International Shipping Guide?

I hope this is the right forum to ask this question? I have done a number of searches and can't find a thread regarding this issue.

I have purchased a number of lights off CPFMP, but a lot of US based sellers are not willing to ship outside of the US, making it harder for some of us International buyers to get hold of lights.

Often once a seller has shipped once overseas, they find it is not that much more problematic than shipping within the US.

If someone could do a basic International shipping guide for users in the US that could be a sticky, we could point people to it in the future if they had concerns about shipping overseas.

Just an idea that would greatly help the many overseas members that help make up CPF.
Thanks

I can't claim to be able to make a sticky with facts and figures, but I can add in my experience of USPS.

Firstly, it can be more difficult for USA members to send internationally than domestic. This is because for domestic mail they can have the postal worker collect it from their home or business, but for the international options they must actually go to a post office. This might not seem like a big deal to Europeans for example, because it's likely that wherever you live, you're never that far from a post office. However, the USA is a BIG place, and many members can live an hour's drive or even further from their nearest post office. An international member offering to pay charges, fees and any shipping is one thing, but asking someone to go 2 or 3 hours drive out of their way on a Saturday is asking too much.

For USA members who are in 'range' of a post office, there are 2 main options, standard first class international and the old faithful, the flat rate priority box/envelope. I wish I'd kept all those envelopes actually, I could probably re-do my roof in glossy USPS colors and still have some left over!

So, first class international. That's put it in a envelope, get the post office to put the right stamps on it, and off it goes. A brief pricing example for EU would be small items, bezel or tailcap etc, around $2.50. Average flashlight (6P) with no packaging or batteries, around $6. Same 6P new in packaging, between $8 and $10. That gives you an example of approximate weights/prices. As you can see, I've been here before!

The flat rate box is $12.95, or $12.30 if paid online, weight up to 4lb (I think) same rate to most countries as far as I know.

Customs forms. Although (as far as I know) this is a relatively little known fact among USA members, standard first class international does not actually require a customs form. However, it seems that many postal staff aren't aware of that and often insist on it anyway. Whether or not it is required on arrival in your country is your business though. In my case I'm quite lucky in that it isn't required at all. I have lost count of how many messages I have sent to sellers with the same old thing "put it in an envelope, stick 2 or 3 bucks of stamps on it, and I'll get it". No doubt some of you reading have received one of these messages from me

USPS flat rate box/envelope does require a customs form.

The best advice I can offer on getting USA members to ship internationally is this, just ask, nicely. I sometimes see people posting angry icons, that sort of thing, when they have put an "I'll take it if....." in a thread clearly marked CONUS only, which is then passed over to a USA buyer. If I were in the USA and put CONUS only and someone ignored that and just put an I'll take it without even asking first, I'd be worried not so much about the fact that they ignored the CONUS only, but what other parts of my thread conditions did they miss, or just choose to ignore?

So, send a message, ask nicely, and if the answer is no, don't push it. No member has to 'justify' why they send where they send, and why they won't send elsewhere.

Thanks for the info. I have asked a few times when people have stated "CONUS Only" in posts whether they would be willing to ship overseas, and have always been willing to cover the extra costs associated. In general I have found people agree to this if you approach them nicely as stated, but I do respect their right not to ship overseas.
I guess the reason for my original post is to have a resource here to be able to guide people in the requirements of International shipping from the US.

The biggest problem I face shipping internationally is unless it's a Small Flat Rate box or envelope, I have to drive into town. With Priority I can just print a label, but if it's not small flat rate, I still have to go into town.

I can also ship via UPS or Fed-Ex with ease, but the price tends to be 2-4 times what USPS is.

People have gotten mad at me for charging $10+ for shipping First Class international too. I don't mind not charging for gas if I'm in town anyways, but if I have to take an hour out of my day, and burn 2 gallons of gas, I darn well expect to be compensated.

I don't know how helpful that is, but it's my perspective nonetheless.

Its hard for us in the UK to imagine having to DRIVE an hour to the nearest post office.

There is often uproar here when a sub post office closes because people won't be able to WALK to their nearest post office.

In the UK we use post offices to post parcels and letters, buy stamps, tax cars, buy TV licences, collect pensions, etc etc. Just can't imagine not having one local.

I'm really fortunate to have a post office only 1 mile away. But how much should I charge to go stand in line for an hour?

