When are you doing it? I think we're doing it this week, to be sure it's there in time.

How do you mail it - USPS? UPS? FedEx?

I would have sent them at the beginning of November by USPS on the 4-6 week delivery for cheapness. But I will just send it USPS the normal 7-10 day shipping next week. I should just send Neil's mom money from us so she can buy booze. Would be cheaper.

I sent my friend a package for her daughter's b-day 6 weeks ago to the UK, and they just got it this weekend. That is the lovely slowww service you get with USPS. I think if its over a certain weight (i swear this didn't weight more than 5lbs) they can only send the 4-6week route, and that's what we ended up getting. So be cautious with USPS, I'm not sure they'll get there on time.

Last year the in-laws got it in 7 days. We shall see!

We thought about ordering stuff off of amazon, but the exchange rate is killing us. So I am sending all my stuff off this weekend, or Monday 9th at the latest.

I know my parents are ordering alot of stuff of amazon and they get it gift wrapped with them. Saves them a fortune.

We sent our first package 2nd week in Nov, they had it in 10 days. Shipped another 2 packages 2 weeks ago and they have only received one of them. We use USPS. Cost a bloody fortune too!!

I'm sending my stuff tomorrow. My mum sent me a package about 2 or 3 weeks ago that I got today, so it was a bit longer than usual but not too bad.

I really don't want to go to the post office because there's always only 2 clerks there and about 20 customers. Always a fun time.

I just posted a pressie to my cousin. All it was was a skinny paperback book and a tea towel and it cost me $12 to mail!!!!! Last year I bought online from Boots and Amazon and it was a darned sight easier, although you don't get to wrap and sign them yourself.

I have to say that I have always been pleased with the price and service of USPS. I recently sent a large parcel (a guitar case) and it arrived in about 10 days.

Is the UK mail system still screwed up from the strikes?

ok so after reading this I think I'm going to keep the presents for Neil's mom and buy something from amazon or boots cos I drove past the post office today and wanted to cry. it was so packed and only 2 people there too

I'm braving the Beverly Hills PO tmrow....

I take mine over with me in october, all of em! Works out near enough the same as what your pay in postage!

I have to remember each year to buy wrapping paper for the next year though!

I ordered a hamper from marks & spencer last night for Neil's mom. Free shipping and you get to pick the day. He says she will just give each thing away separately as gifts to other people. It was kinda expensive

I went this morning - took 20 mins. Cost me $50 tho!

I sent a box off to my parents in England this morning....hopefully it will get there in time. It bleedin should do for the amount it cost!

We ordered prezzies from Amazon.co.uk for the boy's parents, and since my parents are flying over to London for Christmas to be with my brother and his family, they're bringing gifts with them for that part of the family. No way I'm dealing with the post office, no how.

we sent my kids their pressies on saturday, 43lb in weight and $180 , it better get there in time. most stuff i send back takes about 10-12 days.

My sis-in-law got the Xmas pressie package today - took 2 weeks exactly!

I sent a box to my parents on December 5th.....its still not there. They, however, sent me 4 boxes after the 5th and all of them arrived here last week. pffft!

Me too so maybe tomorrow is your lucky day! I'm glad I sent it so far out though!

Geez now I want to call Neil's mom and see if she got the package I sent her last week. I think I waited too long but they told me that they'd have to send it first class otherwise it wouldn't get there on time. *crosses fingers*

Do it - mine was first class too!

Neil's mom isn't answering the phone. grrrrrrrr. I MUST know if her presents arrived

Don't give up hope just yet. I received a parcel from my future MIL today, postmarked Dec 5th.
I do think they try hard to get everything sorted by Christmas.
All my boxes (3 of them) were sent over to the States after the 5th and they all arrived last week. Its just this end thats slow I think.

I just tried to call her again but she isn't answering. Does the post arrive on Christmas Eve in England?

Here are the deliveries over christmas and the new year
ftp://ftp.royalmail.com/Downloads/public/...Collections.pdf
I assume they deliver tomorrow (Saturday) too.

THANKS! Well if she doesn't get it before Christmas she'll just get it a few days late.

This is the headlines from my local paper. I'm expecting at least one more parcel and wondering whether I will receive it. Dec 24th is the last delivery day !!!

I think Neil's mom's presents was one of those parcels because she hasn't got them yet! Hopefully she'll get them on Thursday.

Randy sent me a parcel too, I still haven't received it. I hope it gets here tomorrow or friday. A friend also sent me a christmas card from Georgia, US, still not received. As far as I know they were all mailed before the last guaranteed date.
Also, Randy mailed a card to my Aunt after the last date and she received it Christmas eve. The post in this country is totally screwed up this year!!!!

