Shipping a tuba in Europa - what differences in price !!!

[marccromme]

Today I phoned 5 shipping companies to ask a quote for a well-boxed tuba shipment from Copenhagen, Denmark to Frankfurt aM, Germany. I got these widely different results (cheapest rate, slowest service, added insurance for 3000 euro value)

one company does not ship tubas or other musical instruments

another company does not ship boxes larger than 50x50x70 cm

the next three quotes are 840 euro, 320 euro and 160 euro !!! best offer was DB Schenker

none of the 5 shipping companies has a web site that let you easily compute/estimate the price or availability of such a shipment.

Amazing. I thought box shipments in Europa where a commodity with almost equal terms and prices, but no ...

[marccromme]

Yes , it is amazing. You are right, a day trip to Hamburg would be a fair split. Well, the tuba is not sold yet, so let's see how things evolve. I am just astonished about the wide speading in quoted prices ...

[marccromme]

call Greyhound lol. I guess inside Europe shipping is more complex and expensive than the methods we have here in the states.

Hi lowbrassmaniac - actually there is a fine story to tell about your avatar:

When I worked from midt to late 80's in a shop called Scandinavian Brass and Woodwind, ( I worked as woodwind repair apprentice) , somewhere in the late 80's a PR manager approached our shop, because we had a Yamaha Bb tuba at display. He wanted to borrow this exact model (don't remember which one) because he needed it for a photo collage . The PR company was hired to make a Scandinavien advertisement for Tuborg beer, and they had found a Lois Armstron lookalike model in Denmark, and an antique beautiful tuba-bell shaped beer glass. Now they needed a tuba to fit the proportions to make the collage perfect. So they borrowed our Yamaha tuba for the collage. My boss they saw the oppertunity, and demanded that - instead of a down-payment - they could borrow the tuba if they agreed to print our company logo on the bottom of the drinking glass. So, that is why there exist this photo, the text on top was 'Tuborg - gør noget ved musiken' (Tuborg does something about/with the music) , and the logo - a small square with four interfolding horn bells - at the bottom. The collage was thenn seen for month all over Scandinavia. You can see the full picture here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/69313281734480730/ and the shop does still exist with a new owner here: http://www.sbw.dk/ That's danish humor!

[Wyvern]

Wessex ship mostly tubas around Europe by DHL Ecconomy Select (cost usually 100-120 euros), but that service may only available for businesses

[marccromme]

Hi Jonathan - thanks for this information. Actually, DHL gave me a much higher quote on DHL Express. I think I have to re-try specifically asking for DHL Economy select.

[Wyvern]

DHL Express is air freight and Ecconomy Select in overland

[marccromme]

The saleswoman did not explain this difference to me, nor did she mention the Ecconomy Select option. I asked specifically for the cheapest and possible slowest transport option. Amazing that one has to double check what companies offers / price quotes ... thanks for your valuable info!