Is mail sent to a BFPO location charges air mail rates or UK rates?

[LolaTheShowgirl]

That's all I want to know...thanks

its UK rates dh informs me.

Yep first class UK rates, you pay to get it to London basically they do the rest.

Can anyone here tell me why when I send parcels to the IL's who live on a base in Germany, I have to address it to FIL's place of work (with a BFPO address) and not their house, which despite being on the base, does not.

So if I send things direct to their house I have to pay overseas postage. It confuses me.

UK rates.

If it's a letter, you can send a ebluey - you type it, it's printed out at source and delivered for free. Good for Iraq, Afghanistan etc (it's quicker).

Slubbers - cos it's the Army, innit . Actually, our next house will be on a base but we won't be a BFPO.

But why does it not merit a BFPO? It's the most ridiculously British sounding address ever, despite sitting happily in Germany. It's 5 mins walk from FIL's place of work. You have to flash your passport to the nice chaps with large guns at the checkpoint, why no BFPO?

Because we don't have post men on camp! It goes through the military system and so goes to work, it's the same for us here in Cyprus.

I have to force myself to smile and say hello to DH when he gets home from work when all I really want to say is "any post!!!!!"

If you send things to their house it goes through the civilian system and will eventually be delivered by the german postie si you have to pay international rates.

OOooooooooooooh I get it. So it's the German postie who delivers their normal post. I see. OK, excellent, no more confusion

mild x-post, thank you McDreamy.

No problem glad to be of assistance

Slubberdegullion - it sounds like your inlaws live at the same place we do!

And Lola - if you're sending Christmas presents etc out to a BFPO, it pays to order them from Amazon or somewhere like that. because you get free delivery and your tax back!

Tax refunds depend on where you are sending them to and what you are buying. For example here in Cyprus we are not allowed to claim tax back on books only electrical stuff that comes in from the UK

You don't pay tax on books though, even in the UK!
You can claim back tax which you DO pay, on adults clothes, but not kids, toys, cds, dvds, etc.

i just came across this site and thought " what a brilliant idea - i am up for that"

we can only claim it back on cetain items because of the treaty of establishment.

I didn't know about vat on books! Show's my ignorance!!

Scootergrrl, they live at JHQ Rheindahlen. We are spending Christmas there this year. Can't wait for some German Christmas Market Shopping.

Scooter waves out of the window at Slubb's in-laws! Small world, eh?

The markets are awesome here. Camp is ok but a bit grim when you first arrive - at least you can get cheap make-up etc in the Naafi. Have you been over here before?

Oh yes, lots, this will be our third Christmas there. I really like the naffi (love the cheap cosmetics, I buy about 20 YSL Touche Eclat whenever I'm over), and the PX is good too, esp the crazy jam and peanut butter combo jars).

Germany at Christmas - I remember that well when my dh was posted in Paderborn. It is the most beautiful place to be at Xmas.

Every time we have been it has snowed as well. Want to go to Uncle Gustavs restaurant again for the excellent schnitzel.

I can remember going to the American PX's - they are absolutely brilliant places to shop! The NAAFI's were excellent for bargains. The snow in Germany is just out of this world. It was quite often the case to dig the car out of the snow. I loved it in Germany. Fantastic at this time of year but also lovely in the Summer. Sigh.....

I'm sure I have German blood flowing through my veins. The bratwurst, the cabbage (ghaaaa the gorgeous pickled red cabbage), the mini chopped up potato thingmy and the beer. I will be in gastronomic heaven.

Can you not send parcels free to 'operational' BFPO addresses (iraq/afghanistan etc) at xmas? Am sure there was something on the radio about it being extended this year? DH is home at the mo so I didn't listen properly when I heard it on the news!!
When we lived at Brize I was sending stuff to a BFPO address for it to be sent to London in the normal post, for London to send it back to Brize where it got sent out on the plane to Afghanistan!! Mad!!

Otherwise it is normal UK postage rates as someone else has said. It goes to London where they then send it to the next plane due to go out there or to the port where the ship is next to dock etc.