How do I ship to Germany AND protect myself?

[eskobar]

MrRetroGamer: Fortunately i can read english and i know the USPS website, i you print postage online forget about the cheapest method and you will be fine with priority.

 

And about the insurance, it is not "self insurance" from the seller because i have to sign a small form to get the package.

 

If you send me a package by regular airmail (no signature), there are 90% chances that i lose the package (my statistics of lost packages).... and whenever i buy from an experienced international seller that requires "insurance, DC or whatever" i ALWAYS have to sign to get the package and it ALWAYS arrives.

 

Usually the postal offices has tight control of the packages that require signature and that offers a full protection because those signatures describe the path that any package has traveled to reach its final destiny. Packages that do not require signature are usually stolen because there is no way to know where the package was lost ... can be stolen by the postman or when they first arrive to another country.

 

I am not being (very) stubborn, man; i try to help you. And i insist, a visit to your postal office asking for advice will help you a lot, don't be blinded by the website; if you want to know about more sellers that NEVER fail to ship to Mexico i can give you a list of ebay sellers that charge similar costs.

 

You may be right about USPS not offering "insurance" ... but is that enough to stop you from doing more research ?. I just know that many sellers are doing big sales for international customers and they don't have any problem with lost packages, you should learn what they do.

[+poobah]

MrRetroGamer: Fortunately i can read english and i know the USPS website, i you print postage online forget about the cheapest method and you will be fine with priority.

 

And about the insurance, it is not "self insurance" from the seller because i have to sign a small form to get the package.

 

If you send me a package by regular airmail (no signature), there are 90% chances that i lose the package (my statistics of lost packages).... and whenever i buy from an experienced international seller that requires "insurance, DC or whatever" i ALWAYS have to sign to get the package and it ALWAYS arrives.

 

Usually the postal offices has tight control of the packages that require signature and that offers a full protection because those signatures describe the path that any package has traveled to reach its final destiny. Packages that do not require signature are usually stolen because there is no way to know where the package was lost ... can be stolen by the postman or when they first arrive to another country.

 

I am not being (very) stubborn, man; i try to help you. And i insist, a visit to your postal office asking for advice will help you a lot, don't be blinded by the website; if you want to know about more sellers that NEVER fail to ship to Mexico i can give you a list of ebay sellers that charge similar costs.

 

You may be right about USPS not offering "insurance" ... but is that enough to stop you from doing more research ?. I just know that many sellers are doing big sales for international customers and they don't have any problem with lost packages, you should learn what they do.

 

I think you are getting a little off track here...

It's not a question of lost packages, it's the issue of COST.

Sending something via USPS outside the United States with signature confirmation and/or tracking is EXPENSIVE... not non-existent.

 

Large sellers might low-ball shipping and send it the cheapest way, taking the risk themselves, but the "average Joe" is not in a position to do that.

[eskobar]

Is 8.30 usd shipping to Mexico expensive ?

 

I receive at least 10 packages from all over the world every week from envelopes to medium boxes that cost between 8.30 to 14.20 usd for the bigger boxes for a service that requires my signature ... i do not know the term USPS uses for that service, i know it isn't registration or insurance ... CoD ?

 

And your argument about large sellers "low-balling" shipping cost is incorrect because the ship hundreds of packages per week, if they lose money on shipping costs, they lose it for hundreds, don't they ?

[Zwackery]

Is 8.30 usd shipping to Mexico expensive ?

Just to get this thread back on track, and I'm not disupting the ease of US citizens to mail something to Mexico (especially since we are on the same continent), MrRetroGamer was talking about Germany, as the thread title indicates.

[eskobar]

I didn't want to get off track in any way, i was explaining myself with a real example because Mexico and Italy are the countries with the highest rate of stolen packages, which is the true objective of the thread : shipping safely with decent shipping costs.

 

If you can use the method that i took as an example, you can easily ship to Germany for 11.50 usd without worries about losing the package. I try my best to explain myself but i still have a language barrier.

[+poobah]

Is 8.30 usd shipping to Mexico expensive ?

 

I receive at least 10 packages from all over the world every week from envelopes to medium boxes that cost between 8.30 to 14.20 usd for the bigger boxes for a service that requires my signature ... i do not know the term USPS uses for that service, i know it isn't registration or insurance ... CoD ?

 

And your argument about large sellers "low-balling" shipping cost is incorrect because the ship hundreds of packages per week, if they lose money on shipping costs, they lose it for hundreds, don't they ?

