Comparison of EMS/TNT/UPS fast mail

[mrzuzzo]

I've used EMS many times for personal items and have always had everything delivered to the home or office. No problems whatsoever and definitely the best bang for the buck.

[jasone65]

Royal Mail seems to offer a pretty good service from what I have seen. Use Parcel Force for International shipments though. You can then track them. I read before Christmas about a guy who used DHL, cost some £55 to send an Ipod and other stuff to St Petersburg. He tracked it to St Pete's customs, where It was returned.

Royal Mail will be fine for non tracked items. Keeping the weight under 2kg keeps the price down and saves on the customs dec. form filling. It appears to take 4-6 weeks for delivery though.

[DavidB]

Parcel Force is an EMS service, so it's handled by Russian Post once it leaves the UK. You can use your Parcel Force tracking number on the following Russian Post site to get more up to date details about where your packages are:
http://russianpost.ru/resp_engine.as...lug/trackingpo

[VITOLIER]

The thread about ROYAL MAIL now is merged with stuck thread about fast mail services. Thanks for understanding.

As to Royal Mail (RM) which is used by one London based company PHONEJAMMER.COM I understand from documents I saw that RM permits to track the shipment as far the central Moscow post office (resp. for all imports into the RF) postcode 104001 Moscow PCI-1. What happens afterwards of course is out of reach for RM. I looked at a shipment to Kamchatki Krai which was traceable only as far as the Moscow PCI-1. In view of this I decided on DHL (which only deliver to companies in the RF) so that I can monitor the delivery right to the final destination.

[Judge]

This parcel was returned to Taiwan, and then, by advice of RF partners, I've recommended them to send it back to RF again with EMS (fast mail of Russian Post). They've did it, it took 11 days with 2K Taiwanese dollars (~70 USD) and delivery was to my local post office, not to the door.

Why don't Russian Post deliver to the address on the package ?I'm expecting a package soon and the sender paid good money to send with EMS and Russian Post said to pick up at my local Post Office... sometimes when I use EMS they deliver to my door.

[FatAndy]

Why don't Russian Post deliver to the address on the package ?I'm expecting a package soon and the sender paid good money to send with EMS and Russian Post said to pick up at my local Post Office... sometimes when I use EMS they deliver to my door.

Dunno why, maybe the sender in Taiwan didn't check some field in the initial order document...
Yesterday I've received the next parcel, they've delivered to my door. 10 days from Taipei to Moscow.

[FatAndy]

The next experience - I've sent some power supplies back to Taiwan by EMS post from my post office dept. The organisation of their job needs a lot of improvement, but I've managed to push my parcel in 20 min. They've accepted it at Friday, 30th Mar, around 14:20 MMT, then see how it was moving:
Время Индекс Место операции Операция
30.03.2012 02:26 117452 Москва 452 Приём, Единичный
02.04.2012 02:42 130100 Москва EMS СЦ Прибыло в место международного обмена
04.04.2012 11:51 130980 Москва EMS ММПО Сортировка
04.04.2012 12:12 130980 Москва EMS ММПО Передано таможне
04.04.2012 05:44 130980 Москва EMS ММПО Таможенное оформление завершено , Выпущено таможней - here is a timestamp mistake probably, should be 15:44
05.04.2012 01:38 130980 Москва EMS ММПО Экспорт
07.04.2012 05:20 Тайвань TWTPEA Импорт
07.04.2012 05:44 Тайвань TWTPEA Выход из ММПО

My Taiwanese colleagues received the parcel yesterday, 09 Apr, so "mirrored" 10 days. The parcel was ~4 kg, and I've paid 4230 RUB.

[sakashdeep]

Guys And Girls ,

Tried and tested a few hundred times - in order of "best" to "it sucks ".

1. FEDex - undisputed champions - averaging 5-10 parcels in a month from 10 - to 150 usd - no problems.

2. UPS - not bad - slightly slower - not tried with heavy weights.

3. TNT - good and bad - depends on there moods - almost suck.

4. DHL - totally sucks !

[Ignatius]

Comrades (Ladies and Gentlemen ),

I'd like to share my experience..... cost for them was around 10K Taiwanese dollars (~350 USD).

]

First off, excellent thread. However, can you please clarify the stated value of your incoming parcel(s)? I'm keen on knowing what is the maximum value on an import Russian authorities will permit before slapping a tariff on it.

