Shiping to Canada - now UK

Hi,

On a similar theme - has anyone any experience of shipping valuable
items between the US and the UK? I have been approached by a
potential customer in California to do work on some valuable watches
for him but I don’t seem able to find any convenient way to to ship
them. In the past the work I have done for US customers has always
been hand delivered and collected by them while of business trips
here but this isn’t an option in this case. I have looked at the
obvious carriers but none of them seem willing to insure packages for
more than 500UKP and I need safe transport for items of probably 10
times that value. Obviously, at the same time, this needs to be
cost-effective which may rule out personal courier. Any suggestions
are very welcome…

Best Wishes
Ian
Ian W. Wright
Sheffield UK

Hello Ian,

has anyone any experience of shipping valuable items between the
US and the UK?

I know how reckless this sounds. But I mail work to the UK uninsured
and it gets there just fine most of the time. Only one package lost
in 8 years, usually mailing 5 to 10 parcels a year. Most of the
parcels are declared value $200 to $400. Do the math. If the cost of
insured parcel post air or FedEx adds 10% to the cost, and the
actual risk of loosing a package is 2% or less, it costs less to
loose the odd package now and then. Half the time the tax collectors
let the parcel pass for free, which is also a savings.

If the work is irreplacable, that risk may be too much and I
probably would not ship something worth more than $1000 that way.
Insured parcel post air is the way to go if you use the post office.

I wish I could ship to Canada as easily. Sad to say about 20% go
missing to Canada.

Stephen Walker