Shipping out of UK - experience.

Guys,

Many of you are located in UK and sometimes those elsewhere are interested in buying from you, so I thought it would be good to share concerns/experience with that. So far every seller has to do the check by himself.

What I know as a buyer:

• VCRA does not seem to restrict export (if you can talk about export within EU), only import and internal sales.
  
• shipping cost can be fairly high using Royal Mail (Parcelforce) or DHL.
  
• even though package is transported via DHL, it is much(!) cheaper to use a service like this one:
  http://www.parcel2ship.co.uk/acatalog/Europe_parcel_delivery.html
  
• I have succesfully received packages sent via Parcelforce, UPS, DPD and service mentioned above.
  

Import is of course another question, more on buyer's head.
As for Poland (June 2009) there is no restriction on import and posession of modelguns, airsoft or bb guns as long as they do not contain some specific real steel parts (like chamber, bolt, barrel) and projectile (in case of airsoft/bb) is under 17J of energy. Cap powder (actually red phosphorus) is not considered explosive but pyrotechnic and law lists it specifically as freely allowable to use in caps, up to 0.08g per cap (our caps have 0.01g). Caps can be legally sold to people over 18 years of age. There is no taxes/customs to pay as it's intra-EU package.

Hi smootik,

I just logged onto that parcel2ship link and am surprised how much cheaper some of those prices are . Definately a good find, thank you

Cerwyn wrote:

I just logged onto that parcel2ship link and am surprised how much cheaper some of those prices are . Definately a good find, thank you

Thanks should go to Artemis, as he is the one who found it

I think that this company has a volume contract with DHL. Individual folks pay them instead of DHL, and have a contract with them, while they arrange everything with DHL/Parcelforce using their own contract. Thanks to the volume they can get lower prices, it seems. Interesting business.

Cerwyn wrote:

Hi smootik,

I just logged onto that parcel2ship link and am surprised how much cheaper some of those prices are . Definately a good find, thank you

I havent used them or compared their prices but have used Parcels 4 Delivery(who also use DHL) loads of times for UK and International deliveries and collections and had no problems at all.

Richard Jones wrote:

Cerwyn wrote:

Hi smootik,

I just logged onto that parcel2ship link and am surprised how much cheaper some of those prices are . Definately a good find, thank you

I havent used them or compared their prices but have used Parcels 4 Delivery(who also use DHL) loads of times for UK and International deliveries and collections and had no problems at all.

Thanks for that one too Richard I've used ParcelForce countless times and found them brilliant overall. Foreign deliveries are expensive though even though they're reliable so other options like these are well worth a look.

Cerwyn wrote:

Richard Jones wrote:

Cerwyn wrote:

Hi smootik,

I just logged onto that parcel2ship link and am surprised how much cheaper some of those prices are . Definately a good find, thank you

I havent used them or compared their prices but have used Parcels 4 Delivery(who also use DHL) loads of times for UK and International deliveries and collections and had no problems at all.

Thanks for that one too Richard I've used ParcelForce countless times and found them brilliant overall. Foreign deliveries are expensive though even though they're reliable so other options like these are well worth a look.

Fair play to the Royal Mail,they get a lot of grief but i have sent 100s of items with them(and Parcelforce) over the years and never had a problem and still use them for small items but with P4D offering a fully trackable service up to 30kgs in the UK for £8.04 i will never use anyone else again.

I thought I'd post a message as I've had a bit of overseas interest in my collection....
As a seller we must conform to VCRA rules for domestic sales, but are there any regulations we need to take into consideration for European or US sales and posting, or does that lie with the buyer?

Any info would be much appreciated from anyone with experience of such a situation.

Always best to check that import of modelguns is legal for them and send them with a disclaimer that they take the risk.

Obviously some countrys have an embargo on them, iran, north korea to name a couple so dont send any there.

The USA has different rules per state, but the import laws there required the muzzle to be painted orange and trademarks removed or covered up.

Strictly speaking sending RIF's via DHL, Parcelforce or UPS is against there policy either in the UK or abroad, the only service available that does allow this is the Post Office as there request to ban them was denied so for now they HAVE too.

Again, many on here, myself included have used DHL etc without any problems but using these is a risk the buyer must accept and no mention of the actual package contents must be made, i always say they are models and parts.

HTH
Phil

Thanks for the info.
So providing I stay subtle about what I'm sending abroad, DHL will be able to ship to the US and then from there on it's out of my hands..?
Sounds all too easy from the sellers point of view!

You still have cover trademarks and paint the barrel orange or supply a plug for it, but yes, comply with the countrys regulations and should be no problem provided the state allows replica's.

This will be the first time I've shipped anything abroad so the questions might seem a bit simple. How would you recommend covering up the markings? Also, how would I go about getting an orange plug for the barrels?

Is it common practice for the customs in the US to open parcels and check that the above has been done?

Thanks

Ahhhhh one of the other members maybe able to help there, i havent sent anything to the US as i dont want to paint the gun or remove/cover the trademarks.