Buying components in the UK - Freight fright!

[mobyd]

A transformer co in the UK is specialling some little PCB mount power transformers, but the cost of getting a 10kg parcel from UK to NZ via Parcelforce is eyewateringly expensive. Can any UK based person help me with information re better/cheaper ways of exporting to NZ ?. Speed of delivery is totally unimportant. Prefer methods that have been personally tried.
Cheers
Mike.
(How do Sowter send their trannies?)

[sandyK]

mobyd

Have you checked out the large PCB mount range available from Altronics in Perth, W.A. ? If they have what you want, contact them for freight costs.

SandyK

http://www.altronics.com.au/index.asp?area=prod&grp=361

[poynton]

Originally posted by mobyd
A transformer co in the UK is specialling some little PCB mount power transformers, but the cost of getting a 10kg parcel from UK to NZ via Parcelforce is eyewateringly expensive. Can any UK based person help me with information re better/cheaper ways of exporting to NZ ?. Speed of delivery is totally unimportant. Prefer methods that have been personally tried.
Cheers
Mike.
(How do Sowter send their trannies?)

UK to overseas parcel prices are VERY expensive !!!!!!
(not much cheaper internally by ParcelForce)

DHL and Interparcel both quote around £10 for a 10kg parcel to NZ.

The cheapest way is to keep the package under 2kg. Then it can be sent by "Small Packet" rate .

I have sent stuff to Japan in several parcels which worked out about 50% of a combined package.


Andy

[len_scanlan]

Originally posted by mobyd
A transformer co in the UK is specialling some little PCB mount power transformers, but the cost of getting a 10kg parcel from UK to NZ via Parcelforce is eyewateringly expensive. Can any UK based person help me with information re better/cheaper ways of exporting to NZ ?. Speed of delivery is totally unimportant. Prefer methods that have been personally tried.
Cheers
Mike.
(How do Sowter send their trannies?)

Hi Mike,

I've just returned to Auckland after living in the UK. I posted a couple of 2Kg parcels to NZ via surface post for something like 11 pounds (about 30 dollars) per parcel.

The post office said they'd take 8-10 weeks, but they arrived in under 4! Must have been airmailed at some point as my household goods are taking 5 weeks on the ship.

Cheers,

Len.

ps: Make sure they check the weight is definitely less than 2Kg. I was a few grams over on one parcel, and it would then be sent at parcelforce rates (over double the cost). I found a lighter bubble-bag to send everything in and was back under 2Kg..

[Bobken]

Hi Mike,

Although I have an account with FedEx to avoid inordinate incoming Customs delays with components which I import quite often, when sending 2 packages to Canada recently, I found it several-times cheaper to send these via UK Royal Mail (NOT ParcelForce) than with FedEx, or UPS.

This was under Royal Mail's "International Signed For" service with insurance cover, and from the UK to Canada took around 4-5 days for transit.

This is the breakdown of the charges in UK £:

1) 0.530 kg Int Airmail Sml Pk = £6.47.
Signed for Internat. (£20 Ins.) = £3.50.

2) 1.30 kg Int Airmail Sml Pk = £13.72.
Signed for Internat. (£200 Ins.) = £5.50.

Up to £30.00 (or contents value, if less) is insured automatically, and the figure above was for the excess over this amount.

I am not sure what the upper weight limits are for this service, but there is a website showing all their information and choices regarding speed and insurance etc., if you do a search.

You requested "personal" experiences so I hope that this is of some help, and although I took my parcels to a local Post Office, I think that collections can be arranged, too.

This was the cheapest, reasonably speedy and safe way of sending to Canada that I could find at that time. I recall costs were considerably reduced if no insurance is needed or if you don't mind waiting longer for transit, as there are other alternative choices than "International Signed For" available from Royal Mail.

Regards,

[poynton]

The upper weight limit for Royal Mail small packets is 2kg.

As mentioned previously, not a gram ove as it will then be sent Parcel Force and cost a lot more!!

I always use the "International Signed For" option.
A couple of parcels I have, have been posted on Ebay as "not received" but funnily were recorded as being signed for !!

Andy

[john blackburn]

A mate is involved in drag racing and needs to send an engine to Florida. If Florida Turbo arrange collection by Fedex of the engine from the US end, he can ship it BOTH ways for less than the cost of sending it one way from the UK.

Also engine components cost at least 50% more in the UK compared to the US so it makes for cheap horsepower!

John

[AuroraB]

I'm afraid this is a general problem. International parcel post have more or less been abandoned by most postal services, and left to the vultures..( read: freigth co's like UPS, DHL etc).
I recently requested for shipping of two tube transformers from the US, worth appx 120$. With shipping, the quote was 380$.........
Who said the world is getting smaller.............?

EDIT: Several UK companies that used to sell internationally, now refuses to ship outside EU. 8kgs to Finland or Sweden may cost 20£, - same package to Norway is 55£, I'm told.......

[mobyd]

Originally posted by AuroraB
I'm afraid this is a general problem. International parcel post have more or less been abandoned by most postal services, and left to the vultures..( read: freigth co's like UPS, DHL etc).

USPS, despite their recent abandonment of surface mail (gone are the days I could get a complete set of header pipes for my old Honda 400/4 sent US->NZ for $45) still appears to be the best game in town - especially if you use their global priority " fixed rate box" services. The boxes are not huge, but you are allowed to stuff up to 20lbs (9kg) in them, and they cost $40 or $50 depending on the size. Weirdly, there are some transformers on *bay at the moment that would be perfect for my application but the wretched vendor refuses to ship overseas (sadly not an uncommon thing with US based sellers).
Farnell & RS must have some serious clout with the vulture freight co's to be able to ping bags of components around the globe for $10.
M