International Shipping..

[diesel]

Since I've started my new hobby  I've been buying more stuff from the States and as a lot of the items are posters costing just a few dollars I've requested standard no signature/tracking shipping and each time...BANG..delivered at my door within a few days.

Now whenever I buy a poster from a reputable company that obviously wants to cover itself via insurance and doesn't allow you to send standard then I have to wait about 2 weeks for the thing to arrive along with the customs charges etc.

It just seems ironic that you get a better and quicker service paying $14 standard rather than $38 tracked.

[paul waines]

This kept happening to me. Then I was told by someone who works at the post office, it's because it's insured. If they see that, it's looked at much more closely. The problem is if you do not get it insured and it gets lost or damaged your well out of pocket. If you do get insurance, your looking at a bigger bill, with the import duty, V.A.T. and their fixed charges!!, and then the delays!

So to sum up the postal services are shite, and we're stuck with them. 

[diesel]

This kept happening to me. Then I was told by someone who works at the post office, it's because it's insured. If they see that, it's looked at much more closely. The problem is if you do not get it insured and it gets lost or damaged your well out of pocket. If you do get insurance, your looking at a bigger bill, with the import duty, V.A.T. and their fixed charges!!, and then the delays!

So to sum up the postal services are shite, and we're stuck with them. 

PLUS... I've not claimed myself but I've heared they don't like paying out even if you do have to use the Insurance.
Even if the poster is insured and marked down at just $50 you're still looking at 50% extra of that with ParcelForce's 'handling' fee (I prefer to call it their delay fee). Also, they (USPS/ParcelForce) have a odd online tracking service which claims they have 'attempted delivery' when it reality that means it has arrived at your nearest depot/hub.
I know it's a gamble but I'm going to request wherever I can Standard shipping each time.