Send mail from Europe(Outside US)

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K-ModPermalink Reply by Victoria (Centauromadoose) on January 24, 2015 at 3:49pm

$250 for a light package doesn't seem right at all, especially if it's small. I've never shipped to mainland Europe (or from mainland Europe), but I have sent numerous packages from the US to the UK -- at the most, it might cost $40-50 USD to send a medium-weight package, and that would even be through faster priority mail shipping rather than regular shipping.

Out of curiosity, I visited the UPS Netherlands site and also got some kind of astronomical Euro price to ship to Burbank, CA. I might suggest not going through UPS and instead using your regular mail service, which will then transfer to the U.S. Postal Service once it reaches America.

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Permalink Reply by Barbara Melissen on January 24, 2015 at 3:53pm

Thanks, that's brilliant! I really feel a bit stupid for not thinking about that option :p But I checked and if I send it through the main Dutch mail service it's just around €20,- for the same package. 

Thanks again!

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K-ModPermalink Reply by Victoria (Centauromadoose) on January 24, 2015 at 4:43pm

No problem! I'm glad there's a better option. :)

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Permalink Reply by Andrew Hosking on February 6, 2015 at 4:26pm

I did this recently so maybe I can help with advice but depends on where in Europe you are sending from. I am from the UK and how I did it was first check import restrictions to the US, for example such things like Kinder Surprise eggs are banned from the US (that surprised me and could be up to $2300 or $2500 fine each egg potentially). I did not know when sending mine which was a food type package so stuck couple in parcel I sent though it made it through customs I think this time. Not worth tempting fate on stuff like that though so I wouldn't have sent them had I known prior to sending. So check import restrictions.

As I sent from the UK, I had a limited amount of services I could use mostly because many do not deliver to PO Box addresses. So your second port of call would be to check which services are willing to dispatch to PO Box addresses. Next thing I think to keep in mind is you will need customs form which over here we could get from Post Office CN22 or CN23 forms depending on like size of parcel and quantity of contents. The cost of sending is very high especially from the UK but depending on what things your sending it might be worth paying least amount if no hurry to arrive.

As an example in my case the cost of delivery was three times the cost of the content of the package, the cost of the content in my case was only $40 roughly in USD and the cost of delivery was triple that amount but I paid extra due to being food inside wanting to get delivered as soon as possible to avoid anything spoiling in transit. The prices for sending depend a vast amount on size of package too, for example I was quoted around $40-$80 for small package (to be classed as small over here on the service I used it was length+width+height added together and was not allowed to equal more than 90cm). Mine was too big for that so was only offered the next category up which I was quoted between around $80-$160 depending on speed of service.

I used a UK service called Global Priority from Parcelforce, it took 4 days to arrive in Burbank, CA from the UK. When the parcel gets to the US it got taken off Parcelforce's hands and USPS took over the delivery within the US. Global Priority I chose because it does allow for tracking, allowed for PO Box delivery (though was delivered to US Post Office in my case to be exact), it is quite a quick service depending on speed option choose. The service allowed me to both track stages of delivery through Parcelforce site track and trace then also through USPS tracking using the same parcel reference once arrived in the US.

Other than that I am not sure how else to be helpful. Probably not helpful at all if not from the UK.

But that is my experience with sending parcels to Rhett and Links PO address.

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Permalink Reply by Sara Mclean on February 8, 2015 at 2:37pm

@andrew Hosking Did Rhett and Link show any of the stuff you sent them? Just I too am from the UK and I want to send them stuff, but I don't want to spend all that money and they don't even show it

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Permalink Reply by Andrew Hosking on February 8, 2015 at 5:05pm

My main goal of sending mine was I wanted Rhett and Link plus the crew to try things might not have had before, if gets anything from it shown and tried in a video etc that's just a bonus to me if happens. One I sent only arrived there end of last week, Jen showed me pic of her collecting from post office on thursday which was nice of her but haven't heard anything else yet like whether it's been opened or they have tried anything from it etc.

They probably get vast amount of mail so best not to go into it expecting will be shown, don't make that the primary reason to send it in other words. One other thing I think (though I might be wrong), they only collect the mail once a week which is on thursday but I get impression the thursday means mail video is actually pre-recorded from previous day or something. They probably have large backlog of mail built up over previous week etc but I am just guessing about that based on time frame of post office in CA opening and when video is uploaded.

Oh also check all the other videos they had which might have had stuff from UK sent to them and tried by them, no point in repeating what they already tried. For example there is their Cockles video from four months ago in Good Mythical More which was parcel sent from UK and contained candy and other stuff they tried in video. I only know one I sent was picked up, don't know if opened or tried whats inside yet, I'll make list of what I sent them from memory later in here too if you want...though I can't promise will remember everything I put in mine.

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Permalink Reply by Andrew Hosking on February 8, 2015 at 5:19pm

One other thing, Hersheys recently banned CadburyUK chocolates and such from import to US via biggest distributors (plenty of news stories about it if google it), so they might appreciate UK chocolates even if tried them before since won't be easy to get in US anymore for most people unless import their own. That's if do send them any though Jen goes back to Canada quite a lot so she can probably import her own from time to time, plus a lot of our chocolate and products are available in Canada even if not in US so worth keeping that ion mind if want to send them stuff they might not have tried before.

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Permalink Reply by Andrew Hosking on February 12, 2015 at 10:24am

Now that I know they have opened the box and tried some stuff I will list most of what was in it so people who might plan to send them more things from the UK will have some idea about what they might have tried before from the UK.

Kinder Surprise Eggs
Real Crisps - Roast Ox
Wotsits Crisps
NikNaks - Hot & Spicy
Walkers - Salt & Shake
Walkers - Worcester Sauce
Jaffa Cakes Biscuits
Custard Cream Biscuits
Mcvities HobNob Biscuits
Trebor Extra Strong Mints
Galaxy Chocolate Bar
Twiglets
Jar of Bovril
Walkers - Monster Munch
Irn-Bru Drink
Jam Welsh Cakes
Hula Hoops BBQ Crisps
Hula Hoops Salt and Vinegar Crisps
Rowntrees Fruit Pastilles
Bounty Chocolate Bar
Cadbury Twirl
Cadbury Flake
Aero Mint Chocolate Bar
Toffee Crisps Chocolate Bar
Vimto Drink
Cadbury Boost Chocolate Bar
Walkers - Chedder Cheese and Mustard Crisps
Nak'd - Rhubarb & Custard Bar
Chewitts Extreme Chemix
Bassetts Jelly Babies

There was also few other things but can't recall what they were.

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K-ModPermalink Reply by Gumbo123 on February 12, 2015 at 10:41am

With a huge haul like that, I'm surprised you didn't have to get a cargo container and send via freight shipping!!!  I've tried only about 10% of the listed items (love Irn Bru / hate Aero Mint) but always look forward to testing more on the shelves when I get to stop by the BRITISH EMPORIUM out in Grapevine, TX (@ 30 miles away)

The grocery shops closer to home do carry some of the more popular cookies (or biscuits as you call them) but it's worth the drive sometimes for the really good stuff.

FREE PLUG!!!

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