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Shipping Guide
This guide will cover domestic shipping methods, give a few international shipping tips, & give a broad overview of shipping rates from both Japan and China.
Domestic shipping methods
Media mail is the cheapest just make sure that the buyer is alright with the ship time and to understand what can and cannot be shipped.
First-class Mail is the faster than media mail and has a weight limit of up to 13oz.
Past that, it gets bumped up to priority mail unless specified.
First class mail prices
Priority mail prices
Media mail prices
Delivery confirmation is $0.80
Insurance rates
Media mail is confined to only printed materials and adding delivery confirmation would be an added $0.80.
Personally I've use media mail and it can take anywhere from 2 weeks - 1.5 months.
Media mail specifications:
Media Mail is not sealed against postal inspection. Regardless of physical closure, the
mailing of articles at Media Mail prices constitutes consent by the mailer to postal inspection.
Media mail is used for certain types of books, films, manuscripts, printed music, printed test
materials, sound recordings, play scripts, printed educational charts, loose-leaf pages and their
binders consisting of medical information, video recordings, educational reference charts, and
computer-readable media. Video games, whether on CD-ROM, diskettes, or similar software, or playable
systems including computers, do not meet the standards for Media Mail. Storage devices such as
"portable hard drives", "thumb drives", "flash drives", "jump-drives", and "USB drives" for use with computers
are not eligible for Media Mail prices. For specific eligibility please see DMM 173.3.
The maximum size of an item in combined length plus girth (distance around the thickest part) is 108 inches.
Mark each package "Media Mail" in the postage area.
If payment via paypal is sent as goods instead of gift (to escape pp fees) shipping domestically
is much easier as long as you have paper, an electronic scale (kitchen scale works too) and a printer.
Paying for shipping online is a few cents cheaper and delivery confirmation is only $0.19.
Postage price calculator (domestic & international)
International Shipping Tips
When sending out International orders be careful on how you fill out the customs forms.
For example for items sent to the UK;
From the HM Revenue & Customs site:
Goods sent as a gift that are over £40 in value are liable to import VAT.
Customs duty also becomes payable if the value of the goods is over £135 but is waived if the amount of duty calculated is less than £9.
To qualify as a gift:
* the customs declaration must be completed correctly
* the gift must be sent from a private person outside the EU to a private person(s) in this country
* there is no commercial or trade element and the gift has not been paid for either directly or indirectly
* the gift is of an occasional nature only, for example, for a birthday or anniversary.
Shipping to Italy
While there is no tracking for international first class parcels, save the customs number given by the post office.
At some point it might get scanned & you can see if it was received overseas, eventually.
Here's an example
http://trkcnfrm1.smi.usps.com/PTSInternetWeb/InterLabelInquiry.do?strOrigTrackNum=(insert tracking number here)
Actual recording/tracking international mail costs $11.50, which I wouldn't recommend unless the buyer insists.
Shipping rates from Japan
There are three methods of obtaining items from japan. The more insured and expensive and quickest is EMS. Then Airmail and SAL (small packet) follow.
EMS Shipping Rates
Airmail Shipping Rates
Small Packet Rates
For example from Tokyo, Japan to US:
SizeEMSAirmailSAL300g1,200Y600Y380YDelivery time2-4 days3-6 days6-13+ days
Comparison Chart
Delivery times comparison
Shipping Calculator
If choosing a cheaper shipping method like Airmail and SAL, consider paying extra to have it registered.
Registering mail costs 410 yen and is insured for 6,000Y.
Shipping rates from China
While I do know fedex also operates in China, most of my shipments are sent via ems.
International EMS rates from China
First 500g is 240 Yuan and each additional 500g is 75 yuan.
240.00 CNY = 35.33 USD
75.00 CNY = 11.04 USD
500 grams = 1.1 lbs
Also take note that rmb is another term for cny and that ntd (New Taiwan Dollar) is a completely different currency.
So a 3lb package from China to America would turn out to be: 390 yuan (~$57.41) depending on current currency conversion.
Please feel free to add input/corrections/etc. Especially international shipments towards your own countries. Restrictions and customs. :D