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Mailing from the UK to the US

We just returned from a month in the UK. In his London 2015 travel book, Rick noted that you could mail personal purchases from the UK to the US, limited to $200 a day in value. And you can. However, there are problems. On four different days, we mailed packages of books home, staying under the $ limit. It was expensive but we felt worth it since books add weight to luggage (both checked and carry-on).

Each package is delivered to US Customs for checking and then to the postal service for delivery. We used the mailing boxes provided by Royal Mail, and mailed from a Royal Mail post office.

Two of the four made the journey intact. The other two are another story. One box had obviously been damaged -- possibly ripped by a machine -- but had been slit open (we assume by Customs) and retaped. Only three of the 11 books it contained made it through -- the others were simply gone. (We're not talking rare books here -- but stuff you buy in bookstores and museum shops.) The other box had been slit open, but not retaped -- and it was delivered empty. Looking at the slit, someone literally had to hold the box on its side and shake it to empty it.

The box that was sent through LaGuardia Airport survived intact and undamaged. The other three were sent through O'Hare -- the two with missing contents and one that was damaged but somehow the books survived.

So -- the note in Rick's book is correct -- but after this I don't trust either the US Postal Service or US Customs. And now it will be weeks or months of claims discussion with Royal Mail.

Fortunately, it was books that can be replaced.

Posted by
287 posts

I am very sorry to hear about your experience. I have to wonder if "customs" or whoever cuts these boxes open looking for something of value that can be easily stolen? I hate to have a suspicious nature, but that seems to be the way of the world these days.

I am in the UK right now and have been here for 3 weeks. So far I have shipped home 3 boxes, one of which has already arrived at home unscathed. The other two were sent separately and a week later and so have not yet shown up in the US. On all 3 occasions I used Mail Boxes Etc. which ships via Fed Ex and/or UPS. Expensive yes, but hopefully the first box arriving intact will be a good omen for the other two. There's nothing of any value, just souvenirs and Xmas gifts that I didn't want to load down my suitcase with on the return trip home next week.

I hope the Royal Mail makes good on your losses.

Posted by
4 posts

We've made contact with Royal Mail, provided the supporting documentation -- and have been told that the Royal Mail receipt for postage is not sufficient proof of posting the package. I should have been given a second receipt that says "This is proof of posting." Yes, they have the tracking numbers, photos, postage meter numbers, etc. So far, there's been silence to my note saying the post office did not give more than one receipt. So if you use Royal Mail, ask for both receipts -- the regular one and the proof of posting one.

On the U.S. side, my local post office says that the damaged parcels should not have been delivered without a note citing the damage. The carrier is not supposed to leave an empty box with a torn end and nothing in it without a note saying this is how the post office received it. When I told them there was no note, the clerks and the manager just looked at each other. The manager is supposed talking to the carrier. The lack of a note may make the Postal Service liable.

My advice is -- don't use Royal Mail to send packages home. Use FedEx or perhaps even the retailer you buy something from. The physical evidence suggests that one of the packages was opened at U.S. Customs, and either the contents removed and/or the the box not resealed.

I'm dealing with three bureaucracies, so I'm not hopeful.

Posted by
4 posts

Royal Mail completed its investigation and sent two letters, each with a check. They confirmed with "US authorities" that the two packages were delivered empty and almost empty. The total reimbursement was about one third of the original cost, not including postage. They said they will make good on the postage up to the amount I paid if I order replacements and send them receipts showing the postage paid. Based on what I paid for postage alone, it would have been cheaper to buy a suitcase in London and pay the airline penalty for an extra bag.

My advice would be, if you use Royal Mail, do not listen to what they tell you in the post office about packing boxes and insurance (I thought they were being extremely helpful; as it turned out, they didn't understand their own rules). Read the terms and conditions online. Pay for a tracking number and sufficient insurance (which will, unfortunately, really run the cost up and make it competitive with Federal Express). Keep receipts for everything. Know the procedure for filing a claim before you ship anything. If possible, see if the merchant will ship a purchase home for a reasonable fee.

In the future, I will not use Royal Mail. From what I can tell from the letters, it appears that at least one of the two boxes was damaged and emptied before it left the UK.

I'm still waiting to hear from the U.S. Postal Service as to why empty boxes were delivered without explanation -- they are supposed to attach a note explaining the condition received.

Posted by
287 posts

What a nightmare! I'm so sorry you continue to fight this battle.

FWIW, I highly recommend Mail Boxes Etc, which I used to ship 3 separate boxes home from various points in the UK in October. Yes, it was expensive, but toting an extra suitcase home would have been more expensive and definitely more hassle in the long run. All the packages sent via Mail Boxes Etc. arrived in perfect shape. I might add, one of the boxes was a bottle of Scotch that I purchased for a special friend that I was quite anxious about its safe arrival. I shipped it from Edinburgh and the clerk there assured me that they shipped whisky all the time and not to worry. He was absolutely right. The bottle was not only wrapped in several layers of thick plastic wrap but was also encased in styrofoam.

Moral of the story: if you must ship home, use a service like Mail Boxes Etc. The extra cost is worth the peace of mind.

Posted by
5311 posts

What isn't clear to me is whether Royal Mail branded service was used or Parcelforce..

Posted by
4 posts

Of the four packages we mailed, one was sent via ParcelForce, and it was delivered intact. The other three were via Royal Mail, and two of those had the contents missing and the packaging ripped. The third made it intact but the box was severely damaged.

Posted by
5311 posts

Looks like three were sent not via the best method, as you have concluded yourself. Parcelforce is a trading name of Royal Mail as their parcel service and is an equivalent of UPS, FedEx etc. My guess is that the others may have gone at the printed papers Royal Mail service which is much more of an 'economy' offering.