Postage rate

[sharon mit]

I have a lightish (2 - 3kg max) parcel to send to the USA - can anyone point me to the cheapest way to post it? Are FedEx/UPS/DHL any cheaper than the Post Office? The contents are destined for the troops posted in Iraq but have to go through US military channels frst. The cost of sending stuff via the Post office is horrific - far greater than the value of the goods inside

[dzug]

You do not want to send a parcel.

You want to send a small packet - maybe 2. They are much cheaper than parcels. The only snag is that the maximum weight is 2kg. There's also a maximum length of 600mm.

If you want cheap send it surface rather than airmail - about half the cost.

For DHL etc prices - just ring them I'm sure they will quote.

[sharon mit]

Thank you - it weighs 1.7 kg so a small packet does seem the way to go. The 'Easy Posting Guide' from the Post Office is as clear as mud.....

[mikey0118]

I would definitely stick with Royal Mail and avoid the likes of UPS, DHL, FedEx, TNT etc.

I used both FedEx and DHL back in November to send an A4 envelope each time. The envelope was going to quite a remote part of Korea. Delivery with FedEx took 9 days and DHL took 3 days. Each envelope cost �50 to send!

The cheapest way to send a parcel is via surface mail. As far as I'm aware, if you go into your Post Office, by default they will assume that you require airmail. Ask specifically for surface mail and you should notice a dramatic difference in price. I would advise you to ask about delivery times though. Don't be too surprised if they tell you it could take a month or more!

[Dee Sa]

I thought that the post office had special cheaper rates for the forces, or have they stopped all that type of concessions.Its worth asking at the counter.

[sharon mit]

I would like to send the care packages direct but the US military insist that they are sent only from the US itself. Therefore I have to send it to a serving officer's wife who will then do the necessary with her husband's base commander. And I know about timing! A parcel sent air mail to Hiroshima in Japan for my exchange students took eight weeks to get there - half of the contents were past their sell by dates by the time it arrived.

[full-throttl]

surelty the address should be something like ap09???, if this is the case then post it through the post office and it will be routed to a secure location before it is sent to the troops in iraq.

all parcels i deal with adrdressed to american forces have one of three destinations, UK, Germany or USA, the destenation depends on the ap number, dorry i can't help with postage but your local post office should be able to advise you costs and delivery times

[sharon mit]

As I said above - the American military insist that no care packages can be sent to American troops from any address outside the US. Any parcels arriving in Iraq from other locations are simply destroyed...... My friend in Missouri can post them on to her husband's unit for free, so at least she does not incur any further expense.