Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

 

Hi!  This is my first post here, although I`ve listened to Start Up Nation for a couple of years.

My company produces skin on frame kayak kits, which include everything that the customer needs to build a kayak.  We`ve shipped domestically, and we recently encountered our first international customer, i.e., someone from outside the US who wants to give us money for our product. 

The problem that we`re having is, how to get the product to that customer.  He lives in the UK and we have two packages to ship to him.  One box is reasonably sized at about 2 ft x 2ft x 2ft.  The other package holds the stringers, 11 foot long pieces of wood that form the skeleton of the kayak, so that package is 11 ft long by 6 inches in diameter, weighing in at a whopping 10 pounds.

FedEx tells us that they want $1000 to ship it from the US to the UK, or, for $800 they`ll ship it on the slow boat to London.  UPS says that they can`t ship the long box at all.  Any suggestions?  The kit costs $650 USD, and shipping at those rates will put it out of range for what the customer is willing to pay. 

We`ve thought about buying a round trip ticket to London and checking it as baggage.  Any other suggestions?

 

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Joel F.
http://www.blackdogkayaks.com

I would check with other freight companies who offer Airfreight into the UK and also have the ability to arrange customs clearance upon arrival if the client wishes. Airfreight is much cheaper than using a courier company and most big airfreight companies offer a consolidated service which will lower the charges again.

 

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Silvia
www.justaphonecallaway.com

There are several options.  First, when you spoke with UPS or FedEx did you make sure you were speaking with one of their international specialists?  International shipping is more complex and the normal help desk people many times do not have all the answers.  These companies many times even have different field reps for international shippers just because of the complexity.

In addition to UPS and FedEx you should also look at USPS and DHL along with other freight companies.  Your 11 foot box may be too big for USPS but it does not hurt to check them out.  Sometimes they will surprise you with some big savings.  DHL is also a good choice for international shipping because they are one of the biggest international carriers even though they are just starting to show up here in the US.

Finally, if you plan to do this more often you should let the parcel carrier know this is the case.  With the right volume they offer shipment consolidation and discounting.  Both can save you a bundle and a ton of paperwork.

Hope this helps.  Good Luck!  Nice web site too!

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Bert at Harvey Software, Inc.
Multi-Carrier Shipping Software and Supply Chain Solutions for Internet Retailers

Also a provider of free shipping information and resources at Harvey Software`s Parcel Shipping Blog along with free tracking solutions at TrackingPage.com...

Thanks for the replies and for the compliments!

After my post we did get in touch with DHL and they were telling us ~ $400 door to door, which is great.  We had made up our minds to go with them, when, three days after we`d talked to UPS, UPS called us and told us that they would ship our packages for a total of $409 door-to-door or $220 from our shop to Heathrow, where the customer would pick it up.

So, the problem seems to have solved itself.

Thanks again for the help!  As our business is growing we`re experiencing all sorts of problems that have been big positives because the problems have forced us to find creative ways to solve them, and they`ve been great learning experiences.


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Joel F.
http://www.blackdogkayaks.com

You have just experienced what I have been telling people for years.  It pays to shop around between all the carriers for the best price and service.  So many companies lock themselves in with just one carrier, not realizing the benefits they could realize by being more flexible.  The cost of freight has really become an important component of many Internet businesses today.  With many Internet companies offering free shipping (http://www.internetretailer.com/dailyNews.asp?id=20995) and rapid on-time delivery to compete with brick and mortar companies, the cost of freight, along with the reliability of the service, comes into play and requires some shopping around.  This can give your company a competitive edge.  As you have seen here, when it comes to international shipping, shopping around can make a huge difference.  It can even determine if you make a sale or not.  I am really glad to see it worked out in your favor.  Good luck with your business!  If my wife will let me, I plan to go back and visit your site…

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Bert at Harvey Software, Inc.
Multi-Carrier Shipping Software and Supply Chain Solutions for Internet Retailers

Also a provider of free shipping information and resources at Harvey Software`s Parcel Shipping Blog along with free tracking solutions at TrackingPage.com...

Bert, thanks again for the help and the encouragement!

Now that we`re getting the hang of this shipping thing, we`d love to ship a kayak to you. 

 

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Joel F.
http://www.blackdogkayaks.com

Well, time and money are tight for everyone, so idea of paying extra or spending the time to find an economical shipping solutions isn't likely popular. Now there comes good information as many shipping companies are working towards this and providing shipping solutions at affordable rates.

 

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 My concern about this is how to get the product to that customer because nowadays, there are some tendency that the package may not received or been delayed in delivery.

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Air freight is faster and has better security than the land and ocean freight, thus the insurance premium rate generally is lower.

 

 

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