Shipping Toronto to Vermont??

[Rob Gerety]

Could anyone give me a rough idea what the shipping and other charges are likely to be to send a Dreadnaught from the Toronto area to Vermont?? What is the best way to do it?

[illinoisfiddler]

Could anyone give me a rough idea what the shipping and other charges are likely to be to send a Dreadnaught from the Toronto area to Vermont?? What is the best way to do it?

If you know exact dimensions and weight of the box that you are shipping you can estimate shipping costs online at USPS.com or, I'm sure UPS, Fedex, etc.

[Rob Gerety]

Don't know that data - need rough idea.

[Mandobar]

A guitar box is roughly 50 x 21x 9. If you go out to any of the shipping websites you can plug the dimensions in and get a rough estimate as to how much it will cost. I did a rough estimate on UPS.com and it was about $150 for ground and around $270 for 3 day select on a declared value of $4000 based on the above box dimensions. YMMV.

FedEx, from what I remember has a smoother customs process.

[illinoisfiddler]

A guitar box is roughly 50 x 21x 9. If you go out to any of the shipping websites you can plug the dimensions in and get a rough estimate as to how much it will cost. I did a rough estimate on UPS.com and it was about $150 for ground and around $270 for 3 day select on a declared value of $4000 based on the above box dimensions. YMMV.

FedEx, from what I remember has a smoother customs process.

Uh, it should not cost that much unless the insurance is contributing. USPS is usually the lowest cost provider. I just got a Kentucky KM-1500 from Vancouver to Illinois and I think it cost less than $50 in shipping.

[Mandobar]

My estimate is directly off the UPS site, with a declared value of $4000, in a 50 x 21 x 9 box. All the shipping sites have these calculators, but the size of the box and the declared value will drive the price up. I’m not a big fan of USPS shipping for shipping. Their tracking is chaotic and inaccurate at best, at least from my experience. If something goes wrong with USPS they have absolutely no customer service skills.

Something to think about is also the holiday volume and in speaking with Michael Heiden, who is in BC, Canada is currently experiencing rotating postal strikes throughout their network.

https://globalnews.ca/news/4580638/c...-what-to-know/

Something to clearly consider when deciding which service to use.

[illinoisfiddler]

Never had a problem with USPS. I have received dozens of instruments over the years, and shipped hundreds of eBay sales without an issue. UPS and Fedex are fine, too.

[Jim Garber]

It sounds like the shipper is in Toronto. Is it possible that a Canadian shipper can ship using USPS from there to the US? I know that UPS and Fedex are international but I would think that Canada has their own postal service.

[Mandobar]

The Canadian postal service does a handoff to the US Postal service. This is the way Michael Heiden ships his mandolins to the US. However, the items must go through customs, which does require some paperwork.

I have to say, the tracking by the Canadian Postal Service is great. It puts ours to shame. They kept updating the status of my mandolin, but once it came out of customs in San Francisco, it was like it fell into a huge hole of darkness. It went several days without any updates, and I had to call the Postmaster here in town to track it down.

[illinoisfiddler]

The Canadian postal service does a handoff to the US Postal service. This is the way Michael Heiden ships his mandolins to the US. However, the items must go through customs, which does require some paperwork.

I have to say, the tracking by the Canadian Postal Service is great. It puts ours to shame. They kept updating the status of my mandolin, but once it came out of customs in San Francisco, it was like it fell into a huge hole of darkness. It went several days without any updates, and I had to call the Postmaster here in town to track it down.

This is correct. Like I said, I just received the one from Vancouver. Canada Post hands off to USPS and the cost is relatively low. But unlike mandobar, I had full tracking info even as the item came into the States. I just had to visit different sites to track.

[Mandobar]

I actually put the info to ship a guitar box into USPS this afternoon and their system stated it was too big for them to ship, so I’m not sure what’s up with that, but I’ve never gotten a guitar via USPS, nor shipped one. I get a decent business discount with UPS and Fedex and will use that if I have to. Aside from the Heiden, I’ve bought most of my instruments in person the last few years.

[illinoisfiddler]

There are certain limits on box size and weight for USPS. That is a reason to go UPS or other if it is too big. But I have shipped some pretty big items with USPS if it is within their specification.

[AndyV]

Sadly, I don't have a lot of faith in Canada Post, though never shipped anything as big as a mandolin. That said, the rotating strikes are over. Canada Post has Purolator Courier (which they own 90% of) handle much of their parcels.

[J.Albert]

Size aside, does this guitar have any rosewood in it?

