Bob

Yeah, getting to that time of year, but worth noting that folks in the UK who want to send stuff over here, worth getting ready to send things pretty soon if they want to use the cheap, surface mail option.

Saying that, my mother was told to expect the usual 12 weeks, so she sent some stuff at the beginning of the month and the small parcel arrived today

AmerLisa

We're sending ourselves this year! A bit more expensive, but much better than the usual stuff I send them!

Sally Redux

I sent a parcel to England yesterday, they now seem to need to painstakingly enter all the information from the customs label onto a keyboard as well Think I'll use Amazon for Christmas.

Bob

Ouch, that's a chore?

Sending shit to the UK/EU, just such a ball ache. Only do a small handmade type stuff for my mum and then something small to my nephew in Austria as they don't really have anything online over there, it's still very 1980's about Austria at times

Sally Redux

Sure they'll appreciate it

Charma1ne

I have heard horror stories about the postal service in America. Thankfully I have never had to use it yet (thank you instant bank card etc...!)

Think all gifts will have to wait for when they come to see me in January

Cx

Bink

Us too! We're going over late Nov/early Dec so going to drop off gifts then and pick up a bunch of goodies for ourselves!!

Nutek

The USPS flat rate boxes arent bad. Well, not THAT bad anyway.

47 bucks, 6 days, up to 20 pounds in weight. The customs forms are a pita though if you do em at the counter. You can fill em in online and print them which makes it easier.

Bob

Postal service is no different to anywhere else. Most mail makes delivery, some doesn't.

Not really the point of this thread though, it's about letting family in the UK know to get shipping soon if they want to use surface mail option, which is a hell of a lot cheaper than air mail for parcels.

There is no surface option from the US, so it's not a issue here.

They are if you compared how big those boxes were even 2-3 years ago, never mind older than that Inflation, my arse.

Karrie72

I always use Amazon these days for Christmas presents, I love it, so convenient and hassle free. Shlepping through the shops, packing up stuff then standing in line at the post office, why does anyone do that when there's Amazon?

paul32x

Whenever I'm buying anything, like above, I use Amazon where I can, but just for straight parcels I generally use UPS, although I must admit the US Postal Service superb, and as we live 6 miles from Orlando International, the big post office there is open seven days a week till quite late at night.

Bob

Because old people don't use computers? You can't give them homemade crafts? Plenty of reasons.

Charma1ne

It was just my reasoning for not sending my family Christmas presents and instead waiting for them to visit in January just like other people saying they are sending themselves

Knowing my family anything they send will probably be last minute anyway and arrive after them haha

Cx

Karrie72

Does anybody really want home-made crafts though Bob?
Just kidding!

scrubbedexpat097

Yes I do!

My 5 year old great niece just sent us a lovely hand decorated picture frame that she made. It even had a very interesting looking motorcycle glued on it It has a picture of her and her new baby sister in it and has pride of place on our dresser Certainly a forever present