How Best To Pack & Ship To Japan?

[Arthurwg]

I've got to send my Nikon F6 to Japan for service. How should I pack it to prevent damage, and what carrier should I use to send it? DHL, USPS, FedEx or UPS International?

 

[Sirius Glass]

What matters is that you need to insure it with the company that packs the camera. I have had problems with something packed and shipped at a UPS store, not UPS office and it took me literally over six months before the UPS store owner would agree to fill out the forms. Never use a UPS store.

 

[Kino]

With my recent experience of purchasing a lens from Japan, I would say you need a strong, thick-walled box at least twice as big as the camera body and to wrap it in strong, large cell bubble wrap to the point it just barely fits in the box. Give it no room to wiggle and if there are any empty slots, fill those with either foam peanuts or small strips of bubble wrap with intact bubbles. Tape it well with strapping tape, NOT just clear packing tape.

As for a shipper, it seems they all are just about the same as far as reliability IMHO. DHL handled my package to the USA and then handed it off to USPS to finish the final leg. One never knows who hands-off to whom unless you use the backbreakingly expensive urgent shipping level.

My 2 cents...

 

[GregY]

I've got to send my Nikon F6 to Japan for service. How should I pack it to prevent damage, and what carrier should I use to send it? DHL, USPS, FedEx or UPS International?

Arthur, what needs to be done to the camera...that it needs to be shipped to Japan?
Couldn't someone like Precision Camera in Austin service it?

 

[blee1996]

Double box: air bubble wrap for the inside box, and denser foam between inner and outer box. And no wiggle internally. Ideally you will also wrap the entire box with some tough wrapping paper (like those for protecting floors during renovation). But that's probably over-doing it.

 

[Pieter12]

What matters is that you need to insure it with the company that packs the camera. I have had problems with something packed and shipped at a UPS store, not UPS office and it took me literally over six months before the UPS store owner would agree to fill out the forms. Never use a UPS store.

I have had terrible problems with UPS damages and insurance. FedEx is bad paying claims, too.

As far s packing goes, pack it carefully as you would or any shipment. I hate packing tape on bubble wrap, I use rubber band instead. Less possibility of damage if someone attempts to cut the tape can cuts through the wrap.

 

[bdial]

Double box, as suggested above.
Use at least 3 to 4 inches of padding between the inner and outer boxes on all sides.
For a shipper, they are probably all more or less equally good/bad. I think my first choice might be Fedex overnight. It will cost a fortune, but it will have the least amount of handling and sitting around in a depot. Maybe USPS registered mail, if it’s available.

I doubt that any of them are “good” at paying claims.

 

[Ian C]

The packing you use for shipping is the same as for interstate shipment. I recently shipped a set of prototype parts from Michigan to Japan. I shopped around and found that for modest size shipments, the USPS can’t be beat for price and service.

I got shipping quotes from 2 sources, FedEx and USPS. I tried UPS, but didn’t have the postal code for the destination with me, so it’s computer couldn’t give an estimate. I assume that, since UPS and FedEx are both commercial companies structured about the same, that they would each have a similar price.

I specified tracking and $300 insurance per the recipient’s instructions. The difference was surprising. USPS weighed and measured the package. The USPS estimate was $82.95 for a weighed 2 pounds and 10.80 ounces (1.21 kg).

This was repeated at the FedEx facility on Eureka Road in Southgate, Michigan: $174.10. That’s 2.1 times the USPS price.

The $82.95 service ($300 insurance and tracking) arrived about 11 days later in good order. According to the tracking data, the package was transferred from USPS to Japan Post for final transport and delivery in Japan.

 

[Kino]

I sold some negative carriers to an individual here on Photorio and they used a service called "Shippo" to provide me with a USPS shipping label at a discounted price.

From what I can see on their website, you do not have to be a business and they do provide International Shipping through most standard carriers.

Might be worth checking out if you ship a lot or have an expensive shipment to make overseas.

https://support.goshippo.com/hc/en-us

Check the FAQ for details.

 

[mshchem]

I have had great service FROM Japan to USA DHL and FedEx. Box needs to be stout, heavy walled. Bubble wrap.

When you get it packed it should be able to survive a 1 meter drop onto concrete.

 

[Pieter12]

Japan or Jersey City. Destination and distance are only a factor of how many times the package is handled. My experience has been that most damage occurs from boxes poorly stacked or thrown around in delivery trucks. That can happen for a shipment across a few states or halfway around the world. Always pack accordingly.

 

[GregY]

Japan or Jersey City. Destination and distance are only a factor of how many times the package is handled. My experience has been that most damage occurs from boxes poorly stacked or thrown around in delivery trucks. That can happen for a shipment across a few states or halfway around the world. Always pack accordingly.

Yes.....!

 

[Dennis S]

The best I ever had are items from KEH being multiple wraps of bubble wrap and then with packing tape. Secure enough for the delivery people to play their usual games of football with and no damage when received.

 

[Arthurwg]

Arthur, what needs to be done to the camera...that it needs to be shipped to Japan?
Couldn't someone like Precision Camera in Austin service it?

Camera came from Japan, which according to Nikon makes it "Grey market." I got the impression it can't be serviced in the US. I'll contact them.

 

[Pieter12]

Camera came from Japan, which according to Nikon makes it "Grey market." I got the impression it can't be serviced in the US. I'll contact them.

Nikon USA might not service it, independents should be able to.

 

[GregY]

Camera came from Japan, which according to Nikon makes it "Grey market." I got the impression it can't be serviced in the US. I'll contact them.

AW..... grey market would refer to warranty repairs if i'm not mistaken....i assume yours was bought used (?) as well?

 

[MattKing]

In some cases, with some brands, the authorized distributors restrict repair part access to authorized repair resources, and then impose upon them limitations on their ability to repair grey market equipment.

 

[loccdor]

I don't bother with insurance: assuming the package does get damaged, it's usually months of hassle to make a claim, which might not even be granted. Better to just bulletproof the shipment itself. Lots of bubble wrap, no internal movement, mirrors seem to do better in the locked up position if that's a possibility.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I don't bother with insurance: assuming the package does get damaged, it's usually months of hassle to make a claim, which might not even be granted. Better to just bulletproof the shipment itself. Lots of bubble wrap, no internal movement, mirrors seem to do better in the locked up position if that's a possibility.

While I disagree, I have not had a problem with shipping cameras and lenses. I shipped a marble chess set from a UPS Store and I had the store pack it. It was damaged in transit. The UPS Store owner was uncooperative and after 6 months UPS Corporate came down hard on the store owner and Corporate made sure that the cost to him was high enough that he would not screw up a claim again.