Stingychips

My gf recently sent contact lenses from England to Spain. It took 2 weeks to arrive and her mum had to pay an extra charge on collection. I have sent some documents and some tea. When you send and track from England everything is fine and the tracking history is regularly updated. Then you don’t hear anything for days once it arrives in Spain. Correos just say it’s on the road. Wonder why it takes correos so long to do things that Royal Mail does so easily and efficiently. And why are these extra charges on personal items like contact lenses. I know someone who sent from Spain to Ireland and hasn’t heard anything in over two weeks. Does anyone know why Correos is so slow. Surly it can’t be coronavirus related still.?

mikelincs

The charges will, almost certainly, be due to Brexit, the gift that keeps on giving. Correos has always been slow which is why, when I lived in Spain, we rented a box in one of the places that would act as a PO type box for mail, they would, for a cost, send your mail to the UK using a courier service and Royal Mail at the UK end. I suspect Brexit has had an effect on those now as well.

Stingychips

I won’t be sending any urgent items again through Correos. Easier to just book a cheap flight and put them in your luggage. At least then your not paying charges on personal items which you shouldn’t be paying for in the first place

UKMS

DHL works well for anything urgent and costs are not that high.

bobd22

Those charges are not down to Correos but Spanish customs. Exactly the same happens in the UK. I had to pay the post office one time when I ordered second hand motorcycle spares from USA. Its simply part of UK being outwith the EU. I find generally that Correos are fine however I'll add I only live a few doors from our local Correos Office.

DLC

Can you address a letter or parcel correctly in the right format? Can you get the right postcode on it? Can you use the international tracking option? If so, you will find Correos will deliver it. Pre-Brexit letters and parcels always got to me within one or two days of arriving in Spain.

Now, post-Brexit, there is added customs fun, so why not use the Correos app so you're notified when it hits customs so you can go online to pay customs charges and get the parcel released quickly? Rather more practical then booking a flight.