry, I'm a bit confused here.

The listing states that you ship to Singapore by Xpresspost International for C$400.  What's suddenly changed here?

[cardpecker]

I don't know. It changed itself to $400.

[i*m-still-here]

I don't think you could ship for $400 but since the listing says that it's what you'll have to charge.

In any case, I'm sure you can absorb the cost of shipping.  🙂

[inuk_the_polar_bear]

Plugging in 1 metre X 50cm X 25cm and using 5 kilos I get an Xpresspost rate of $377, to start. DC SC seems to be available.

[rose-dee]

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@surplusdealdude wrote:

Best solution is to ship overnight by Fedex and have the buyer arrange insurance.

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I'd agree this might be a better choice than Xpresspost, even if you have to absorb the excess shipping cost yourself.  

Classical musicians regularly ship violins and other string instruments all around the world by Fedex, and some of those instruments are worth tens of thousands of dollars (or more) -- you might want to contact Fedex and see if they can insure your item for full value.  They are the next best thing to buying 2 seats on a plane to take it there yourself.  I just don't know about trusting a guitar of this value to the postal stream (I assume the instrument is in a hardshell case at least?). 

I'm not sure I would leave it to the buyer to arrange insurance, even if he's outside Paypal coverage and on his own in this transaction, but that's up to you and your comfort level with the arrangements.