Shipping by other than USPS?

Sending from UK

MiriamJ — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 10:23:20 GMT

Hi all, I have just sent off my first pack of letters and games to 1st SG Currier's chaps and was wondering if anyone here knows of a good way to send mail to US troops from BRITAIN?

I assumed that I could just send via BFPO but it seems that new guidelines mean I have to pay full US airmail rates just as if I was sending mail to any civilian resident in the USA. Surely there is a cheaper and better way of doing this, does any Brit here have knowledge of this?

Also does any Brit here know if the ban on sending food to US troops from the UK is still in place?

Many thanks,

Miriam J

Shipping from Poland - success!

clouddancer — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:23:58 GMT

I just got an email reply from my soldier that the package I sent 10 days ago safely arrived in Afghanistan - I got all teary eyed - which means I can start sending more packages and letters now.

In case there's anyone else from Poland who might need the info on how to do it successfully:

My package contained toilettries and was about 1.5 kg (3 pounds) and was sent via priority mail. I had to fill in the CP 72 form (standard for international packages). There's very little space on the form to list the contents of the package - only 3 items - so I also filled in additional CN 23 customs forms IN QUADRUPLICATE. Fill all forms in English, include the estimated weight (in kg, so put e.g. 0,25 for small items) and value (PLN XX) of each item.

If the post office clerk argues that the CN 23 form doesn't exist, they are wrong, and I suggest you speak with their superior. It is also a good idea to tell anyone who questions the validity of an APO AE address that "you asked at the main post office (or US consulate) and you're following their instructions". This little lie worked like a charm for me.

The CP 72 and CN 23 forms are, of course, not suited for APO addresses. The way I filled them:

Nazwisko: "your soldier's full name"

Firma: "Attn: Any Soldier"

Ulica: your soldier's address (anything that comes before APO AE)

Kod pocztowy: (left blank)

Miasto: APO AE + zipcode

Kraj: GERMANY

Two pros for putting in GERMANY as the country. 1 - You'll still pay a lot for shipping, but the rates are lower than shipping to the US. 2 - The package will get to your soldier faster because it won't be making a round trip across the ocean.

Remember to check the "podarunek/gift" checkbox on both CP 72 and CN 23. Additionally, on CP 72 in the "Wskazowki dla nadawcy w przypadku niedoreczenia" box in the bottom right of the form, check "doslac do adresata na podany adres" and write "ADDRESSEE'S COMMANDER" in the space below (this option should be free of charge).

That's it!

Has anyone from Australia sent packages succesfully?

Tania — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 11:51:20 GMT

I'm in Australia and I want to try to send a package but have no idea what to expect when I get to Australia post.

Any idea what customs or other forms I'll need, or anything else I need to know? I won't send food items or anything, just magazines & dvds etc.

Thanks

Question about sending package from the Philippines

zisto99 — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:37:40 GMT

Get Your Own APO Box

Amy937 — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:26:46 GMT

Anyone tried this?

http://www.apobox.com/?gclid=CO2g9sKrlZQCFRdinAodlUx8fQ

Amy

Shipping From the U.K ... Please Help!!

janine — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:06:37 GMT

Hi all,

I have written to my soldier and would like to start sending him some goodies soon but as I live in the U.K I am unsure of the address to send his mail to...

He has given me an APO address but as I have found out anything I send to him will have to go from the U.K to the U.S before being sent on to him in Afghanastain.

I have been unable to find any information that relates to my specific enquiry except that I read somewhere that you should not address things to the country in which he is in?

And I am unsure if Royal Mail will accept the letter as it is addressed at present, there is a special mailing system for Armed Forces but this only relates to our troops.

I am worried that if I send it as it is it may go astray or takes weeks to reach him I feel time is of the essence as he is currently being trained to go to the frontlines in a couple of weeks

If I write at the bottom of the letter U.S.A, will this be ok?

Please help as I don't think he has much mail and he has asked me to send him some basic things, which really makes me feel for him as I tend to take the things he requested for granted.

Also he has been so depressed of late that I would love to know that I have helped to brighten his day.

Many Thanks,

Janine

Another shipping company

Krewe Captain — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:36:45 GMT

I have been using a local mailbox place for several months and it is working out really great. I know that there are some great USPS employees.........we have several, but it seems I kept getting the one that had a chip on his shoulder everytime I went in. And then, the line at my post office is always about 10 deep so when I went in with packages I had to wait. When it was my turn, I always felt like all eyes were on me and folks were wondering why I had to come with so many packages. Anyway, I found this little independent mailbox place and the folks are delighted to serve me. If I am in a hurry, they take my stuff and say, "We'll bill you. I don't even have to make out the labels. I give them the address and they make them for me. It is definitely worth the extra that I have to pay, which isn't much. I can also park close to the door, they loan me their cart to get my packages AND give me custom forms it I need them. Ya can't beat that!

