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Air Freight from China

robvds

Cast Iron
Joined
Mar 21, 2011
Location
montreal qc
I am about to make my first ever purchase from a factory in China and they are willing to use the Alibaba ''Trade Assurance order''. I am hoping that if things go wrong I will not lose all my money. This is a time sensitive order and things are complicated in China with the Corona Virus situation at the moment. One factory just got back to me and said his company will be sending somebody to the warehouse so they could ship as soon as money is received and I am leaning towards this. The other seller says they hope to be allowed to open after February 10th. What I am asking here is what I can expect in terms of brokerage charges and fees with DHL Express. It is only 12 dollars more to send it to me in Canada than to my USA address, but I want to know about other fees. I know better than to use UPS Fedex etc. for shipments from the USA to Canada, that is why I have an address there. I believe it is possible to have the shipper prepay all the fees up front on his account and thereby get a better rate? The shipping is a few hundred dollars, much more than the value of the radiator. I do not want to get a nasty surprise when the shipment arrives or 30 days later. When I import from USA to Canada in person I do not pay tax on shipping because I am not importing the shipping, but If I have to pay duty to bring it into the US and again into Canada that is not logical either. Anybody have experience in this domain?
Rob
 
I don't know about bringing shipments into Canada, but DHL has been flawless bringing things into the US. What you see is what you pay. We generate labels and send them to the shipper, so shipping cost is not included on the CI. And they changed the interface so importing is easier.

Have you talked to a rep about discounts? We got quite a bit off the list rate, and we're not very big.

DHL is unbelievably fast; they picked up here on a Monday afternoon, Tuesday was a national holiday, and then delivered in France Wednesday morning, all for like $35. It takes a week for FedEx to cross state lines.
 
I made an inquiry about taper shank bits and through Allibaba I was emailed from a manufacturer. They took my order for about 500 dollars worth of large drill bits. I figured I would just have to trust. I gave the lady my charge card number on an extra card I had for this kind of stuff and she objected and told me she would arrange it on the Alibaba. She gave me a link and I paid with my mastercard. Next thing she did was take a picture of the bits partially wrapped up sitting on her office chair. In less than two weeks it was at my door. They were top notch HSS bits and they stand up very well. Metric sizes but that was fine by me. I asked if she minded such a small order and she said it was OK and it might lead to larger orders in the future. She had some very large customers in India. The duty was COD which I paid at my door. I have had good luck ordering small things from China also. after three years of ordering carbide inserts, end mills, clothing, VFDs I have only had one order disappear. It was a large magnet. I am sure it is in its package stuck to the side of some conveyor or chute. LOL
 
I am hoping that if things go wrong I will not lose all my money. This is a time sensitive order and things are complicated in China with the Corona Virus situation at the moment.
It seems like you are setting yourself up for a disaster. First, why the hell would you make your first purchase time-sensitive ? What if everything goes perfect with shipping but it's still not what you want ? You've never done this before, don't know the factory, haven't seen the product in the flesh, but plan to spend hundreds on DHL and next-day air ? And don't have a handle on customs yet ?

Throw in the virus thing - dont know if you know this but most cities are quarantined. No in or out. Most flights cancelled. Was at the airport Tuesday, it's a ghost town. Temperature checks to go into the few places that are open (like grocery stores !) No one on the streets, no one working. Even if your seller delivered to DHL tomorrow, there will be no one there to take it and if there were (unlikely) it's going to sit at the airport for days and days. If you looked for a worse time to try this, you couldn't find one.

You are asking for trouble and disappointment with this, every step of the way.

Sorry, but reality is a bitch.
 
It seems like you are setting yourself up for a disaster. First, why the hell would you make your first purchase time-sensitive ? What if everything goes perfect with shipping but it's still not what you want ? You've never done this before, don't know the factory, haven't seen the product in the flesh, but plan to spend hundreds on DHL and next-day air ? And don't have a handle on customs yet ?

Throw in the virus thing - dont know if you know this but most cities are quarantined. No in or out. Most flights cancelled. Was at the airport Tuesday, it's a ghost town. Temperature checks to go into the few places that are open (like grocery stores !) No one on the streets, no one working. Even if your seller delivered to DHL tomorrow, there will be no one there to take it and if there were (unlikely) it's going to sit at the airport for days and days. If you looked for a worse time to try this, you couldn't find one.