[slimt]

I would be checking with customs prior to any shipping .Rosewood is the issue even if its a u.s made instrument

[ollaimh]

canada post is hands down better than fed ex or ups. the two private ones ask for a minimum of an extra $90 as a border fee for doing nothing more than canada post, in fact they do less, because canada post honours it's insurance and does excellent tracking. the two usa priavte ones rarely honour insurance, and they come up with bizarre requests. i sold a guitar to an american who wanted fed ex. ok. i shiped it from my home town in eastern canada, moncton, and it got to toronto and they were phoning that they needed pictures of it or they would have open it and i'd have to pay for re packaging!!! i had pictures. i of course asked why they didn't do this at the point i shipped from, and they went silent. duh???? ups came to my door a while ago with their electronic machine for payments to collect ten dollars they said i owed them. i said for what? they said they didn't know. i asked for an invoice. they wouldn't provide one. to refused to pay and told them to mail me an invoice, instead they sent it to a collection agency.. i phoned both and told them i'd sue if they go ahead ith that(i used to be a lawyer) they shut up but they probably filed it on my credit rating. (i don't care much--i am old and will never borrow money again), but both have absolutely terrible service.

in addition i have had friends lose stuff in the ups system and it took 6 months for them to find it. (a mandilin) they said it went to florida, and they put it in a warehouse, we don't know why?? bad service from those shippers. yes you should pack the guitar and take it to canada post and get an estimate. they have a formula and they'll tell you how it's calculated, and from that you can figure it out yourself.

in addition i have had multiple people refused damage claims against ups and fed ex, but canada post pays up fast.

so use canada post. but check for rose wood or other cites restricted woods

[j. condino]

Toronto to Vermont is a day drive. Go pick it up in person....

[Jeff Mando]

Toronto to Vermont is a day drive. Go pick it up in person....

That's one way to make sure it gets home safely. Of course, you still have to deal with customs -- maybe less strict in rural Vermont, not sure these days. I've crossed there coming back from Canada, but it has been 30 years. And, depending on how fast you drive, it could be a two-day drive.....so I guess, is the safety of the guitar worth two days of your time vs just shipping it? For me, it would depend on the guitar.....

[AndyV]

Ollaimh,

I deal with the couriers for work (25 yrs now) and have had ridiculous problems with UPS over the years. It seems cyclical. Acquaintances, friends, family and I have had problems with Canada Post and lost and damaged items. These were not big ticket, so shipped w/o insurance, but that is not to give licence for abuse.

My instrument purchases from the US have shipped USPS, Fedex and UPS. I cross the border to pick them up and save some coin. No problems with any of these.

NOTE! It goes without saying, but here I go anyway. Rosewood etc will still be an issue at the border if picking up in person if the bill of sale includes a description indicating rosewood content.
I've never been asked about this when crossing with an instrument.

[ollaimh]

Ollaimh,

I deal with the couriers for work (25 yrs now) and have had ridiculous problems with UPS over the years. It seems cyclical. Acquaintances, friends, family and I have had problems with Canada Post and lost and damaged items. These were not big ticket, so shipped w/o insurance, but that is not to give licence for abuse.

My instrument purchases from the US have shipped USPS, Fedex and UPS. I cross the border to pick them up and save some coin. No problems with any of these.

NOTE! It goes without saying, but here I go anyway. Rosewood etc will still be an issue at the border if picking up in person if the bill of sale includes a description indicating rosewood content.
I've never been asked about this when crossing with an instrument.

i have recently heard of a friend being asked if his antique furniture had rose wood, he said yes and it was impounded by the americans. he is a dealer and got it back after hiring a lawyer but i would get cites papers if possible for any category II woods. and don't risk category I, liekbrazilian rosewood.

i am told that well known makers before the cut off date--around 2000, can get cites papers with a few letters for category II(other rosewoods, hondouran mahagony, i think koa now. i also read that they are considering relaxing the rules for muscial instruments made before the cut off date for category II, but that hasn't happened yet. some % 90 of the rosewood crossing borders is in furniture, niot musical instruments. likely the same for hondouran mahagony and a few other woods. but ti's all becomming a hassle.

for less know makers you need good paper work to show the wood was cut before a cut off date. for some instruments that is impossible to get.

[J.Albert]

IF this is a "private sale" (between two individuals), and IF it involves cross-border transit, and IF the instrument in question has rosewood in it...

then...
... probably best to forget about it.

Sell it to someone "in-country" instead.
Could save you a lot of trouble.