How to ship US -> UK

[He11blazer]

I'll never understand why some people, when shipping abroad, ask the receiver what the best way to do it is. How would they know? I don't know FedEx from USPS or whatever they're called. Their websites are abominations. I live in the UK, I use Royal Mail. Anyway....

 

If someone were to ask me the best way to ship 5 slabs from the US to the UK, what should I say? (Other than 'in a box').

[fantastic_four]

I'll never understand why some people, when shipping abroad, ask the receiver what the best way to do it is. How would they know?

 

Probably because you're buying American comics, he presumes you may have done it before and would know better than he does. Having never shipped to the UK, I may assume the same thing. I wouldn't know much about the pros and cons of shipping to Canada if not for the Canadians on this board educating me about it.

[He11blazer]

I'll never understand why some people, when shipping abroad, ask the receiver what the best way to do it is. How would they know?

 

Probably because you're buying American comics, he presumes you may have done it before and would know better than he does. Having never shipped to the UK, I may assume the same thing. I wouldn't know much about the pros and cons of shipping to Canada if not for the Canadians on this board educating me about it.

 

Yeah fair enough I suppose, but when I ship books to the US, Japan, Malaysia, France, Ukraine etc (to name some that I have done in the past) I look it up on Royal Mail's website, or I ask at the post office. I wouldn't dream of expecting someone in Japan to know all about shipping options available to the common Englishman

[fantastic_four]

Yeah fair enough I suppose, but when I ship books to the US, Japan, Malaysia, France, Ukraine etc (to name some that I have done in the past) I look it up on Royal Mail's website, or I ask at the post office. I wouldn't dream of expecting someone in Japan to know all about shipping options available to the common Englishman

 

I wouldn't either, but I would expect both you and the Japanese guy to have more of a clue about shipping to or from America. That's where the comics come from, that's where the majority of the market is, so the odds of foreigners knowing about some of the better shipping options to and from the US is fairly high.

 

I suppose I'd just use USPS international shipping instead of asking, but asking you is a bit more proactive since you may be aware of bad experiences with a particular American carrier into your country. The Canadians here seem to know exactly what carriers suck to their country, so asking you if you have a carrier preference really just gives you a chance to avoid problems as opposed to him choosing a carrier at semi-random as I have in the past. If all the American carriers seem the same to you, just tell him that, and let him choose one at random.

[He11blazer]

Yeah fair enough I suppose, but when I ship books to the US, Japan, Malaysia, France, Ukraine etc (to name some that I have done in the past) I look it up on Royal Mail's website, or I ask at the post office. I wouldn't dream of expecting someone in Japan to know all about shipping options available to the common Englishman

 

I wouldn't either, but I would expect both you and the Japanese guy to have more of a clue about shipping to or from America. That's where the comics come from, that's where the majority of the market is, so the odds of foreigners knowing about some of the better shipping options to and from the US is fairly high.

 

I suppose I'd just use USPS international shipping instead of asking, but asking you is a bit more proactive since you may be aware of bad experiences with a particular American carrier into your country. The Canadians here seem to know exactly what carriers suck to their country, so asking you if you have a carrier preference really just gives you a chance to avoid problems as opposed to him choosing a carrier at semi-random as I have in the past. If all the American carriers seem the same to you, just tell him that, and let him choose one at random.

 

Bah, let me rant will you! But yes, fair enough, I shall just say 'whatever shipping method makes you happy'. I was just a bit flummoxed at the prospect of having to research shipping methods from a foreign country.

[Boozad]

USPS Priority International. Now you know!

[He11blazer]

USPS Priority International. Now you know!

 

I am writing this on a postit and pinning above my desk (thumbs u

[t3quila]

Fed Ex International Economy - not cheap, but excellent, i'd also only use it for items over a thousand dollars

[JohnT]

Yeah fair enough I suppose, but when I ship books to the US, Japan, Malaysia, France, Ukraine etc (to name some that I have done in the past) I look it up on Royal Mail's website, or I ask at the post office. I wouldn't dream of expecting someone in Japan to know all about shipping options available to the common Englishman

 

I wouldn't either, but I would expect both you and the Japanese guy to have more of a clue about shipping to or from America. That's where the comics come from, that's where the majority of the market is, so the odds of foreigners knowing about some of the better shipping options to and from the US is fairly high.

 

I suppose I'd just use USPS international shipping instead of asking, but asking you is a bit more proactive since you may be aware of bad experiences with a particular American carrier into your country. The Canadians here seem to know exactly what carriers suck to their country, so asking you if you have a carrier preference really just gives you a chance to avoid problems as opposed to him choosing a carrier at semi-random as I have in the past. If all the American carriers seem the same to you, just tell him that, and let him choose one at random.

 

Bah, let me rant will you! But yes, fair enough, I shall just say 'whatever shipping method makes you happy'. I was just a bit flummoxed at the prospect of having to research shipping methods from a foreign country.

 

Sorry to rain on your rant as well, but I have an international buyer that I sell to occasionally and he walks me through it every time. I

 

Seriously, there are massive price differences depending on how you send things, so you might want to figure out the cheapest and request it when you buy from overseas. If I remember right International Flat Rate is what he told me to use, and it was about $12 bucks to send a package of six or eight books to Germany--far cheaper than other methods.

[lizards2]

I always ask up front, as I don't presume to know it all :shrug:

[He11blazer]

I always ask up front, as I don't presume to know it all :shrug:

 

You should be more presumptious then. Works for me

[Cimm]

I have shipped to the UK several times... USPS International FLat Rate Envelope is 12.95... boxed varies depending on weight, but was $40 for 10 pulps last time. Size of package matters as well.

 

In other words... make the package as small as possible, weigh as little as possible, and remember that anything over 4 lbs. has to go airmail.

 

I've never used FedEx or OOPS to ship, as they are generally more expensive (and I really don't like UPS/OOPS)...

 

my

 

[lizards2]

I always ask up front, as I don't presume to know it all :shrug:

 

You should be more presumptious then. Works for me

 

I'll tell you what you like..., and you'll like it

[He11blazer]

I always ask up front, as I don't presume to know it all :shrug:

 

You should be more presumptious then. Works for me

 

I'll tell you what you like..., and you'll like it

 

Works on my girlfriend

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wish!

[lizards2]

I always ask up front, as I don't presume to know it all :shrug:

 

You should be more presumptious then. Works for me

 

I'll tell you what you like..., and you'll like it

 

Works on my girlfriend

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wish!

 

:shrug: actually works on the wife....,

 

Maybe you should try marriage...........,

[slym2none]

I just shipped a slab to Sweden which I first wrapped twice in bubble-wrap, made a box out of double-thick cardboard that fit snugly around the slab, then slid that box into another box I made out of the same double-thick cardboard for another snug (but not tight) fit.

 

If anything happens to that, it will be because someone tried to hurt it.

 

(thumbs u

 

 

 

-slym