... from the US. It may be a stupid question, but I can't find the answer through Google. I'm totally devastated by that fact, what to do? How do I find out now? Who else would know? Then the light dawned (insert appropriate pivotal moment music here)... AQ Postal People, that's who!

Do I have to use the uninteresting airmail envelopes or can I use my fully stamped, colored, marker-ed, decorated and well, interesting envelopes?

Oh, is that something you all do too? Or is it just me? A plain dull envelope is just so... preLetterboxing. **shudder** The realization that I can have rubber stamps, any stamp, I don't have to buy them for a billion dollars each and live with the fact that they are "almost" perfect. I can create my own imperfect stamps and love them for their weird imperfections! (again, make with the pivotal moment music) Life is just so much better with Letterboxing, AQ and YOU! **nodding**

Tee (who needs some coffee this morning but knows nothing of snail mail because she doesn't DO snail mail, until now, so I guess that should read, "DIDN'T do snail mail but does now because you guys are so great and stamping is great and AQ is great". Where's that coffee?)

You can use whatever you want. The only time I think it matters is if you are sending a priority envelope, then you have to use theirs (but that may not be true either). But sending a box or other envelope is just a matter of taking it and getting it weighed unless you want to guess on the postage. The point of the cute airmail envelopes is actually that they are thin so when sending a letter, the weight is less, allowing for more pages inside.

Good question. :) I used a regular envelope when I sent a PLB to Canada.

I have another question. I went up to a person and sent it, but could I have used the kiosk to ship to Canada?

LG.

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I have another question. I went up to a person and sent it, but could I have used the kiosk to ship to Canada?

Or just added ample postage and mailed from home?

When shipping international PACKAGES, you have to have a USPS Customs form (two types; depends on the weight) on the box. Envelopes can be mailed from anywhere, assuming proper postage is attached.

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I went up to a person and sent it, but could I have used the kiosk to ship to Canada?

That's one of the things that you actually have to go up to the counter to do. It's all about the customs form.

You can use your own decorated envelope or padded bag. They are cracking down on boxes that have commercial printing on them. If sending stamp and logbook, you always need a customs form. You can pick up extras while at the PO to have them ready for next time. You should always include an address inside the package in case customs opens it and the outside addy get lost. (Trust me, it happens). Otherwise it's not that complicated. Your trusty Postal retiree, Hales Angels

OH YEAH. Customs. Duh. :P It's just that up here in Wisconsin we just think of Canada as a Northern extention, not so much as another country.

LG.

LOL I never thought of customs either and I'm way down in Florida! lol

Customs forms are available on usps.com. You can even complete them online.

https://webapps.usps.com/customsforms/

In most cases you're probably looking at using the regular form (not the "A") version.

You'll still need to stand in line and the PO however, since one half is "to be retained by the USPS" but I find completing the forms in advance can save some time when I ship packages to my dad in the Czech Republic. If you ship a lot internationally, you can also keep a stack of these forms around (the ones you get at the PO are green).

Hope that helps and at least postage to Canada isn't as much as to Europe and further away :-)
pre

One thing to note about those pesky customs forms is that they are designed to stick on your envelop no matter what. So when they get peeled off, it can damage your lovely packaging.

To avoid this problem, cover your decorated PLB envelop completely in packing tape (because of course, to send it back across the border to you, we Canadians have to stick on yet another customs form)!

Not exactly environmentally friendly, but it also ensures your envelop will make it through an entire ring without having to be replaced at some point.

Trailfeathers

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That's one of the things that you actually have to go up to the counter to do. It's all about the customs form.

I wish I had known that when I agreed to ship to Canada for a ring. I DO NOT stand in line at my PO because the lines are always huge. The kiosk is so much quicker and I don't get those stupid questions about the return address that I have heard about from some people.

TG

it is all pretty easy. I have mailed from here(Canada) to the US and vice versa.
I do know when sending either way and filling in customs form to be sure to
label the items as 'gifts'.(for small packages like postals and such)
Especially if they are coming from US to Canada, our
customs likes to soak us. Hubby purchased an eBay item for $1.00 and the seller
thought they would travel more securely if they put a higher value on it,
WRONG, they just soaked my husband on duty(I think @0.00 as he put the value
close to a $100.00. So upping the value does
nothing to do with how they handle a package.
Of course with regular mail, it goes just the same, justs costs slightly more in postage.
You all in the U.S do have a better postal system with much cheaper rates too!!
So label it with homemade stamps or books, send as a 'gift' with a value of no
more than a couple of dollars.
Hope that helps.
pilgrims in this land

I was told by my PO workers that if the package weighs 4oz or less, you do not need to fill out a customs slip. I mailed three PLBs to B.C. recently and did not have to fill out customs on any of them. The packages have all since safely returned to the US. I was also told though to mark "CANADA" and "USA" boldly on the ship-to and return address, that for some reason they might be picky about that.

I was also surprised at how inexpensive it was. It cost only a few pennies more each to send them to Canada than to ship domestically.

MoonBunny

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I was also surprised at how inexpensive it was. It cost only a few pennies more each to send them to Canada than to ship domestically.

Which service did you use - First Class?

TG

Yes. But it did take forever to get there. A full two weeks.

MB

As a LBer who has lived (and shipped ) from both sides of the border..here is our slant on the mailing issue...

TO MAIL TO CANADA - Airmail is best. Try to keep the weight and size under the package/parcel weight minimums. (saves US a bundle when we mail back to the USA).

You CANNOT use Priority Post to Canada. Domestic use only.

