• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Parts sourcing from the UK [5/18/2020].

Share this page

TomMull

TomMull

Darth Vader
Bronze
Country flag
Offline
While some UK suppliers are back in business, shipping from the UK to the US seems to have increased exponentially. The order I placed a few weeks ago, with shipping "to be determined" on the invoice, was determined to be $170. (weight only a few pounds and just slightly bulky)
No complaint though, I'm happy to get the order. As far as I know there is no source here in the US for these particular parts so I'm willing to pay the price but if you do have alternatives here you might be wise to consider those alternatives.
Tom
 
I've bought a few items from Brown & Gammons in the UK, (not recently) and shipping wasn't that bad and delivery times were faster than I would have imagined, plus great people to deal with! As of here in the US, I ordered a can of engine paint 2 weeks ago and just was informed it would be delivered by May 24th. :rolleyes2:
 
Jerry said:
Just got an order from AH spares in England. Delivered in 3 days. Amazing.
Jerry
Click to expand...
That's been my experience with a list of more than a half dozen UK suppliers, as fast or faster than domestic shipping and cheaper depending on the exchange. This last took me by surprise and I think it's unusual and hopefully not a new norm. I attribute the high shipping to Covid19, although I have nothing but guesswork to base that on.
I placed an order with a different UK supplier at about the same time although I have not gotten an invoice from them yet. I'll let you know how that turns out.
Tom
 
I ordered my Jag MK1 patch panels from Martin Robey in England, $1800 worth of panels in 3 boxes. Took them three weeks to gather or make the panels and shipped UPS $400 and were here in a week, plus a $100 import fee. Still save $1500 from buying here and still paying US shipping. Took 4 months for one little $15.00 patch poece and $20 shipping from here.
 
What I had intended to suggest is that something seems to have drastically changed with trans Atlantic deliveries post COVID 19. (Or at least with the one example I have.)
I too have used UK suppliers extensively in the past.
Tom
 
I got my liners for my brake shoes on the Mark 1, just Thursday, in three weeks from UK for $28 shipping by Royal Mail. Came unbroken.
 
Interesting Larry. From what I understand from suppliers, the Royal Mail has not raised their prices as most other shippers have. But the Mail is not the first choice for many of them.
Tom
 
Yep, not the best, limited choices by sellers. Having a pretty successful buys in UK for MK1 and comes quicker than US stores as they buy overseas too. I learned to pass the middle man and go straight to the manufacture, they won't turn down a sale either.
 
I find if it is a small order and can be shipped by the royal mail, no customs fees. Last few shipments were sent by DHL. always a customs fee. My last customs fee was $107. But it had $2500 worth of parts in the box. I think the code for our old car parts is supposed to be about 1%. Plus a form fee from the shipper.

By the way, the company I used to work for shipped so much stuff, they self certified and custom passed every shipment. IE: A custom agent has the right to look at the shipment but 99% of the time, they never do. It was very easy.
 
John Turney said:
Just ordered some small stuff from Australia. No air shipment allowed; told it will take ~a month.
Click to expand...
It's a bit of a trek from Australia to California at 27mph in a boat!
Here's a look at what's happening if anyone is interested. Disruption is worldwide. https://www.agility.com/insights/COVID19/australia/ It also seems that there are a few bits for British cars that are being manufactured in Australia and nowhere else.
I've gotten a couple of orders from England recently and both took a couple of weeks from ship date vs a few days pre COVID19 and both were significantly more expensive. (Only Royal Mail, as far as I know, has held to pre-COVID rates.) Good luck with your order.
Tom

.
 
Back
Top