redsky

We moved from the UK to the US a few years ago and changed our address for everything bar a couple of items which would not accept a non-UK address. Until now, a relative has allowed us to use their address for these items but that is not possible going forward.

Can anyone recommend a reliable and cost effective mail forwarding service from the UK to the US? I would anticipate one item of mail per year, if that. An expensive monthly membership fee is therefore hard to justify.

Thanks in advance!

cranston

I have used these guys for years> My UK Mail

I'm happy with them, might be expensive for what you want.

lansbury

A quick google search shows several companies that charge either a monthly fee or just charge for individual items.

redsky

Thanks for this, I will look into them.

You are right though. From a quick glance, the annual fee of GBP60 is high given we really are likely to receive about one item per year!!

redsky

I know.... My concern was that some of the companies have previously been found to be a scam. I recall there was a London based company that charged something like GBP10 per year and then a per receipt of mail charge, and that it was found to be a completely fraudulent activity. I just can't remember which one it was.

I thought if I asked here, I would get the good and the bad, and know which ones to look into and which ones to stay away from.

celticgrid

I guess it depends how important this single item of mail is to you. Given they won't accept a US address, is this somewhere you should be dealing with?

mrken30

Have you used them to distribute mail in the UK, looks like it may be useful for Christmas cards. Not sure how cost effective it is.

NatashaB

we use them too, we've been happy with everything. Not tried the Christmas card distribution as I only just found out that was something they did, but I will definitely be using them for that this year.

thinbrit

Agreed.

What type of organization is this? The only UK based organization I've come across that demanded mail be sent to a UK address did this because they required you be a UK resident to be a part of it.

I get UK pension statements, NHS statements, etc all to my US address.

NatashaB

Barclays and Capital one refused to send mail to my US address. They were fine with the fact I was keeping the accounts open after I moved, but wouldn't send mail abroad. They told me I should put a family member's address down, but I didn't want to give my family the additional work of forwarding on the mail. My husband seems to have no issue getting his Natwest statements sent to our US address, I guess it varies by institution.

mrken30

Capital One (credit card) used to send me my statements to my US address, I have now gone paperless. I just get my new cards sent to my US address now.

Owen778

I'd suggest you try again with a different branch of Barclays. I have had no problem with them sending things to my US address, including new debit cards and PINsentry machines (though the latter took ages).

redsky

I agree, in principal.

Couple of banks would not send outside UK, so we closed those.

NHS wrote to us and said if we didn't have a UK address, we were no longer entitled to any NHS services, including the keeping of old records - so fine, any old records are gone.

DVLA require you to be UK resident for a driving licence - again, fine, UK licence long gone.

One item remains relating to DVLA. I don't particularly want to be dealing with it, but until it can be sold, I need the ability to have something sent to me very sporadically. I talked with them and explained I no longer lived in the UK. They said fine, but they need a UK address for correspondence.

NatashaB

Now that is an odd one... it's your NI contributions/ lack of that determine your eligibility for NHS services if you're not living in the UK. If only it was as easy as maintaining a UK address!

mrken30

I may have been misinformed by DVLA, they just told me to update my address if I return to the UK. Are you saying that my UK license may no longer be valid and that I may need to retake my test if I move back?