viitav

Hey Guys,

So we are currently in the process of securing my green card and i've now started to think about shipping etc.

We have a number of items we'd like to send over.. Majority is clothing and shoes however we have a crib and a TV that we'd also like to include.

What would be the best way of getting our items over to NYC from London? Air? Sea? Any rough cost estimates?

Worked out it'll be around 50 cubic foot?

Twinkle0927

Why are you bringing a tv? The cost of shipping it far outweighs any value you'd get from it. You can buy a new one here relatively cheaply.

penguinsix

Replace the TV when you arrive. They are cheaper here. Clothing can be sent as excess baggage on your flight for a fee. Crib might be a bit tricky though.

viitav

The TV was a gift from my mother last year so just seems a shame. How much would a 50" set us back over there?
I will have to ship the crib as theres no way I can take that on the plane so just thought i'd send it with the TV.
Does anyone know any rough estimates of shipping costs? Or do I just sell everything and just take a travel cot and rush out to ikea and buy a replacement on arrival?

becks_r

I used Fastlane to organise shipping the last of my bits and pieces, they were great. You just need to work out if the amount you are bringing over is enough for a container or a few boxes. To give you an idea, I shipped 12 boxes weighing 244 kg for nearly 700 pounds. The online booking was a bit confusing, so if you decide to use them, PM me and I will let you know the things to look for.

I agree about the TV. I brought over my sewing machine, had to get a transformer and it works fine. But I know a friend who brought her sewing machine to USA too and the transformer didn't help, the sewing machine seems to stutter - only way to describe the problem really!

viitav

Thanks Becks!

Well I worked out its 50 cubic feet - I have no idea how much I need for a container lol.. It won't be that heavy its a cot, a mirror, a TV, some kitchen stuff and clothes. How long did it take for it to arrive to you in the US? I can buy a US adapter for my TV which is lucky so hopefully it'll be okay lol..

Twinkle0927

I brought 49 cubic feet from Bournemouth to Seattle. It was taken by courier to Liverpool and then loaded on to a ship to New York and then on to Seattle. The actual shipping was less than 300 quid. But added to that was a courier fee to collect it from Bournemouth to Liverpool (could have been avoided if I'd driven it there myself but I'd already left the U.K. and the boxes were at a friend's place and a courier was easier). There was a $172 paperwork fee when it all arrived in the USA. Then I had to pay a small fee to have it released from the warehouse in Seattle. Plus we had to rent a van to drive to the port, pick it up and drive it all to the Cascades. The van rental was $49.

From picking up from my friend's place in Bournemouth to us driving home from Seattle with the stuff took just under 2 months.

becks_r

I can't remember how long it actually took, but it was by air and I think it took a week. But I could have had next day delivery!

penguinsix

A 50' 4k TV will be less than £500 with the cheaper ones about £360. If you don't want 4k than the price is about 1/2 that. (I did the conversion from these sites).

Best Buy: Expert Service. Unbeatable Price.
http://www.walmart.com/

You can probably look up your exact model in the USA (also check amazon.com which delivers TVs). Chances are you can get it cheaper here.

bartholemues

I bought a 55" 4k Vizio TV from Wal-Mart for $350 last month. It was a factory refurb but looks like new and has a great quality picture.

Bringing your TV over isn't really worth the hassle as you'll have to buy a transformer, the tuner won't work and you won't be able to sell it on as no one will buy it.

Pulaski

Nope! Most TVs and much other home electronics are now capable of taking 100v-250v and 50Hz-60Hz, and that is stamped as such on the spec plate/panel near the power cord. Your other points may be true, though I think you can make a British sourced TV work with a cable or satellite box, or DVD, etc. I would also suggest that several years from now nobody will pay more than a few dollars to buy a, say 2015 TV, even a US spec one, when you an buy a new one for say $250.

That said, overall, I agree, bringing a TV over isn't worth the hassle - you might as well give it away to family or friends.

lizzyq

We brought our UK TV over as it was no trouble to stick in into our shipping container. The rating on the back showed it would be quite happy with 110v @ 60Hz so one new mains cable was all we needed to buy. It has plenty of HDMI inputs so works quite happily with our set top box and Xboxes​. If you are paying extra to ship an awkward sized item it probably isn't worth it.

Pulaski

But then again you also shipped three tons of vintage scrap iron and aluminium that you passed off as a Land Rover.

lizzyq

Two 101FC Land Rovers. You're just jealous.

Pulaski

It's true.