Desperate For Advice!

laurentyvan

If anyone can torture themselves with doubt, it's me.

I got lucky recently and sold a small cost coin for over $900, shipping to South Korea. Enter the twin devils of joy and fear...

I'm not insensitive to Paypal scams, coin switching, shipment not received, etc., but I've been lucky for a couple of years- only one recent problem with a registered package to Chile not received and Paypal currently holding $160. So now of course I'm gun shy.

How to send? How to guarantee the proper outcome?

Aethelred (merci mon Roi) suggested USPS Global Express Guaranteed. I checked and it's 1-3 days, cost about half of UPS or FedEx. Advantage to me is that I can now insure thepackage for the $900+ I need to. There is also a high $2499 insurance limit which is nice to know for the future.

My big quandry- how do I list the item on the customs form? I've heard it's illegal to ship coins to South Korea. Is this true or just legend?

I was going to have it go as a rare book or rare postcards (which I would place the coin into or between, shrink-wrapped and clear-taped but with the cover item visible.

What would you do? Geez, I feel like a flippin' school kid on a first date.

MadMarty

You can also use Global Priority (about $20) you can insure it also. As for the customs form, you can list the coin as a collectible.

SYRACUSIAN

As for the customs form, you can list the coin as a collectible.


Or a token. Or a numismatic item (a term to avoid however, when/if shipping to Greece).


At $900 value, better be able to track the parcel online, until its delivery. Worst case scenario can only be return to sender.

laurentyvan

You can also use Global Priority (about $20) you can insure it also. As for the customs form, you can list the coin as a collectible.

Thanks Marty but, I think my PO is anal. They pulled out a list and said I may not use collectible as a category. This isn't eBay apparently...
Global priority won't get me the signature and absolute confirmation of delivery to the individual that I want.

So far GXG seems to be a winner at around $35 to $40 insured.

Or a token Or collectible token. My PO mistress said to use medal, I don't know... if worst came to worst,
I would want the item properly described for insurance purposes.

Does anyone know about any injunction against shipping coins to S. Korea?

Stork

"Obsolete trade token"
"Stamped disc"
"Numismatic medallion"
"Metal disc embedded in plastic"
"Decorated Cupro-Nickel Planchet" (or whatever metal it might be...)

mrpotatoheadd

Two things (and neither are going to be of any help, I'm afraid)... I'm fairly confident that:

1. The restricted items list provided by the USPS is not entirely accurate. A poster on RCC from Australia claimed to have contacted Australian customs with a question about the USPS restriction on shipping coins to Australia and was told that no such restriction existed.

2. There is some confusion over what the USPS defines a "coin" to be- it could be either a collectable or it could be spending money. I would imagine spending money is what the customs departments of the US and of destination countries are really interested in, not collectables. Also, it's very likely that the coin involved is no longer current (or even issued by the destination country), and cannot be used as spending money there, anyway.

FWIW, when I ship coins out of the country, I put "processed planchet" on the customs form.

ajaan

I usually put 'numismatic item for collector' on the custom form. Haven't had a problem yet.

drjules

I have used "Numismatic item" on a number of occasions without incident. I haven't shipped to South Korea though.

Also global express guaranteed is a very good service, but I think the "guarantee" only applies within the US, after that the insurance has to be used. For example I sent a letter to a bank in the UK from the US by GXG, and it simply didn't arrive (well the bank said they didn't get it) so I go online to track it and the tracking ends in San Francisco. When I phone USPS to inquire they tell me that they have no authority to make other countries track items.

To end the story I finally got the letter through by regular airmail - go figure

Best of luck

Dr J

satootoko

<< <i>Does anyone know about any injunction against shipping coins to S. Korea? >>

Go to the USPS website and check for customs requirements. They list the no-nos and OKs for just about every country.

laurentyvan

Sigh, there's a back story to this...

Immediately after the items went up on eBay I began receiving offers from S. Korean buyers to deal off eBay, name your price they said.

I declined politely and invited them to bid if they wished.Happened about six times.

Before I received my confirming e-mails from eBay that I had sold all items, I received 5 e-mail "bid cancellation notices" on all 5 coins, purportedly from e-Bay. Most of these are now paid for including the big one. Some coincidence, eh?

So, does this add to my paranoia? Oh yeah.