To help you out, experts of Pkge.net have compiled a list of tips for secure and hassle-free international gift shipping. With these pro recommendations, you'll always be sure that your gifts are heading to their owners safe and sound, and the holiday won't be spoilt with late or damaged parcel delivery.
International Gifts: What Presents Can We Send Abroad?
So, you have decided to send a gift. Be it your friend or relative abroad, the one who recently emigrated and wishes to get a piece of the motherland, or simply a pal whom you want to please on his/her birthday or some important date, sending a present is a great solution. Of course, you can just buy something in an online shop and indicate the friend's address – but will it be as hearty and sweet as choosing and packing the gift with your own hands? Sure not. To help you out, experts of Pkge.net have compiled a list of tips for secure and hassle-free international gift shipping. With these pro recommendations, you'll always be sure that your gifts are heading to their owners safe and sound, and the holiday won't be spoilt with late or damaged parcel delivery.
What to Ship?
The first challenge to face is selecting a gift for shipping. We sincerely hope that your friend is not expecting a rare knife or a bottle of whisky from you, so let's set the inflammable alcohol and piercing and cutting objects aside. Everyone knows they are forbidden for international shipping, and we'll look for more innocent variants to please your relatives and pals.
It's always great to be creative with presents, and the best recommendation is to send something produced locally – otherwise, why would you go the extra mile to ship a present specifically from your city? Think of what your locality is famous for – maybe it's a piece of beautiful clothing or home décor, or some kind of a cosmetic product manufactured with care in the neighborhood? Foodstuffs are also a very common choice of a present – whether you want to share some local tastes with your foreign friends or help the nostalgic emigrant to feel the fleur of motherland again, it's a good idea to present something delicious.
But sending food comes with some reservations to keep in mind as you risk getting your gift confiscated or returned unless you follow the customs rules. The key principles to keep in mind include:
- Sending foodstuffs in the original manufacturer packaging
- Sending products with 6+ months of shelf life (others are regarded as perishable products unavailable for international shipping)
- Ensuring additional protection for fragile product packaging (e.g., glass)
- Checking the customs regulations regarding foodstuffs for the particular country to which you are shipping.
In case you follow these instructions, your chances to pass some delicious local treats to your recipient safe and sound, without any legal trouble.
How to Pack the Gift?
Packing of international shipments is an art of its own as parcels go through numerous sorting centers and transportation vehicles before getting to the recipient. Thus, the intactness of the parcel's constituents is totally your responsibility; make sure to take all precautions to guarantee the safety and integrity of your gift. Here are some ways to do so:
- Fix all moving parts of the object with tape to prevent the present from damage.
- Pack all fragile, valuable objects in separate boxes and place them in a larger box, filling all extra space with bubble wrap or newspaper.
- Don't wrap several objects together; they may get damaged due to friction or pressure.
- Place a copy of the postal tracking form inside the box. In case the outer form gets damaged due to any emergency, the parcel will still find its owner.
How to Track the Package?
Overall, the option of international post tracking is available for most countries and most postal carriers today. Thus, you shouldn't expect any trouble with the international tracking process as the 21st century urges all companies to keep up with the times and deliver innovative, efficient services to their clientele.
The process looks simple: you come to the postal office or a commercial carrier's office and register your parcel for departure. Once the parcel is processed and gets into the carrier's system, it gets a unique post office tracking number by which it will be traced throughout its journey across the globe. You receive that international mail tracking ID together with a receipt from the carrier, and from now on, the track and trace (international service for package tracking) is available. Use the carrier's website or Pkge.net for convenient monitoring the package's status in real time. In this way, you'll always know when to expect your friend's thank-you call!
What Else?
Here's the basic set of guidelines for your successful greetings with a holiday, birthday or anniversary to get straight to the doorstep of their recipient on time. As for the additional tips to consider, we would recommend:
- Indicating a correct estimated price of your gift (or its harmonization code) for its correct taxation at the customs. While some gifts are duty-exempt and can be delivered for free, you'd still be on the safe side to indicate all relevant information about your package on the box. Otherwise, the customs officers will open it for inspection, which will spoil the look of the gift and may ruin your congratulations.
- Sending gifts well in advance if it's the holiday time approaching. No matter whether the holiday season starts in your country or the destination country, the parcel may be seriously delayed.
- Making sure that the box contains only relevant information about your gift. To do so, remove all extra labels or irrelevant files from the surface not to confuse the customs officers.
As you can see, shipping a gift is not as hard as it might seem. You always have a chance to cause a smile on the faces of your dears and nears by showing your care and sending a piece of your heart together with some memorable or tasty gifts. Keep our shipping, packing, and tracking recommendations in mind to make the process hassle-free and convenient.
