<p>My son is in England for the semester. He left behind some extra clothes that he couldn't bring on the plane. This morning I went to the UPS store and learned that shipping them with a tracking number will cost $283. I have to believe that shipping them back at the end of the semester will cost the same. Together the shipping costs exceed the value of the clothes. There must be a better way to do this.</p>
<p>The shipper said it could also go US postal service but that would not have guaranteed delivery or be trackable. So if it gets lost en route, or somewhere within the large university, it is gone.</p>
<p>Some of the stuff he could buy over there (shorts, socks) but other things (outerwear, down vest, dress shoes) are expensive to replace.</p>
<p>Can anyone recommend a reasonable and secure way to get 20-30 lbs. of stuff to England within 2 weeks? Thanks.</p>
<p>USPS also offers tracking and insurance, and I can almost guarantee that shipping your package via USPS will require less $$$. I do not know if it would be easy to file a claim, since USPS have never lost any of my overseas or domestic packages.</p>
<p>When they changed the parcel rates to Europe, my foreign exchange student had 5 boxes to ship. All 5, heavy as they were, only cost $400, which we thougth was outragious, but we call UPS, and DHL and the rates were incredibly higher! USPS is still the cheapest way to go. No more parcel post, though. Only first class or priority.</p>
<p>My son is also at school in the UK -- and boy is it expensive to get stuff to him!!!</p>
<p>The cheapest way is to ship is via USPS using the flat rate box -- but it doesn't fit all that much. He needed a pair of light hiking shoes and they were a tight fit! We ship only what we he has to have -- and send money for other stuff (and the exchange rate makes that expensive). </p>
<p>The cheapest way -- if you are thinking ahead -- to take stuff overseas is to pay the extra money to the airlines and bring a third (or even fourth) piece of luggage.</p>
<p>$283? He's better off buying what he needs over there- seriously, what is the stuff that he needs that he can't get over there? I suppose that no one ever told him to underpack... He can find a very cheap bag on the street from a vender to pack the extra stuff for the flight back home.</p>
<p>If pants... sweaters... a coat are all what he needs- they'll be a lot cheaper to buy over there than to ship him anything. Either way you'll have to pay the subcharge on the luggage on the way back.</p>
<p>My mom never sent me anything to Israel because I was able to find cheap stuff around Tel Aviv and during my stay in Prague when I realized that I didn't pack enough short-sleeved tops that would last me until my parents' visit in April (Israel does get warmer sooner than in NY!) Did I wind up taking everything back? Nope- actually left almost a good bag full of stuff behind- old clothes, clothes that I eventually hated or just not worth anymore... whch was good as my famly friends were hosting Darfur refugees who appreciated the donations, including towels and bedding!</p>
<p>Just wanted to check back in. I shipped the 24 lb. box for $120 today, Express Mail International through the postal service. 5-day delivery, trackable, and insured. It came to more than I had initially expected, but far less than yesterday's estimate.</p>
<p>speckledegg- I was wondering if your package arrived. My daughter just email me that her priority mail package I sent her is being help in customs in Madrid. I sent her two workout t-shirts, 2 sports bras, a pair of her jeans and some candy. It seems I didn't mark on the customs form that the clothes were used, so they think my daughter might resell them. She has to go to the customs office with some sort of form, ID, and receipts for the clothing to reclaim them. If she can not prove the clothes are used, she would have to pay to get them back. She of course doesn't have the receipts for the clothing; the t-shirts are old, but the jeans are only a few months old. I am hoping they can tell they have been worn so she can get them back. I hate that these are a good pair of jeans that she didn't want to take at first, but she says her jeans smell from all the smoking around her. She figured since I was sending something and had room, that she would love to have another pair of clean pants.</p>
<p>I am so mad that I spent $37 to send her a package that she now has to go to the airport to pick-up and that she may have to pay to get it back!!</p>
<p>snowball - Ugh, what a pain. Advise your daughter to try and visit customs at a low-traffic time (mid-day), and to make sure to bring her study abroad ID or some such documentation. If she's polite, can say "I'm studying abroad and my mom sent me some extra clothes from home" (and can back the claim up with ID), and isn't there during any major rush, then she'll most likely be shown leniency. It's very possible she'll get there, explain the situation, and be handed her package with no hassle. Of course, it's also possible that she'll have to deal with red-tape, but don't worry in advance. Having dealt with a lot of customs offices lately, stuff can go either way, but it usually works out reasonably!</p>
<p>Yes, my son's stuff did arrive. I had marked the package "personal belongings, shirts and pants". The box was battered but did not appear to be searched. I didn't know to mark the clothing as "used" either. Hope it all works out, but what a nuisance.</p>
<p>This tip should go in the "study abroad" forum - the idea that if they might need extra stuff that they can't buy over there, go ahead and pay for a third suitcase - that this is much cheaper and more reliable than shipping.</p>
<p>Thanks for the update! My husband usually puts "NCV" on customs declaration that he fills out at the post office - for "No commercial value", and then semi-detailed description of the items. It worked everywhere but Germany.</p>
