A few weeks ago, I asked whether anybody could recommend a good parcel delivery service, and Parcels Please was suggested. I am so glad they were so efficient for you. Our kids are at present working in Florida and I want to send a nice big parcel over to them. I have not yet asked them for a dévis for collection from the middle of nowhere, to Florida, but I am sure it will be a darned sight cheaper than La Poste.
Quite right Nick - they work with a charity and also via Amazon. Rates are negotiated with the Royal Mail I believe and are very good for multiple books.
I've just received 12 paperback books from awesome books ( check them out on google) from UK and total cost of books plus postage was £24. I think they are a subsiduary of a large charity and get the used books for free, then give some of their profit back to the charity. How they manage to pay next to nothing for postage to France i do not know!
Thanks Teresa for sharing that. I travel between France and Uk every 2-3 weeks. At the moment I leave my case in UK and travel with hand luggage only. This is partly due to cost. At these rates I could have my case delivered and still be cheaper than taking on the plane! Not to mention the lack of hassle :-)
It only posts too the UK - I need to post all over the world
Also, I have to say I have has cheaper quotes from wedelivertheworld.co.uk
Thanks Peter
Good idea and you are right it works sometimes, but Amazon France is a relatively small subset - not all English books are available for example - which virtually forces you to go to Amazon UK. I think your logic about free postage in the country of origin/shipping is probably correct though.
if you look at the links both myself and Suzanne F posted David you'll see this company delivers from france as well as to it...
Hello Roy, you mention Amazon as an example. If, having found what you want on Amazon UK, go to Amazon FR. You will usually find the same item there and theirs is post free. They seem to be post free in whichever country The warehouse is based. Doesn't work every time but worth a try.
Happy Christmas
I do exactly the same Carole, but usually lugging the now fill suitcase back.
Incidentally, something that all purchasers from Amazon should be aware of (if you are not already). Increasingly Amazon.uk is using a company in the Channel Islands to ship various products, and of course the CI are not part of the United Kingdom. French customs appear to have latched on to this and decided to charge TVA (usually at 19.6%) on any parcel that originates from Jersey, Guernsey etc. because they are outside the EEC. Naturally, being functionnaires, they add an exhorbitant administration surcharge onto to TVA which can make the total cost of the purchase prohibitive.
Be warned and search the sources on Amazon diligently.
I am more interested in delivery FROM France - especially for my paintings - any suggestions?
I use parcels please all the time. I do my shopping from amazon and other companies offering free delivey and get a relative to box it up and i organise collection. It is the same price for up to 30kg! My last visit I bought all my chrismas goodies and parcelled them up in 2 banana boxes with lids and taped them together with duck tape and they counted as one parcel. I usually have trouble getting strong enough boxes so the banana boxes are perfect.
I usually fly with just hand luggage and send my stuff back that I buy (most people who live here seem to go with an empty suitcase to fil up for their return) and it is about the cost of taking a suitcase but without the hassel of dragging it around the airport and I can bring back up to 30kg!
Always fast and reliable.
Carole
Have you tried using Amazon.fr for goods you want sent to France? Think that might be cheaper???
I should have said I use Parcels Please - just click on the advert link above
Very nice! That's all very well, but what about the deliveries that you CANNOT control, which covers the vast amount of on-line purchases from British companies, of which Amazon is but one example. They offer free deliviries within the UK but at the mention of shipping to France they appear to reach for the telephone directory to randomly find a number to charge for postage. Virtually without exception, the Internet shopping companies simply pluck a postage cost to France out of the air which in no way reflects the difference in the Royal Mail costs that might apply to European postal charges.
It is of couse discrimination without any justification, in the same way as a huge number of companies persist in including in their VERY small print of any special offers "only applies to UK residents". The question is "how do you stop it?" - it is just as much discrimination is as racial discrimination (equally distasteful and unlawful)
I use Parcels Please a lot. I always pay the extra 1 euro for the UPS delivery.
Have Made a note of both as sounds great . You just never know when you may need
Thanks for info Ladies .
They are fantastic - we use them regularly. Can't recommend them highly enough
I use Parcel2go.com and have for years. They are brilliant and it arrives in the same amount of time too as yours. We have had 2 big boxes of Christmas goodies delivered and my family use them to send out the children's Xmas pressies. I buy books for our English library, haggis for our burns night...... everything and anything. My DHL delivery man knows me on a first name basis!! i am at the door waiting for him with a sharp knife to open the box, As my dad used tie wraps to secure the plastic box. It used to scare the living daylight out of him but now he just thinks mad foreigner!