Pricing packages from the US

[Tengu]

I am looking to order a big book from the US, and would like to know what would be a fair shipping price.

(the book is a coffee table one, and will be heavy...but I doubt the package will be more than 2.5kg)

What would you say, and what method should i suggest? I do not want to get ripped off on postage.

 

[Robson Valley]

I am not very far away from the Excited Snakes of America.
Do they give you any choices for shipping processes?

Even if you do go ahead and elect some postal method (Surface should be cheapest).
I'll guess that 50% of the time, the vendor will ignore your wishes
and they will send the book any way they please (at your cost).

I've ordered things that I needed with no rush. A couple of weeks is fine by me.
Instead, there's a NEED to have the item in my hands in 3 business days.
Not cheap.

 

[Nice65]

Also, the value comes into play. If it's over £18 you'll have to pay VAT plus an £8 collection charge. Bear in mind postage and packing costs are part of the value so can easily take you over the £18 threshold.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/UK-Buying...y-Parcel-Force-Fees-/10000000013589137/g.html

Regards postage, is it possible to ask the seller for a quote?

 

[Toddy]

I think I'd ask around and see if the book isn't available here, first.

M

 

[brambles]

Since it's a book - have you tried Abebooks? US sellers also sell via the UK version of the site and the shipping is often very reasonable. By way of an example I priced a coffee table book I was given a few years ago, large , heavy book, shipping from US only £2 - 3

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?sts=t&an=Lanting&tn=Jungles&kn=&isbn=

 

[Jared]

Is the book on Amazon.com ? Some items they'll to ship to the UK, and seem to make some attempt at giving the full cost to your door.

 

[Tengu]

Amazon quotes £160 second hand for my book Secondhand.

Schaverein `Horn its history and uses`

This company is offering it at $98 new

(Do I have to pay VAT on books?)

 

[Janne]

Tengu!

UKP 63 from www.nhbs.com

I think that is a UK seller.

 

[Tengu]

Yup, thank you.

You are a saint.

(How do you find such things???)

 

[Nice65]

Tengu!

UKP 63 from www.nhbs.com

I think that is a UK seller.

Yup, thank you.

You are a saint.

(How do you find such things???)

Sainthood? Or search abilities?

 

[Janne]

If you guys search you get different stuff up than me, as I am in the 'dark side of the pond'.

Also, I buy a lot of books online from Europe and have a bunch of companies stored.

Saint? Only if I can do my own Devil's Advocacy!

 

[Robson Valley]

abeBooks. com has a unit in the UK = abeBooks.uk.

This is a consortium of book sellers, trying to sell the bricks to pay for the castle.

I've bought hundreds of $$$ of used books from them. New, in the thousands of dollars.
At the very least, do the window shopping. Amazon is a ripper.

 

[Old Bones]

I tend to use this website first:

http://www.addall.com/

Although it is US based, you can do a search for any book for any shipping destination, and will search loads of suppliers for books, including Abebooks and Amazon, and will include shipping. Almost 25 years ago, I ordered what seemed to be a very cheap book from the US - the shipping was to be calculated later - and it turned out to be a very expensive book! So seeing what the total cost including shipping instantly is very useful.

To be fair, Amazon is generally cheapest - and its a flat rate. But at least you can see the different costs, and 'new and used' is very useful, because US books are often stocked in the UK.

Putting in that book title into Allbooks, Amazon is still pretty much the only seller, but the cost comes down to £101, including about £9 postage http://www.addall.com/New/compare.c...hetime=20170920233452&author=&title=&state=AK

But £63 is an excellent price, and I'm adding that website to my bookmarks!

 

[C_Claycomb]

I think that the UK source is the way to go. In partial answer to the original question, these are my experiences with heavy stuff shipped from the US. I don't know if it is still possible to ship service rate. That hasn't been an option for shipping from the UK to the US for quite a few years now. From the US, best value tends to be the Flat Rate boxes from USPS. I have had stabilised wood shipped back to me in those, box of untreated Californian redwood shipped from the UK = £46 (when it was £1=$1.6), the wood was treated, approximately doubling the weight, and was shipped back for $45.

 

[Tengu]

Alas, NHBS cannot get the book, its out of print.

 

[Robson Valley]

Did you check with abeBooks.com? They sell all kinds of "Out Of Print" books.
It's an online consortium of hundreds, if not thousands, of book stores and libraries.

The market is so big, there's a UK division = abeBooks.UK

I have a choice:
a) Hold the volume in my hand in a bookstore and buy it.
b) Use interlibrary loan to see the book to decide if it's something I really MUST HAVE.
c) Try to buy it from abeBooks.com.