Importing heavy gadgets... sea shipping?

[Lope]

I want to buy a particular subwoofer thats 4kg, the box is 12x12x4 inches from USA.
The Sub costs $25, but shipping from USA to SA is $75!
Theres one company who are sole distributors for the brand here.
I've asked one of the local car audio places and they asked the sole distributors, and they won't bring one in for me.

So I'm just wondering if anyone knows any tricks for shipping something heavy for a reasonable price. It would be pretty stupid to spend 3x the value of the item on shipping.
Is it possible to ship stuff by SEA?
I checked out websites like www.reship.com and others. None of them offered sea shipping.
It seems insane that air shipping is the only available option?

[Twista]

I ship almost every week by air and sea.

You can ship by sea but it will cost more because sea is more complicated (Admin) and the size of the item will have to be bundled under "groupage". Also it is very slow.

With Air, the is a "minimum" cost that you pay, therefore you paying so high. Also bear in mind, you still have to pay

1. Admin freight costs when it lands. (generally includes delivery to your door)
2. Customs - Depending on the code used you could be penalised (or not)
3. VAT on total amount

Good Luck!

[ShaughnK]

I needed some specialized equipment and wantitall (wantitall.co.za) purchased it in the USA for me and brought it across in one of their Bulk Shipments. Maybe drop them a mail and see what they can do for you.

[Lope]

iwantitall is the biggest rip off on the planet. I tried to keep an open mind. I emailed them at the time of this thread... they didn't reply.

[Gnome]

eBay?

[za1]

$75 for a parcel that size is quite cheap - you wont have a cheaper option.

[Lope]

Gnome: Various sites that will ship to SA have it, Amazon was lowest quoting $75 shipping. Ebay sellers want a lot more for price+shipping.
za1:
The sub is Boss D10F Flat Subwoofer. Its one of the best subs ever made. (in my opinion anyway)
Its got all the qualitites I like. Its got a flat profile, lightweight, efficient (94dB), etc.
http://www.amazon.com/D10F-PHANTOM-1.../dp/B0014L8TVG

http://www.tierone.co.za/ are the local distributors but they don't currently bring in the D10F.
I'm gonna try put pressure on them (ask nicely and repeatedly) to bring them in.

[ponder]

iwantitall is the biggest rip off on the planet. I tried to keep an open mind. I emailed them at the time of this thread... they didn't reply.

It's on their site for R1099.

[Gnome]

Personally I think JL is the best but whatever

[Lope]

Thanks for the recommendation but the JL 13TW5-3 is a lot poorer suited to my needs.
http://www.jlaudio.com/13tw5-3-car-a...-drivers-92181
It weighs 8.4kg vs 4kg.
Sensitivity is 85.87dB which is abominable compared to 94dB.

Also the Boss D10F will work MUCH better with a small enclosure than the JL sub, and probably most other options. I did a fair bit of research before choosing the D10F.
http://www.bossaudio.com/auto/low-pr...ion-cone-d10f/