Christmas Gifts to the UK
Dec 10th 2013, 6:21 pm
#46
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,170
Re: Christmas Gifts to the UK
We don't bother for the most part using sites and using local for my nephew is a bit shite because Austria is a bit 20 years behind for online stuff, plus he wants US stuff.
Gets a bit hard as he's got caps of all the local sports teams now and they're not cheap to begin with but they're the easiest thing to ship.
For my mum and sister, we make stuff, mostly with the girls, so a hand print bit of art or some hand made felted gloves or what not. Basically anything small that we can shove in a small bubble wrap envelope and send which seems to be the cheapest option.
Gets a bit hard as he's got caps of all the local sports teams now and they're not cheap to begin with but they're the easiest thing to ship.
For my mum and sister, we make stuff, mostly with the girls, so a hand print bit of art or some hand made felted gloves or what not. Basically anything small that we can shove in a small bubble wrap envelope and send which seems to be the cheapest option.
Dec 10th 2013, 6:22 pm
#47
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,170
Re: Christmas Gifts to the UK
That's what my family do sending gifts this end, trouble is if I am buying online myself (for presents for son/OH) then I don't know which deliveries are mine or presents, so consequently I've ended up the last two years opening deliveries thinking they were mine and instead they were presents for me ... 
Dec 10th 2013, 8:41 pm
#48
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2013
Location: Monterey, CA
Posts: 2,554
Re: Christmas Gifts to the UK
Ok, well I've just learnt my lesson. 3 packages sent home, just packets of candy and such like, 118 bucks!!!!!!! Jesus!!!!! Everyone's having M&S hampers next year!!!!!!!!
Dec 10th 2013, 8:52 pm
#49
Joined: Apr 2012
Location: CT
Posts: 33,488
Re: Christmas Gifts to the UK
We use the PO International Flat rate boxes. It's still expensive, but you can cram a lot of candy into a box with a 20lb weight limit, and at 70 bucks or so, it seems the best way to do it if you want to send stuff from here and not source it in the UK.
Dec 13th 2013, 1:20 pm
#50
Just Joined
Joined: Oct 2013
Location: Maplewood NJ
Posts: 20
Re: Christmas Gifts to the UK
We have done vouchers and M&S over the years, but this year in my husband's wisdom we actually went shopping...and posted a wonderful box of clothes to his mum in UK. Ofcourse the Customs tax on the shipment was 40 quid and they charge the recipient until we stepped in and paid for her! Yikes!! So we won't be doing that again....although she loves the clothes and that they're from the US. It really wasn't worth the shipping and additional customs! We told her to open it and wear everything already, and get some use out of it all!! And next year we said we'll just send her a bundle of cash!
We send National Trust membership to his Dad which he loves and it only costs $1.10 to send the new member cards in an envelope each year!! Result!
We send National Trust membership to his Dad which he loves and it only costs $1.10 to send the new member cards in an envelope each year!! Result!
