posted on February 21, 2001 11:32:56 AM
Please reply if you are a UK seller and can offer some advice.
I need to ship a package weighing approx 1kg and measuring 220cms x 180 cms x 90cms to the US. Outside New York.
I am experiencing EXTREME difficulty getting a reliable quote from any of the parcel firms. I tried the Parcelforce website but it seems it will cost me £32 to ship via Datapost and outside New York the delivery times get hazy and there is nothing about tracking or compensation.
UPS want me to pay 'export charges' for a child's wooden clock!! Everybody else I've tried either doesn't have a working website or a ten and a half hour 'your call is important to us please stay on the line' customer 'helpline'.
Basically I want TRACKED delivery and insurance up to £200. With delivery in no more than 5 days. Is this too much to ask?
posted on February 21, 2001 01:21:43 PM
I am not a seller, but do send parcels to my family often. I went to the www.royalmail.co.uk website and found that they will ship parcels up to 2kg in weight. I am not sure which zone the US is in, and couldn't find the page to reveal that information to me (the website is crap and only works for IE, not Netscape).
But.. for the most expensive option, it cost £9.70 to send it airmail, plus another £2.60 for recorded delivery. Airmail will take about 7-10 days usually, but can be much quicker sometimes.
"Swiftair".. whatever that is, would cost £2.85 or £3.50 for recorded plus the cost of postage.
The advantage of sending such a parcel through the Post Office, instead of Parcel Force is that their postal rates will vary according to the actual weight by 20g up to 2kg, while Parcelforce start from 1kg.
I hope that is clearer than mud...but it seems to me I would ask at the PO about Swiftair Recorded (or Registered) if you need to get it there quickly.
edited for typo
[ edited by mivona on Feb 21, 2001 01:24 PM ]
posted on February 21, 2001 01:50:16 PM
Mivona. Thanks for the help, but Royal Mail don't offer any form of Registered service to the USA. I've tried International Recorded before, sending documents to a friend, but the disadvantage here is that the tracking stops the minute it leaves the UK. And NO COMPENSATION!! As to paying extra to get advice of delivery, I've tried this SEVEN times. Each time my friend says that the mailman asks her to sign for the package, but the postcard that is supposed to be mailed back to me in the UK (which I pay extra for!!) never arrives.
If I can't even trust the Royal Mail with documents to a friend, then if I try sending a clock to someone I hardly know and it goes missing, by my estimate I will be out about $200 all told with nothing to show for it. In fact with Ebay fees and credit card fees I'll actually have LOST money on the transaction!!
Having said that, you are right when you say that the Royal Mail is cheaper because they charge by the gramme. In actual fact the package probably weighs a bit less than a kilo so yes, I would be better off. But this clock is worth $$$ and the customer is willing to pay....I just can't seem to be able to find a decent service!!
posted on February 21, 2001 02:50:01 PM
What about Swiftair Registered? I don't know how fast it is, but it does seem to provide insurance. It gives £500 insurance for postage costs plus £4. Or £2200 compensation for postage plus £4.75. And you can choose to spend an additional 40p for the Advice of Delivery postcard that you never get back!