You are asking for trouble and disappointment with this, every step of the way.

Sorry, but reality is a bitch.

An American company just quoted me 5000 dollars and 4-5 month delivery time for a radiator I can buy for 132 dollars in China.You can see the potential upside here! I bought one on ebay after talking to the seller by phone and confirming it was in stock in LA. The next day the order was cancelled and my money refunded, they said try again in 10 days. This lead me to internet searches that all came up with China. The excavator is out of action till I get a radiator virus or no virus. It is not the worst time of year for this to happen and the alternative custom made is expensive. You may note that I am asking here before ordering?
 
An American company just quoted me 5000 dollars and 4-5 month delivery time for a radiator I can buy for 132 dollars in China.You can see the potential upside here!
I am not saying don't buy it. I am saying that even usually, taking a normal amount of time is more sensible.

But what you are really not hearing is that China at this moment is CLOSED.

SHUT. No major companies. Only a very few airplanes. No intercity buses, I haven't check on trains but expect same. From Hong Kong to Shanghai now you go into quarantine for fourteen days. I had to go Monday, midnight after I came back they started that rule. Lucky. To other places you couldn't go at all because there are no planes. Instead of twenty flights a day from HK there were two. Maybe now none. Many smaller cities are totally closed, cannot get in or out even if your mom is dying in Albania. ALL the cars on the freeways get stopped at the toll plazas and ID numbers written down, temperatures checked, forms filled out. If your temperature is 98.7* you are going to the hospital. Shanghai has closed all but two subways, half the buses are not running, many places have NO buses or transportation running, the government is taking food to people in their houses and you can't leave. Some places you have to get permission to walk down the street. Very very few places are open. Entire cities are ghost towns. And don't dare cough or sneeze or you will be in a hospital faster than Jack can jump over a candlestick. If you send money now you will not, I said NOT, get your stuff in a timely fashion. Period.

Sure, I agree with you, buy one. But wait until the place is open again, prefigure all the hidden traps (such as customs) then do it the best way, not the least effective most expensive way.
 
I am not saying don't buy it. I am saying that even usually, taking a normal amount of time is more sensible.

But what you are really not hearing is that China at this moment is CLOSED.

SHUT. No major companies. Only a very few airplanes. No intercity buses, I haven't check on trains but expect same. From Hong Kong to Shanghai now you go into quarantine for fourteen days. I had to go Monday, midnight after I came back they started that rule. Lucky. To other places you couldn't go at all because there are no planes. Instead of twenty flights a day from HK there were two. Maybe now none. Many smaller cities are totally closed, cannot get in or out even if your mom is dying in Albania. ALL the cars on the freeways get stopped at the toll plazas and ID numbers written down, temperatures checked, forms filled out. If your temperature is 98.7* you are going to the hospital. Shanghai has closed all but two subways, half the buses are not running, many places have NO buses or transportation running, the government is taking food to people in their houses and you can't leave. Some places you have to get permission to walk down the street. Very very few places are open. Entire cities are ghost towns. And don't dare cough or sneeze or you will be in a hospital faster than Jack can jump over a candlestick. If you send money now you will not, I said NOT, get your stuff in a timely fashion. Period.

Sure, I agree with you, buy one. But wait until the place is open again, prefigure all the hidden traps (such as customs) then do it the best way, not the least effective most expensive way.

My wife is dealing with somebody in Shenzen, they sent her a couple of pictures of the Mall there, and a major street, absolutely deserted.
 
As far as Alipay you are good to go, I trust that more than Paypal, or American banks for that matter. As far as getting your shipment in a suitable amount of time? Probably not. right now I cant even send anyone in to my warehouse in Zhongshan until Feb 10th and that is still likely to be extended.

I'm in subic now and ordered some parts before the media hype and they managed to get shipped only to get quarantined at the port here. My last email from customs was a march 1st release date.

You will need to look at your Alipay terms as most specify "if no response from receiver within 7 days of shipping" the money will be released to shipper without the ability to contest charges.

