international postage

[Patchouli]

So I usually just use the second class standard within the UK but someone has asked if I'll post to Latvia. Should I get this parcel tracked / signed for? As I'm just thinking there's more opportunity for it to lost / go wrong.
But then the postage is going to be pretty high - £12, compared to about £5 without delivery confirmation. I'm expecting the item to be worth around £12.

[Silverlace]

Be careful with requests from abroad as they are often scams. I can't remember what it is about but I know they can be dodgy. Just put your settings to UK only.

[Patchouli]

You know, I think my settings are on UK only. But best check again now.
I'll perhaps offer her the £12 quote and get it signed for. I don't like to just say no. It might put her off then anyway. And if not, at least the post should be safe.

[80sbabe]

I send on average two or three Ebay items a week to the Baltic region - Latvia, Russia and Estonia are the three most common destinations.
Although the post is sometimes a bit on the slow side I have never had an item go astray.
I have certainly not found anything dodgy in any transaction, just buyers happy to find what they need and someone willing to ship it to them. Generally they see to expect post to be tracked so you may find the £12 cost is about what they were budgeting for.
I have far more problems with post going "missing" or unrealistic expectations from UK buyers than I do with foreign buyers.

[80sbabe]

I use Royal Mail for all my overseas items, I only use tracking on packages worth more than £20 and they would go International Signed For or Airsure depending on which service was cheapest and available.

Although they are not tracked on Royal Mail once they leave the UK, in most instances you can find out where they are by looking at the equivalent of Royal Mail for the destination. The Royal Mail site however will update once an item is delivered.
Even with ordinary Airmail you are still automatically covered by Royal Mail compensation for up to £20 if an item goes missing.

My experience is that the more unusual the destination the more likely it is to get there, like I said nothing I have sent to the Baltic so far has disappeared. I also regularly ship to South America, USA and Australia - however I have had parcels not reach their destination in places such as France and Spain and quite a few non arrivals in the UK too !

[lljkk]

I tend to say I won't bother for items that I will Will sell for a decent price in UK. Some things only furreners want so I do offer them to go abroad.

[sarahtigh]

i send everything except very fragile glass abroad it is not dodgy no more problems than here, buyers oftern grateful as they can not get want they want where they live

international signed for will pay out for non arrival after 4 weeks (20 working days) in europe and 5 weeks (25days) for rest of world

with new prices parcels just too big for small parcels and under 500g are actually cheaper to send to europe than UK

do not send if unhappy but my advice is latvia is fine would only be wary if a mobile phone or similar but clothes etc will be fine