Any suggestions to minimize shipping cost of a 6 ounce envelope of stamps to the United Kingdom? He ordered 57 different items .Cost right now is $28.00.
While shipping to UK might be the same, I no longer sell to UK because sellers are required to register with UK and collect a Value Added Tax. That hassle is not worth it for me.
Apparently I missed that the rules had changed again. In January of 2021 stamps.com notified me that effective Jan 1, 2021, value added tax (VAT) must be collected for all goods entering the United Kingdom (UK).
There will be a 20% VAT rate on goods valued up to £135 (about $180 USD), which you must collect unless your online marketplace (e.g. eBay, Amazon, Etsy, etc.) is already collecting it.
If this is the case, I we begin selling to the UK again.
Yeah, I remember going over that when it came out and thought that one had to register with the UK regardless of any threshold. Turned me off instantly. Still, again if I recall, you still have to deal with the customs stuff since sold stamps are considered merchandise and required the customs paperwork, etc. Just more work than it is worth, at that time at least unless things have changed.
Last Friday went to the Post Office and asked the clerk if there was any way I could send this package a cheaper way to the United Kingdom. (The postage cost I was quoted was $27.78 as it was around 6-7 ounces.) The clerk replied "Yes, do away with the tracking". The revised rate to the UK was now $14.75 without tracking. It is hard to believe that the post office was charging $13.00 to track this package. At any rate I walked away reducing the shipping cost significantly. I thought I would share my happier ending with you all.
Yeah, that's ok for "trusted buyers" and low value items... it can be a debacle for something high value. When it's over $1k we just send by FedEx anyway.
Fedex can have problems. At least one Canadian stamp shipped by Fedex from Toronto to Florida has disappeared. Details were in a recent Canadian Stamp News edition.
I checked with my PO for registered mail to Italy for 6 oz because according to their website that is the only way to send stamps to Italy because postage stamps are considered prohibited items unless sent registered. The total cost would have been $35.03. I was advised this rate included no insurance and would probably only be tracked within the US. She advised using Priority Mail International® Small Flat Rate Box instead which included $200 of insurance for $40.95. However, I'm using Shipping Easy which includes tracking and $200 insurance for $19.09. I charged my customer $24.00 which left me $1.50 for packaging material and labor after paying HipStamp and PayPal fees on shipping costs. My buyer was happy with my choice and will be placing more orders. Shipping 6oz without tracking to the UK would be $13.93 with Shipping Easy which is only slightly less than the USPS.
Comments
Can be confirmed by googling VAT UK threshold
Apparently I missed that the rules had changed again. In January of 2021 stamps.com notified me that effective Jan 1, 2021, value added tax (VAT) must be collected for all goods entering the United Kingdom (UK).
There will be a 20% VAT rate on goods valued up to £135 (about $180 USD), which you must collect unless your online marketplace (e.g. eBay, Amazon, Etsy, etc.) is already collecting it.
If this is the case, I we begin selling to the UK again.