Shipping coins to UK and Canada - help, please?

pendragon1998 · January 16, 2007 10:57AM

Hi y'all,

I posted a similar question on the world coins forum, but I'd like to get a (presumably) larger opinion base on this question. I've gotten several conflicting answers to this and I'm still a little confused, so I'd appreciate anything anyone else has to say.

I'm thinking of expanding my shipping options on eBay to include the UK and Canada. I'd mainly be selling items in the $20-$40 range (not including shipping) - just the occasional slab or 1 oz bullion coin. I'm confused as to what the best option is for shipping. I've heard people say global airmail letter post is the best, and certainly it's the cheapest - but is that correct in accordance with UK / Canadian regulations? I've heard others say that I must ship by registered post or global priority mail. Which one's the correct way? I don't want trouble with customs or with my customers not getting their coins.

Also, for whatever method I'm going to use, what are my options with delivery confirmation or insurance? I've heard of scammers doing paypal charge backs and if the seller doesn't have proof the coin got there, they're S.O.L.

Finally, When bringing the coins into the post office, should I just bring them in a padded bubble mailer and stick that into whatever mailer the post office requires? How large are the post office mailers for international shipping?

Thanks for the input!

mrpotatoheadd · January 16, 2007 11:42AM

I think you're going to have a tough time getting any kind of definitive answer to some of your questions, since it appears that the info on the USPS website does not always agree with other countries' customs regulations. For example, an Australian poster on RCC claimed that he asked the customs department in his country about that USPS restriction [no coins allowed] and was told that none such existed for importing numismatic items into Australia.

RCC post

<< <i>And (as I suspect you know) I have on hand emails from Aussie Customs, Aussie Post
and USPS.

Aussie Post: "Not our problem. Don't care. Ask Customs."

Aussie Customs: "There is no such prohibition." (No indication where USPS got the
nutty idea.

USPS: "We can't/won't change the notice on our site until Aussie Customs officially
nofies us otherwise. No, your email doesn't count."

Sigghhhhh. >>

Although I can't make any guarantees (nobody knows for sure what some government worker somewhere in the world might decide to do), I've mailed hundreds of packages all over the world using airmail letter post without trouble.

<< <i>Finally, When bringing the coins into the post office, should I just bring them in a padded bubble mailer and stick that into whatever mailer the post office requires? How large are the post office mailers for international shipping? >>

Depends on how you mail them. If you're using Global Priority Mail, the post office has free cardboard mailers- there are a couple of different sizes. If you're shipping via letter post, you need to provide the mailer yourself- bubble mailers will work.

As an added precaution (since I don't know how honest postal workers are in other parts of the world), I generally secure the coin in between two pieces of cardboard and then use double-sided tape on the outside of the cardboard sandwich so that the coin can't be removed from the envelope without tearing the envelope apart. This doesn't protect from outright theft, but I figure it's better than nothing.

nickel · January 16, 2007 12:01PM

Start with the us mail service site : www.usps.com
click on the calculate postage tab , and enter the
destination country . fill in the weight and class
of mail . Besides a letter , all packages require
a customs form. The weight or insurance determines
which customs form to use . Not all countries accept
all classes of mail . Go to your local PO and ask
'If I mail this to XXXXXX , can I use air letter post,
air parcel post, global priority , express mail etc.
Also ask about insurance , as some destination countries
are not insurable . In the ebay world , most (foreign)addresses
are not confirmed . Paypal will side with buyer most
all the time . Buyer gets refund and your item . You are out
of luck on shipping and item you sent .
Paypal to foreign needs a tracking number and about
the only way you can get that is using Global Express
Mail .That cost a lot (for the buyer0
For inexpensive single coin or two, a regular letter
in a mailer is ok. Post not meant to scare or repel
your business ,just be aware of what to expect

291fifth · January 16, 2007 12:08PM

Registered mail.

AUandAG · January 16, 2007 12:21PM

I wonder why you would want to expand to Canada and the UK. Are you selling Canadian/English coins?
There are plenty of buyers in the US for such coins, IHO. Canada does require all coins EXCEPT legal Canadian
tender go through and pay the customs fees. I don't know about the UK. There are certainly more problems
with lost/misplaced/misdelivered/stolen mail in some countries. I've sent Registered US mail to the UK with cash
inside for a coin. Never left NY. Never was found. Was reimbursed $30 on my $76 of cash that was sent. It took
approximately a year and a half to get the $30. Shipping abroad can be difficult. If I were going to do it again
it would go in a plain envelope as inconspiculous as possible and take my chances. (I know the seller and have
personally met him and done business with him in the past and was comfortable sending the cash). Good luck,
bob

Envoy · January 16, 2007 12:32PM

Registered mail when shipping an expensive coin. For coins in the $20-40 range USPS works fine. Just put the slabs or coins in a padded envelop and send them using regular mail.

If you're using registered mail to Canada, you need to declare the item as "medal", "collectible" or "numismatic item" and provide the approximate value. The receiver may need to pay customs charge depending on the value of the item.

shmort6552 · January 16, 2007 12:38PM

As someone from Canada who has bought quite a few coins from US seller, I have never had a problem. With coins of that price range, most of the time they don't even come with signature required. A few do and its not big deal. I can't remember the last time I had to pay duty/customs. As long as you label it is a collectible or numismatic it has never let me down from this end. The only reason I say this is because if you say there is a silver dollar in the envelope, it might lead some to be "curious"!!!

Bruce

BowTieCoins2 · January 16, 2007 5:57PM

usps.com link

You can find a lot out here. If your shipping to Canada they have regulations, as shmort6552 states, mark the way he said. Good Luck!

Boom · January 16, 2007 6:29PM

I just succesfully sent my first ever piece to Canada and had no problems at all.

I filled out a USPS Customs Declaration - CN 22, Sender's Declaration Form (Form PS 2976)

available at the local post office and that was it.

pendragon1998 · January 17, 2007 1:19AM

ttt for those who are diurnal.

Shipping coins to UK and Canada - help, please?

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