[Leica] selling used camera gear from Canada to USA

[philippe.orlent at pandora.be (Philippe Orlent)]

Kit,

I agree if it's express and insured. Never had any problems with those.
Just one disadvantage: GPS (General Parcel Service) demands payment in cash
upon delivery (for import charges), which is a bit unhandy since they turn
up without notice. You also have to pay the exact amount since their
delivery folks never have change at hand. Fedex or UPS just send you an
invoice after delivery that you can pay via money transfer.

With plain USPS "airmail" shipment, it took 2 months to get me a Graflok
back delivered and got me a Hasselblad 500 C + 80mm lost. Recovering
insurance for the latter was impossible since Belgian Post claims it never
received it and USPS needs a form or so that it never arrived. I lost 500
USD with this one, so I'm reluctant to have anything else sent by USPS after
this affair. Because it just isn't practical.

BTW, I ordered the Hassie via the LUG Friday announcements from somebody
that I didn't see appearing afterwards any more. I must say he didn't go to
much trouble to help me out and I just hope this wasn't a scam but a
unfortunate coincidence.

--

> From: "Kit McChesney" <leicagalpal@earthlink.net>
> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org>
> Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 08:20:53 -0600
> To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug@leica-users.org>
> Subject: RE: [Leica] selling used camera gear from Canada to USA
> 
> Actually, that's not true. (With all due respect!)
> 
> I send packages to Europe via USPS--Global Express Mail--all the time.
> Expensive pacakges (you know what I mean!) And they are trackable. What
> happens is that USPS Express Mail hands them over to a company in Europe
> called General Parcel, sort of a UPS-type outfit. They assign a new 
> tracking
> number and USPS can give me that number on this end once the transfer is
> made. I can also track on the USPS Web site.
> 
> I have several customers in Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Norway,
> UK, Italy ... You get the idea, those European lands, and also Japan, and I
> send all their goodies this way. It's less expensive and I have not had one
> single problem. And it takes only a few days. But it's gotta be Express, 
> and
> it's gotta be insured. One can send a new M7 to Germany, insured, for about
> $60 (compare UPS or Fedex at about $120 or so).
> 
> Kit 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: lug-bounces+leicagalpal=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
> [mailto:lug-bounces+leicagalpal=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
> Philippe Orlent
> Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2004 12:30 AM
> To: Leica Users Group
> Subject: Re: [Leica] selling used camera gear from Canada to USA
> 
> But don't use USPS if you want to sent something to Europe. It takes ages
> and customs becomes a real duty that way. In Belgium anyway. No way of
> tracking the parcel that way, either.
> 
>> From: Brian Reid <reid@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
>> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org>
>> Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2004 19:52:59 -0700
>> To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org>
>> Subject: Re: [Leica] selling used camera gear from Canada to USA
>> 
>> 
>>> If you ship it via UPS the recipient will be required to pay an
>>> extra (substantial) charge. I suggest avoiding them. I can't
>>> remember exactly what they call the charge, whether it is "duty" or
>>>  something else; but the declared contents will not avoid the
>>> charge. I have been maddened by this more than once.
>> 
>> Boy, is this true. UPS kills you with additional charges. I've had the
> same
>> problem shipping to people in Ontario. For shipping across the US/Canada
>> border, use the US Postal Service or Canada Post, as appropriate.
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>> 
> 
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> 
> _______________________________________________
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>