For those who don't realize it the flat rate USPS priority boxes will ship worldwide from your home for $13.25 for the small box and I believe its about $25 for the medium. You do not have to go to the post office. I ship from my house several times to Australia and others without leaving the house. For those who don't want to ship international for the extra hassle there is none. There is a clear pouch you should get with your other boxes but I just tape the label to the small box because the specified pouch is too big and thats what they did when i used to go to the post office anyways. So it is no harder to ship accross the world than accross town anymore. Well 2 extra lines to type in on the form online but thats all. No need to go to the post office.
International shipping from USA
- Thread starter life2short1971
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I agree on the reasonable USPS pricing and the reality that shipping international isn't really anymore work than shipping domestically.
People need to realize that shipping international is more costly if you want to get tracking, which is required in order to get PayPal's seller protection. This is quite a bit more and makes it uneconomical to the transaction.
Thanks for sharing this, as a non-US member I hope more will be shipping international in the future, even though I can't say it really has been a problem for me so far 
But I must say that to me it is kinda funny that you don't need to leave the house to send a package, here I have to go to the PO to send all packages, and I have to go there to pick them up when they arrive. (I have no problem understanding that you prefer to do so, I HATE going to the PO)
But I must say that to me it is kinda funny that you don't need to leave the house to send a package, here I have to go to the PO to send all packages, and I have to go there to pick them up when they arrive. (I have no problem understanding that you prefer to do so, I HATE going to the PO)
Are you sure?
I got a package sent from Florida today as a priority flat rate box and paid $12.78 for shipping, and I got an e-mail from Paypal with tracking number.
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- #5
Delivery confirmation is included free with Priority mail when billed online.Which includes tracking
Well, it is harder to ship overseas in that you have to fill out the customs form, which is a pain in the keister. And it's a lot more worrisome shipping overseas because of the potential for delays as custom stations or not so robust tracking mechanisms. I've never had a package I've sent overseas get lost, but several items I won on Ebay from overseas sellers either never arrived or took several months to get here.
But agreed that the USPS Priority boxes are the best and least inexpensive way to go.
Jeff in Boston
But agreed that the USPS Priority boxes are the best and least inexpensive way to go.
Jeff in Boston
It must have been the flat rate "Medium" box... I do know postage does vary by country, so who knows. In my experience, I remember trying to mail a smallish item to Europe that was around $25 for the tracking option.
This from the USPS website:
Priority Mail International offers:
Online Tracking - Put our delivery information to work for you. Track PMI package shipments. Note: Tracking is not available for Priority Mail International Flat Rate Envelopes or Priority Mail International Small Flat Rate Boxes.
Yes, but for only domestic Priority... this isn't always included for PMI.
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- #8
Ok my point was it isnt any harder to ship international than domestic. If you don't want to ship INTNL then don't. I merely dispelled the myth that you had to go the post office and fill out all kinds of customs forms so it was too big a hassle. I know I trust the members ship to enough that Paypal covering my loss isn't an issue.
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So... What did you send me? 
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- #10
lol I just sent a razor over there this morning.
Thanks for sharing this, as a non-US member I hope more will be shipping international in the future, even though I can't say it really has been a problem for me so far
Oh yes, it has!
Oh yes, it has!
The problem wasn't unwillingness to ship out of the country, but it was stuck in customs for three weeks or so
But it arrived at last
The newish online International mailing options have made this much easier now. No more multi-page, hand written customs form and trips to the PO. Both the USPS and Paypal websites give Priority and Express International options.
The customs forms are also filled in online and since it already has the shipping and shippers addresses you only need to add description and value and the multi-page forms gets printed out fully filled in and postmark stamped.
The only glitch I had was fror additional insurance. The Paypal link would not let me add it for international, but the USPS site would.
The small flate rate box from the USA to the UK is $13.25, the medium $43.23 and the large $55.58 (right from the USPS website). Weight based, 1 to 2 pounds is around $29. The larger boxes all carry around $50 to $70 built in insurance depending on the country they will go to but the small flat rate box is not insured as I recall so there is risk involved.
First class International still requires a trip to the PO and a hand written customs form.
Tony
The customs forms are also filled in online and since it already has the shipping and shippers addresses you only need to add description and value and the multi-page forms gets printed out fully filled in and postmark stamped.
The only glitch I had was fror additional insurance. The Paypal link would not let me add it for international, but the USPS site would.
The small flate rate box from the USA to the UK is $13.25, the medium $43.23 and the large $55.58 (right from the USPS website). Weight based, 1 to 2 pounds is around $29. The larger boxes all carry around $50 to $70 built in insurance depending on the country they will go to but the small flat rate box is not insured as I recall so there is risk involved.
First class International still requires a trip to the PO and a hand written customs form.
Tony
I am still boggled at the fact that you don't have to go to the post office for everything you send. Any package or box or envelope I send anywhere, even to Ireland, means I have to go to the post office to work out the exact cost to weight.
I find it no trouble at all, it's just normal.
Plus every community has a local post office.
I find it no trouble at all, it's just normal.
Plus every community has a local post office.
Yeah, we have to go to the post office for most things. There are satchels that we can buy for domestic postage, though you get no insurance or delivery confirmation.
The best thing about international postage from the US is that you guys pay about half what we do in Australia. It cost me about $20 minimum to send even the lightest box overseas.
And that is before I start adding things like tracking numbers. The extra postage cost and strong Aussie dollar makes it hard for us to be competitively priced when selling internationally.
I buy a fair amount of stuff and a good portion of it comes from the US. $13-$14 shipping is fine. I get a bit annoyed when someone tries to charge me $28-$32 which a number of people seem to try and do.
The rough cost for me to post a straight to the US is $10. That's using one of those tuff, bubble wrapped envelopes. Small boxes are around $19.
In Australia, all overseas shipping has to be done over the counter at the Post Office and you have to complete a hand written Customs form and provide ID. I guess because that's the way it's always been done, it doesn't seem like a big deal.
The rough cost for me to post a straight to the US is $10. That's using one of those tuff, bubble wrapped envelopes. Small boxes are around $19.
In Australia, all overseas shipping has to be done over the counter at the Post Office and you have to complete a hand written Customs form and provide ID. I guess because that's the way it's always been done, it doesn't seem like a big deal.
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While $28 to $32 is a huge postage bill that is exactly what the post office charges for a 1 to 2 pound Priority Mail parcel to most of the world from the US.
Tony
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- #18
I just found out that Norway is $43 so there is some variance.
Does this change if the item is considered hazardous (flammable liquids, like cologne + aftershave?)
I'm asking because I tried talking to USPS + UPS about shipping fragrances overseas and they made it sound close to impossible, with just a dash of the ominous tone that suggests you might end up on some security watch list.
I know some folks get around this by how they describe the item on the customs form, but my understanding is that if you're caught not mentioning a flammable liquid--especially if it's because something leaked or popped--the penalties are steep.
I'm not at all being sarcastic here; if this is wrong I'd really like to find out what's true, thanks.
I'm asking because I tried talking to USPS + UPS about shipping fragrances overseas and they made it sound close to impossible, with just a dash of the ominous tone that suggests you might end up on some security watch list.
I know some folks get around this by how they describe the item on the customs form, but my understanding is that if you're caught not mentioning a flammable liquid--especially if it's because something leaked or popped--the penalties are steep.
I'm not at all being sarcastic here; if this is wrong I'd really like to find out what's true, thanks.
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- #20
Yes. This stuff has its own set of requirements I know nothing about. There are places in the US you cant ship flammables to at all. Catalina Island being one of them.
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