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Couriers for quilts


Ferret

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Could anyone recommend a courier to ship quilts internationally? I am going through hell with DHL at the moment trying to get 5 quilts to MQS, I have no idea if they will actually make it or if they have been lost. Neither do the company. The makes 6 out of 6 shipments have had problems so I don't want to use them again.

I've been told they are all as bad as each other but does anyone know of one that might be better? I need someone who understands temporary export and is prepared to ship unique items.

Any leads will be appreciated

Thanks

Ferret

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Hi Ferret,

How I can relate!

I shipped my big quilt using DHL on May 16 and all I know is that it has left the country on May 18. Ever since no message. But as of today, I have found out the USPS tracking number it has been assigned when DHL passed it on...

Two years ago, I had a similar thing happen with the box with two quilts showing up 42 days after I mailed it.

It was then that I found out that US customs authorities are entitled to hold back any package for up to 45 days without having to inform either sender or recipient...

As for your question about ways to ship quilts from Europe, I don't have any advise. Using FedEx or UPS would have cost me the equivalent of $200 and I simply don't want to spend this much just on postage.

I guess, I'll have to make sure that any quilts to be shown at US shows must be ready to go 6 months prior to the show date so that this 45 day period is taken care of.

Keeping my fingers crossed that your quilts will make it still.

Best, Birgit

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Well my dhl postage has been about $500 we think, although I will be trying to get a discount after this. The problem with trying to get round the 45 day issue is you only have a very small window to deliver the quilts in. In this case 10 days, 3 of which were a weekend. DHL assured me it would be a 1-2 day transit time and that customs wouldn't hold the shipment as it (should) have temporary export papers with it. In fact the one where they 'forgot' to do the paperwork went through no problem but picked up a charge that I spent days contesting.

The other problem is this went missing as soon as it hit their depot in htis country. We are taking bets on where they actually are. As they are definately in this country and America

There has to be a sensible way to do this, it really isn't difficult.

Thanks for your information though, it all helps.

Ferret

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Hi Ferret:-)

I only can recommend Fedex! Ok...it?s not cheap to send a quilt over the ocean, Birgit is right! But they picked up my quilt on 25th and it arrived on 26th! To be sure, that my quilt will arrive safe and right in time is the money worth - 200 Euros!

And ...*lol* I would never be able to get a quilt done more than a few days before "count- down" - so I don?t have any other chance!:-) I?m always too late;)

Best wishes from Germany

Claudia

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Well, I pressed my Showentry in an envelope,

"sealed" it with a lot of tape and send it as a normal envelope. It still fitted in the perimeters of those standards the swiss post office sets.

I send it off Monday and arrival was confirmed on Saturday.

It cost me about EUR 22.00

Insurance included.

My experience with all those carriers is that eventhough you might have a tracking number, they are not always (not say seldom) able to tell you about the status.

Also as it is not allowed some of the guys delivering those good place the package on a counter and sign by themselfes with any name when there is no one at the counter.

Or they just deliver it to any address in town and then they are gone.

Ask me how I know....

Claudia, to be honest, I would never spent so much money just for delivery. For this money I could get a great dinner, fly to Krefeld :P, buy great quilting stuff.....

not much of help, or?

Best

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