Return-Path: Received: from globe.edrc.cmu.edu by K.GP.CS.CMU.EDU id aa16095; 29 Sep 90 23:05:27 EDT Date: Sat, 29 Sep 90 23:03:25 EDT From: Philip.Sargent@GLOBE.EDRC.CMU.EDU To: Jennifer.Kay@IUS2.CS.CMU.EDU, abl@BEAGLE.ECE.CMU.EDU, bk1c+@ANDREW.CMU.EDU, bovik@CS.CMU.EDU, hread@MIATA.ECE.CMU.EDU, pms1@GLOBE.EDRC.CMU.EDU Subject: Shipping Stuff Overseas Finally got a reply from MAROADI/Mayflower, I think this is Pittsburgh/ Cambridge UK door to door: $184.50 per 100 lb, minimum 500 lb (minimum cost $922.50 that means). UPS only does air delivery, 50lb costs $206 (thats the max weight for each package, $4.12 per lb). US Mail ships books surface/sea at $0.72 per lb, and they give you a mailbag if you ask. Better ask anyway. US Mail standard packages seamail are $4.60 for the first 2lb, then $1.50 a lb, up to a maximum per package of 50lb ($76.60, or $1.53 per lb overall). Flying Continental Airlines overseas, they give you 2 bags checked luggage plus 1 bag carry-on, maximum weight each bag 70lb. Each additional checked bag is $80 (which I calculate as $1.14 per lb if you can get bags the right size and pack them to the absolute limit, tricky. Looks as if I'll be using the excess luggage on Continental, and arrange for family to help transport back in Britain. Here are some other peoples' contributions: Date: Mon, 17 Sep 1990 22:39-EDT From: Jennifer.Kay@IUS2.CS.CMU.EDU In-Reply-To: Philip.Sargent's bboard message of 17-Sep-90 19:05 Dare I ask, have you tried the US post office? I shipped a whole pile of books over to the UK last year and the post office turned out to have really decent rates. You have to go in and find someone there who you think actually knows all the funny postal rates. When I sent my books over there was a MINIMUM weight (I think, by the way, that books and papers can be sent this way). Anyway, ask them about sending a "mail sack" over to the UK. It is literally just that. They take your boxes and stick them into a big mail sack and then ship the whole thing to you. They even shipped the sack itself to me, although a beaten up USPS sack isn't all that useful. I think that this is a surface rate, so if you need your books fast, it's probably no good. p.s. I don't suppose you have any reccommendations on how to ship large quantities of stuff FROM the UK to here do you? Thought I might as well ask. Date: Tue, 18 Sep 90 10:03:26 EDT From: Antonio Leal I have much the same problem coming up. The mail (USPS) will send boxes of printed material (no records, sigh), for 72c/pound - packages to be between 15 and 66 pounds, labeled on two opposite sides. From: Howard Read Date: Wed, 19 Sep 90 00:54:02 EDT Could you forward any info you get about shipping overseas? I'm going to Vienna and would like to know the best way to get my winter clothes there.... Thanks a lot, Date: Wed, 19 Sep 90 16:12:34 -0400 (EDT) From: "Beth G. Klingensmith" I have worked in international freight forwarding, and I doubt if you will find a forwarding service that will be willing to offer you reasonable costs on a shipment of less than 500 lbs. Your best bet is to call an air courier service (Federal Express, DHL, Airborne, UPS, Emery Worldwide, etc.) and compare their fees. You should mention what you are shipping, as the shipper will recognize it as a dense package (usually means better cost to you, these companies are often interested in space taken up vs. weight). I don't know who Maroadi is, but I'm assuming they are a private shipper. They will probably only hire one of the above air couries and charge you for their profit. Most air courier companies have toll free numbers. It would not be expensive to investigate. If you choose to investigate, you may want to consider: Insurance Storage overseas (or here, for that matter) Delivery to door vs. another preference These couriers can probably work this any way you want, and much less expensively than a forwarding service.