Shipping Costs from Germany to the USA

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fc60
Posts: 749
Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2005 11:46 am
Location: Western Washington State, USA 98385

Shipping Costs from Germany to the USA

Post by fc60 »

Greetings,

This message is "aimed" at my fellow shooters in Germany/EU.

I have discovered eGun and find many items I would like to buy.

What are typical shipping costs to the USA? Does Germany Post have a Flat Rate shipping method?

Also, what is a good way to send payment to Germany? Euros in an envelope?

Cheers,

Dave in the USA
jipe
Posts: 812
Joined: Wed May 02, 2007 5:50 am

Post by jipe »

It will depend of what you want to buy.

If its is accessories, it can be shipped as any other item you buy online with DHL (which is German post). For the payment, you can use Paypal if the seller accept Paypal (which is not always the case in Germany). If you buy from a professional seller (there are many on egun) you can often pay by credit card. If neither Paypal nor credit card is possible, then it becomes a problem since bank transfers from US to Europe are slow and expensive.

For an airgun, I don't know how DHL handle the cylinders for air shipment ?

For a firearm, I am afraid no private seller would accept as it requires a lot of paperwork, special shipment. Professional sellers can do it (but will charge for the paperwork) and payment by credit card is the easiest.
Tank
Posts: 26
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2013 12:57 pm
Location: England

Post by Tank »

Well, it is pretty simple really. eGun is usually a good place to buy from and although many sellers there say "will not post International" if you stasrt a dialogue via email in many cases the sellers will agree to ship.
Sending the funds will cost you between ten and fifteen dollars. There are a good number of online FX transfer companies will transfer the money for you from your credit or debit card. Most banks - and I know Chase do - facilitate international transfer for around $12 for up to three thousand dollars (may be wrong here - might be more might be less -as it is a while since I have done it) - all you need its the recipients name the bank IBAN and SWIFT codes and off you go. It's not hard.
DHL is not the German postal service, Deutsches Bundespost is and they just operate like every other postal system worldwide, It costs me - generally - around £12 ($18) to send a small parcel to the US from the UK and it takes about seven days to arrive. I have sent just about everything you can imaagine by post from simple seals costing a couple of dollars to high value $3k plus items without problems.
Next up - the Big Import Duty Debate! It always comes next.
Tank
Posts: 26
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2013 12:57 pm
Location: England

Post by Tank »

In fairness to the second poster DHL deals with all of the International shippoing for Deutshe Bundespost but as the person posting the item takes it to the Post office it is pretty academic.
cmj
Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2005 10:17 pm

Post by cmj »

Has been awhile, but the last time I tried to purchase an air rifle from Germany could not get it shipped for a resonable fee as DSL started refusing to accept all firearms and parts including air rifles. I was purchasing from a reputable dealer that I had used in the past, but then DSL started causing problems.
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