[FatAndy]

Well, I've informed Chinese comrades to include invoice with total sum ~100 USD and bold capital letters: SAMPLES. NOT FOR RESALE. NO COMMERCIAL VALUE. INVOICE ONLY FOR CUSTOMS INFORMATION - with both incoming parcels

For last outgoing parcel I didn't declare any value.

[FatAndy]

I'm keen on knowing what is the maximum value on an import Russian authorities will permit before slapping a tariff on it.

It depends who is receiving part (private person, физическое лицо, or legal entity, юридическое лицо) and whether these goods are for commercial activity or for personal usage

According to EMS website, maximal value of imported goods per parcel is 1000 EUR for private person and personal usage.
http://www.emspost.ru/ru/chastnim_cl...e/vvoz_tovari/ - in Russian

If this limit is exceeded, you have to pay customs tax of 30% from the exceeding value


Here is also useful info what is forbidden to send into RF by EMS:
http://www.emspost.ru/ru/chastnim_cl...silka_tovarov/

[DavidB]

Posted in another thread, but I'll post it here too since it's useful:

If you send something to Russia by regular airmail with recorded delivery, you will get a number similar to this: RJ123456789GB

Tracking won't be available in the originating country, but as soon as the package arrives in Russia (before Customs) it can be traced on the following site: http://www.russianpost.ru/rp/servise...lug/trackingpo

Eg, one which I sent a few months ago from the UK, I get the following on the Royal Mail site:

Your item, posted on 11/04/12 with reference RJ968523288GB was delivered in RUSSIAN FEDERATION on 03/05/12.
Thank you for using this service.

And on the Russian Post site:

21.04.12 9:01 - Импорт - 104001 МОСКВА PCI-1
22.04.12 9:15 - Передано таможне - 104001 МОСКВА PCI-1
22.04.12 9:15 - Таможенное оформление завершено: Выпущено таможней - 104001 МОСКВА PCI-1
22.04.12 20:38 - Обработка: Покинуло место международного обмена - 104001 МОСКВА PCI-1
25.04.12 16:41 - Обработка: Прибыло в сортировочный центр - 190967 САНКТ-ПЕТЕРБУРГ МСЦ ЦСПО
25.04.12 21:08 - Обработка: Покинуло сортировочный центр - 190966 САНКТ-ПЕТЕРБУРГ МСЦ ЦОПО
25.04.12 21:30 - Обработка: Сортировка - 200983 САНКТ-ПЕТЕРБУРГ АСЦ ЦЕХ ПОСЫЛОК
27.04.12 16:02 - Обработка: Прибыло в место вручения - 191*** САНКТ-ПЕТЕРБУРГ ***
03.05.12 0:00 - Вручение: Вручение адресату - 191*** САНКТ-ПЕТЕРБУРГ ***

I've found it always takes 3 weeks, even if the package is first imported in Samara for some strange reason, as I have seen before.

One more thing: regular airmail packages are limited to 2kg in metric countries and 3.5lb in the US. If you need to send something heavier, you can use Priority airmail or EMS.

[FatAndy]

Tracking won't be available in the originating country, but as soon as the package arrives in Russia (before Customs) it can be traced on the following site: http://www.russianpost.ru/rp/servise...lug/trackingpo
<..> even if the package is first imported in Samara for some strange reason, as I have seen before.

One package from Taiwan with EMS was also not available in tracking until landed in RF.

Import in Samara may appear if your parcel/banderole was attached by mail company to the cargo/post cargo dropped to RF territory from the transit airplane in fueling point (like Lufthansa does via Krasnoyarsk airport).

[Swordfish90293]

DHL has always worked well for me, sending and receiving everything from important documents to heavy 5kg+ boxes.

[DavidB]

First off, excellent thread. However, can you please clarify the stated value of your incoming parcel(s)? I'm keen on knowing what is the maximum value on an import Russian authorities will permit before slapping a tariff on it.

The highest value package I've received since the customs union was introduced along with new rules was ~450 EUR (shoes) and they arrived without any problems.

I read earlier that they add the value of all parcels which you receive in a single month, but now I can't find the link. I don't know if that means the past 30 days or the calendar month. So if you're planning on sending more than 1000 EUR, send half of it to one person and half to another.