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Ed Sheeran - The Joker & the Queen signed by Ed Sheeran

https://store.edsheeran.com/uk/the-joker-and-the-queen-feat-taylor-...

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jor-El on February 9, 2022 at 4:23am

It depends, it's not as simple as that. For one or a few packages you're usually better off to stick with the shop if it ships to your country. Added benefit of having it shipped direct is that returns can get complicated/ expensive when you have the shop ship to a forwarding service. The shop won't cover the return from US to UK then, since you had it shipped to UK, and a replacement will also be sent to the forwarding service adding to your costs.

I found that in the "save 80%" claim, they usually compare separate shipment with consolidated shipment and that's where they can be an advantage. If you order a lot from the UK within a short timeframe then you wil save a lot by having everything shipped together instead of having to pay different shops separate shipping to US. But remember you will have shipping costs within the UK, a subscription fee for the forwarder, storage costs after 30 days, service costs for consolidating your packages, your shipping costs to the US and added risk in case of returns/ damages. Also don't choose the cheapest shipping option to have it sent to US, if it gets lost it's on you and getting money from the optional insurance is a ***.

For one package it's only interesting if it's a UK-only item that you really need to have and are willing to pay good money for. The basic starting rates are usually higher than those from the shops. I assume that on top of their registration and service fees the forwarders also take something on each outgoing shipment. Whereas some shops even take a loss on their international shipments which they make up for in the extra sales.

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Permalink Reply by Collectorautos on February 9, 2022 at 4:29am

Wow thanks for clarifying that up

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Permalink Reply by Jor-El on February 9, 2022 at 4:40am

Also worth noting, especially when shipping form UK, in my experience there are a lot of extra hidden costs with the shippers. I found that if I do a calculation and get for example a 35 GBP rate, then I end up paying over 50 GBP at checkout. Because the economy shipment usually does not include much insurance, so I need a more expensive shipper. Then there's hidden costs like (non-optional) Brexit surcharge, (non-optional) peak/demand surcharge, (optional) insurance surcharge.

And don't get me started on line items. As I said the power of the forwarding service is in consolidation. However when you consolidate different kind of items the shippers like to charge you extra fees after they delivered your package. Not just VAT and handling, but also crazy hidden costs. For example when you buy a bundle consisting of a CD, LP, cassette, signed art card and free sticker, you have already accumulated 5 different so-called line items. Most shippers calculate a fee for every line over 5 and that can really add up. FedEx charges over $9 for each. It's buried very deep in the fine print.