Shipping options for parts from US to UK

[Lorin]

There are a number of LC parts I want to order from the US including coil springs, a gear set, possibly a rear wheel carrier and some other smaller bits. Can anyone advise me of any alternatives to shipping them all individually? Is it more cost effective to sea freight rather than air freight them and if so, what are the options for doing it? Google gives options but I'd be interested to hear from anyone whose got some experience of actually doing it.

 

[Michael Montgomery]

My personal experience has been difficult and costly Lorin mostly getting small items through visiting or family visiting me over time and the odd occasion by post.

America is a big place and so need to know what your buying, where and from one store or many. These factors change everything but best route is always for larger items by shipping company from port to port.

 

[moggy1968]

And as I have discovered to buy genuine parts you have to pay with a us registered card and post to a us address!!

 

[Lorin]

There are companies that will sell you a portion of a container and coordinate receipt of multiple packages from across the US. That is the way I am leaning.

 

[Rodger]

In the past I have used Borderlinx. When you register with them they allocate a US address exclusively to you and you then get the various US suppliers to ship to that address. When all the items have arrived and you decide to ship you tell them and they ship, deal with the import duties and VAT etc and it arrives at your door. And you do everything online.
One US supplier wanted to charge more than the value of the goods to ship outside the USA (many companies there do not want to ship overseas) - it was in the hundreds of $s - but then shipped to the Borderlinx address for 23$.
I found the system to be very good and reasonable.
It worked for us.

Regards,
Rodger

 

[moggy1968]

In the past I have used Borderlinx. When you register with them they allocate a US address exclusively to you and you then get the various US suppliers to ship to that address. When all the items have arrived and you decide to ship you tell them and they ship, deal with the import duties and VAT etc and it arrives at your door. And you do everything online.
One US supplier wanted to charge more than the value of the goods to ship outside the USA (many companies there do not want to ship overseas) - it was in the hundreds of $s - but then shipped to the Borderlinx address for 23$.
I found the system to be very good and reasonable.
It worked for us.

Regards,
Rodger

Is that shared containers then, or is it more if your getting multiple parts from various places yourself?

 

[Rodger]

You deal with the supply companies but give them the Borderlinx US address for shipping. They combine all the different shipments you've arranged when you say so and then they ship by air although I guess heavy stuff would be by container. So multiple suppliers and multiple pieces get combined, shipped, customs cleared, etc on your say-so. Loads of info on www:borderlinx.com They are a part of DHL but that can't be helped. I found it an excellent way and reasonably priced too

Regards,

Rodger

 

[moggy1968]

I like the idea of shipping by sea for heavier parts as airfreight gets really expensive

 

[Lorin]

In the past I have used Borderlinx. When you register with them they allocate a US address exclusively to you and you then get the various US suppliers to ship to that address. When all the items have arrived and you decide to ship you tell them and they ship, deal with the import duties and VAT etc and it arrives at your door. And you do everything online.
One US supplier wanted to charge more than the value of the goods to ship outside the USA (many companies there do not want to ship overseas) - it was in the hundreds of $s - but then shipped to the Borderlinx address for 23$.
I found the system to be very good and reasonable.
It worked for us.

Regards,
Rodger

Thank you Rodger, that is what I was looking for. I’ll check them out and see what can be done.

 

[Gr8Yota]

Try Dakar Imports. (Dakar-imports.com)...yes the same guys that bought you the Dakar RR conversion if you remember it.... they bring a container over you ship to them in Florida and cost is minmal to get it here.

I shipped a load of stuff from different vendors about 18 months ago, one vendor was happy to take delivery of everything else for me and palletise whilst I organised the freight from here, worked out a lot cheaper than shipping everythign individually, this was before I found out about Dakar from a mutual friend.

 

[Gr8Yota]

Also worth looking at arranging freight from this end. I recently bought a rear bumper, manufacturer quoted $1,000 for their courier (Fed ex) I booked it from here with DHL via an online agent for £200.

Word of warning though...if you use DHL keep your boxes, photograph all dims etc, on tow of two shipments they’ve claimed surcharges for different dims to those given...and no apology when I proved them wrong!

 

[Rob-o]

I’m sure between us we could probably fill a whole container and all benefit from the shared freight!

I’d like a prinsu roof rack. That’d take up a bit of room.

Rob

 

[Gr8Yota]

I’m sure between us we could probably fill a whole container and all benefit from the shared freight!

I’d like a prinsu roof rack. That’d take up a bit of room.

Rob

Now that sounds like a plan... only trouble is my shopping list would be bigger than my bank balance.