 

1 pound to Mexico:

1st Class: $8.03

Priority: $19.00

Express: $29.50

Express Guaranteed: $54

 

The only tracking/confirmation services available for 1st Class or Priority are Restricted Delivery($4.30) or Registered Mail($10.80), which makes the cheapest option $12.33. The situation is considerably worse for items sent to Europe.

 

What I meant by low-balling is that the sellers do not purchase any extra services (registered mail for example) and take the risk themselves. A large entity can afford to lose a package here and there (cost of doing business), whereas a casual seller cannot.

 

People lose money everyday on shipping. For example, the maximum ebay will let you charge to ship a video game via priority mail is $4, but it costs a minimum $4.80 (and that's if you do it online!)

[MrRetroGamer]

1 pound to Mexico:

1st Class: $8.03

Priority: $19.00

Express: $29.50

Express Guaranteed: $54

 

The only tracking/confirmation services available for 1st Class or Priority are Restricted Delivery($4.30) or Registered Mail($10.80), which makes the cheapest option $12.33. The situation is considerably worse for items sent to Europe.

 

What I meant by low-balling is that the sellers do not purchase any extra services (registered mail for example) and take the risk themselves. A large entity can afford to lose a package here and there (cost of doing business), whereas a casual seller cannot.

 

Good information there, thank you! I agree with your assessment of how the larger shippers probably do business.

 

I would like to point out that shipping internationally is considerably more confusing that shipping locally from the USPS. Sometimes you will get different interpretations from different clerks at the same post office about rules and regulations, and obviously each destination country has variations in rules and services that add to the confusion.

 

Just to clarify the above prices, I was looking at the prices and info on the USPS specific Mexico page here(I know I was talking about Germany in the beginning, but we are using Mexico as the example now since it's more pertinent to some of the posters in this thread). They way I interpret the information on that page regarding extra services is that, under the First Class Mail International category (all the way at the bottom of that page) it says that Restricted Delivery does cost $4.30 BUT it states "Available for registered mail with a return receipt". So what that actually means that you still need to fork over $10.80 for registered mail AND $2.20 for return receipt if you also want restricted delivery. So now assuming that you'll just take registered service with the first class international, you have $18.83.

 

Might as well take Priority for $19 right? But hold on, you still cannot BUY insurance on Priority Mail International service of any kind. Apparently, they do give you some automatic insurance coverage based on the package weight, in this case they will provide $67.17 of automatic coverage ("Coverage is limited to the actual value of the contents or $67.17, whichever is less"). And if you use the cheaper small flat rate box option or flat rate envelope for $10.95 you do NOT get the automatic insurance coverage, so you'd still have to add registered for another $10.80. Lets not forget about the customs forms too!

 

Honest, I'm not making this stuff up. I might be going to the post office later today and I will even speak to someone there to get their interpretation. I'm willing to bet that the first person I talk to there will not be able to give me the correct info!

Edited March 14, 2009 by MrRetroGamer

[+poobah]

Good information there, thank you! I agree with your assessment of how the larger shippers probably do business.

 

I would like to point out that shipping internationally is considerably more confusing that shipping locally from the USPS. Sometimes you will get different interpretations from different clerks at the same post office about rules and regulations, and obviously each destination country has variations in rules and services that add to the confusion.

 

Just to clarify the above prices, I was looking at the prices and info on the USPS specific Mexico page here(I know I was talking about Germany in the beginning, but we are using Mexico as the example now since it's more pertinent to some of the posters in this thread). They way I interpret the information on that page regarding extra services is that, under the First Class Mail International category (all the way at the bottom of that page) it says that Restricted Delivery does cost $4.30 BUT it states "Available for registered mail with a return receipt". So what that actually means that you still need to fork over $10.80 for registered mail AND $2.20 for return receipt if you also want restricted delivery. So now assuming that you'll just take registered service with the first class international, you have $18.83.

 

As I re-read the actual rates page, I do believe you are correct on the registered part, so that makes the cheapest option $18.83

 

And that really makes the self-insuring large shipper argument reasonable... they save 10.80 each shipment against the risk of losing the package. even if they lose 1 in 10, its a good risk if you ship a large enough number of packages.

 

At any rate, it all boils down to a sad fact: It is very expensive for a US shipper to send stuff outside the US with any kind of delivery confirmation.

 

That is why I place the 'risk' on the buyer. I don't normally ship internationally, BUT if they want the item badly enough and are willing to take the risk, I will sell it to them. The alternative is that I don't sell it to them at all.

 

I recently shipped an Atari 800 to Europe, postage was almost $80 (for a $40 computer), but the person couldn't find one locally, so it was worth it to them.

