Mail to China

[tunger88]

Has anybody send Global Express Mail to China via USPS? I sent my package out last Saturday and it has not shown up yet. I wonder how long does it usually take? The clerk at the post office told me it should take only 3 to 4 days. Since it has been a week, I am starting to worry.

[Eric&Yuhui]

Has anybody send Global Express Mail to China via USPS?  I sent my package out last Saturday and it has not shown up yet.  I wonder how long does it usually take?  The clerk at the post office told me it should take only 3 to 4 days.  Since it has been a week, I am starting to worry.

I have experienced Global Express mail.... to Pakistan and Japan though..

Stuff never arrived... like in .. vanished...

Best is to have a tracable AWB package / letter..

And don't believe anyone who guarantees a X days delivery to recipient ... They just don't control foreign customs ( well, look at the GZ mail DHL fiasco )

 

Maybe yours will have more luck.

[Bryan_Qunying]

Hi Tunger,

 

The 3 to 4 days is the time it would take to get to China Postal System after that, it's anyones guess on delivery. I once sent a package that way and it arrived after 18 days from the date I sent it. The fastes way I have used has been FED EX. It is a little on the expensive side but my wife sent some papers back to me this way and I got the envelop in 5 days. It also cost 160RMB to send it.

 

I did find that sending Regulare Postal Express Vs. Global Express, the time is about the same. The cost was only $9.00 to send 3 T-Shirts (with Logos) 4 CD's and several photos. It arrived to my wife in less than 14 days.

 

Also, put her address on the package in Chinese and English, this includes her full Chinese name. This seems to make all the difference.

 

I hope this helps you!

 

Bryan

[Dave G.]

If it's something important, go with the US Postal Service Global Express. A little more expensive, but it works. Get your Chinese loved one to write the address in Chinese, scan it, save it as a JPG file, import it into a lable, print, and voila! Slap it on an envelope and it's right as rain. Just put "China" on the label in English so us Western guys know what to do with it. I've mailed to Chengdu, Leshan, and Qing Shen (a little armpit town with great people and a fab restaurant). It's never failed me. Mailing time = 5-8 days......

[wolf]

tunger, I have to send everything by Gobal express, last year it was taking 10 days, but now it's up to 15 to 22 days to ShenZhen. If you write her address in Chinese it will go much faster. I had a lot of small gobal express packages that were the small envelope type taken by the deleivery guy. I guess looking for money. Now I only send the large box, but it's about 30 dollars for 4 lbs. Also put her phone number on the address.

[jameschun321]

I sent the video tape that the VO requested thru USPS Global EMS and it took 7 days to arrive. The good thing is that you can track it online at the usps.gov website.

 

JC

[beishan4]

Aloha from Hawaii,

Add the telephone number to the bottom of the address to insure delivery

if there is confusion on whereb to deliver the package. Oral instruction

from the reciever will help the post office there even if the address is in

english only.

Myles

[tunger88]

My fiancee finally received my so called "Global Express Mail" on 08/14/03, 12 days after I've sent it. The thing is she also received the other two regular mails that I've sent out two days after the Express Mail, on the same day. The difference is the Express Mail costs $19.00 and the two regular mails cost only $2.30 each. In addition, the regular mails were delivered to her two hours before the Express Mail. You make the call when it comes to sending mail to China. Just an FYI

[Eric&Yuhui]

Best way.. deliver it in person

No need for tracking number...

[tywy_99]

For my wife and I, mail between USA and PRC can take anywhere from 9 to 17 days but usually in 9 days. I send mail to her via USPS priority mail and she sends mail to me via China Post registered mail.

[Bobby]

For just general stuff (letters & cards), I use USPS priority.. the odd thing is the first two letters or so took about 4 weeks, and each letter after that it was only 2 weeks..

 

When she sends me mail via generic china postal server, it takes between 4 and 6 weeks..

 

For the important/larger things, we use FedEx.. it takes about 3 days, regardless of what direction the package is going in. Sending a FedEx envelope costs between $27 USD and $35 USD depending on the weight ($35 for an 8oz shipment).. (this is coming from the Southeast US)..

[JerryL]

Just to add to the story of anecdotes, I usually use Global Priority Mail (GPM). I like the idea of a flat rate for "all-you-can-stuff-into-envelope". One time I stuffed it so full, I couldn't get the contents back out to add something I had forgotten. Presumably my fiancee was able to at the other end, though she has the freedom to destroy the envelope in the opening process...

 

From San Francisco to Hangzhou (about two hours out of Shanghai), the mailing time is consistently 7 or 8 calendar days. GPM moves no faster than regular airmail. There doesn't seem to be a difference, though this clerk at the local post office tells me she uses GPM to mail to Taiwan and it shaves about two days off regular airmail.

 

Jerry