cheapest shipping from US to UK?

Would you like some dip to go with that chip on your shoulder?

This 'answer' does little to address the core question, about the most effective way to ship from the US to the UK, as the OP and I asked about...

But since you felt compelled to offer some commentary - I've learnt over the years, that (in GB) it's just not worth the aggro - nor my time trying to fight a system that is nothing like the US-style customer service that Americans are spoiled by... I've also learnt that Brits 'don't understand' why we are accustomed to polite customer service, that solves our problems, that company XYZ created in the first place....

It's like tasting chocolate, if you've never had it - you simply do not know what you're missing - That said though, any yank coming to a new country, Lesson No. 1 is to adapt to the culture and place you are living in - and check your ego, expectations, and arrogance at the door, and adapt to the culture you are now living in ... As the saying goes, "When in Rome.... you best become a Roman"...

The 'issue' here though, is that 50% of this problem 'starts' with the US Postal Service - who when called on a FREE 800 toll-free number, called and emailed me *daily* with updates and they bent over backwards working for me, and with me, trying to get my package through, so that her Christmas surprise would not be ruined ... You see, our 50% did their job... Parcel Express, your lot, dropped the ball - and didn't give a damn - Bumper stickers aside, just out of human decency, you'd THINK that someone being paid to do a job, would simply do it - and if you have/had ANY pride in your position, company, employer and realise that 'what you do' reflects not only on you, but the company that pays your wages and provides a public service - IF that mattered to you (Ms./Mr. Employee) you may want to reconsider why 'customer service' does matter... It's what builds brand loyalty - and keeps happy customers coming back for more - which drives up revenues and stock prices... not to mention morale, and maybe, just maybe, a little something extra in your paycheck as a Xmas bonus? Hmmmm - Imagine that...

But in the land of flat/fixed wages, with no incentive to 'TIP' (waiters, cabbies, porters, etc.) there's no financial incentive to go 'above and beyond'... for you get paid the exact same wage regardless if your customer is 'happy' or 'not'.... Basically, you do not care... and it shows (to outsiders)... as does your massive chip towards yanks and our plastic fake smiles...

But given the choice of me being charged to ring EE, Vodafone, Lufthansa, Virgin, British Gas, to sort a 'problem' that THEY created by either not shipping a SIM or by not adding my credit card to my account, or by missing an installation time/date - I have to fork out .10p - .25p a minute, and be placed on hold for 10-40 mins 'waiting' for them to sort a problem, that they created in the first place!? - I am PAYING for the privileged of being abused by your stellar Brit customer service... Surely you can see the problem with that - no? Probably not... B/C just like chocolate, you've never tasted it - so you'd never know what it's like to be treated like a decent human being vs. tallying up a 10 pound phone bill trying to sort a problem that Vodafone created in the first place? The list is endless - but I suspect that no matter the number of valid examples I could provide, you'll stick to some redneck, plastic smiled, flag waving, bumper sticker yank that did you wrong down the line somewhere in life... and that's all you know - so I can't really fault you for feeling the way you do...

No place is 'perfect' - Not America - Not the United Kingdom... We're all imperfect ... and we all mess up and make mistakes... Does not mean I'm wrong, and you're right - nor you wrong and my way 'right'... It's just 2 different cultures - and you're more than welcome to stay right where you are and suffer (or tolerate all that you know) whereas I choose to live in different places and try to push not only myself to excel, grow, and be nicer to people I interact with daily (the golden rule, "Treat those, the way you wish to be treated") ... it's so very true... Or if you don't believe that one... then "you do catch more bees with honey, than flies to sh!te" ...