[eskobar]

I have read all the last post and the information is correct but almost unbelievable, don't you think ?

 

USPS is probably the 2nd most advanced mail service in the world (Japan is the first) and i just cannot believe that they do not offer a cheap option to deliver a package. Are we talking about envelope or a medium box ?

 

Priority requires signature to get the package so you got covered without registering the package, first class mail is the only that does not have any protection for the regular service.

 

 

And about the "self-insurance" i still have doubts about it because whenever i buy something from the sellers that i know, the packages always requires signature ... if they were "self-insuring" they still have to use first class, don't they ?, and regular first-class doesn't require signature ....

 

 

I wanted to go this weekend to Texas, if i go to the postal office in Mc Allen and find something interesting i'll let you know.

 

But my advise is : Never take the risk, international customers shouldn't question high shipping costs.

[+poobah]

I have read all the last post and the information is correct but almost unbelievable, don't you think ?

 

USPS is probably the 2nd most advanced mail service in the world (Japan is the first) and i just cannot believe that they do not offer a cheap option to deliver a package. Are we talking about envelope or a medium box ?

 

Priority requires signature to get the package so you got covered without registering the package, first class mail is the only that does not have any protection for the regular service.

 

 

And about the "self-insurance" i still have doubts about it because whenever i buy something from the sellers that i know, the packages always requires signature ... if they were "self-insuring" they still have to use first class, don't they ?, and regular first-class doesn't require signature ....

 

 

I wanted to go this weekend to Texas, if i go to the postal office in Mc Allen and find something interesting i'll let you know.

 

But my advise is : Never take the risk, international customers shouldn't question high shipping costs.

It is sad, but true. USPS charges what the market will bear.

 

Incidentally, USPS Priority Mail does not require a signature. Perhaps Mexico Post handles it differently.

Edited March 14, 2009 by poobah

[MrRetroGamer]

whenever i buy something from the sellers that i know, the packages always requires signature ... if they were "self-insuring" they still have to use first class, don't they ?, and regular first-class doesn't require signature ....

 

Not that I am doubting what you are saying, but if it is possible please post a picture of the next package you get from the US that you sign for. You can blank out your address info, I'd just be curious to see what kind of markings are on the package so we can better tell what services the seller is actually using. The face amount of the postage would also be helpful to show if you can take a picture.

[Almost Rice]

If you send me a package by regular airmail (no signature), there are 90% chances that i lose the package (my statistics of lost packages).... and whenever i buy from an experienced international seller that requires "insurance, DC or whatever" i ALWAYS have to sign to get the package and it ALWAYS arrives.

 

Usually the postal offices has tight control of the packages that require signature and that offers a full protection because those signatures describe the path that any package has traveled to reach its final destiny. Packages that do not require signature are usually stolen because there is no way to know where the package was lost ... can be stolen by the postman or when they first arrive to another country.

 

I am not being (very) stubborn, man; i try to help you. And i insist, a visit to your postal office asking for advice will help you a lot, don't be blinded by the website; if you want to know about more sellers that NEVER fail to ship to Mexico i can give you a list of ebay sellers that charge similar costs.

 

You may be right about USPS not offering "insurance" ... but is that enough to stop you from doing more research ?. I just know that many sellers are doing big sales for international customers and they don't have any problem with lost packages, you should learn what they do.

 

 

Hi Eskobar,

 

I would like to know what method of shipment did your US shippers use to get a signature requirement in Mexico. I have shipped to Mexico about 5 times all using First Class International. I assume they all were received since no one complained about the packages not being delivered. My only loss has been to Brazil. I just wonder if you received a 1st class package from the US do you have to sign for it? I sent them without any added services.

 

Actually, I recently changed my shipping to Mexico and Brazil to EMS only. It costs only $27.14 for Express me to Mexico compared to $19 for Priority or $6.53 for 1st Class International(12oz.). I did so because of the loss of the Brazil package. I hope to not lose another package and get better service for my customers.

Edited March 15, 2009 by Almost Rice

[MrRetroGamer]

I'd just like to add a happy ending to this thread. The item was shipped by standard International AIRMAIL and was received on a timely basis. I actually did 2 additional international transactions (one to Germany and one to France) and both of those arrived without any trouble as well, using the standard US International AIRMAIL (no special services added). So I guess it IS possible for things to arrive safely without breaking the bank on either end.

[eskobar]

hehehe, congrats

 

I am sorry i couldn't send a scan of a package because all the packages i have paid lately have been delivered to a US address

 

Any new info, i will post it here