If you get some company saying they will ship now you need to beware.
 
I have several items I'm waiting on via Aliexpress. Half of my orders are waiting to be shipped. I figure some may not get shipped until the end of April. Even at that, I have to assume everything from Chine is contaminated. Remember viruses don't die easily. They go into some kind of stasis and can remain viable for 100 yrs. I don't hear about any program to address this issue by anybody.
 
An American company just quoted me 5000 dollars and 4-5 month delivery time for a radiator I can buy for 132 dollars in China.You can see the potential upside here! I bought one on ebay after talking to the seller by phone and confirming it was in stock in LA. The next day the order was cancelled and my money refunded, they said try again in 10 days. This lead me to internet searches that all came up with China. The excavator is out of action till I get a radiator virus or no virus. It is not the worst time of year for this to happen and the alternative custom made is expensive. You may note that I am asking here before ordering?

Common sense tells me someone selling something for a little more than 2 cents on the US dollar is a scam artist or selling junk. As for what you are trying to do aren't there import companies who are experts dealing with China that will navigate the issues for a reasonable fee?
 
Even at that, I have to assume everything from Chine is contaminated. Remember viruses don't die easily. They go into some kind of stasis and can remain viable for 100 yrs. I don't hear about any program to address this issue by anybody.
The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) only stays viable on a surface for about 9 hours. Even if you take an abundance of caution and quadruple that, everything coming from China is going to be fine by the time you get it.
 
The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) only stays viable on a surface for about 9 hours. Even if you take an abundance of caution and quadruple that, everything coming from China is going to be fine by the time you get it.

And you know that how? The Spanish flu circa 1917 that killed millions world-wide has been tested as still viable in the coffins of people killed by it during that pandemic just waiting for a new host today. Perhaps I can interest you in the Brooklyn Bridge?
 
Common sense tells me someone selling something for a little more than 2 cents on the US dollar is a scam artist or selling junk. As for what you are trying to do aren't there import companies who are experts dealing with China that will navigate the issues for a reasonable fee?

Yes indeed I ordered one on ebay after confirming they had stock with several phone calls. They cancelled the order the next day, leaving me to believe their''stock'' was actually in China and that they could not drop ship it! Their new price is 3 times what the factory direct price will be.
 
I am about to make my first ever purchase from a factory in China and they are willing to use the Alibaba ''Trade Assurance order''. I am hoping that if things go wrong I will not lose all my money. This is a time sensitive order and things are complicated in China with the Corona Virus situation at the moment. One factory just got back to me and said his company will be sending somebody to the warehouse so they could ship as soon as money is received and I am leaning towards this. The other seller says they hope to be allowed to open after February 10th. What I am asking here is what I can expect in terms of brokerage charges and fees with DHL Express. It is only 12 dollars more to send it to me in Canada than to my USA address, but I want to know about other fees. I know better than to use UPS Fedex etc. for shipments from the USA to Canada, that is why I have an address there. I believe it is possible to have the shipper prepay all the fees up front on his account and thereby get a better rate? The shipping is a few hundred dollars, much more than the value of the radiator. I do not want to get a nasty surprise when the shipment arrives or 30 days later. When I import from USA to Canada in person I do not pay tax on shipping because I am not importing the shipping, but If I have to pay duty to bring it into the US and again into Canada that is not logical either. Anybody have experience in this domain?
Rob

Do you have a part number / make and model of radiator for your excavator ?

Ta.
 
Do you have a part number / make and model of radiator for your excavator ?

Ta.

Sure it is a zax 200 Hitachi excavator and the part number is 4448338. I have not tried scrap yards yet but this machine is from 2007 and the plastic tanks are shot. Any leads on finding one would be appreciated.
 
Sure it is a zax 200 Hitachi excavator and the part number is 4448338. I have not tried scrap yards yet but this machine is from 2007 and the plastic tanks are shot. Any leads on finding one would be appreciated.

Have you tried over at heavyequipmentforums.com yet ?
 
Have you tried over at heavyequipmentforums.com yet ?

No I only posted here and had a hard time deciding where to post so that the right people would see the thread. I only used to come here for the electrical category.What should I ask there and in which category?
 








 
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