Best Shipping Method Italy to USA???

Go buy a cheap suitcase with wheels, a LOT of bubble wrap, and check the bag. Get a suitcase bigger than you think you need. Wrap each piece and tape it well with packing tape. Hope for the best.

That is what we should have done. We are no longer in Italy. We left the ceramics with my husbands cousin in Italy. She said she would ship it for us cheaper than the store. She was wrong.

I'm curious if she was trying Posta Italiana or Mailboxes Etc. We had good luck with MBE, but we did ship anything quite so heavy.

CASH, no receipt I might be a little wary of dealing with a shop like that, certainly to then trust them to ship well. Why? Its an illegal way of trading in Italy to sell without a receipt - the Guardia di Finanza can arrest both the seller and the buyer if there is no receipt. They are the Financial Police, and a force to be reckoned with. If they are trading illegally how careful will they be with the shipping? Just wondering ... they may be fine...

Well they surely wouldn't ship it through the Italian Post if they are locals, I wouldn't have thought. They will know that it would have a very large chance of going missing and then you would be out the shipping charge and the prices of purchase. I'd have thought that DHL would be the best choice. When you said €287 for the shipping of 40 pounds weight plus the 7 large antipasti platters that sounded really reasonable to me. I thought you would say much more. Don't forget you will be paying customs when it arrives in the States plus NJ sales tax.

I just looked at the UK DHL page and for their biggest box, XX-Large for a maximum of 25 pounds weight to the US in 2 days it is a flat fee of £119.95, you need two so from the UK it would have been £239.90 which is about $391.87. $415 is about what your rellies have found. Sounds about the same. (Inquiring minds want to know - if too rude don't bother - how much did the shop offer to ship for?)

Nigel, my husbands cousin was so insistent that she would ship it for us that we never got the price of shipping from the shop owner. I'd like to know myself what she would have charged. We paid about 320 euro if I remember correctly for the ceramics - CASH, no receipt. It was a very good deal at the time! Unfortunately, I may never see it here in the states!

Could cousin in law take the items back to the shop and ask them to ship it as per the shop's original proposal?

My husband is going to check with the shop owner to see if she can still ship it, and what it will cost. Has anyone ever shipped ceramics from Italy and if so, do you have any idea of what shipping costs are direct from the shops. Can they do it a lot cheaper?

Take it back to the shop and ask them to ship it. The advantage of the shop handling the mailing is that if something breaks it is on them. If you ship it and it breaks, you're out!

The cost is not out of line from my experience. Many people find that while certain items can be cheaper to buy in Europe, they are expensive to ship. The Italian Post would be cheaper but it is very risky. For future reference, the idea of buying a cheap suitcase and paying the extra bag fee is a pretty good one. You can even pack the items in a box and put the box in the luggage to limit any damage.

I've shipped heavy Deruta pottery from Italy to the US from the shops and paid no where near what you were quoted. Basically, the store was able to take off the VAT, and this covered shipping costs. In '03 a large, heavy ceramic wine vat cost 315 euros inclusive of shipping. In '07, I don't recall the shipping cost but it was reasonable for a huge ceramic plate and really large wine pitcher (matching the vat) and a smaller wine pitcher, from the store in San Gimingiano. In Venice I had several really large unique carnival masks shipped from the store for a reasonable cost. Shipping was provided by UPS. I imagine that the stores had a deal with the shipping company. I would not have purchased the items if it required such a huge fee for shipping. I suppose I would ask the relative to ask the store if they would still be willing to ship it for you. Good luck!

Good point Diane - the OP paid VAT and will now pay shipping costs. I'm also not sure I'd recommend paying cash for something, not get a reciept and have it shipped. Unfortunately at the OP's expense, this is a good lesson for all.

We are not going to ship the items, as it seems their is no way to do it without incurring huge costs. We'll just let my husband's relatives keep it.

Instead of giving up you could use the next worst alternative - the Post. I would never recommend them if there was an alternative but if it is that or nothing it may be worth a few coins (ok several) to wrap it up well, put in a box well sealed and labeled and entrust it to the Post. Worst that could happen is it won't arrive, which is what you have now, and the post costs; best that could happen is it does arrive and stuff is not broken. I don't think I'd put all 40 pounds in one crate though. Or maybe, it is really crated it would be best. ... or take this as a great excuse to retrieve it from the rellies in a couple of years ...

Kerry: I feel your pain and disappointment. I hope you can return to Italy and reacquire your ceramics (perhaps that is why your husband's cousin offered to ship them to you . . . just saying . . . . :-)). I have had items shipped from Italy (numerous times), Prague, Holland, England and Turkey. The shipping from the shops has always been more reasonable than any deal I could set up with the post office or private shipping service. I always use a credit card in case I need to challenge the matter in the future. I always take a photograph of the item. My only problem was some crystal from Prague arrived broken. I was able to get a refund quickly. Generally, by shipping through the store, they are able to take off the VAT which often covers the cost of shipping. I also always bring a fold up duffle bag to use as my treasury bag. When I have purchased breakables that I will be hand carrying back to the US, the stores pack it very carefully - credible stores know from experience what they are doing. It is cheaper to pay for an extra checked bag than an overweight bag. Also, many airlines are offering a discount on the second checked bag if you check it in online before your return flight. Good luck on reaquiring your ceramics and best wishes on future European shopping!

Whenever we go to Italy, my husband's relatives fight over us, force feed us (at crazy hours), stick us in un-airconditioned tombs, keep us from sightseeing, bring us to the most "interesting" shops, and finally insist we let them ship our purchases home. They simply are insulted if you don't let them do everything for you, and refuse to take NO for an answer. It's really quite an experience. I limited this past visit to one overnight (at their insistance) and they still managed to torture us. Don't worry, they don't speak English and don't know who Rick Steves is. I guess I am a little upset about the $500 ceramics I will never see again.

Have you looked into using a freight forwarding service? The kind that ships big items like furniture?

My husband has looked into it, and you have to go thru a middleman, and hence becomes expensive again