International shipping change, FYI
jonathanb
Posts: 3,430 ✭✭✭✭✭
I just found another detail that got slipped into the postal rate changes last week. Used to be I could send a cheap coin internationally in a padded envelope for I think it was $5.55 on PayPal to most destinations. No longer. The new rule says, "Letters and flats may contain only documents, no goods." Goods have to go via Parcel rates, which apparently are around $13. Yikes!
Yes, I suppose you could try to get away with all sorts of things. This rule is new, and the wording sounds pretty intentional to me. PayPal won't even let you create customs forms for First Class letters. Speaking for myself, not something I want to play games with.
Apologies if this was mentioned already. I only found out today when I tried to ship something and got a lovely little surprise there... :-(
Comments
It has technically been that way for some time. If the postal clerk can't bend it from one end to the other, it incurred the higher amount.
I send engine tags around the world, and I have found that if I give it to the clerk, will get rejected, but most of the time, if I just drop it in the mailbox slot at the post office, it gets there fine.
Printing off paypal is a different story, though.
For first class there is a little known designation of "nonmachinable first class" which means it is bendable and not over 1/4 inch thick and it goes for a 21 cent surcharge rather than parcel. I wish they had that for intl but sounds like they don't.
I just mailed someone in Ireland a letter with a 2 euro coin in it. We will see if it gets there.
I miss the old days when they had "surface mail" for packages which was a lot cheaper than air mail. I think it all went by air anyway in the modern era.
Thanks for the heads-up !!!
I do not ship internationally... though I did when I was in business.... then, I would usually have one of our sales people carry it over on their frequent business trips..
Was a lot cheaper that way... they would also bring back special coins from the countries when I requested them from my contacts. Cheers, RickO
This is governed by the Union Postale Universelle standards board, so much of the US implementation is cut-and-paste from that.
I have managed to ship single coins (if thin) in cardboard mailers inside a letter envelope at the 1st class rate. Only once has it come back to me as requiring parcel.
As mentioned above, it's been this way for a while.