Question for US sellers shipping to Europe Buyers

[SF Klein]

For a sub-1 pound package, what's the most economical way to get it to Europe with some ability to track the package? My Post Office is telling me to go with the flat rate $12.95 Priority International postage but there isn't any tracking for that option. To get a tracking number, they tell me it's upwards of $29!! I haven't checked FedEx or DHL but I'm guessing they'd be even more. What's the best advice here? Thanks in advance.

 

[AtomicAtom]

The Postal Service is by far the cheapest option. To get tracking it will cost you. It's just the way it goes. It's international shipping, it's what you have to face. Ship it fast but seemingly unprotected with Priority (best option in my opinion for a cheap small package), or spend the cash to get it tracked. Just make sure you get insurance. The insurance costs most likely wont even come close to half of the 12.95. Hope this helped, but you seem to know the score. You are just looking to have your cake and eat it too.

 

[SF Klein]

I guess you could say I want to share the cake with the recipient - we both want peace of mind that the item arrives quickly.

So if I understand, I should go with the Priority International because then you get the 6-10 day shipping time vs. the cheaper version that just says "varies" for shipping time, but then I can buy additional insurance on top of the $12.95?

 

[AtomicAtom]

The priority shipping (to my knowledge, and I asked recently as well) comes with the no insurance and you add on top of it. So always get insurance. I think I understood it that it was quicker to do it priority sometimes, at least one postal worker told me it was, but who really knows.

 

[stauqmuk]

If you can print a shipping label through paypal it'll cut about 4 or 5 dollars of the price and set you up with all the customs forms automatically. The tracking number conundrum is a pickle, it's expensive to track but cheap to insure if you ship from the post office but I just printed from paypal and was given a free tracking number (though it hasnt updated in 4 days). I shipped priority not flat rate because if the package is really light (sub 2lbs) the freight is less expensive. Hope that helps.

 

[obi-wan-mtb]

shipping to europe

Hi,
i am not 100% sure but if you ship it to Europe you have to fill in a CP72 form, right?
I remember I got a copy of such a form from a package shipped priority and on that form was a number somehwere which I used to "track" down the package.
With tracking I mean: I had to call the postal service here in the Netherlands personally and with the number I provided the could tell me it was still at customs here in the Netherlands somewhere and that it would clear customs in 2 days.
So itis not realy like tracking online but it seems it is somehow registered.
Maybe someone can confirm?

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