Shipping UK to USA 2016

[Heather&Kevin 25]

I had a few items to get from the UK to the USA as a K1 visa holder

I did a ton of research to find the cheapest option

I found it best in my case to take some excess baggage on my flights (especially my bicycle as 'sporting goods')

The rest I sent using http://www.transglobalexpress.co.uk/

They used UPS in my case - and the quotes via their site were coming in cheaper than going direct to UPS

Their customer service was brilliant - and their live chat I used again and again to make sense of all the legal documents required

Everything arrive safe and sound in a few days

I found parcelmonkey to be quoting a lot higher

[Ryan H 3,797]

Moved from Moving to the US and Your New Life In America forum to UK regional forum.

[Edward&Wendy 2]

Really helpful site. Fedex wanted double what UPS are looking to charge.

Just a quick question, did you ship to an apartment in the US? My concern is UPS are a bit funny about delivering round my fiancé's way, and I'd be worried where everything would end up if they didn't deliver direct to the door.

[Heather&Kevin 25]

Really helpful site. Fedex wanted double what UPS are looking to charge.

Just a quick question, did you ship to an apartment in the US? My concern is UPS are a bit funny about delivering round my fiancé's way, and I'd be worried where everything would end up if they didn't deliver direct to the door.

I did. Shipped to a 3rd floor apartment in Vegas. The UPS guy carried the ENORMOUS boxes up all the stairs too. (I tipped him heavily after that)

And all arrived in a UPS van just a few days after shipping from the UK.

You can track the shipment on the transglobal / UPS website so you know which day it will arrive to make sure someone is at home.

Make sure you properly protect everything in the boxes. They left home looking like boxes and arrived looking liked they'd been thrown and dropped dozens of times. But everything arrived ok as I used a lot of clothes and bubble wrap to keep everything safe.

[AMZJ 61]

I took some over at Christmas and my fiance is taking some back with him after he visits in March (he lands on my birthday ). The rest I am using baggage hub for. I'm donating a lot of things to charity and just taking what is very important to me. It's approximately costing me £90 a 25kg box. It's a pretty big box and am using baggage hub. I managed to fit all my books in one but I'm going to split them between whatever boxes I am sending when I start packing the rest. I'm sending them over in April to my fiance as they have to see his passport for them to be put in his name or they said I could wait until I have my visa and then put it in my name and wait until closer to when I am moving.

[Alimanu 77]

I had a few items to get from the UK to the USA as a K1 visa holder

I did a ton of research to find the cheapest option

I found it best in my case to take some excess baggage on my flights (especially my bicycle as 'sporting goods')

The rest I sent using http://www.transglobalexpress.co.uk/

They used UPS in my case - and the quotes via their site were coming in cheaper than going direct to UPS

Their customer service was brilliant - and their live chat I used again and again to make sense of all the legal documents required

Everything arrive safe and sound in a few days

I found parcelmonkey to be quoting a lot higher

Hello, i am trying to use transglobalexpress for moving stuffs to the US. Please could you tell me more about the legal documents required and are we paying custom duty?

I am sending my old stuffs.

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Hello, i am trying to use transglobalexpress for moving stuffs to the US. Please could you tell me more about the legal documents required and are we paying custom duty?

I am sending my old stuffs.

Transglobal express has a lot of information on their website. Use their search box and type in "customs forms".

[Heather&Kevin 25]

Hello, i am trying to use transglobalexpress for moving stuffs to the US. Please could you tell me more about the legal documents required and are we paying custom duty?

I am sending my old stuffs.

you have to fill out the forms that the site asks for during the booking process PLUS the additional customs forms that (as Nich-Nick mentions) can be downloaded from the site

if it's used personal possessions then no duty payable for K1 visa holders

you will need to list every item and give it a value (some disagreement as to whether it's replacement or current value for the customs form, so i attached a sheet and put both values to be sure)

it's good practice to also give a copy of your visa page with the shipment - if the driver refuses it you can pass it via transglobal who will help with that

if you get stuck with the detail then use the live chat as they are super helpful

[londongal 17]

Did you use boxes from their website? I need to get some boxes delivered to my house so I can start packing but unsure as to what are the best storage boxes to use?

[Heather&Kevin 25]

Did you use boxes from their website? I need to get some boxes delivered to my house so I can start packing but unsure as to what are the best storage boxes to use?

No - I just used a decent quality cardboard box. Be aware that the boxes you use are likely to be bashed around - dropped - thrown - etc. So tough is good. And well padded inside your package is a good idea too.

For me it made sense to send 2 VERY large boxes - as that worked out cheaper than sending several smaller ones.

my biggest was around 30kg

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Be sure and stuff all the spare space in the box. I have received several eBay things that were wrapped nicely in tissue and bubble wrap that shifted in the box and were broken. Wooden things like nutcrackers with their heads, noses, or swords broken off...not fragile glassware.

[Heather&Kevin 25]

Be sure and stuff all the spare space in the box. I have received several eBay things that were wrapped nicely in tissue and bubble wrap that shifted in the box and were broken. Wooden things like nutcrackers with their heads, noses, or swords broken off...not fragile glassware.

Wise words

The shipping company advised to pack so it is ready... "to be dropped from above waist height onto concrete - MULTIPLE TIMES"

One of my boxes left box-shaped and arrived almost spherical. But everything was pretty much ok as I had stuffed every little space with clothes.

[londongal 17]

No - I just used a decent quality cardboard box. Be aware that the boxes you use are likely to be bashed around - dropped - thrown - etc. So tough is good. And well padded inside your package is a good idea too.

For me it made sense to send 2 VERY large boxes - as that worked out cheaper than sending several smaller ones.

my biggest was around 30kg

Thanks for this. Where did you get your boxes from? I want to order some online and just get them delivered to my house

I almost got some from the transglobalexpress site but they were charging me almost £10 just to deliver the boxes to me!

[Heather&Kevin 25]

Thanks for this. Where did you get your boxes from? I want to order some online and just get them delivered to my house

I almost got some from the transglobalexpress site but they were charging me almost £10 just to deliver the boxes to me!

I was lucky - friends of mine has just moved house and had a billion boxes to choose from.