How to arrange used parts shipping Internationally

If it is as light as you say it can be shipped via the post office with a simple customs declaration. I don't know all the details. But I receive several packages a year this way. Have your friend check at the local Italian PO.

CP

I don't know about sending stuff from Europe but I've mailed stuff to the UK using simple USPS without problem. There was a toy for a coworker's son available on Amazon but he could not get it shipped to him so I bought it, repackaged it and sent it for maybe $30 and it weighed a couple of pounds.

I second the recommendations to check out the post office. UPS and FedEx tend to hit you with a bogus "customs brokerage" charge when you ship internationally. Based on shipping some stuff USPS from the US to Germany, the minimum you are looking at is probably $25 to $30, but it'll be hard to go over $50 for several pounds of stuff.

From US to Europe, this is a simple form that you can get at the post office, fill out, and stick on the box. You always have to say what's in the box and give an approximate value, but something like "used electronic parts, $20" or "used machine parts, $20" is sufficient. The leading dodge is to mark it "gift", which means there are no duties. Or, if the parts really aren't worth much, don't mark it "gift" and pay the few bucks duty.

Matt Roberds

I get parts from Italy and Austria frequently. Small packages are typically in the $50 range. But that is from a FedX or DHL regular pickup, not the Mailboxec that has to bet a commission on the deal.

I'd just go with regular mail. They probably have a simple customers form at the PO and the cost should be much less than the big carriers.

mroberds wrote, on Thu, 03 Apr 2014 18:06:07 +0000:

It has to go /from/ Italy to the US. I didn't realize the US Postal Service does that. Do they?

Ed Pawlowski wrote, on Thu, 03 Apr 2014 14:36:16 -0400:

How do I set up, from the US, a courier for the regular mail in Italy to go the guy's place and then stamp and box the package in Italy, and then ship it to me in the US?

You don't. You can't. You send the guy some Euros and ask him to do it.

If he is willing to take it to the Post Office in Italy, it is a fairly simple transaction.

I've only shipped things the other direction. I give it to the USPS, they fly it to Germany, and then Deutsche Post delivers it to the recipient in Germany.

I'm pretty sure that if somebody in Italy gives it to Poste Italiane, they will fly it to the US, and then the USPS will deliver it to the recipient in the US.

Poste Italiane will probably pick up the box at the person's house or work, but it will need to be already boxed up, with the customs forms on it, and have postage. If you want somebody to go to the person's house, pack loose items into a box, and take it to the post office, then the quotes of $100 and up that you were getting seem entirely reasonable.

In unrelated news, your newsreader appears to be damaging the References: line, by inserting an un-needed tab character. This breaks the threading.

"References: < lhk7ud$ih$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me"

Matt Roberds