I know it's completely screwed up! I called Neil's mom yesterday and she actually said BAHHUMBUG!

My parents still haven't received their parcel.....GAH!

I just tried to call Neil's mom to ask if she received hers and she didn't answer...will try again in a bit. Didn't you send yours before I did? I sent it on Dec 11 or 12

Yeah, I sent mine on the 5th December. I expect it's lost somewhere in England....Yay for Royal Mail!

grrrrrrr@royal mail...I wonder if we can use our customs form number to make sure it at least got to the UK? I'm going to look into it because I have all the stuff sitting here.

JandC has your parents received their package yet?

Nope...still not delivered.

grrrrrrrrr royal mail I hate you!

I wonder how long we have to wait to say it's lost?

Still not there...

Neil's mom called Royal Mail on Saturday and they told her she has to wait until 6 weeks have passed to report it lost. GRRRRRRRRRR

Damn, that sucks! Next time, use DHL or FedEx!

Oddly all my parcels to England arrived safe and sound and fairly quick its the one that went to my sister in Italy that is AWOL .......... why do we always blame the Royal Mail and not the US end lol (I'm currently awaiting a letter posted to us from here in OH over a week ago that still hasn't arrived and is critically important)

Personally I blame all of lifes ills on The Royal Mail....it just seems fitting.

I sent a parcel to the UK by Express Mail for Christmas.

The parcel contained presents for all of my family back home. I thought it would be easier sending one big box so my daughter could take the gifts to all my family.

The woman at USPS told me it would be delivered between 3 and 5 days. This would mean it would be delivered in more than enough time for Christmas.

My item only arrived in the UK on Friday 4th January. It was then delivered to my daughter on Saturday 5th of January.

My item was tracked and it showed it had left the USA - it was later found not to have been sent to the UK and it was still at Miami! They only checked it because I asked for an investigation. They didnt rush themselves either!

When I questoned USPS about the express mail service they said it was not guaranteed (not what i was told at the time of mailing) - it cost me $144 to mail it out - I guess it would have been just as quick to use regular airmail - chances are it would have arrived the same time.
I will never use Express Mail again!

I checked too and they also told me it left the US! I'm calling tomorrow to b*tch! I said the same thing the other day I might as well have spent way less money and mailed it the 4-6 weeks way

The problem with Express or Priority Mail (by USPS) is that it's only priority IN THE US, not in the UK. Once it leaves, you are on Royal Mail time.

And in your case, apparently not express even then!

One exception appears to be Global Express Guaranteed -- it's actually handled by FedEx on the international side. It costs about 80 gazillion dollars but it does get there on time. We sent Bruce's PhD dissertation this way on a Wednesday afternoon and it was on his supervisor's desk in Dundee by Friday morning.

On a side note, on New Year's Eve, I posted 25 invoices to various destinations around the world, including the UK. I also posted a cheque to someone in Pasadena. Wouldn't you know, the invoices sent to the UK got there on January 2nd, and the cheque didn't arrive until the 4th?

I hope this isn't too tangential a question, but seeing as people have been sending large parcels to their family and friends, what have been people's experiences with custom charges?

My fiancé has been sending me presents from the US for a couple of years now. They're usually between the value of $50-150 (he never lied on the customs form) and they'd always arrive safely on this end with no additional charges incurred.

Then last September he sent me a birthday present (value $200) through the same shipping company he usually does, with the usual form filled out (gift box checked). Not only did it take longer than usual to arrive, but I then received a notice saying I couldn't receive it until I'd paid £27.50 in VAT and handling. I queried this but it's apparently correct and certainly on the Royal Mail site it states that all gifts over the value of £35 are subject to those fees.

If that's the case why was I never charged on previous packages? Is it a new rule that they've slipped in somewhere, or was I just lucky the previous times? Is there any way to avoid future unexpected charges (what about when I ship presents back to my family after I move?)

I'm pi$$ed cuz that happened on a bday gift I sent to my sis-in-law in the UK. Yet our Xmas package was not taxed. It seesm random. Some packages get it, some don't. By law - I thought it was $200 or less was OK.....but who knows.

Typical! Ah well, I'll just have to consider myself lucky that I've only been charged once. Just seems unfair - I can understand the restrictions placed on commercial goods and the like, but for personal gifts...

she got her package!!!!!!! YAAAAAAAY!! she said it was definately worth the wait!