Shipping from Canada

luckypennies — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 03:12:12 GMT

Hey,

I was just wondering if anyone else here has shipped from Canada, with Canada Post. My first parcel was shipped US Expedited (a 'slower' choice) but took only 10 days to arrive (and I mailed late Friday afternoon). I was wondering if anyone has shipped priority from Canada and about how long it took for arrival, and if there was a significant difference.

Thanks!

Shipping from the UK

daje — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 08:45:33 GMT

Hey everyone,

I hail from the UK and was wondering if anybody could help me with mailing out. Do I still have to worry about things like form 2976? And also an Anti Pilferage seal? Are these things essential for a letter from the UK? Also, I heard something about sending to Germany for AE addresses. Can anyone confirm that this works?

Many thanks to you all,

Daje

How long does it take?

alphagam7 — Sun, 20 May 2007 04:31:28 GMT

I am really confused on how long it actually takes for a package to get from stateside to Iraq. When I look on the USPS website, it indicates that priority mail packages usually arrive in 4-6 days, but I've seen on other websites that say it can take 10-24 days. Obviously you cannot request confirmed delivery or any of that when shipping to APO addresses (at least that's what the USPS website says), but for those who have been sending packages for a while...how long did it usually take to get there? I have an email address for the SGT in the detachment I adopted off another site and I've heard from him a couple of times in the past month, but I know that they are extremely busy over there. I also sent them a package on May 11, but when I go to do a track and confirm there are no updates. The only thing stated on the USPS site is that it was picked up on the 11th at 1045am........

Pay Attention to Flat Rate Postage!

timjm_82 — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 20:11:47 GMT

hey all,
Last week my youth group kids mailed out six boxes using the Flat Rate containers. Well, when I went to the PO to mail them my postal clerk, ok the substitute clerk, tried putting $9.15 on there for postage, as she forgot they changed the cost to $8.95. I caught her error before she got to far...she didnt think I was right at first but she looked it up and felt pretty bad for doing it. So when you go in to mail anything, especially the Flat Rate fee, be sure they are giving you the correct postage! They can be sneaky lil things in the postal service, so you gotta watch them!

Well IS there any other way to ship things than USPS?

joCee — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 15:20:37 GMT

I know this is probably a really stupid question, but short of chartering a plane and flying there myself, IS there any way to send things over there that the US Postal Service won't ship?

mailing packages

Mrs. A — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 05:50:21 GMT

Does anyone know if there is a possibility of delivering a load of boxes directly to an FPO site?

Last Christmas it cost over $1300 for mailing, and 3 other groups in town paid many hundreds of $ each for their platoons. We wondered if we could rent a u-Haul trailer or truck and drive them from OR to Frisco ourselves?

Any info out there?

How to send from Germany

mithrilheart — Fri, 18 May 2007 13:34:41 GMT

I just came back from sending off another parcel, all it costs is either 6,40 or 9,90 € - depending on the weight. And Í´ve experienced it takes only 8 days sometimes but that dependes very much on who you send it to.
From what I read on the website it seems to be easier to send the parcels from here than from you at home but the guys sure miss the things they are used to I can´t buy over here!! (I´m German)
Has anybody found a way to pack the chocolate they would love so much?

Thank you for the tips Gran and Janet

mithrilheart — Sat, 19 May 2007 11:56:26 GMT

I´m trying out all kinds of chocolaty things besides what you mentioned: cocoa, chocolate spread in the jar, chocolate cake. Because the things are pretty fast to get to Iraq from here I can put in German packed bread too, the kind that´s made with sourdough and ground rye or different grains. It keeps a lot better than the white sandwich bread, although they probably miss that a lot.
Over here in Germany people are thinking I´m crazy! At the postoffice they are very nice and friendly and a friend of mine says he thinks I´m crazy to do that, but he can understand it.
But where I work they think I´m nuts ! We don´t get much support here - not for our own soldiers - and certainly not for something like this. So I have stopped talking too much about it, as sad as it is. But to me it is so rewarding to think about that tiny bit of relief I can maybe give to a few of the soldiers who have to fight for their lifes down there.
I go shopping always thinking what they might need, what would be nice for them to have, if sth would fit in the boxes or if it is too heavy - does that happen to you, too ?
Do you too watch CNN scared of hearing how many have died today? That is so hard on me, although I don´t know anyone personally - I never planned on that to happen. And that´s probably what they mean when they say you get "addicted" to Anysoldier ...

SAM = Space Available Mail

Sister Ra — Wed, 23 May 2007 23:01:24 GMT

I've hear about this---SAM or Space Available Mail---wonder if anybody out there has utilized it before and what were your experiences with it?

Thanks for the feedback!