Sending a package to England from US -Need advice

My daughter used FedEx for sending a package to a friend at a rural UK address and it didn’t take too long to get there.

Thank you Suki.

send a package

A toothbrush? bicycle? 200 pounds of books? a cubic yard of marshmallows?
Not intended to be snoopy, but some idea of weight and dimensions would help

How time critical is it?

How price sensitive is the friend?

joe32F - good questions. The box is 12” x 12” x 14” and weighs approximately 16 lbs. (I’m guessing some books and photos and such).
Doesn’t want super cheap with months to get there, but doesn’t need to spend hundreds of $ to be there in a matter of days either. Preferably a couple of weeks and $100 or less, if that’s realistic.

And joe32F, I love your list - from a toothbrush to a library to marshmallows. My friend did too - I read her your examples and told her we needed more specifics. 😆

About 30 years ago I sent a large unwieldly box to friends in London via US mail. I don't remember exactly how long it took nor how much it cost. It wasn't outrageous given the odd-ball size nor was the amount of time unreasonable - maybe 10 or 14 days.

Thank you, Trotter.

I would just take it to your local PakMail (or similar franchise) and let them take care of it. I used PakMail to ship multiple packages to my boss when he was in London.

Thank you Estimated Prophet. I’m not familiar with Pakmail, and when I checked their website, it looks like they don’t have a location near me. (That explains why I’ve never heard of them lol). BUT my friend is in a different state, and they do list a location near her, so I will happily pass this information on.

The Pakmail website lists several shipping companies that they use (UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL). Do you remember which one Pakmail used to send your packages? Or does it depend on the destination, type of package, etc.?

I just remembered USPS has a website, https://postcalc.usps.com, which allows you to estimate shipping rate and time. I punched in your numbers and got a $128 estimate with a 6-10 business day delivery window. I think UPS has a similar website.

I would just leave it in their hands! I also used PakMail to successfully send "care packages" to my Marine nephew during his multiple deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. I know that "every franchise is independently owned", but I have had good luck with the 2 that I've used.

I just send two packages to England. Both were photobooks from Shutterfly. It cost me $67.00. This was not any priority just regular airmail. This is why I don't send packages to family members in England. The costs have got very high. You also need to consider the value of the items inside the box and you have to have a detailed list and cost of each item on the customs form that will be filled out at the post office by your friend, signed, and posted to the package.
Every package received in the UK from abroad has to go through customs to check if it is a restricted item. Also, VAT is charged on all goods (except for gifts worth £39 or less) sent from: outside the UK to Great Britain.
In conclusion, a 16-pound box is going to be sooo expensive and a lot of hassle. Hence, why I don't send anything but small items to the UK. Check out the UK gov site for detailed information.

https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/gifts

Thank you all for your replies!

mpaulynsettle - Thank you so much for the detailed information and UK government website. This is very helpful, and will help my friend to decide what kinds of (smaller) things to send.

Estimated Prophet - It’s good to know that Pakmail was reliable in getting packages not only to London, but also to your nephew during his deployment. Thank you.

Trotter - I appreciate you plugging the numbers into the USPS website - that’s a helpful option to try while before leaving home.

Thanks again to all of you for your helpful advice!

I'll confirm the necessity going through customs and paying VAT. You'll have to fill out a customs declaration. Don't fudge it. Don't send cash. You can avoid the tax if you declare the items as a personal gift. We gave up sending stuff to our daughter in England. We just send money (electronically) or order stuff in the UK and have it delivered. It has proven to be too much hassle and too expensive to ship all but the most critical items. Otherwise, we just wait until she visits and send it home with her in her luggage. I despair that some of her stuff will just always be in my closets.

dpoweron - Thank you for your good advice. I have a feeling my friend will decide to do the same as you.