You have packed the box, written the address and filled in the customs form, and then the shipping system asks for one more thing: the recipient’s tax ID number. Many senders have no idea what…
Most people think of customs as something that happens at the destination: duties, taxes and inspections on the other side. But the United States also controls what leaves the country. A customs form or a…
You ship a $400 package overseas and your recipient is asked to pay a customs bill that seems far too high for the duty rate you looked up. Or a customer abroad complains that the…
Every year, families ship gifts overseas in December and discover that “plenty of time” for a domestic package is nowhere near enough for an international one. Holiday volume slows down every link in the chain:…
You are heading to a trade show in Europe with a booth full of display products, or flying to Asia for a film shoot with cases of camera gear. Everything is coming back home when…
Jewelry and watches are small, light and easy to fit in a box, which makes them look simple to ship. They are also high in value, easy to steal and closely watched by customs officers…
Tracking has not moved in two weeks, or the box finally arrived with a crushed corner and a broken item inside. Either way, you want your money back, and international claims feel harder than domestic…
You weigh a box, type the destination into a carrier’s website, and the quote comes back far higher than you expected. Then a friend ships a similar box to the same country for noticeably less.…
Nothing is more frustrating than a package that comes back weeks later, or never arrives at all, because something inside was not allowed. Most people do not set out to ship anything dangerous or illegal.…
A bottle of perfume seems like the perfect gift to send overseas. It is small, light and meaningful. Then you get to the counter and learn that the bottle you wrapped so carefully cannot go…
