Posting bass to Germany

[SisterAbdullahX]

Hi, and Merry Christmas!

I'm selling a bass on bc and have interest from a buyer in Germany. Anyone any idea how much it would cost to post it, roughly? Jazz Bass in Hiscox case, weight approximately 14lbs (haven't actually weighed it yet). Is the Post Office my best bet or a private carrier? Or would it be better for the buyer to arrange a courier and me just pack it for them to collect? Also, buyer wants to use PayPal for payment, would I have to pay a fee to them or is that just when selling on e-bay?

Cheers,

Martin.

[spinynorman]

[quote name='SisterAbdullahX' post='1069295' date='Dec 25 2010, 06:41 PM']Hi, and Merry Christmas!

I'm selling a bass on bc and have interest from a buyer in Germany. Anyone any idea how much it would cost to post it, roughly? Jazz Bass in Hiscox case, weight approximately 14lbs (haven't actually weighed it yet). Is the Post Office my best bet or a private carrier? Or would it be better for the buyer to arrange a courier and me just pack it for them to collect? Also, buyer wants to use PayPal for payment, would I have to pay a fee to them or is that just when selling on e-bay?

Cheers,

Martin.[/quote]

Go to [url="http://www.interparcel.com/"]http://www.interparcel.com/[/url], in that big blue box select the destination country, fill in weight and dimensions (preferably of the complete package, or if not allow 1KG for box, bubble wrap etc), hit the Quote Me button. You'll get a number of different couriers and options, I usually end up with Interparcel/UPS Economy, which has never let me down. Remember you need to add VAT and insurance. Roughly it's £5 per £250 value for insurance. If you want to check, go through the booking process and cancel once you get to the insurance quote. I usually add a small % for packing material and contingency.

I think it's better to arrange the courier yourself, as you can pick a day/time that suits you. Paypal will charge you a fee if the buyer selects an option from the Purchase tab on the Send Money screen. If the buyer selects from the Personal tab, they pay the fee. They may not be charged if their Paypal balance covers the price.

With the Post Office, you have to take it to them, some POs won't take large parcels and it will most likely be more expensive than a courier, especially with tracking and insurance. Recorded Delivery tracking is very hit and miss IME.

[bigthumb]

I've sent a few basses out around Europe and interparcel are good. Also try parcel2go.com or parcel2ship.com as sometimes it may save you a few quid.