Post office blues

**LydiaNiz** · 10-02-2014, 03:30 PM

It has not been a good week m'fellows.
The lovely artist who ran my first studio dropped dead, I turned 40, the dog is having another operation tomorrow, the Mr has had a spectacular bi-polar downswing that has required emergency meds that are really not good, my dremel blew up on Friday, just before I can afford to replace it with something swanky (see dog operations), leaving me bereft of polishing and grinding. If I had a guitar, I'd be on the doorstep properly singing the blues.
But all of this is naught, compared to trying to post some rings to Canada. Two silver rings, one set with amethyst. £500 value for entire parcel. Simple International signed for I thought, but no. Two seperate post offices were 'sure I could not post these to Canada as they would be prohobited items. DHL and Fed Ex are prohobitively pricey (£65-90), NOONE can tell me what the customs charges would be. I have spent days now on international sites weeping at import duty calculators. I finally spent 20 minutes on the phone to Royal Mail who fiiiiiiiiinally after much prodding confessed, yes, I could send the rings, as I intended, insured to the desired amount.
I genuinely don't understand how a simple post office trip can turn into an entire day wasted on the internet and phone.

I did find out I have to open the package because the wooden ring box *is* prohibited though

**Wallace** · 10-02-2014, 04:05 PM

Lydia, I am so sorry to hear about all these things going on. I am sending a virtual hugxxx

Post office to Canada! What a farce. I live near an Army camp and was told by their PO peep to pop a note or letter in with the item as it will make a difference ... forgot why, but it does; and to write the sender detail top left front above the recipient's address.

Wooden boxes are a problem for most places it would seem. Soon I am sure we will hear that cardboard and plastic won't be allowed because of the way they are made - it gets a little silly!

pm if you want to chat xx

**LydiaNiz** · 10-02-2014, 04:26 PM

thank you Wallace x
I have now found out the lady would prefer to wait until June when her parents are visiting, luckily they live five minutes from me so am dropping them off tomorrow! Let's hope the anti-tarnish tabs hold up!
Much appreciated x

**medusa** · 10-02-2014, 04:45 PM

a big virtual hug from me, too. My local PO won't let me send stuff signed for to the assay office because it's a PO box number.

**SteveLAO** · 10-02-2014, 05:02 PM

I wonder why "they" use a PO box number?

**medusa** · 10-02-2014, 05:24 PM

not sure, Steve. My guess is that it helps with sorting? the rest of the address is a geographic one but my PO stubbornly refuses to let me send tracked. The main PO in town is fine though.

**caroleallen** · 10-02-2014, 05:43 PM

I don't have any problems sending assay stuff to a PO box from the main post office. I wish the post office could get their act together.

**LydiaNiz** · 10-02-2014, 08:55 PM

my favourite was paying £40 to post a telescope insured - sent packed in a metal flight case, in custom padding inside. Flight case was wrappped in cardobard sleeve, then 3 layers of bubble wrap, finally a padded giant mailbag. Fragile stickers all over. It arrived (it was an ebay sale) at the destination with the bag torn and a huge dent in the case, so the buyer insisted on a full refund. The PO would not refund me as there was glass in the parcel. Despite the fact I was not claiming for the item, just the postage, and that they had clearly given it to an enraged, illiterate orangutan to deliver.*

*may be conjecture.

**medusa** · 10-02-2014, 09:41 PM

The last bit there made me laugh out loud. I hope it made you smile a little as you wrote it. Keep your chin up. I think there are lots here who are feeling for you.