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

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.

Re: Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
 

Don't think you'll find anything cheaper than the cheapest USPS rate if you want to ship from here. It's easy to use their online service, including printing up the customs dec, and getting a good estimate of the cost before you head to the PO.

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.

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.

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.

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

Re: Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
 

I like Carters but there are lots of cute British options for teeny-tiny clothes. I'm going over in Feb and taking some very lovely crocheted hats for nephew-chog who is almost the same age as babychog

Re: Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
 

Won't help with the handmade goods, but maybe Carters Online will ship to UK at an all-in price better than you can post to UK. Probably not, but just another idea.

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.

Re: Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
 

+1 for Amazon UK.

Re: Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
 

Yep, just an hour ago I sent a UK gift package through our local US Post Office. $24.15 for 1 pound 14 oz. Highway robbery!

A booklet of 20 regular forever stamps was nearly $10 too, 49 cents each. When did US stamps become so expensive?

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 :lol::blink:

Anyway, the nice surprise was that the packet (an ultra lightweight small Jiffy bag) arrived today (20 Nov) :thumbup:

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!)

Re: Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
 

First class postage in the UK is 62p, i.e. twice as expensive as the US!

Re: Cheapest way to send packages back to UK
 

LOL, when did UK stamps get so expensive??? :D Am I wrong when I remember a first class stamp cost around 46p when we left the UK three years ago?

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....

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