Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 9
Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
Hi,
My sister back in England has had a baby and I foresee sending my niece lots of packages in the coming future.
Just got back from USPS where I sent a couple of onesies. At 9oz, it cost $15! (SF to London)
Anyone have any tips for sending parcels and packages cheaply back to England?
Thanks
KK
My sister back in England has had a baby and I foresee sending my niece lots of packages in the coming future.
Just got back from USPS where I sent a couple of onesies. At 9oz, it cost $15! (SF to London)
Anyone have any tips for sending parcels and packages cheaply back to England?
Thanks
KK
#2
Re: Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
I stopped shipping found it cheaper to purchase in the uk and ship usually for free.
#3
Re: Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
Hi,
My sister back in England has had a baby and I foresee sending my niece lots of packages in the coming future.
Just got back from USPS where I sent a couple of onesies. At 9oz, it cost $15! (SF to London)
Anyone have any tips for sending parcels and packages cheaply back to England?
Thanks
KK
My sister back in England has had a baby and I foresee sending my niece lots of packages in the coming future.
Just got back from USPS where I sent a couple of onesies. At 9oz, it cost $15! (SF to London)
Anyone have any tips for sending parcels and packages cheaply back to England?
Thanks
KK
But, overall, cheapest to buy your gifts online in the UK. Also, over a certain value (no idea what that is) goods mailed from the US might be dinged with UK excise duty, though that's only happened when I've used FedEx or UPS to courier the gift.
#4
Re: Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
Order direct from a site like M&S or John Lewis in the UK, and send it to her that way.
I've been stung by import duties when I lived in the UK and was sent maternity/babywear from the US.
I've been stung by import duties when I lived in the UK and was sent maternity/babywear from the US.
#5
Re: Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
Also Amazon.co.uk works very well. If you would like to send booze in the UK masterofmalt.com has a very good selection.
#6
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 9
Re: Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
Thanks for the suggestions.
Sadly the stuff I was sending are either handmade (knits) or US only. Apparently Carters hasn't made its way fully across the atlantic yet.
I think my new plan of attack is to piggy back anyone I know going back to the UK.
And on that note,
Soooo, anyone visiting England soon? ;P
Sadly the stuff I was sending are either handmade (knits) or US only. Apparently Carters hasn't made its way fully across the atlantic yet.
I think my new plan of attack is to piggy back anyone I know going back to the UK.
And on that note,
Soooo, anyone visiting England soon? ;P
#7
Re: Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
Thanks for the suggestions.
Sadly the stuff I was sending are either handmade (knits) or US only. Apparently Carters hasn't made its way fully across the atlantic yet.
I think my new plan of attack is to piggy back anyone I know going back to the UK.
And on that note,
Soooo, anyone visiting England soon? ;P
Sadly the stuff I was sending are either handmade (knits) or US only. Apparently Carters hasn't made its way fully across the atlantic yet.
I think my new plan of attack is to piggy back anyone I know going back to the UK.
And on that note,
Soooo, anyone visiting England soon? ;P
#8
Re: Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
Thanks for the suggestions.
Sadly the stuff I was sending are either handmade (knits) or US only. Apparently Carters hasn't made its way fully across the atlantic yet.
I think my new plan of attack is to piggy back anyone I know going back to the UK.
And on that note,
Soooo, anyone visiting England soon? ;P
Sadly the stuff I was sending are either handmade (knits) or US only. Apparently Carters hasn't made its way fully across the atlantic yet.
I think my new plan of attack is to piggy back anyone I know going back to the UK.
And on that note,
Soooo, anyone visiting England soon? ;P
#9
Re: Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
Definitely order direct from UK sites.
If you're sending hand made stuff and the like, the way you did it is probably the cheapest option, unless the stuff is heavy and you can cram it into those pre-paid boxes, but they're not cheap so not worth it for clothes.
One to thing to watch out, when you do the customs forms, don't mention anything that's perfumed. My local office wouldn't accept a package to send without inspecting to see that the scent didn't contain any alcohol as they aren't allowed to send it.
Saying that, took the package to another post office and the person there processed it fine, but person at the next till was grilling some folks sending stuff to Ecuador.
If you're sending hand made stuff and the like, the way you did it is probably the cheapest option, unless the stuff is heavy and you can cram it into those pre-paid boxes, but they're not cheap so not worth it for clothes.
One to thing to watch out, when you do the customs forms, don't mention anything that's perfumed. My local office wouldn't accept a package to send without inspecting to see that the scent didn't contain any alcohol as they aren't allowed to send it.
Saying that, took the package to another post office and the person there processed it fine, but person at the next till was grilling some folks sending stuff to Ecuador.
#10
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 906
Re: Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
+1 for Amazon UK.
#11
Re: Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
Hi,
My sister back in England has had a baby and I foresee sending my niece lots of packages in the coming future.
Just got back from USPS where I sent a couple of onesies. At 9oz, it cost $15! (SF to London)
Anyone have any tips for sending parcels and packages cheaply back to England?
Thanks
KK
My sister back in England has had a baby and I foresee sending my niece lots of packages in the coming future.
Just got back from USPS where I sent a couple of onesies. At 9oz, it cost $15! (SF to London)
Anyone have any tips for sending parcels and packages cheaply back to England?
Thanks
KK
A booklet of 20 regular forever stamps was nearly $10 too, 49 cents each. When did US stamps become so expensive?
#12
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
Re: Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
My friend in New Jersey very kindly mailed a small jar of McCormick's Pumpkin Pie Spice to me on Monday (17 Nov) in Switzerland.....I'm having a few ex-US expats round next week for a Thanksgiving dinner and of course it's not an event held anywhere else apart from Canada. Apparently the counter staff at her local USPS Post Office were very surprised about that as they thought that every country sells Pumpkin Pie Spice mix
Anyway, the nice surprise was that the packet (an ultra lightweight small Jiffy bag) arrived today (20 Nov)
However I was shocked at the price of postage. It was labelled "First Class" and had an airmail sticker on: the item weighed 2oz and it cost $9.45 to send it! (She told me it would have been $30 for Express!)
Anyway, the nice surprise was that the packet (an ultra lightweight small Jiffy bag) arrived today (20 Nov)
However I was shocked at the price of postage. It was labelled "First Class" and had an airmail sticker on: the item weighed 2oz and it cost $9.45 to send it! (She told me it would have been $30 for Express!)
#14
Re: Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
I guess postage is expensive in both countries. When we last lived in the USA in the 90s I remember a furor over a proposed increase of 4 cents, from 25 to 29 cents I think. IIRC, the increase did go through, spurring outrage....
#15
Re: Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
£0.97 for 10g, £1.28 for 20g, £2.15 for 60g from UK - US
$1.15 for 28g, $2.13 for 57g from US - UK
With exchange rates US is far cheaper than the UK
$1.15 for 28g, $2.13 for 57g from US - UK
With exchange rates US is far cheaper than the UK