Timely sending books from US to China

[dreamon]

Hello all,

How long does it actually take for a Priority Mail International Flat-Rate Box to reach a Chinese destination from a U.S. post office? (To a southern mid-size city.) The USPS website says "6 - 10 business days", but is this true? When someone sent me a small package from China, it took about 2 months or more to arrive, but maybe this is different. Does USPS use air or sea transport? For mailing books (exam prep) are there any customs fees? Other than USPS, is there another career that ships under-20 lb boxes in about 2-3 weeks for under 100 dollars?

Thank you for information!

[Gibbs]

in my experiences 6-10 days is incredibly inaccurate. I also lived in a mid-sized city and the quickest amount of time I received a small package shipped via USPS was three weeks. USPS customer service can't help b/c once it hits Beijing it is in the hands of the Chinese Post. For important documents and packages I opened up a FedEx account online with my credit card. The people in the US sending me the package use my account number and it bills my credit card at the end of the week. It can be expensive ($50) from the east coast of the US but piece of mind and being able to track it every step of the way makes it worth it in my opinion.

[dreamon]

Gibbs> the quickest amount of time I received a small package shipped via USPS was three weeks

How about the average time, the second-to-worst time? (I assume that the truly worst is an outlier.) Three weeks is just barely fine with me, but two months is too long.

Gibbs> once it hits Beijing it is in the hands of the Chinese Post

Do you think that the main delay occurs after the package hits Beijing? Not because it is sent by sea?

Gibbs> I opened up a FedEx account online ... It can be expensive ($50)

The cheapest FedEx service for a 20 lb box, FedEx International Economy, costs about $350. The same goes for UPS. At least without an account. Are you saying that an account will reduce the price by a factor of 7? All these services deliver within 1 week or less; I don't need such urgency. Are there cheaper options?

Thank you!

[dreamon]

Excuse me for annoying everybody, but maybe someone else has any relevant information? I need to send the books very soon. Should I use USPS, or is there a better service, for a reasonable price?

[Daan]

I shouldn't think UPS or FedEx would be as expensive as those prices you quoted, so perhaps you could just walk into a UPS or FedEx drop-off point and ask them for a quote? If they're really that expensive, then I'm afraid the USPS would be your best option...

[dreamon]

My experience: Package accepted on Monday in California USA by USPS Express Mail International, destination: a mid-size city in South China. First delivery attempt recorded: Sunday (!), +6 days, next day after the customs clearance. (The tracking record of delivery attempts shows up days later, not sure how genuine they are. But they do call the recipient on the phone.) Successful delivery in a few more days - pick-up by the recipient. Package weight: between 15 and 16 pounds of books; postage cost: between $100 and $110.

Daan> I shouldn't think UPS or FedEx would be as expensive as those prices you quoted, so perhaps you could just walk into a UPS or FedEx drop-off point and ask them for a quote?

I walked into a FedEx drop-off point, they quoted me the same exorbitant price (close to $350).

[Daan]

Wow. That's crazy. Thanks for the update.