Shipping gifts to the UK - so expensive
Oct 12th 2019, 6:38 pm
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 68
Shipping gifts to the UK - so expensive
Any tips? I really enjoy sending little gifts to my loved ones in the UK but it is always so darn expensive!
Oct 12th 2019, 9:31 pm
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2017
Location: Ontario
Posts: 204
Re: Shipping gifts to the UK - so expensive
Unfortunately I haven’t found any solution, however nice it is for relatives and friends to receive gifts in the post, and have started to use UK companies to order online. I find buy a gift good for experience days Lots of choice.
Oct 12th 2019, 10:55 pm
#3
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: Shipping gifts to the UK - so expensive
It's expensive to ship just about anything from Canada to anywhere including within Canada. If you live close to the border it can be more reasonable to ship from the US using USPS but even their rates are going up.
I used Amazon in the US now to send gifts to my family in the US, simpler and cheaper in the end. I sent a gift box once from Canada 15 years ago, $45 in shipping, learned my lesson and never shipped anything from Canada again.
I used Amazon in the US now to send gifts to my family in the US, simpler and cheaper in the end. I sent a gift box once from Canada 15 years ago, $45 in shipping, learned my lesson and never shipped anything from Canada again.
Oct 17th 2019, 12:06 am
#4
Joined: Feb 2006
Location: Red Deer, Alberta
Posts: 10,612
Re: Shipping gifts to the UK - so expensive
Amazon.
UK gift sites.
having a piggy bank to save cash for when they visit.
it's horrendously expensive to mail from here. Christmas surface mail needs to go by October 26th. Still hit and miss for them to get their pressies for Christmas.
I use moonpig for cards now days.
UK gift sites.
having a piggy bank to save cash for when they visit.
it's horrendously expensive to mail from here. Christmas surface mail needs to go by October 26th. Still hit and miss for them to get their pressies for Christmas.
I use moonpig for cards now days.
Oct 17th 2019, 6:11 am
#5
Bex in the city
Joined: Jun 2013
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 3,899
Re: Shipping gifts to the UK - so expensive
I still send cards back as I make a lot of mine.
However for gifts it’s usually an e-gift card (for my mum) like M&S
For my other friend whose 40th was in July, I wanted to send her a coffee table book on the art work for ‘My Friend Totoro’ - we are both Studio Ghibli fans but her more so. Anyway the book was more expensive in Canada (as are most books compared to the UK) and with postage would have been so expensive so I ended up ordering it from Amazon.UK and it was sent to her that week. Needless to say she loved it.
Today I received a Amazon.Ca parcel from her as it’s my birthday next week. I think this is what we will do from now on
However for gifts it’s usually an e-gift card (for my mum) like M&S
For my other friend whose 40th was in July, I wanted to send her a coffee table book on the art work for ‘My Friend Totoro’ - we are both Studio Ghibli fans but her more so. Anyway the book was more expensive in Canada (as are most books compared to the UK) and with postage would have been so expensive so I ended up ordering it from Amazon.UK and it was sent to her that week. Needless to say she loved it.
Today I received a Amazon.Ca parcel from her as it’s my birthday next week. I think this is what we will do from now on
Oct 17th 2019, 3:33 pm
#6
Slightly Canadian
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: St. John's, Newfoundland
Posts: 10,129
Re: Shipping gifts to the UK - so expensive
Amazon, M&S, Moonpig all the way. Oh yes, and interflora. The "Same day delivery" service is useful when you wake up, look at facebook and it reminds you it's your mothers birthday. Or at least so I'm told :-) (Granted that only really works if you are on the Eastern side of Canada.)
Oct 17th 2019, 3:48 pm
#7
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,018
Re: Shipping gifts to the UK - so expensive
I carried this to a bit of an extreme by ordering from them for people in the UK, in Switzerland and in Canada. It went well until M&S set up a Canadian website with redirect from the UK one. Like L L Bean they seem to have decided that people here want something a bit worse than they had before so now I need a new source for the people who are in Canada (but as far away as the ones in the UK).
Oct 17th 2019, 4:00 pm
#8
Banned
Joined: Apr 2009
Location: SW Ontario
Posts: 19,879
Re: Shipping gifts to the UK - so expensive
Amazon, local florists in the UK with a web presence (I've ordered funeral flowers that way as well) or for a special birthday or similar https://www.gettingpersonal.co.uk/pe...ised-gifts.htm (the service was excellent, delivered on time) - they are dispatched within 24 hours, I was very impressed, chocolates, alcohol, card and engraved gift delivered next day!
Last edited by Siouxie; Oct 17th 2019 at 4:14 pm.
Oct 17th 2019, 4:04 pm
#9
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2009
Location: Langley, BC
Posts: 1,956
Re: Shipping gifts to the UK - so expensive
Wrap up your gifts, drive to the US, go to a US Post Office. Ship them to the UK with tracking for about 30% of the cost of Canada Post 
Oct 17th 2019, 4:56 pm
#10
Slightly Canadian
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: St. John's, Newfoundland
Posts: 10,129
Re: Shipping gifts to the UK - so expensive
That 30% wouldn't cover the cost of the 8 hr drive to get the 3 hr ferry before another 10 hr drive to the US border.... :-) I'll stick with purchasing online.