You MAY use Global Priority, but it's not worth it to here, as mail arrives just as quick (usually WITHIN 7 DAYS). Dont let the posties fool you into paying for services you neither want nor need.

You cannot use postal outlets to mail parcels to Canada. You have to use the main POs. Letters can be sent from outlets (although not all outlet clerks know this...)

By the way, there is also no delivery confirmation to Canada (unless you pay horrendous amounts extra).

Finally. remember that Canada is on the same continent as the USA, and things often get here quicker than they would CA to AZ (I know this from experience).

Soooo, bottom line is...use Airmail where possible. Parcel Post for all others. Avoid needless and expensive "extras". BTW, the prettier the package, the more excited my kids get :)

Cheers, Jiggs

"(saves US a bundle when we mail back to the USA)"

I though I might save some money mailing PLBs to Canadian addresses, and started up an all-Canadian address PLB ring. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the postage to mail to and address a mere three hour drive away (and no border to cross) costs more than sending to the midwestern States...

Go figure.

Trailfeathers

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When shipping international PACKAGES, you have to have a USPS Customs form (two types; depends on the weight) on the box. Envelopes can be mailed from anywhere, assuming proper postage is attached

This is basically true. Having received many PLB's from the States now I can tell you:

*Envelopes can be mailed from anywhere but of course you need to know the postage amount for the weight and you have choices whether you ship ground, air, global and the price varies for each.

*Global is the only one that uses it's own envelope but you can still stick the fancy one inside.

*You will either use no customs slip at all (if it weighs next to nothing) but 99% of postals even the light ones have the simple green one on them. Once you have filled out 1 you can do it in your sleep.

Other than a customs form, slightly more postage, and a bit more time, there is no difference in mailing to Canada than the US.

If any one wants or needs extra info, or ever has any questions about sending postals to Canada please AQ mail me, I receive a package or more almost everyday.

Red Soup

I do that, have all my customs forms filled out at home and I tell you, the US ones are much nicer to fill out. I have to put my address and the sendee's address on them as well as the declaration. However, because my address is on this form the post office doesn't care that the other return address is US so it works well for me.
Red Soup

Yes! lots of tape is good although I have used "Goo Be Gone" with great results when it is one of those shiny envelopes.

Red Soup

Yes, I too put them as a gift and I put $1.00 value for each PLB in the envelope (so if I send a HH I put $2.00)

Red Soup

Yes Moonbunny's were very light so she did not need the slips. I used them going back as i don't know the rules on this end but they were lovely to mail back at $1.78 each. That girl can make a light postal!!!!

Red Soup

I agree with everything Jiggs says except the Global Priority. That will get it to Canada in a week almost for sure but everything else is about a week and a half to two weeks. Which doesn't mean you need to use Global, it's not that much longer. GLOBAL DOES GIVE YOU A TRACKING # because Webfoot gives these to me when she ships. I don't know if they track inside Canada, but they definatley let you know what happens to the package in the US, still unless this PLB is so special you will die without it or it has tones of cash in it (A girl can dream!) you don't really need that service. It is three weeks if you don't ship air. It's fine with me if you ship it ground to save money but you aren't aloud to start panicking for three weeks ok? Seriously though, air is the way to go and THIS ******Try to keep the weight and size under the package/parcel weight minimums****** THIS IS WONDERFUL! I can ship it back air for under $5 if you do this. Otherwise, if it has to go as a parcel, I have to mail by ground, I can't do $10 for air. Still I wouldn't fret too much, make your package, pay what works for you. It's the knowing about the waiting times that will take the stress off.

Red Soup

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I find completing the forms in advance can save some time when I ship packages

Might have made the lady behind the counter less poopy too! lol If I didn't need to go to the post office, I wouldn't have bothered her, really it's true.

Thanks for all the help and advice. I grabbed the form online for next time.

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also told though to mark "CANADA" and "USA" boldly on the ship-to and return address

They debated today about whether or not to put a form on the package today, finally decided to do it, but never said anything about the bold markings.

I must admit I almost never put Canada or US on any of my packages. I wouldn't worry about it. all the postal people ever look at is the zip/postal code. Until it gets to to the local post office for delivery they don't seem to care about any other part of the address.

Red Soup

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I must admit I almost never put Canada or US on any of my packages. I wouldn't worry about it. all the postal people ever look at is the zip/postal code. Until it gets to to the local post office for delivery they don't seem to care about any other part of the address.

Thanks. The envelope cost more than than the contents. I sent a Fairy Kiss.
http://tinyurl.com/392j25

They cost very little and only a few minutes to create. My first postal is Red Soup's Kid Carvers II, so I haven't had/gotten to mail stamps yet.

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I must admit I almost never put Canada or US on any of my packages. I wouldn't worry about it. all the postal people ever look at is the zip/postal code. Until it gets to to the local post office for delivery they don't seem to care about any other part of the address.

My postal clerks will put USA on the return if I forget and Canda is on the address so they don't worry about it. As far as the price I put $1.00 because my clerks told me that if I did not put anything it would get kicked back. I don't know for sure that is just what they have told me and it has worked so far.

Mystic Dreamer

Even though these folks all work for USPS /Canada Post, there's still lots of room for improvement. My local postal outlet puts NCV for "No cash value" on the customs declaration, This was used by my local Postal outlet in California as well. Of the 100+ PLBs I've sent/received none have ever been returned or held up for inspection with this (or any other) marking. The only one that was held up, the sender marked it as Merchandise instead of gift and put a $100 value on it (!).

Jiggs