Either way - no amount of 'me' or my words are going to change your opinions of yanks ... But this was not about the person behind the counter anyway (American, or Brit, I've experienced my fair share at Boots and Tesco's that would give any 'fake plastic American' a good run for their money!!) (Innit?!:) ... Point is - I cannot paint everyone British with the same brush, and I will apologise NOW for every loud, boisterous, arrogant, needy, whingy, fake yank that have crossed your path... Gotta remember there's 9x times more of us than you lot - which means odds are, we're 9x times more chances to muck things up... But for every 'bad' UK customer service horror story I could share in the span of 2.5 years whilst in England, I can give you 5-10 stellar American customer services tales, where my business was valued - and I was treated with respect and dignity that I deserved, simply because I was a loyal customer, nice about the problem at hand, and a human being...

No matter which country we're from - I think given the state of the world today - we ALL could do allot more in treating each other with more respect, kindness, empathy, understanding, compassion, and if warranted, forgiveness... Has nothing to do with bumper stickers - Has everything to do with you as a person, and the heart you have inside...

Best -

BB

PS: I will totally agree with you that most Brits are better educated than your typical yank - and it shows... It's embarrassing how little most in America know about 'life outside their own back garden' - It's sad - Inexcusable - and I have no excuse or good reason 'why' that is? But I'd rather be street smart and know how to interact with people in a positive way, vs. book smart, and not even be able to carry on a civil conversation  .... Food for thought...

Firstly, I am American.
Secondly, I was definitely being too harsh, its just that I've read about 'great american customer service' on a few places around the forum, and I felt like speaking up because I disagree about how 'great' this customer service is. Neither Britain or America has stood out to me as having great or inferior customer service; I received great help in both countries and have experienced dismal service in both countries. What I was getting at is the idea that somehow, because American customer service is delivered with more overt positivity, its better. What I'm say is, sure there are more smiles, but when I'm in the UK, I notice that people who perform customer service roles, whilst less friendly, often seem more confident and a bit more worldly, and there's value in that too. My preference is for the UK style. For what its worth.

Yikes! So just because a cashier doesn't agree with your views, you wouldn't want to be served by them? That's pretty intolerant. Who cares what their personal views are on marriage and abortion if they do their job well?

Me, that's who cares. I don't have time for people who think somehow being gay gives you less of a right to marry the person you love and I don't have time for people who want to restrict woman's access to a safe abortion.

In saying that, that was not the point I was trying to make, so let me try again. Americans on the whole may be more friendly; back home I may be on speaking terms with a whole swath of people. But dig into what some of them believe in, their conservative beliefs on all sorts of issues, and I find myself completely 'anti' what they are 'pro'. So sure, maybe people in the states are more friendly, but they're not the kind of people that I would want to be friends WITH. And that's something to think about when comparing British and American customer service - the nice American cashier could very easily be a complete bigot, and what use is that nice smile when a.) the person thinks you are an abomination and going to hell for being gay or b.) the person thinks you are an abomination and going to hell for having an abortion or c.) the person thinks you are an abomination and going to hell for a plethora of other normal things that someone else's flying spaghetti monster has told them is naughty.

Me, that's who cares. I don't have time for people who think somehow being gay gives you less of a right to marry the person you love and I don't have time for people who want to restrict woman's access to a safe abortion.

In saying that, that was not the point I was trying to make, so let me try again. Americans on the whole may be more friendly; back home I may be on speaking terms with a whole swath of people. But dig into what some of them believe in, their conservative beliefs on all sorts of issues, and I find myself completely 'anti' what they are 'pro'. So sure, maybe people in the states are more friendly, but they're not the kind of people that I would want to be friends WITH. And that's something to think about when comparing British and American customer service - the nice American cashier could very easily be a complete bigot, and what use is that nice smile when a.) the person thinks you are an abomination and going to hell for being gay or b.) the person thinks you are an abomination and going to hell for having an abortion or c.) the person thinks you are an abomination and going to hell for a plethora of other normal things that someone else's flying spaghetti monster has told them is naughty.

All I can say is, how do you spot the folks who agree with UKIP? I've noticed bumper stickers aren't really a thing here... Most of the folks who agree with them are anti-immigration, and guess what we all are? Apparently my husbands uncle and aunt were thinking of voting for them. *facepalm*