Shipping folders to France - USPS and La Poste reliability?

[choombak]

I may send in Sacha Thiel Officer to him in France for some work, and was checking cost effective shipping options. USPS First Class is about $14, and Flat Rate Priority is about $24. How reliable is shipping to France via USPS and La Poste? Would First Class w/o tracking be okay, or do I opt for reliable service? Are there any issues with French Customs?

On a similar note, how reliable is it to ship a knife from France to the US? I have to bear the cost for shipping both ways, and least expensive from France to US was 10 EUR, the next better with insurance and tracking is 28 EUR.

I have never shipped to France, and any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[MaxFactor]

I shipped a knife I sold on ebay to France. When shipping internationally I only use USPS Flat Rate Priority Express International. That is the most secure way to ship because once the package reaches the foreign nation it is handled by a private courier service called EMS (Express Mail Service) in most countries. I've shipped to Europe and Russia with USPS Flat Rate Priority Express Int and haven't had any issues.

The one issue that arose with the knife I sold on ebay was when the package was being delivered the buyer needed to cover the customs/duty fees which were more than half the value of the knife (according to the buyer). Basically, the buyer refused to pay for the customs fees until I got ebay/Paypal involved; in which case he realized he was responsible for paying them and not I.

In your case, I would make sure you look into the possibility of customs fees regardless of which method you use to send it. And either way, I don't recommend sending it without insurance.

 

[NoFair]

You should mark it as a warranty/repair shipment so Sacha doesn't have to pay EU tax (or go through the trouble documenting that he shouldn't pay tax on it). He will probably mark it the same way when it goes back to you.
Tracking is recommended.

 

[choombak]

You should mark it as a warranty/repair shipment so Sacha doesn't have to pay EU tax (or go through the trouble documenting that he shouldn't pay tax on it). He will probably mark it the same way when it goes back to you.
Tracking is recommended.

Appreciate this - I had missed it completely. I have found a better way - a friend travels to France month end, and she has agreed to carry it with her, and shall ship it locally. Return trip from France to US, I believe, should be easy. Thanks BF.