Mailing parcels to the US

[Dani_man]

longjingcha-

Customs is dedicated to check how much someone who IMPORTS things to a certain country has to pay. They don't deal with poor students that want to send fragile souvenirs or Beida Chinese jokes book. I guess your country has thousands of packages everyday, and they are incapable of checking everything. Maybe they do take a glimpse in the form (which is not a customs form but a form which you write the address in and declare what you have inside), and it does make sense what you say about the trust in the other country (and the Laowai just get a better treatment and put whatever he wants ).

I just entered my EMS shipment code in their Chinese website (http://www.ems.com.cn/chinese-main.jsp) and apparently you can track it. (the last time my package was seen is last month Hong Kong... fishy...)

[elina]

Why would it be higher?

I will try to explain with my poor English, hope it will make sense.

In one word, because 计费档次不同/ the pricing standard is different.

Regarding printed matter/印刷品, RMB a Yuan is for the 起重，RMB b Yuan is for the 续重 for every 10g, and the price of RMB a Yuan or RMB b Yuan is different for various countries:

weight of 1-20g, RMB a Yuan

weight of 21-30g, RMB a Yuan + RMB b Yuan

weight of 31-40g, RMB a Yuan + RMB b Yuan + RMB b Yuan

weight of 41-50g, RMB a Yuan + RMB b Yuan + RMB b Yuan+ RMB b Yuan

……

The heaviest weight is 5000g for printed matter/印刷品 for one pack.

Regarding package/包裹, RMB x Yuan is for the 起重，RMB y Yuan is for the 续重 for every 1000g, and the price of RMB x Yuan or RMB y Yuan is different for various countries:

weight of 1-1000g, RMB x Yuan

weight of 1001-2000g, RMB x Yuan + RMB y Yuan

weight of 2001-3000g, RMB x Yuan + RMB y Yuan + RMB y Yuan

weight of 3001-4000g, RMB x Yuan + RMB y Yuan + RMB y Yuan + RMB y Yuan

……

The heaviest weight is 30000g for package/包裹 for one pack to USA if I remember correctly, to other countries, it’s usually 20000g.

So regarding some weight, the price for printed matter is higher than package.

Do you get any sort of tracking number when sending by normal post.

Sending by seamail/SAL/airmail also has tracking number on the receipt, if we need, we can go to the post office to check with the clerk there through the number.

[kayro]

Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question - how is everyone getting these cardboard boxes for shipping stuff home to overseas?

Are you buying them from the post office or Wal-Mart or Ikea?

I thought about picking up boxes at the supermarket, but they would probably not stand up to being tossed around on a boat during shipping for 2-3 months; where can I get some 2-3 double/triple ply super strong cardboard boxes?

[elina]

Don’t pack the boxes elsewhere, because the clerks at the post office will ask to check your parcels to see if there’s something unsuitable to mail. Just buy the cardboard boxes at the post office and they will pack for you.

[roddy]

If you want, go to the post office, buy them, take them home and pack, then take them back to the post office to send. But don't seal them - like elina says, they'll need checked.