Tips for Shipping Gifts from the U.S. To England

Despite England’s assortment of luxury products, designer goods, and unique gifts, many nationals enjoy some of America’s wares and products. ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ labels adorning many household products, furniture, and clothing in the U.S. are often appreciated overseas, and you can send over gifts and packages to friends and relatives in England at a low cost with the right shipping company.

However, sending packages overseas does present some risks; many people realize that shipments never even arrive at their final destination, even when they pay extra for insurance and use shipping confirmation services. If you’re thinking of shipping gifts from the U.S. to England, here’s what you need to know:

Review Options with UPS
Calculate the time and cost via the UPS calculator. This can take a lot of the guesswork out of how much your package will cost, and when it can be expected to arrive. You’ll get a chance to review TradeAbility International tools right on the website, and can downsize your package if you’re working with a budget. This is one of the easiest and most reliable ways to send your package overseas, and UPS will give a nearly-perfect landed cost for a package of any size.

Browse Services and Tools with DHL
Review transit times using the DHL calculator. If you want to schedule a pickup and services from your home, DHL offers convenient, competitively priced options for international shipments. You can request boxes and packaging if you don’t have time to find the right sized box, and the company can manage any sized package with ease.

Enlist the Help of a Professional Packing Company
Consider working with a packing company such as UPakWeShip. Companies like these offer a number of services for worldwide shipping including baggage handling, packing and delivery, packing and collecting, and even packing a container if you’re shipping a large quantity of goods. The benefit of working with these types of companies is you can allow a professional to manage the

Learn How to Pack Like a Pro
Pack fragile gifts with as much bubble wrap as possible. You’ll need to protect your goods with many layers of bubble wrap, packaging tape, and recycled paper for stuffing. Avoid using printed newspaper because the ink can easily run off and stain the box and packages you’re sending. Take the time to wrap up everything with extra packing materials to ensure it gets to its destination in one piece.

Label Every Side of the Box
After everything is packed tight and sealed, make sure you add labels with a return address and destination address clearly marked. The easiest way to do this is to create a sheet of sticky labels from your computer and print off six of each. Then stick them onto each side of the box, cover it with tape, and highlight it with a marker if needed. The more detailed you can be, the better, Overseas shipments are vulnerable to hazardous weather conditions, and usually go through a tumultuous series of events before arriving at their final destination. Cover the labels with tape so the ink doesn’t disappear quite so easily.

Shipping gifts from the U.S. to England is easy when you have a plan; if you’re sending items for the first time, working with a packing and shipping professional may be in your best interest. Still, if you’re confident you can pack like a pro, take the time to wrap everything up with extra care and send it off with a trustworthy international shipping agent.