Customs requirements re sending to US & buying postage through eBay (non-GSP)

[jjambadger27]

Well, it looks like the Global Shipping Programme might not be feasible for some time re sending items to the US, so I'll have to consider posting to the States the way I used to pre-GSP days. Are relevant customs forms filled out when buying postage through eBay or am I best off going direct through Royal Mail Click & Drop? If not, is this even more of a minefield than it used to be? 

[sianchris]

Ive never used ebays GSP, I always bought direct from Royal mail on their website, a couple of clicks & all the delivery information needed shows on the label for you to print out or get collected. You can also get it sorted at the post office but that can take a little bit longer as the postmaster has to enter all the details.

[tommystrezures]

Click and drop on royal Mail is very straightforward, its literally brief description, value, the rest RM auto populate if you will.

If doing at the post office, you can either fill in a CN22 customs form - you need your senders details (eg Address) tick the sale of goods box, description and signature. However you don't need to do this, as when processing over the counter if you have all the details to hand when the details have been entered the post office can actually print the customs form for you.

It is straight forward to do, also it seems a bit of a quirk on RM pricing but depending on your item - eg size and weight its now in many cases cheaper to send it tracked than standard.

[vintage-emporium-jedburgh]

 in the distant past before GSP

 80%  of our sales were To the USA  sent via royal mail

most arrived without a problem ,though a large minority took weeks if not months,

some were confiscated for strange reasons , others never seen or found again ,unreal amount of time spent dealing with irate, irrational or outright fruit loop buyers 

were simply not going back to this

[jckl1957]

I always use Click and Drop for international sales.

The prices are lower than you would pay at the Post Office and you can complete a customs label to print off at the same time.

I am the sort of person who has to be shown how to switch on a new phone when I replace mine every five years or so, but can manage Click and Drop.

[jjambadger27]

So the customs form is printed off at the Post Office from displaying a QR code?

[jckl1957]

Where will you get the QR code from?

When I use C&D I print the label and the customs form.

[jjambadger27]

I don't have a printer so am presuming that the customs form can be generated from a QR code in the same way that the postage label can be. 

[4_bathrooms]

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@jjambadger27 wrote:

I don't have a printer so am presuming that the customs form can be generated from a QR code in the same way that the postage label can be. 

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In your original post were you referring to Royal Mail Click & Drop - which is an account service - or purchasing the label through Royal Mail Online; i.e. directly from Royal Mail's website without logging in/using an account? 

[jjambadger27]

I do log in to Royal Mail's site to send as opposed to having a specific Click & Drop Personal account - I don't sell much and it's either vinyl or CDs.