SOD for International Large Letters ?

[digital*ghost]

I'm trying to calculate the best option for sending an item overseas, and I can't for the life of me find how much signature on delivery is for an international large letter (the item is going to Italy - AP's site says it's an optional add-on, but when I try to look up how much, it just lists all the benefits etc but doesn't give a price - is it pretty much the same as parcels, i.e. an extra $6.00 on top of the normal cost?

[digital*ghost]

Nervermind 😄

I think I've figured out that I have to use registered (at nearly $20 more) if I want SOD. 

[i-love-my-sheep]

Large letter goes at parcel rate when you want signatures etc. Given that it's going to Italy, I'd be spending the extra $3,85 for delivery conformation too. They are notorious for losing things.

[digital*ghost]

It's unforunately only a $27.00 sale, with $7.50 charged for the standard large letter - if I send standard and it gets lost, I lose the item (actual cost not $27.00) and postage costs, if I send it parcel rates with tracking etc, I lose more because the postage is $25-odd.

I didn't even realise I was offering to post to Italy (stupid me LOL), I though I had double-checked my regional settings and that Italy wasn't included, but I totally dropped the ball on that one (not an eBay sale, so postage settings are a bit different), so I'll just take the risk and cross mah fingers. 

[2106greencat · Accepted solution]

Hi digi,

ask at the PO, we often use EMS for overseas for documents etc, so if only a small item, may be more cost efficient for you.

[digital*ghost]

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@2106greencat wrote:

Hi digi,

ask at the PO, 

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That would have been logical - alas, I am not. 

[cmcoins2000]

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@i-love-my-sheep wrote:

Large letter goes at parcel rate when you want signatures etc. Given that it's going to Italy, I'd be spending the extra $3,85 for delivery conformation too. They are notorious for losing things.

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I make a point of not posting to Italy or France.

Never had an item arrive when I did.

[2106greencat]

You help more people on here than I know on here,

You have helped me on more than one (hundred) occasions, for once I can return the favour.

PM me if you need any info re OS stuff, I do it all day everyday, happy to help.

[found-in-australia]

Quote: "I make a point of not posting to Italy or France. 

Never had an item arrive when I did."

I have found that the postal service to both countries seems to have improved dramatically over the last four or five years. My main problem with France was that it could take weeks longer than it should, but nowadays most items are there in normal international time. I sell a fair bit into France.

I sell less into Italy but haven't had problems there for some time. It used to be that if you sent an insured item to Italy, it would mysteriously arrive quickly without any indication as to why it was delayed, after you put in an insurance claim, nowadays it seems to be a quicker service but there can still be some delay.

I find Middle-East countries more problematic for delivery overall, and the fact that many buyers in those countries want tracking and/or insurance even on $8.00 items, is an indication that they also find their postal services unreliable.

Kind Regards,  Kevin

[digital*ghost]

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@2106greencat wrote:

You help more people on here than I know on here,

You have helped me on more than one (hundred) occasions, for once I can return the favour.

PM me if you need any info re OS stuff, I do it all day everyday, happy to help.

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Thank you 😄  I've really only just started posting OS, and have been using large letters for most things, then self-insuring against loss, but it would be good to know a few more options - will PM you soon. 😛 🙂

I've posted to France a couple of times, so not a huge sample to go by - one was a letter, the other was pack and track, and I found the pack and track took over a month while the letter arrived after about a week. o_O