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Inexpensive way to ship international?

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Inexpensive way to ship international?
timeerkat

timeerkat

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I posted up my friend's pins on Facebook for sale, and someone from the UK wants to purchase some. She says that she ordered a few pins lately from other people in California and that shipping was only $6. But when I put in the info on the USPS website I keep getting $13.50. (And when I go in person to the post office I'm always charged around $12-$14). Does anyone know how one gets $6 shipping to the UK? (Or France, as I have another person from there wanting pins.)
 
Hi Tessa, I have noticed that the sticker says "First Class International Mail", if that helps. I think it is calculated with stamps.com. For a few pins it is around $5. It comes with tracking too!
However I have heard that it depends on how thick the enveloppe & the pins are, for a box or very thick pin for example that wouldn't be possible as it should be a pretty flat enveloppe.
 
Yep. It's the flat envelope thing. Whenever I've asked people how they get such cheap international shipping, the answer always seems to involve fudging the definition of a flat envelope. A padded LBE is not a flat envelope by post office standards. Saying it is on an online postage site carries its own risks, in my opinion.
 
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Agree with Kim and the others. Sis tells me they fudge it and ship it as a large envelope. Sis uses my PayPal to ship and, unless they updated it, for international shipping, there was no option to ship a package, only a large envelope for first class mail.
 
Ah, ok, got it. Looking it up online, it seems as if the thickest they allow for a "large envelope" is 3/4", and a bubble mailer containing pins wrapped in bubble wrap are thicker than an inch.

I'll just let her know I'm not comfortable fudging it, and give her the option of passing on the pins or paying the package shipping price.

Thanks for the input, everyone!
 
I just recently learned how to do it in Paypal! I know they recently updated their international shipping because it wasn't always this easy. If its not a sale, and is a trade for instance, I have the receiver send me $1 as goods so i can print the label. You select "First Class International" and then you select package/thick envelope and imput the customs form and weight. I shipped a couple things to Europe and it was only about 4-6 dollars per pin. :) Hope this helps.
 
If you fudge it through the post offices website, you can usually get it between $4-8. It won't be fast shipping but you'll get tracking. You just have to say its in an envelope. If you are shipping with a bubble mailer, you'll be fine. I've never had any issue shipping international by doing that.
 
I just mailed a trade to Australia yesterday ,it had 2 pins in it ...and it cost 13.75 ,but if anyone knows me ,I wrap my pins like Fort Knox .. Judy
 
I receive pins from the US a lot and most people charge me $6 and ship through paypal as a large envelope. Never had any trouble receiving and the customs number is trackable too. I usually get my pins within a week to 10 days, 14 days max! :)
 
I've shipped to the U.K. Many times and Australia and it's always been around $12-14 for 5-10 pins.


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tiggermickey said:
I just mailed a trade to Australia yesterday ,it had 2 pins in it ...and it cost 13.75 ,but if anyone knows me ,I wrap my pins like Fort Knox .. Judy
Click to expand...


It wasn't any cheaper on my end either.

that wrapping sure was impressive though
 
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Oh no Rob ,I am for sure it was high ,I was just pointing out I sent one ...imam sure mine will be here soon,my mail runs slow especially in Indiana ,it's horrible
Judy
 
tiggermickey said:
Oh no Rob ,I am for sure it was high ,I was just pointing out I sent one ...imam sure mine will be here soon,my mail runs slow especially in Indiana ,it's horrible
Judy
Click to expand...


years back it used to be a lot cheaper to ship USA to Aus than Aus to USA but now the prices are pretty much the same.

Hope you receive your pins soon!
rob
 
My dad has a contract station for the post office. You canNOT get cheap international shipping unless it fits through the "first class flat envelope" thing...and if the envelope is lumpy, it has to go as a parcel. Try putting a thin piece of cardboard in with the pin(s) in the bubble envelope. And try spreading the pins, or whatever the items are, out in the envelope so they feel flatter when you hold the envelope. Anything to make it feel "flat" to the touch.:p :)
 
So now that they changed the online rules on usps, and thus paypal online shipping, is everyone forced to pay the $13ish dollars for shipping pins abroad?
 
You used to be able to cheat the system and ship it as an envelope but the USPS made a big stink saying after the 21st on Jan they will return anyone who tries to ship it that way. You have to ship it as a package, and pay the $13+ sadly. Stamps.com requires a monthly membership and apply as a company or something to get their $5 rate.
 
Pengy said:
So now that they changed the online rules on usps, and thus paypal online shipping, is everyone forced to pay the $13ish dollars for shipping pins abroad?
Click to expand...

Man, I was caught off guard by this when trying to print a label from PayPal just now. I thought using PayPal would still allow me to avoid the ridiculous international mail cost. :/ Guess not. I suppose that means I'll have to reduce the number of international trades I make - or find a pin trading buddy for each of the overseas parks. :P

Thanks for confirming this.


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