<p>I believe my daughter is going first thing in the morning next week. The office is only opened until 2:00PM and she has class in the morning except for Tuesday and Thursday. She said the letter said she had to come by February 29 and she is out of town on a school trip this weekend, so it will have to wait until next Tuesday.</p>
<p>I went to a different post office this time and was given a different customs form than I had before. The agent said the form I filled out was not the correct form. I used a small green form for the express package and had no trouble. This time I was given a large white form that had duplicate copies. I realized after I got home that the agent didn't notice that I hadn't put a value on the form. I did ask her if there was anything else I needed on the form and she told me no. As I had only done this one other time, I wasn't really sure what needed to be filled out. The first time when I used the green form, the agent helped me fill it out correctly. This woman didn't want to do anything. I have no idea if that was part of the hold up, that the form wasn't filled out correctly, but I had a bad feeling from the beginning.</p>
<p>For Germany, if you mail anything with a declared value of over $45, the recipient will be dunned for taxes. So be careful when you fill out the forms, and consider splitting the stuff into multiple boxes to keep from triggering the $45. When I find really cheap clothes on sale, I include the sales ticket and leave the tags on. Otherwise, I wash clothing I send, and do not present it in the box looking new and neat. It used to be more of a problem getting this there close to Christmas time, but within the past 4-5 years, it has been better, things arrive well within the week-10 day period.</p>
<p>I see a good business opportunity for lightly packed travelers to Europe - offer to bring an extra suitcase for someone else (packed yourself of course to have no issues with security) for $50-100 to offset some of the ticket cost. Maybe an online connection portal for it.</p>
<p>I wish I could remember the exact phrase but I know when my kid was overseas a few years ago, the post office here in NYC told me not only to mark "used clothing" but to indicate that it was the personal property of the recipient. In other words, I wasn't shipping my kid used clothing purchased at a thrift shop, but my kid's own belongings. Supposedly, in some countries this helps avoid duties. FWIW</p>
<p>I can tell you this is the last box my daughter will get from me! She wanted to know if we were sending birthday present; I hadn't planned to and for sure will not now. I really hadn't planned to send her anything as the cost was so high, but when I saw I could send through the post office I figured I would send what she needed.</p>
<p>Just checked my email and my daughter has sent a very, very long email detailing her trip to customs to get her package. I will spare you the details other than to say her travel did not go smoothly! She traveled by Metro, bus and cab to the tune of 33 EUR to get somewhere that should have only cost 8 EUR! </p>
<p>When she arrived at customs she has to talk to the people for a long time. They tell her the package is fine, not to worry, but they can not give her the package even though the package is right in front of her. They just needed her to come out there to verify that the package was hers and they were indeed her used clothes. Then she paid 10 euros to get it sent to her at school, the original address. My daughter was told that there was no way, not even after showing her passport, license, ISIC card, and school abroad program card that they would give her the package because they still were not sure that she was who she say she was. She will be receiving the package, in their words, sometime between tomorrow and March 5.</p>
<p>I am sure she was a bit upset over her long and confusing ride there as well as being sick. All the kids in the program have been sick or are sick. I know when we chatted last night, she felt like crap and had fever, so I am sure she wasn't as pleasant as she should have been! </p>
<p>So 43 EUR and 3 hours later she is back at school and empty handed! Knowing my daughter as I do, I know she is upset, almost hysterical and moody right now. Especially since she is sick, I know today has been her worst day while abroad. It sure would have been nice to have left with her package; some of her favorite candy was in there! I don't think she has must confidence that her package will really arrive like she was told. </p>
<p>I had to laugh at her closing line in the email:
"Moral of the story: let´s not send more clothes...ever. Spread the word to everyone bc I´m not going to the airport again to get birthday presents. I don´t care how good they are!"</p>
<p>This coming from the child that was upset that she wouldn't be home for her 21st birthday to receive the piece of jewelry she requested 3 years ago to receive on her birthday. We never told her she was getting this jewelry, she just assumes she is. I told her before she left to go abroad that we were not sending anything anyway, but she kept hoping.</p>
<p>What a story! Belongs in a collection of worst exchange experiences ever. I'd be curious as to whether this is at all typical of Spanish customs. </p>
<p>I like the idea of writing 'personal property' on the valuation. Usually I undervalue, in the event duty is involved. Used clothing and books usually have value only in the eye of the beholder, regardless.</p>
<p>I am IMing with my daughter now. She said since I didn't put used clothes on the label, only clothing, customs opened the package. Of course, I could have put used clothes or not listed the clothes and there still could have been a problem. We sent one other package without a problem, but that one when express mail, not priority; I have no clue it that made a difference or now.</p>