International freight questions

[sambo]

Hi all. I have some parts arriving by air this week on a 2x1 metre crate. The shipping is to Melb airport and the agent is Air Menzies International. I have the air waybill numbers and the flight number.

Normally for smaller items I organise door to door through the major carriers but it wasn't an option this time around.

Does anyone have experience getting this kind of thing cleared and back home where it belongs? What is the usual process and what options do I have for freight forwarding or should I arrange to pickup myself, any pitfalls that might cause unecessary delays, palm greasing tactics, etc?

I'm speaking to the agent tomorrow but from previous experience these outfits are poorly organised and not too strong in the customer service dept! Thought I would put the call out - you never know.

Any help will be much appreciated.

Paul

[sambo]

Well I spoke to the agent and aside from giving me news of delayed flights, apparently the process is as follows. They will call when they receive the goods from Qatar Air, I drive to their depot in Tullamarine to pickup papers, then I drive over to customs with those papers and pay duties, GST and other admin (bend over) fees. Drive back to the agent with stamped papers, possibly pay another small fee to release goods (they won't know until the day) and finally it will be loaded onto my trailer.

I'll update this thread after the deal is done. Hopefully it will serve as useful information for the next person!

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by sambo

I'll update this thread after the deal is done. Hopefully it will serve as useful information for the next person!

Yes thanks!

[macloft]

Sambo that was the process when i brought bits into Brisbane. By the time i waited, paid, drove, droped of the paper work and waited for my bits which I checked before i left the building ie i opened everything up i spent best part of a day. Dont plan on doing anything else that day

[sambo]

Thanks Bruce, I figured as much. I'll be sure to check the goods before leaving the building too. Do customs need to see an invoice to calculate duties/GST or do they work off the value declared on the outside of the package?

[alffie]

Customs will need to see the invoice, why didnt you go through a freight forwarder who organises everything and drops it off at your location? How much was the air freight to Melbourne?

[sambo]

Alffie, the seller actually rang me from the UK the day it was due to leave the freight company to say that he had just been notified they couldn't do door to door outside of Europe. I accepted this on face value and the potential dramas along with it.

Freight was 800 GBP and the consignment notes show weight is 200lb (including crate) plus the agent here suggested that I have probably already paid the processing fees as part of that - time will tell. Not cheap but you will see the justification soon enough.

[T.L.]

Originally Posted by macloft

Sambo that was the process when i brought bits into Brisbane. By the time i waited, paid, drove, droped of the paper work and waited for my bits which I checked before i left the building ie i opened everything up i spent best part of a day. Dont plan on doing anything else that day

I was the same with my wheels. Backwards and forwards for most of the day, and make sure your nice to the customs people, they will assist you during clearance if your nice and ask them nice questions.

Take some lunch as well.

[boxhead]

Originally Posted by sambo

Alffie, the seller actually rang me from the UK the day it was due to leave the freight company to say that he had just been notified they couldn't do door to door outside of Europe. I accepted this on face value and the potential dramas along with it.

Freight was 800 GBP and the consignment notes show weight is 200lb (including crate) plus the agent here suggested that I have probably already paid the processing fees as part of that - time will tell. Not cheap but you will see the justification soon enough.

1 metre by 2 metres, you have me intrigued what it may be.

[sambo]

Boxhead, it's kind of like a box that goes over your head when driving the car.

Yes, obsession got the better of me.

[Modena]

good luck samob, we are very interested to see how it fits!

[sambo]

Thanks Modena. Just checked out your blog - nice work. Decided on a kit yet?

[boxhead]

I thought thats what it may have been, but thought the box size was too small.

[sambo]

Just had a look back through my emails, the dimensions are actually 1.7m long, 1.5m wide and about 0.75m tall, all up weight including the crate is around 100 kilos.

[Towmaster]

Hardtop..... Interested to see final all up cost landed

[alffie]

Sambo
Did you get dave to make the top 55mm longer? He still hasnt got back to me a quote to make the top longer for my CR

[sambo]

Alffie, I decided to buy "as is" and get it 100% right against my car. Too many variables otherwise! Give Dave a call.

[sambo]

OK the hardtop has landed. I lucked onto a really helpful customs broker who has arranged for me to pick it up tomorrow morning (usually not open for collections) so long as I leave a slab of VB behind. Bloody legend. The pallet is 1800x1400x650 and weighs 200kg, so I'm borrowing a trailer - thanks Mr Govert!

Regarding the cost landed, with the GBP-AUD exchange rate around 1.6 I paid 4k for the hardtop and air freight to the airport using Air Menzies International. About $1280 (800 GBP) of that was the freight. Then we have 5% duty and 10% GST, plus $230 import terminal handling fee and $165 to the agency/broker. Delivery to metro Melb would've been a few hundred more.

Will start another thread and post some photos over the weekend.

[Zedn]

Wow. For those sort of dollars i am suprised non of the manufacturers here have made a mould and started production.

[jcraigau]

Hmmm, if only there was a young engineer that could make things from scratch like windscreen surrounds, petrol tanks, that sort of thing. You're right, there's probably a market for it! (and a couple of prospective customers)