Mailing costs suggestions

[bababear_50]

Please share you secrets for mailing??
I went to the post office at lunch and was told my parcel was going to be $75.00 Canadian dollars to mail to U,K.

I took one item out and it brought it down to $48.00.

So any tricks or ideas to cut mailing cost--this is all new to me.

Thanks in advance

Hugs Mel

 

[Meriweather]

International rates are terrible.
Keep it light is about the only suggestion.
We have flat rate boxes here, which helps some if you are mailing heavy.
That is one reason a lot of people won't mail international anymore The rates skyrocketed!

 

[bababear_50]

Thanks Meriweather ,,but can you tell me are there enough Canadians doing exchanges that I could say no to international exchange??

Thanks Mel

 

[emily1982]

Over here if you keep it under 2kg the postage is counted as a small package, still expensive though. I just do a few exchanges now, the ones that really interest me, or if i see a uk person in it i also join.

 

[bababear_50]

Hey Emily---
I was just thinking maybe I could order something online and save the cost --have you ever done that ?/ There has to be a way around this ,,,so says Mel the ever optimistic woman

 

[bababear_50]

My son is suggesting Amazon --if you spend 40.00 dollars the shipping is free??
Something to think about,,also didn't want you thinking I was being a sour puss Emily--hope you like what I sent but would have like to have included more.

HUGS
Mel

 

[Meriweather]

Ordering online is an option.
There are not a lot of Canadians involved in the exchanges.
You just have to keep an eye open and only do the ones you really want to.
You can also sign up and say that you only want to do it if there are other Canadians involved.
Are you open to mailing to the US?? That works also. We have more people willing to mail to Canada than over seas.
But light is the best thing. Takes more prep in shopping.

 

[emily1982]

I've ordered online through American companies like build a bear etc, it depends what im sending. If i know i can get the stuff cheaper elsewhere i'd probably do it here and send it over, plus i normally send freebies. We mail to Canada alot as we have relatives there, so it does add up. I'm sure ill love what you send!

 

[DearDaisyinDurham]

Please share you secrets for mailing??
I went to the post office at lunch and was told my parcel was going to be $75.00 Canadian dollars to mail to U,K.

I took one item out and it brought it down to $48.00.

So any tricks or ideas to cut mailing cost--this is all new to me.

Thanks in advance

Hugs Mel

Hi Dear Mel,
Was that for an exchange? That is Cr8Z! I think I am going to stick to Canadian exchanges. That is exactly why I did the gift card exchange and not the others. It ruins the fun (for me) if it costs more to ship than what you paid for the package.

 

[Luv2Roam]

I feel your pain.
I love exchanging with our UK friends. But I also learned the hard way the outrageous expense to ship to the UK.
Mailing there use to be high. For an average package I expected to pay $14 - $20. Now it is $18 - $48. And from the label I was reading, their rates are no walk in the park to us either.
For the price to mail it should get to them in 2 days. I think it took a week or more, and that was "priority", my only choice on one package.
The prices is high to mail, and the service so-so. Not a good combination.
I too think I would just order on-line, if the price was better, or sadly, send a gift card.
I am more than willing to mail PINS to overseas, as that cost is not hardly higher than mailing within the U.S.
So maybe with UK mailings we just have to stick with jewelry, pins, other light weight items. Which is a disappointment. But at least second best.

Some on-line buyng cannot be good mailing rates either. Years ago I had a friend in Germany who would buy from disneyshopping.com and have her package mailed to me. (Even snowglobes.)
Then I would mail on to her. It was expensive even that way, and I could not insure. But that way she paid only about half as much in shipping as through DS.com.

 

[MPHARJ]

I actually ordered chocolates online from an England company and had them sent to my exchange it worked out well they delivered for free. That ws bout all I could do to save on the shipping costs, because it was a multi-exchange, we sent more then one gift to them. Worked out very well.

 

[bababear_50]

Thanks for all the suggestions
I think I'll stick to exchanging once in awhile and maybe only Canadian.
Thanks again
Hugs Mel

P.S Happy Valentine's Day!