International Shippers

[Mystella]

Remember to mark your customs form as 'gift' and put the value as low as you realistically can. Also if you description says something like 'Made is USA pet items' then Canada Customs likely won't charge any duty. One year I had to pay $17 duty on my gift but it was still soooo worth it

 

I shipped something to Australia and it was ravaged and pillaged by their customs. They took most of it out. Check the country's restrictions. Oz allows almost no food in, even if they sell it there (they took individually wrapped greenies, even though they sell them in their pet stores)

 

I am sure there are more tips, so feel free to add some!

[Josie]

Big thing also to think of if you want to sent treats from the US to Canada (the other way around may occur too!!)

Your gift may be confiscated if they open it up and found treats made with bovine ingredients...

We went shopping to Plasstburgh last week-end ( CND$ being equal of US$ ) and got 2 bags of food for Tuffy (1/2 price!!!)...

Lucky for us he eats EP Ducks food because if it was the beef one we would have lost our 2 bags...

well this apply only if the customs really search and open up your packages..

[Guest Hannah]

UK to overseas, if your total package is over 2Kg in weight split it down into 2 or more smaller ones, shipping by the post office is charged by weight and the price rockets after the magic 2Kg point.

 

also sending into the UK if you use UPS be very very careful to mark it as gifts. we had some sent by relatives a couple of years ago that didnt get marked gift and we had to pay a very high tax/import duty on it even though it was obvious they had opened the box and all the parcels that were wrapped in christmas paper

[robinw]

if shipping to the UK, mail way earlier than you think is necessary. if you don't, the package will take 3 x longer to get there and cost 3 x as much to ship.

[Trudy]

If shipping to the UK, it needs to be shipped by Nov 1 or it won't get there due to the UK postal system issues.

[Guest Spiff]

One other thing to be advised of is that the USPS no longer ships via surface to international locations. This means that you must use airmail! You can only use First Class if the mail weighs less than 4 pounds. Anything heavier than that goes via Priority Mail and it will be expensive, so plan accordingly. (Shipping to Canada is less than shipping to Europe though - you can check the rates here.)

Edited October 18, 2007 by Spiff

[Mystella]

One other tip that you consider for long distance shopping is 'internet shopping' you can order things for your SS from their country of origin even if you aren't there and have it wrapped and shipped directly to them to avoid duties/import taxes, high shipping costs etc. Most of our GT vendors will do this for you and even let you send a personal note to go with it which they will print and enclose.

[Guest KatieInOz]

This is the AQIS site (Aussie quarantine) link for my SS

[Bevd]

One other tip that you consider for long distance shopping is 'internet shopping' you can order things for your SS from their country of origin even if you aren't there and have it wrapped and shipped directly to them to avoid duties/import taxes, high shipping costs etc. Most of our GT vendors will do this for you and even let you send a personal note to go with it which they will print and enclose.

It's true and I have done that before - but - one thing to bear in mind is that in some cases, people who register for overseas SS-ing, do so because they would like to send and or receive goods that they can't actually get in their own country so it may be that some secret elf type work is needed to find out what the recipient would really love.