R. Mail International Signed/Tracked - So Expensive!

supersaver09

Recently, i sent a 50g package (a small jiffy bag) to the USA and it cost me £8.80!
I think this is very expensive.
I could understand if it was a heavier item, but it was a lightweight item in a small Gift Box!
The same item sent FROM the USA would cost them about £4 (with a Tracking No.).
Why on earth is Royal Mail International postage so high?
This really puts me off sending items abroad.

steviebabes

The signed & tracked portion is £5 no matter what the weight so I only use it for items with a value of around £50 as this it the compensation level for this service.

RFW

supersaver09 wrote: »

Recently, i sent a 50g package (a small jiffy bag) to the USA and it cost me £8.80!
I think this is very expensive.
I could understand if it was a heavier item, but it was a lightweight item in a small Gift Box!
The same item sent FROM the USA would cost them about £4 (with a Tracking No.).
Why on earth is Royal Mail International postage so high?
This really puts me off sending items abroad.

Value is relative isn't it.
Have a look at what couriers charge. For a one off service DHL through WHSmith is £29.95 for the same type of letter.
If you work out what is involved then it's quite good value. Sorting, scanning, tracking, putting on an aeroplane, travelling 5,000 miles, sorting, hand delivering and receiving a signature at the other end. All that for under a tenner seems like a bargain.

martindow

Did you need to send it on a signed or tracked service? If the value is under £20 basic airmail would have been £3.80. This is a bargain as first class to just up the road in the UK costs £3.20 if it's over an inch thick.

ballisticbrian

You might think it's good value, but to me it seems clear that those sending mail out of the country are subsidising those sending items in.

RFW

ballisticbrian wrote: »

You might think it's good value, but to me it seems clear that those sending mail out of the country are subsidising those sending items in.

I've mentioned on here before that international postage is bizarre. Chinese sellers appear to be able to send a large letter to the UK to be delivered by Royal Mail and it costs them less than anyone can get UK only delivery.
The US postal service is in a bigger mess than Royal Mail, they lose fortunes. Surprisingly for the US, it is still fully nationalised. I don't know a great deal about it but suspect it will be a task of the next President to do something about it, so expect their prices to shoot up.
We have family in the US and receive parcels/letters from them, there never seems to be that much difference in prices. No one ever bothers with tracked stuff, in fact the only lost parcel we've had was sent tracked.

ballisticbrian

Yes, and it would be great if the now privatised Royal Mail looked at the discrepancies. My guess is that they are obliged to look at what is expected from them under the Universal Postal Union first.
Before the days of small widgets being sent from East to West, it was *assumed* that for every letter sent one way, a reply went the other, and on that basis, letters were delivered with no financial imbursement.
However, in more recent times, countries have been allowed to bill for mail, maybe it's done by gross weight? but surely using this system, Royal Mail should be able to address this.

RFW

ballisticbrian wrote: »

However, in more recent times, countries have been allowed to bill for mail, maybe it's done by gross weight? but surely using this system, Royal Mail should be able to address this.

I've tried (not too hard!) looking for information a few times, there seems to be very little about it. It seems like something the newspapers would be interested in these days.

merzal

I once sold an item to someone in Germany, they didn't ask for a postage price till after the auction ended. On my listing I had charged for 1st class + 10p for packaging. I said to the buyer I would find out how much more the postage would be and add the extra to the invoice which they were more than happy with.
Imagine my surprise when the lady in the post office told me the item was cheaper to send to Germany than it was in send domestically.
It was a small, lightweight, inexpensive item just over the large letter size. I had a very happy buyer!

ballisticbrian

the item was cheaper to send to Germany than it was in send domestically.

this must have been over 2 years ago before things changed...

soolin

ballisticbrian wrote: »

this must have been over 2 years ago before things changed...

I remember those days, I did very well out of it on my smaller items with headline grabbing 'inclusive postage to the UK and Europe' . Now with the change to packet v letter to Europe It makes cheap tiny things mega expensive.

I am taking advantage of the current offer of lower weight bands for international packets , but have completely forgotten when it finishes