Out-of-country mailing

8 years ago

I have no experience with mailing something to Europe. Does anyone know how that works? I know you have to declare a value. Does the recipient have to pay a duty based on that value? Do I pay the duty at this end?

To send the package by Federal Express or UPS is incredibly expensive. It's much cheaper using US mail, but then who or what delivers the package at the other end?

Any information and/or suggestions from someone who has done this before would be appreciated. Thanks.

Featured Answer

trouzernc

8 years ago

I sent a quilt to Brazil a few months ago --- sent along with a wing and a prayer as I had no real hope of it ever getting there, but it did! I sent it USPS, labeled --- GIFT ---- be sure to state that it is a gift on the customs forms or the recipient may have to pay duty on it. When I mail fabric out of the US I mark the package "fabric samples" and do the same for any quilts I mail and they seem to make it there just fine.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (12)

dancingirl_gw
8 years ago
I have shipped a quilt to Australia--10+ yrs ago when you had a choice of overland (boat) or air via USPS. Postal clerk told me recently that only air shipping now. About 4-5 mos. ago I mailed an embroidery card to New Zealand--it cost me $7--in an envelope--w/ins. I had no issues re duties. I think you declare what you're mailing, and value here....but I suppose they can open and verify ''there''. Had no problems either time. USPS is the least expensive, but still costly. It took about 12 days for my envelope to get to N.Z--almost 6 months for the quilt to Australia. Once in the country, each has it's own mail/delivery system. You can get 'tracking' here and follow your pkg. That is my limited experience with shipping to foreign countries. Just be prepared for other systems to perhaps take longer than the US.
grammyp
8 years ago
It depends on where it is going, but usually the local postal service delivers the package. Some countries charge duty depending on what the contents are and the declared value. "Fabric Samples" or "hand made gift" may help lower the duties. Delivery can take a while in some countries.
Related Discussions
check out the new heirloom seed mail swap
Q
Comments (0)
everyone welcome. check out the details in the round robin forum this can be done with very little postage mail as many or as little packs as you want you will receive the same # of packages back make a wish list Great for newbies and the veterians plase email ?'s marketbasket@netzero.com
...See More
Country Home magazine--out of business
Q
Comments (29)
I wasn't happy when I got my March 2009 issue (in Feb) and found out that Country Homes was discontinued and I would be getting Better Homes & Gardens. Here it is June and I haven't seen any issues of BHG. I e-mailed them- they couldn't answer my e-mail (?) so I called them today (6/15). I was told I would get my first issue in OCTOBER! That is 7 months after my last issue of Country Home. Their "customer service" rep told it is was because they didn't have enough magazines yet for all the Country Home subscribers. And then she told me they were extending my subcription until 10/10- two months after my Country Homes subcription would have expired. How is that extending my subcription when you give me 2 extra months but I have to wait 7 months to get the 1st issue. I told them NO THANKS-even though it wasn't a big amount of money I told them send it back and keep your magazine,
...See More
is there a free e-mail out there?
Q
Comments (4)
create text file for your message. zip with password. give your relatives and friends the password by phonecall. password encrypt with 7zip. and shows how to verify (before you send) that you can open with password. www.youtube.com/watch?v=osdUqxd1Yrs there's also gpg to work with your email software. i have not yet tried (shame, shame) afaik, unencrypted email can be read as "plain text" ("in the clear"). unencrypted webmail can be read.
...See More
windows live mail won't go out
Q
Comments (1)
Access your comcast email account using a browser to their website and it should work fine. After that, you can figure out what's not working with your configuration.
...See More
jennifer_in_va
8 years ago
How ever you choose to send it, it's a great idea to pay for the tracking option. You just never know it gets there if you can't track it.

We've mailed to New Zealand a number of times a few years ago. We did it through USPS. I don't remember the cost, but there was a customs form to fill out. I think a certain amount of insurance was included, but then you have the option to add more.

USPS will not allow anything liquid AT ALL. I would not state that it's a 'quilt', but rather a blanket, or fabric. Less likely that it will be deemed valuable and 'lost' along the way.
toolgranny
8 years ago
I agree with Jen. I've sent quilts to babies in Germany several times and wrote blanket on them and they seemed to have them in a week or two. Wasn't all that bad and they didn't pay any duty. I priced the value at $50 I think. Can't remember. But Europe is so computerized it's not like the old days.
quiltnhen
8 years ago
Mailing a baby quilt to France was the most expensive thing I ever did. I made two mistakes. I called it a handmade quilt and I insured it for $300. It cost me approximately $50 to mail it, but when it got there they wanted $120 American dollars before customs would allow her to pick it up. After that fiasco I was told to call it fabric, not what I did. Haven't ever tried again. I sent an iBook as her next gift.
quiltnhen
8 years ago
Just thinkin' maybe there's a place online that would explain the ins and outs per country??? By the way, I sent her the money, so overall that was one pricey baby quilt!
loisflan
Original Author
8 years ago
Well, we'll see how it goes. I marked it "blanket" and put a $40 value on it. I sent it Priority Mail Express for $70.05. It weighed 4 pounds 2 ounces. $100 worth of insurance was included and it would have been delivered in 5 days "guaranteed," but it's going to a small municipality outside of Cannes and they couldn't guaranty the delivery date. The recipient has to sign for it. It will be interesting.
loisflan
Original Author
8 years ago
Yay!! Seven days in the mail, and it's been delivered. Our friends are thrilled and delighted. They love it. I'm so happy.
msmeow
8 years ago
That's great news, Lois! You'd hope for $70 they would deliver it quickly. :)

Donna
polardream
8 years ago
Yeah!!
quiltnhen
8 years ago
Fantastic!