International Shipping Information
Shipping & Delivery — Professional Care
At HiSModel, we provide premium accessories and sets for historical ship models. Our mission is to ensure that every component—from a single rigging block to complete wooden decks—reaches your shipyard in perfect condition, no matter the distance.
Important information for customers outside the EU:
Our Packaging Standards: Protection and Order
We are well aware that ship model accessories can be delicate and require careful handling. We tailor our packaging to the specific nature of your order:
- Damage Prevention: Every shipment is sufficiently padded and protected to withstand long-distance international transit without damage.
- Preserving Sails and Flags: We take extra care with textile components. Sails and flags are packed specifically to ensure they arrive smooth and without unsightly creases.
- Easy Orientation: For larger orders, we organize the items systematically. Everything is clearly labeled so you can easily find exactly what you need for your build immediately upon unboxing.
In the rare event that a component arrives damaged, we are here to assist you immediately in accordance with our Complaints Procedure and General Business Terms.
Global Reach & Personalized Shipping
We ship to modelers worldwide. While our e-shop covers many countries automatically, some destinations are not pre-set in the cart due to the complex nature of international logistics.
Custom Quotes: If you do not find your country in the list, please contact us at message@hismodel.com. We will manually find the most cost-effective shipping method for you, ensuring you do not overpay for flat-rate shipping.
Shipping to the United States — Spring DDP
Orders to the United States are now shipped through Spring in the DDP (Delivery Duty Paid) mode. We introduced this shipping method so that U.S. customers do not have to deal with import duty, customs clearance or additional customs-related payments after the parcel has been shipped.
Import duty and customs clearance are handled in advance: For U.S. orders shipped with Spring, the import duty is added directly in the checkout as a separate item named Customs Duty. This amount is paid together with the order before the parcel is shipped.
The customs clearance handling fee is already included in the Spring shipping price. This means that the customer does not pay import duty or customs clearance fees separately upon delivery — these costs are handled in advance as part of the order and the selected shipping method.
For U.S. shipments, the import duty is currently calculated as 15% of the goods value and rounded up to whole USD. This amount is shown in the cart before payment, so the customer can review the full cost in advance, including shipping, prepaid import duty and customs clearance handling.
This system makes ordering much easier for customers in the United States: the parcel is shipped with import duty and customs clearance handled in advance, so after dispatch the customer does not need to communicate with customs authorities, pay duty separately to the carrier, or deal with customs clearance administration.
More affordable and predictable delivery to the USA: Spring DDP is a cost-effective solution compared to many standard courier services, where customs clearance and administrative fees can be significantly higher. The Spring shipping price itself and the included customs clearance handling fee allow us to keep the overall delivery cost under control and offer U.S. customers a more affordable, simpler and more predictable shipping option.
We only recommend monitoring standard carrier notifications by e-mail or SMS, as delivery updates or local delivery instructions may be sent during transit.
Customers from the UK and Switzerland
For the United Kingdom and Switzerland, we operate under the DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) model. This means that the prices you see after logging in are final and already include applicable taxes and duties.
United Kingdom: As a registered taxpayer with the British HMRC (Registration No: GB376133885), we handle the collection and payment of VAT and duties, including shipments over the £135 threshold.
Switzerland: We handle Swiss VAT payment and customs clearance through our authorized shipping carrier.
Registration Required: To ensure the correct pricing for your country is displayed, you must register and log in to the e-shop. Without logging in, the system cannot correctly calculate the final DDP price.
Shipping within Europe
For European destinations, we primarily use Packeta (Zasilkovna) and its local partner networks. This remains a highly reliable and the most cost-effective solution for delivering your accessories.