10-16-2020 10:44 AM
Does anyone have any experience shipping high value items over sea's? These things are much easier local or at least in-continent. Usually I'll go a balance of cookie-jar and maxed out courier insurance but CPC and FedEx only insure up to $1,000 which leaves $6,000 of a current sale uninsured.
Has anyone used a third party insurance, if so who? Or have any tips on comparable International shipments? The item itself is standard sized and of no specialty handling outside value.
10-16-2020 02:52 PM
We have used Hugh Wood International of London, New York, and Toronto for our commercial and collector needs.
They specialize in collectibles, and are the insurer for the American Philatelic Society, including insuring the circuit books of stamps for sale shipped by mail from one collector to another on the honour system and the APS stamp shows which regularly have millions of dollars in material on display (competitive stamp collecting, it's a Thing) and for sale. Coverage extends to travel to and from shows as well as shipping and consignments.
They know collecting and collectors and the quirks of the hobby business.
They also cover collections in the home. They cover both DH's stamps and our collection of paintings and prints.
But.
I don't believe they do a one-off business.
Phone Gina in the Toronto office and enquire.
10-16-2020 03:06 PM
10-16-2020 04:52 PM
You may want to try DHL for a spot quote on insurance. Their rate would be 7000.00 x 3.25% for the insurance plus whatever the charges are for the final shipping. Easier if they have an account but not necessary. I've purchased in the past for commercial shipments with work. Knock on wood...No claims.
-Lotz
10-18-2020 12:02 PM - edited 10-18-2020 12:03 PM
Normally I create my labels via Shippo and sometimes buy the insurance they offer which is actually via shipsurance. They make it easy to buy insurance.
However, after having several packages go missing which were shipped via tracked packet during this pandemic I've learned to create labels for more expensive items via the CPO website. I use XPresspost because that allows me to buy CPO insurance for $1,000. I'm thinking that the PO will be much more likely to track a lost a package insured with them for $1,000 and so far those packages have arrived in record time.
The CPO is never aware if items are insured with Third Party Insurance and really have no reason to care but when the item is insured with them for $1,000 I'm guessing that it really gets their attention.
You could also buy an additional $1,000 with shipsurance but shipping via XPresspost and insuring with the CPO for and additional $1,000 makes the chances of a problem very unlikely.
I've never had experience with other insurance companies as others have because I rarely sell items in the $6,000 range but in my experience if the CPO honours the claim Shipsurance is very likely to follow that lead.
10-18-2020 01:03 PM
thanks
10-18-2020 01:03 PM
me too i have a problem in this way
10-18-2020 01:14 PM
Has anyone shipped overseas (or even the US) via courier? I've shipped items via the PO which are handed off to couriers en route and those arrive without added brokerage fees but I don't think the same holds true when you ship via courier alone.
I've never done that because I avoid it. I know that shipping into Canada via courier has high brokerage fees associated with it and that must also be the case when using a courier to ship overseas.
I'd be very nervous shipping a $6,000 item out of the country via courier.
10-18-2020 04:14 PM
DH does this for our philatelic auction house quite often.
I think the advantage is the strong tracking and fast delivery.
They use the 'overnight' or 'three day' shipping on very high value packages.
(Although he flew to Phoenix personally to pick up and bring back to Canada one item that was valued at more than we paid for our house!).
I'm not sure that the couriers are any better or faster than Priority Post, which is what the couriers should be compared to.
10-18-2020 04:23 PM
femme, are there brokerage fees when shipping out of Canada?
10-19-2020 04:12 PM
The buyers are very possibly legitimate but they have bungled the sale by not being consistent. One buyer with confirmed gallery email from Sweden, the other randomly from Spain both tag teaming and disagreeing on details of the purchase. If they are legitimate they certainly could use some professionalism. "Waiving" insurance on a $7,000 item is not exactly confidence building - could you imagine?!
Thank you @femmefan1946 and @lotzofuniquegoodies for the input. We've turned down or avoided most International high value sales due to exactly this issue in the past and must look towards amending this in the COVID environment. Within province/country is often cheaper or equal to drive/fly a personal delivery but these days flying is less of an option.
10-19-2020 07:39 PM
Duties and sales taxes are paid by the recipient to his own country.
Most countries encourage exporting. Putting a cost on exports would be counter-productive.