[Woolly Meredith]

Does anyone ship internationally from their home?

I know that Paypal & the USPO both allow printing international postage from your computer but I am too chicken to do it...

The ONE time that I did print the postage online the customs form came out HUGE - much bigger than the little green & white ones you get at the PO, it was also printed on my sticky label paper so I stapled it to the corner of the package and dropped it into a PO box and hoped for the best. It has never been returned and I never heard from the customer so I assume that it arrived okay -but I am afraid to do it again - silly, right?

The obvious answer would be to go talk to my local PO workers but they are the meanest people on earth and whenever I've asked them anything about online shipping they refuse to answer.

I have another baby due in 5 weeks and my busy season is going to be in full swing so I really need to work this out without going to the PO with 2 kiddos in tow, in the winter!

So, do you print international postage at home with success? Do you do it through Paypal or USPO online? What do you do with the customs forms?

 

[Doll]

I have never printed postage online, but depending on which country you were sending it to, sometimes it requires a big huge customs form. When I send stuff to Canada, it's the little green one, but if I send stuff to Taiwan or Japan, it's always a big white one. So that's probably normal, you just had never seen it before, maybe.

 

[Kristine233]

I tried online shipping for international once and it woudlnt work and double charged me. I've been afraid to try again. Fortunately my postal people are nice. The post master keeps pulling me aside to ask if I need any help with online shipping though. He says it might be easier and if I have any questions to call him. And that he'd hold the outgoing shipments trucks for me if I had any packages coming in with my carrier. He's too nice, I cant tell him I'd rather get out of the house, lmao.

 

[Leddie]

I've never tried it online.

I do have large stacks of the custom forms (did you know the large white forms are trackable?) and I complete everything at home, including the airmail stickers. I drive up to the back of my post office and ring the bell and drop everything off. They keep my credit card on file and give me the receipts the next day. No waiting in line! No holding up the line. No removing children from the car. I know you wanted to avoid the post office altogether. Hopefully someone else has more experience.

Good luck and congrats on the baby!

 

[rubelin]

I do it all the time with Stamps.com The main reason I switched from using the USPS site was that I had so many international packages and I hated that I could only print the postage for domestic priority mail and nothing else.

 

[dotnetdiva]

I also do it everyday... I use endicia.com

Sometimes it fits everything on the 4x6 labels I use. Other times, for airmail, Global Express, and Military mail... it prints out 6 copies of customs forms for me to all sign. It's very easy though.

 

[cchrissyy]

i do it all the time with endicia.com service

I get customs forms from the post office in person, or by ordering through the USPS website (forms and priorty supplies are free and delivered to you with the mail!)

I've never had any sort of problem- been doing it almsot 3 years now. I haven't used paypal printing, and USPS only once, but I trust endicia and have worked with them for many refunds for printing issues. anyway, whichever service you use, get the green forms from USPS- they're free and you odn't have to use your paper/labels and get wierd sizes or whatever.

 

[Woolly Meredith]

Thanks for the helpful advice everyone! I am going to start printing the customs forms online and keep my fingers crossed. I did mention it to the evening shift at my local PO (who are a lot nicer than the morning/day people!) and they said it will be okay, so I just have to do it!

It is very interesting to read how different everyone's experience is with their postal workers! The ones who work at my PO are truly the grumpiest people on earth! HOWEVER< I do have the kindest, most helpful mail carrier ever - so I guess it balances out!

Thanks again!
Meredith

 

[cchrissyy]

i haven't been to the PO in almost 3 years- packages plus lines plus fussy baby made that a chore worth avoiding at any cost. that's when I got Endicia

 

[art4babies]

I have a few times - mostly to Spain, Netherlands and of course Canada. Never had to fill out too much. I have a problem with estimating costs - chicken of investing in a scale, I suppose. :

roll:

Amy