Topic: If you order parts from the UK, you may want to read this first

[eworth]

Hey All,

I made an inquiry with David Silver Spares about when I might receive parts I ordered from them in the UK.    Note, this is not a knock on DSS but some of your packages may take awhile to receive.  I'm approaching 5 weeks now.  Your experience may vary depending on package size, weight and the type of delivery you've requested and paid for.

Anyhoo, Matt at DSS sent me the following reply when I asked about the status of my order.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please read this update from the UK Post Office

 North America (USA & Canada)

 USA

Start date: 18th November

End date: Ongoing

 

Since November 2010, the United States Department of Homeland Security has increased

security measures for items carried on passenger airlines. As a result, mail entering

the US from around the world, and including the UK, that would normally be sent via

passenger aircraft must now travel by other means, including ships and cargo planes.  

 

This is resulting in an extension to transit times for some items, mainly heavier items,

but also Destination Sort bags posted under contract by business customers.

We’re really sorry for these unavoidable delays and are doing everything we can to

keep mail moving out of and into the UK.

 

We have implemented a number of contingency plans to ensure as much of our customers’

mail reaches the US as quickly as possible and are continuing to work to minimise

disruption to our customers, whilst ensuring we comply fully with the US directives

and regulations

 Regards

matt

 

From: Mark Ellingsworth [mailto:wsp166@yahoo.com]
Sent: 28 January 2011 22:10
To: sales@davidsilverspares.co.uk
Subject: Order 67451

 

Greetings!

 

Wondering if you could give me an estimate as to when I may receive my order?  Order 67451.

 

I ordered on 12/22 and I believe you mailed it out January 4th?   Is that correct?     I opted for the cheapest cost for mailing and I understand that will add time to my receiving it.

 

If it went out on 1/4, it has been 3 weeks.    Based on your experience in shipping to the United States , would you have a guess as to how much longer it may take before my package arrives?

 

Not upset, just curious.    

Thanks!!

Mark Ellingsworth

Platteville, WI USA

 

[Kong]

This explains the delay in my points cover getting here.  We expected delivery a week ago.  Thanks for the information.  I'll pass this on.

[eworth]

Ya, just in case anyone else has been waiting.

Glad I ordered early and it's winter time or I'd been climbing the walls.

[dave500]

im waiting on an order sent on the 11/1/11,still not here yet,although a seat i ordered a week after came in about a week,i emailed and was told the seat was couriered being bigger,the small items are normal post.

[eworth]

At least I know I'm not the only one waiting.   Hope we all get our parts sooner than later.

[Goofaroo]

I ordered a set of carb to airbox boots and got them yesterday. It took about 10 days.

[eworth]

DId you pay for the lowest cost postage or better?

[Duanob]

I ordered a seat cover from Taiwan and got it in about 10 days which is normal. Sounds like a crock to me.

[Steve750four]

If it's sent other than by air due to the weight, EG: by sea, then the postage should be cheaper due to the time you have to wait etc; we did once have a choice of mail either by sea or air depending how quick you wanted the item  deleivered,or how much you wanted to pay for postage, you don't get that choice anymore only air so therefore it costs you, seems a bit doggy. Steve750four.

[eworth]

Ya, I agree.   But I've got ALOT of other things I can do to the Honda before the ordered parts arrive.  It's  a bare frame.  Have to give it another coat of paint, let it cure and then mount the engine and other things before the parts become crucial.  So.... have some time yet.   I did pay for the cheapest postage so I'll take it as a lesson learned.

[bryanj]

When posting out of the UK we still have several options including sea or air BUT for the US to post to the UK there is ONLY air now which has increased dramatically the price and made a lot of the nice parts you got not worth it any more.

Note on the mail It is the US that is causing the holdup not the British Post Office

[dave500]

UPDATE, my headlight ear support rubbers arrived this afternoon,the pack was stamped airmail,i didnt know they use rubber band powered ones anymore,besides that its downhill all the way to australia on my map!!,two days short of a month from being sent,this has nothing to do with david silvers or who ever sends your goods.

