Thread: Shipping costs from the UK

bugger - I'd forgotten about the VAT and I used to be a book keeper!


oh dear.


Its hard to do a like for like also as you don't always know what the brand is.


D

Originally Posted by Dark61

You would think some bright spark somewhere would set up a service , post to UK first , then onward post by surface to Aus.

Do you mean a forwarding agent?
Aaron

I recently made a wish list with Paddocks and quickly worked out it would be over $1000 so potentially up for GST this end.

Four Wheel Drives in Melbourne produced a catalogue for a number of years, the last one is a bit out of date but prices are listed and haven't changed that much.
I sat down and went through my list and a lot of parts worked out about the same price here (by the time you factor in freight) so I pruned the Paddocks wish list down to the items that really were much cheaper.

I have their old catalogue in .pdf format, PM me with your email address & I'll send it.


Colin

Originally Posted by gromit

I recently made a wish list with Paddocks and quickly worked out it would be over $1000 so potentially up for GST this end.

Four Wheel Drives in Melbourne produced a catalogue for a number of years, the last one is a bit out of date but prices are listed and haven't changed that much.
I sat down and went through my list and a lot of parts worked out about the same price here (by the time you factor in freight) so I pruned the Paddocks wish list down to the items that really were much cheaper.

I have their old catalogue in .pdf format, PM me with your email address & I'll send it.


Colin

Hello from Brisbane.

Found the same thing - a lot of parts on offer through Four Wheel Drives, and a good many others locally, are fairly competitive with the prices on offer from the the usual UK suspects. It depends on the particular part and how long you are prepared to wait for it.

A good many parts are not competitive, as the various threads on this topic attest. Personally, I am an inveterate searcher of parts globally and have imported them from just about every continent at one time or another. However, it pays to check locally first - you do occasionally get a pleasant surprise.

Incidentally, you can download Four Wheel Drives' catalogue from their web site. The prices of some parts will be out of date, as you suggest. However, a quick phone call will usually sort that out.

Cheers,

Originally Posted by Themadmob

Thanks all .. phew .. I am glad there are a few options as I want to order springs ... outriggers ... seats ... etc etc

Hello again from Brisbane.

Been following this thread for a little while and note it is part of a stream of similar threads on much the same topic - apparently high cost of importing parts from the UK. This is mainly sheeted home to the cost of postage through the UK postal service or one or more of the various freight and shipping firms (the likes of DHL etc).

It seemed to be a bit appropriate in this case, since the original thread has come from a genuinely motivated novice, to reflect on some issues that most of us have been confronted by when sourcing parts for our trucks from the Mother Country.

I suppose at some stage, especially early on, most people have googled "Land Rover Part X" and up popped a raft of UK sites seemingly offering a cornucopia of parts that appear to be much cheaper than those sourced here in Oz. In my experience there are at least five issues to address, one of which is the cost of getting the stuff here. The other four are also fairly important.

1. "Like for like" and quality - what is the part in question? There are several grades of parts that you will find ranging from LR spare parts, NOS, OEM through to the notorious pattern parts which may or may not come from Asia. The cheap stuff on eBay and some of the budget end UK sites is often sourced from the last pile and there is a litany of complaints on the various LR chat sites both here and overseas complaining about the poor fit or performance of some of these parts. The quality of Britpart parts (the "dreaded blue bag") is often pilloried - rightly or wrongly - and accused of being poorly made copies. Brake parts including linings and cylinders often seem to get singled out for special mention - it is probably better to get this stuff from local reconditioning outlets. Ditto springs - even the UK enthusiasts complain about the quality of UK made springs these days.

2. "Can't readily send it back" - if it is the wrong part, doesn't fit or is a piece of crap, it is usually the case of too bad since the cost of the return postage and freight typically comes home to the buyer. For vital parts, and especially large bulky parts, this is a particular risk. Much easier to argue the toss with someone down the road than across the great waters.

3. "postage and shipping" - this is well covered in the existing thread and elsewhere. There are many ways to cut the shipping and handling costs and with experience most people will find them. The deterioration of the exchange rate and increases in UK shipping charges is probably offering a lesser incentive to import.

4. "supporting local businesses" - this is probably one of the more contentious issues and likely comes down to personal beliefs. Should you support a local albeit higher cost business or chase the cheapest price? In many cases it is a "no-brainer" because the foreign price is well below the best apparent local price. Exmoor seat sets are a case in point. In other cases, some of the locals seem to only do what you can be doing - import small lots at near retail or VAT free and add the freight and a profit margin. Others will buy in bulk and factor in the reduced shipping cost into their prices. They will also carry expensive inventory to ensure that it is there when you want it. The latter category probably merits more support than the former.

5. "simply can't get it here" - this is also a "no-brainer". With the changing of ownership of Land Rover over the decades since the Series trucks were being made the supporting network of parts supplies has largely dried up. This leaves some parts nigh on unobtainable unless you can locate the limited number of firms that secured most of the stock when it was being liquidated. Dunsfold is a case in point. This also underpins some of the reliance on pattern parts - the original parts simply don't exist in sufficient quantity to meet the ongoing demand of users or restorers.

This is obviously not the full picture. Plenty of people, myself included, have imported a fair bit of stuff and remain more than pleased with the outcome. However, I suppose it seemed to be a timely opportunity to reflect on the wider issues associated with importing from the UK or elsewhere.

But, like all free advice and personal opinion - value it accordingly.

Cheers

Thanks all

Great help by all once again

Now I am really confused :-)


:-) Craig

I like purchasing my Defender parts through LRDirect... gives you a postage quote and I have found them to be cheaper on part and post as a rule. I'm looking at a P38 cargo mat from MM4x4 at the moment...40 pounds for mat and 125 pounds to post!

The freight charges vary greatly between each supplier as well, up to 50% more between the suppliers I've used (rhyming). Weight really didn't come into it, but I wasn't buying huge lumps of iron. I also made sure each order was worth it - up to about 500GBP of stuff (depending on the exchange rate and my savings) and then only pay the one freight charge (60-120GBP, IIRC). The most I ever paid (approx 120GBP) was for the new fuel tank, while the least freight was for a box of stuff including a camshaft and brakeshoes for four wheels. I think volume/size matters more.

The only other issue was the delivery time. When the order included stuff that was on back-order, it seems they lost track of it until I prompted them again. When everything I wanted was on the shelf I had the parcel in seven days of the order confirmation. So just like local suppliers.....

Dan.
69 2A 88" pet4 (still in disguise), 68 2B FC pet6 (still resting quietly), 74 S3 109" pet4 (running, driving, but not registered), plus 26 others I'll itemise later.....