Shipping To The UK

[tg51]

A buddy of mine who is schooling in Scotland expressed some interest in tacking up the hobby, so I'm making him a starter package to ship over. Anybody have any experience with shipping to the UK? Time considerations? amount of tobacco that wouldn't cause issues? etc.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Pay a little more and use FedEx. Better all the way around.

 

[pipestud]

If shipping tobacco, FedEx will not accept the package for shipping if the contents are declared - which they require - as pipe tobacco unless you have a tobacco license. UPS also will not ship pipe tobacco unless you have a tobacco license. The caveat with UPS is they are franchised and a lot of the owners don't give a hoot about the national UPS policy because they want to make money and will ship anyway.

If under 4 pounds, you can ship to the UK via USPS Priority International for about $66. I ship to the UK every week and have been doing so for many years using USPS and have never had a package lost. And they only ask if the contents are liquid, fragile, perishable or potentially hazardous. But you do have to declare what the contents are on the customs forms. You are okay with saying smoking pipes but for tobacco its best to say that you are shipping second hand collectible tins. That is a defensible position because that is exactly what they are.

 

[BROBS]

If you can keep the packages under a pound 1st class international isn’t that bad. Gets to the UK prett my quickly.

 

[tg51]

@hoosierpipeguy , @pipestud ,@BROBS Thank you for the help gentlemen.

 

[BROBS]

Dang phone. Should say “Pretty quickly”

and good info @pipestud I didn’t know that about FedEx/UPS. Kind of silly they are the biggest deliverer of alcohol though.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Have Never had issues with USPS First Class International Mail Letters &Small packages,

 

[greeneyes]

The issue isn't in the sending, it's in the receiving on your friend's side in the UK. My understanding is that while the customs isn't as severe as Australian customs, it's still formidable. I'd try to make the package as inconspicuous as possible.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

USPS First Class International takes some two weeks tops to arrive in EU