Mail from UK to USA

Ok I have a pet peeve and I'm not living there yet!  Do you all have trouble with sending things to home from where you live.  My fiance sent something in late december and it still isn't here.  This isn't the first time either.  

My mail to him is excellent though.  What do you all do about mailing things?

Thanks for listening.

Kiz

I've never had a problem, Kiz.  Sounds to me like there's a problem with the post office your guy is using.  When my husband sent me mail I always got it within 4 - 5 days.  The longest I think it took was 10 days.  Likewise, stuff I've always sent to the US has been there rather quickly.  

Thanks Elle, that's what we've been starting to think as well.  If this keeps up it will be an expensive problem.  This last mailing cost him 40 pounds.  Guess I'll just have to send lots of mail back to Boston - perhaps the smaller post offices aren't used to sending it!  lol  

Elle's right - mail usually takes 4-5 days in either direction.  Packets and parcels can take a day or two longer.

Are you sure that your fiancé didn't send a packet surface mail?  If he did, and it is a lot cheaper, then it will probably take about six weeks to be delivered.

Kizmet,

Our experience has been the same as the other that have commented...4-10 days with regular mail.

BUT!

We had an absolute nightmare with registered letters and packages.  If you're sending anything from the UK to the US do not, under any circumstances use anything but regular mail.  There is no Fed Ex services here in the UK for regular folks (though there are some for businesses) that can get packages overseas in a hurry or recorded.  Apparently, the postal services here in the UK have no arrangments with the US Postal Serives with registered or speedy delivery arrangments.

When we needed to get very important documents from the UK to me in the States for my visa, we found that the UK Post Office did manage to get the package out of the UK in 24 hours, but when it got to Miami, where all the mail goes through, it just sat there because no one knew quite what to do with it.  Instead of speeding things up, it slowed them down unbelievably.  

None of the tracking services go beyond the UK borders either.  WHen I called to find out where the package was, all they could tell me is that it was last in Miami, and that if it had left there, they wouldn't know about it because they don't track international packages beyond that point.  Very annoying.  After getting the absolute run-around (and having 19, yes! 19 different numbers for people at the Miami airport) the package magically appeared after having been missing for about 3 weeks!

Not something I ever want to have to go through again, I can tell ya.  

Wishstar, last time I had to send something to the US overnight, I used UPS.  Actually, I sent it on Friday, and it was to the person (my mother) by 10.30 am on Monday morning.  Would have been overnight if I had called them BEFORE 3pm on Thursday instead of after.  But I had no problems.  In fact, the guy took cash as payment when he picked it up - good thing, since I personally don't have a current account here!  I not only got a receipt when he took the letter, but I also received on in the mail about a week later!

I had called DHL as well, but they couldn't guarantee it would be overnight "because with the panic alerts and all most packages are being opened and such" so it could have been 4-5 days before it got there anyway!  AND they wanted over £10 more than UPS.  I picked UPS also because since they operate in America as well, I knew the package would stay with them throughout.

Just a thought for anyone who needs express service to the States.  UPS gets my vote!  (And no, it was too cold for the UPS guy to be wearing those brown shorts!!!)

I'm not sure how UPS prices compare to ParcelForce's, but I used them to send Christmas presents to my family and it worked out really well.  They were able to do it in only a few days, even though it was the Christmas season.  I think you might have to take your package to one of their offices to get it delivered, but I could be wrong  :-/
  Anyways, maybe you could look into ParcelForce?

Jewel

Also.........  The UPS tracking service works across national borders!!

Whew!  Thank you all for your time here.  This issue has really upset Chris and I.  But I can see it must be a problem with perhaps his local post office.  I was worried about important documents for my visa as well - let alone him sending money for the wedding.  We will marry here.  But I'm relieved to know its apparenlty NOT a problem.  He's only tried to mail four times and two didn't work.  But both happened around Xmas.  Guess I shouldn't get worked up right.  

Richard, I think you are right.  He sent the last one by surface mail I think.  That sounded familiar.  I'll be sure to ask him about it.  

Thanks too for the UPS and other references.  You know I'll be needing it.  It will be fun to send a package etc to Boston instead of the other way around.  You all are the best!

Cool stuff!  See there?  I've been here two years next month and I did not know that.  

God bless the UPS!!!

It also seems to take ages for a USPS Global Priority Mail package to get from the US to the UK.  My brother mailed us a Christmas parcel, paid extra ($30!) postage for Global Priority, and it took over 5 weeks to arrive!  My MIL sent us a Valentine package over a month ago, again paying extra for supposed "priority" mailing -- we still haven't received the package.  But, regular old mailed packages and letters arrive usually w/in 5-10 days.  Go figure!

I think the Royal Mail folks see a USPS "Global Priority" package and put it into the "deliver when there is nothing else to do" pile. :-/

Stephanie

Let's not forget mighty customs.  If the package is worth more than £20, they're likely to search it.  I mailed a package from the UK to Iowa...there in about 5 days (airmail)...my sis mailed mine and it took over 2 months. So who knows.  
wench

We haven't had any big problems with mail getting here from the US. Biggest problem is getting the package as they always deliver it to the house during the times we're at work. Plus they've been known to not even ring the bell and just leave a note saying "sorry we missed you". My aunt sent us a christmas package through the us mail that took about two weeks to arrive. My mother did the same and it took a week. A bit wierd, but at least we got them.

My parents sent us our christmas gifts through FedEx. No problems there (except for the freaking $200 it cost). But FedEx in the UK isn't for private use, it's business only. And it's a small company here.  And when it gets to the UK, the package magically gets handed to ParcelForce (who, btw, delivers packages for regular mail.). It's such a wierd system, I don't pretend to understand it.

But I am impressed with how fast the Royal mail is. I was shocked to find a letter got to the states within 3 days!