Hey Folks,
I’ve got a new set that’s just been finished up and am trying to figure out how to get it from the UK over to the States as safely and economically as possible. Anybody have any thoughts? I had a school buddy who I thought would be able to bring them back after flying home to Glasgow for spring break, but I just found out his plans have changed and he won’t be able to do that. I’ve heard DHL is good for shipping expensive items internationally, but I’m in new territory so any advice would be greatly appreciated!
thanks,
Jack
As the main threat to a set of pipes in transit is damage, you should ensure that your are insured. In the UK there are financial limits on how much you can insure instruments for, and it is the carrier who determines the maximum. As a cautionary note the maker of the pipes, if using Royal Mail, or Parcelforce, can only insure the pipes at their cost price, i.e. how much they would cost him to replace, not their market (retail) value. So you need to check whether you need to actually import the set yourself. This means selecting a carrier who operates in the UK, completing the paperwork yourself, and ensuring that the details are transmitted to your maker for inclusion with the shipment.
I have used DHL, Fedex, Parcelforce Global Priority and WPS to get sets of pipes to the USA, and have only had a problem with Fedex; who tried to levy import duty on a set. Bagpipes of any description are free from import duty to the USA, so you have to include the correct Harmonized Tariff Code on the Waybills.
PM me if you need more info.
DHL has been by far the best courier when it comes to getting things here to the states. Not only are they always very quick, they rarely charge as high of customs fees as FedEx or UPS. Not sure how that is, but I got a sitar via FedEx and it arrived in 5 days, had a customs fee of something close to $200. About a month later got another sitar, from the same person, same declared value, and DHL wanted $30. Domestically USPS is good but by all means avoid it for your pipes. I am expecting a full set in the mail right now and it’s been stuck in customs for 9 days already! This is not unusual for them, I used to manage a music store and we went through so many headaches whenever an international vendor shipped via EMS.