LeftyBassist.com

Anyone here tried shipping a bass to Canada via US Postal service? I'm trying to get a quote to ship a bass to a buyer who lives in BC and on the USPS website, it's telling me the box is too large for them to ship. The bass is in a guitar box that measures 51"X 21"X 12". Weight is approximately 12lbs. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks guys!

Try UPS. USPS normally tells me my boxes are too big even in domestic shipment.

I just shipped via USPS and I was surprised to learn that FedEx 2-day would have been cheaper, as well.

He wants it shipped via USPS. I'm not sure it can be done.

I've been using USPS for years now, and have sellers send their products I by the Postal Service, As long as the package, when added up on all three sides, is under 104" ( I think it!), and sent Priority Mail, it's always cheaper - at least to Hawaii! UPS Ground is very cheap in the Con-US, but obviously I don't have the luxury here....

I just did a check on the USPS website, and you're right, your package is too large for the Post Office. Hopefully some of our Canadian members will weigh-in, and let us know what shipping method has worked best for them in the past...

Thanks Fivebass. I'm waiting to hear back from him in re to an alternate shipping method. I can't even cut the box down due to the bass taking up that much room in the box due to the case it's in. We'll see.......

If he's Canadian, he's got a very compelling reason why he doesn't accept UPS. UPS here in Canada extorts huge brokerage fees for stuff, irregardless of their value, and irregardless if it's marked as a gift or a sale.

USPS, at least, partners with Canada Post, which has outlets everywhere in Canada, including drug stores like Shoppers Drug Mart, and the like. And their brokerage fees are reasonable and are applicable only if duty and GST are collected. DHL isn't too bad either. FedEx is all right.

That's exactly why he wants it shipped via USPS. Can't say I blame him. The brokerage fees are ridiculous. Here's the thing, this is actually a trade that we are doing. He's already sent his bass to me through the postal service from Canada and its in route to me right now. He packed it in the same size box as the one that I'm using and had no problems at all with it shipping. I'm sending mine (his) today and USPS claims it's too big to ship (?)

He shipped it Canada Post but the waybill was for USPS. Very strange why USPS here claims it's too large to ship. I'm going to take it to USPS and see what they say in person. Just going by their website right now.

Each country has their own rules as to what they allow for size and will accept for insurance value, etc... that would explain why he had a very different experince shipping into the USA as you would shipping into Canada.

In my experience, most countries only allow high dollar stuff to be sent in smaller boxes... so, if you want to send something that size, you can only insure the bass up to a certain point and then ask the seller to agree to take the loss if the bass is lost or damaged in transit.

I shipped my Lakland Joe Osborn to Sylvain in Canada... I wouldn't have been able to ship it insured at full value because the girth of the box was too big. It worked out well anyway since he asked me to lower the value to avoid paying import taxes. So it all worked out.

Here are all the specific rules for each shipping type into Canada, if you need it.

http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/ce_003.htm

This is what I was going to suggest - taking it to USPS. I hope they will have a better explanation in person, or have a way to send it. One more thought - is the bass a bolt-on? If so, unbolting the neck might allow you to slip under the dimension measurements. If it's a through-body, then I wish you the best of luck!

And that's exactly what I did. As it turns out, they did ship it. I asked the clerk why the website gave the refusal info due to size restrictions and she had no answer. When she measured the box and weighed it, she said it was within the 108" limit and it would ship without a problem. However, I was only able to insure for about $500 due to the limit of $1000 declared value. It's packed really well so I'm don't anticipate any problems with it. It's out of my hands now.

Just curious, and if you don't mind sharing, where was it sent, and what was your total cost? That would help a lot of us consider shipping to Canada if the fee is close to a "normal" price... thanks!

Not at all. It was sent to Lake Country, British Columbia. The total cost was $116.00. I had already packed it up in a guitar box so there wasn't any "packing fees"
Declared value was $1000 and I could only put about $500 in insurance.

Awww man, now all these lefty bass players know where I live!

I can update everyone on how everything turns out with shipping from the US to Canada on my end. I have had great success before using USPS and Canada Post vs any of the big courier companies, so don't expect any major hiccups.

It's the agony of waiting for a new bass to arrive that I have to deal with now.

What did you two trade?

Traded my Lull for Tom's Sadowsky.

Wow, killer deal.

Weren't you selling the Lull because the 18mm spacing was too wide?

I think Sadowsky basses are at least 19mm... not sure if you knew that or not.

Anyway, congrats!

It was more the 35 inch scale that was bothering me. I think I can live with the wider string spacing. Just because I'm used to playing 34 inch scale basses and the Lull was the only one I had that was longer. I hope it works out. Always good to make a good trade with another forum member.

Thanks for sharing tomd...that's a fair-enough price, considering all of the horror stories we've heard about over the years....