I generally can't get to the post office when they're open, so I have to coax family members to do it for me. I generally give them 5 bucks for their trouble, so that adds to the cost of postage. Plus approximately 50 cents per mile for vehicle operational costs.

The customs forms are a pain. Several copies, questions that don't make a lot of sense, and insufficient room for the proper answers.

I do international ship things, but it is a great pain. I wish it was easier.

UPS or Fedex makes things very easy. Too bad it is so expensive.

Wait for an hour :shakehead

Here is our customs form. 30 seconds if you write slowly :nana:

London Lad said:

Wait for an hour :shakehead

Here is our customs form. 30 seconds if you write slowly :nana:

Click to expand...

Same here, and I recall from all the first class mail I've gotten from u.s. it's more or less the same too.

Duno about u.s., but here I can do everything include fill the custom form online and just drop the package in any mailbox, no need to stand in line for anything.

London Lad said:

Wait for an hour :shakehead

Here is our customs form. 30 seconds if you write slowly :nana:

Click to expand...

Nothing scary about the Aussie form either.
After clicking on the thumbnail you can click again on the picture for a larger more readable image.

None of the shipping outside the USA is scary, intimidating, or technologically challenging. However, my local post office is about 8 miles round trip, but there is no parking nearby that is ever open. If you do find a parking place vs. paying $6 for a parking garage about 6 blocks away, then the shortest wait I have EVER had is 35 minutes. The average wait time is 45 mins, often taking more than an hour. In addition, traveling the 8 miles is filled with stoplights and 15-20mph traffic, so that adds another half hour onto the expedition.

They have 5 windows, but 95% of the time there is only 1 or 2 windows open. If you get someone with a basket of 50-100 items that have to each be processed for Certified Mail, that one person can tie up the window for 20 minutes. You would think that the worker would yell to the back and say "Hey we need some more windows open, the line is out the door" but there is not the slightest indication that any of the post office workers would give a rat's *** if someone fell over dead in the lobby, let alone show simple concern for their fellow man waiting in line.

If I have to go to my local post office once a year, it is too much. It's close, but I hate my local US Post Office more than the Internal Revenue Tax Service.

As a result, the ONLY way I will EVER ship anything to someone outside the USA is with Flat Rate Priority Mail. This allows my computer to fill out the customs description on a sticky label which I sign and slap on a free Flat Rate Small Box (new item) or Envelope, and leave it on my front porch for the mailman to pick up. In fact I just did this favor for a Dane here.

My local post office absolutely requires a manual CN22 form to be filled out and processed at the "one open window" for First Class International Mail. No drop offs in a mailbox.

I always find it strange that in most things customer service related the US is miles ahead of the UK and Europe but when it comes to post offices it the other way round.

London Lad said:

I always find it strange that in most things customer service related the US is miles ahead of the UK and Europe but when it comes to post offices it the other way round.

Click to expand...

The capitalist model which has been strongly bred into American culture assumes that you must treat people well to have them use and promote your product. Customer satisfaction becomes the expected norm. It is the source of the American business success.

If you insert the socialist/government controlled model into this culture where workers get paid no matter what speed they work at, and get paid no matter how they treat customers (because they have a monopoly), they build a culture of institutional apathy and indifference. They have no reaction as an institution to FedEx, UPS, or even the internet competing for their business. They still don't care, although they are smart enough to move some of their services online where people don't have to deal with their institutional apathetic (of course, unionized) work force.

If you are able to make a human connection with one of these minions, as I always do with my local postman, then they react & treat you as a friend, and as someone who really appreciates them individually. None of that happens back at the main post office, and there is a steady rotation of new faces in the windows.

Our smaller post offices run on a sort of franchise basis, usualy by husband and wife teams.

Where I live now is in the countryside and my nearest post office is actually in the village pub which is also a small shop! The next nearest is in a small shop attached to a tea room. Both of these are family run.

There are two more within a 4 mile radius with the main post office about 5 miles away. That is a multi counter operation where you do sometimes have to wait in line but only for a few minutes.

Its just the same here, most government run organizations seem to have little or no concept of efficiency or the value of time.

Here in Australia as norm stated the que and locations aren't bad. But a flat rate 500gram international satchel is 20 dollars and international airmail is 8 dollars. I remember a mishap in a jeers thread when a member accidently sent a package via surface mail.

Geez, now I'm glad where I live, post office is 5 minutes away and I can print and pay on the net, and drop it in the mailbox.