[Mark M]

From the UK I ship about 4000 items a year, worldwide, and sending to USA has become a PITA.
Like DSS I send small (under 2KG) by regular airmail and it is pot luck on delivery times.
Some arrive in the regular 5-10 day time frame, other take 5-6 weeks, others dissapear into the abyss.
For some reason the high priced couriers I use, for the heavier stuff, seem to be unaffected by this.
It makes it very difficult keeping customers happy, our regular airmail is not a tracked service.
You can get a signed for service at about twice the cost but the online system only shows final delivery
and gives no clues to current status and is often not updated even after delivery so not worth the costs.

Up to last November the worst place for shipping was always Italy, now US orders give me a sinking feeling

 

[dave500]

that clears up a lot mark,i always re-email when i do recieve stuff as a point of courtesy

[wildcatmahone]

Yeh that sounds #$%*ty. IMO seems some of you are ordering OEM stuff all the way in Britain when it would be hell of alot cheaper and faster ordering from westerhillshonda, hondapartsdirect right here in the states.

[faux fiddy]

It's from all those reactor rods disguised as fork legs and yellow cake uranium commerce. Just too many people building their own nuclear weapons in the back of their tool sheds nowadays.

[Goofaroo]

DId you pay for the lowest cost postage or better?

I was in no hurry so I did the cheapest shipping option that was available.

[ksmith0034]

I'm still waiting for a master cylinder that I ordered from DSS on Dec 23!  Grrrr!

[swellguy]

If you think overseas shipping times and rates are bad, between Canada and the US is almost as bad.

I live just south of  Vancouver BC and bought a pair of used wheels from a guy on eBay. His shipping quote was $200 and about three weeks transit. A 20 minute drive south of where I live is the town of Point Roberts WA. It's a hub of land that is surrounded by ocean or Canada, it's physically isolated from the rest of WA state. I asked the seller for a quote to Point Roberts and he said $45 and three days, so I went with that. Thing is, trucks, buses, etc must leave WA state, travel past my house and re-enter the US to go to Point Roberts. I've got a mailbox there so I just drove over the border, picked them up and was ushered back through Customs without any paperwork.

I appreciate tighter and can understand longer shipping periods but sometimes it baffles me.

[Old Scrambler]

Interesting...........I still get my Triumph Cub small parts from the UK in about one week. Maybe size matters more than weight!?!

[754]

When I was buying a lot from USA shipped to Canada by mail, most of this was 2 years or longer ago..;
..anything under 10 days is fast..

.. 2 weeks is pretty normal..

 ..a month or 3 weeks plus was not unusual..

.. I never began to worry, till at least a month..

 ..Air was usually quicker, less time in transit, helps when packed badly.. not always fast though.. Got an air meter shipped from Maine to BC.. Air.. left in January.. still took 5 weeks.. . maybe they examined it and were baffled as to what it was used for..

  my advice.. get it before you need it.. have spares..

[nomad]

This explains the delay in my points cover getting here.  We expected delivery a week ago.  Thanks for the information.  I'll pass this on.

Just curious... if you're in VA, why did you order from a UK source?  Can you not get the same cover here in the states from a company like Cycle Parts Warehouse or find a NOS cover on Ebay?

[cwchan]

.... others dissapear into the abyss

This has me worried about ebaying a tank from the UK

For some reason the high priced couriers I use, for the heavier stuff, seem to be unaffected by this.
It makes it very difficult keeping customers happy, our regular airmail is not a tracked service.
You can get a signed for service at about twice the cost but the online system only shows final delivery
and gives no clues to current status and is often not updated even after delivery so not worth the costs.

Am i reading this right?  Larger items are NOT "lost into the abyss"? Larger items eventually get delivered?
I wonder if UK to Canada is any different
Do you have a best suggestion on couriers/delivery service?

[Mark M]

Yes - large items seem to be less of an issue than small packets, but at much higher costs.

My suggestion would be: to spend $2000 a month on shipping and get accounts with a selection of carriers.
Sorry but I'm not much help for sending a couple of items, it all comes down to having some negotiating power
or just paying the asking price.

[Spanner 1]

International shipping is weird  .... apart from the obvious security/safety concerns there are some weird rules. A friend of mine exports old Honda Sohc's from California to Ireland and has lots of hassle with U.S. Customs. When he eventually got hold of some desk jockey to explain all the paperwork delays, he was told
( True story ) " That there were concerns about exporting U.S. technology to foreign countries "
40 year old Japanese technology ..... wow  .... If you wan't to see where some of the cleanest Fours are going have a look at his website;  www.classicmotorcycles.ie