====== Shipping ====== [[American Expat Retiree Financials | contents]] Postal Mail, Private Courier ===== Postal Mail ===== International shipments require a customs form or a commercial invoice. == Thailand Post == has mixed reviews for reliability. == USPS == https://www.usps.com/ship/mail-shipping-services.htm\\ Priority Mail Express, fastest, $31\\ Priority Mail, 2-3 days, best seller, $9.35\\ tracking, insurance, flat rate 9x12 envelope == USPS International == https://www.usps.com/international/mail-shipping-services.htm\\ Priority Mail Express International, 3-5 days, 1-3 weeks, $75\\ Priority Mail International, 6-10 days, 4-6 weeks, $35\\ tracking\\ online fillable customs form\\ flat rate 9x12 envelope == EMS == ===== International Courier ===== All three of these have online systems for ordering and paying for shipments. * DHL Express * Fed Ex * UPS International shipments require a customs form or a commercial invoice. ===== DHL Express ===== Has strong presence in Thailand, good relationship with customs, good reputation.\\ In USA, no service points in Topeka. Junction City, Leavenworth, Overland Park.\\ In Chiang Mai, service points at Thapae Gate and elsewhere. https://mydhl.express.dhl/us/en/home.html#/createNewShipmentTab\\ create shipment online, pay online\\ ask for order pickup “collection”\\ driver will bring an envelope\\ Print shipping label and customs forms at Copyland.\\ personal cheque to USA, 1779 THB, including pickup ===== FedEx ===== == Ship Manager and Billing Manager == FedEx as of 8 Jul\\ Ship Manager: 2 shipments\\ Billing Manager: 2 invoices\\ no connection between the two other than date\\ Ship Manager doesn’t know anything after the label printing; no invoice number, no delivery date.\\ Billing Manager doesn’t have the tracking number or delivery date.\\ 1 week between ship date and invoice date ship date invoice date\\ 6/30 to sdfcu 882374715736 7/8 1068.06thb\\ 6/23 to jh 882206461970 7/1 1274.02thb == Terms == consignor - shipper\\ consignee - recipient\\ seller - may or may not be the consignor or shipper\\ buyer - may or may not be the consignee or recipient\\ waybill - contract between shipper and carrier, used by trucking, sea, and air carriers\\ air waybill - a waybill used for an air shipment\\ airbill - same as air waybill\\ shipping label - same as air bill == shipping label == aka waybill, air waybill, AWB, and airbill\\ the contract between the shipper and the carrier (FedEx) == customs declaration == in an international shipment\\ itemizes the contents of the package and the value of each item\\ in a “document” package, the customs declaration can be a small section on the airbill\\ used by Customs officials in both the sending and receiving countries == commercial invoice == required by for international shipment of items\\ Shipment contents is either * document, or * items Documents and items cannot be mixed in one shipment.\\ Items - means goods that might require a customs duty.\\ An Items shipment requires a commercial invoice.\\ Documents does not. In Thailand, letterhead and signature are required.\\ But the fill in the blanks pdf has no letterhead.\\ Are we supposed to print it on a letterhead paper? == FedEx Commercial Invoice - Automatic == The Ship Manager can generate a commercial invoice from the data already entered.\\ But it requires an upload of two image files: a letterhead logo, and a signature of the shipper. == FedEx Commercial Invoice - Manual == commercial invoice fillable form is 12 MB\\ printed version is 200 kB\\ max uploadable: 5 MB PDF Fillable Forms - Must use a browser to fill the forms.\\ Evidently Linux Adobe does not run the calculated fields.\\ https://www.fedex.com/content/dam/fedex/us-united-states/International/images/2020/Q1/Updated_Commercial_Invoice_6_11_19_1271336359.pdf Does the commercial invoice have to be uploaded before clicking the Finalize button?\\ Yes it does. Even though we do not have the tracking number yet. Can I, the recipient, sign the Commercial Invoice, or does it have to be the shipper?\\ No. It has to be the shipper. Can I click the Finalize button before uploading the Commercial Invoice?\\ No. The commercial invoice must be uploaded before the Finalize button will work. Can a shipment be cancelled after clicking the Finalize button, in the event I’ve made a mistake?\\ Yes. And it can be edited in which case it is cancelled and wiped off the system and you start from scratch. Can the commercial invoice, with the tracking number added, be re-uploaded after Finalize?\\ No. When the shipment is edited, the shipment and tracking number are deleted. == contact info == fdxhelpdesk@fedex.com\\ 1 800 gofedex\\ 1 800 463 3339 fedex Chiang Mai at 4 Somphot\\ call 1782 or 02.491.2000\\ thcsr@fedex.com == TNT == fedex has acquired TNT and they are now integrating == Tracking history for check to SDFCU == local scan time, ascending\\ 09:58 dropped off at origin facility, Chiang Mai TH\\ 14:00 left origin facility, Chiang Mai TH\\ 02:50 at local FedEx facility, at Samutprakarn TH\\ 07:04 On the way, at Samutprakarn TH\\ 14:51 On the way, at Bayan Lepas MY (Penang)\\ 17:21 On the way, Singapore SG\\ 14:19 Arrived at FedEx hub, Anchorage AK\\ 15:47 International shipment release - Import, Anchorage AK\\ 19:55 On the way, Anchorage AK\\ 19:55 At local FedEx facility, Anchorage AK\\ 19:55 On the way, Anchorage AK\\ 21:48 Departed FedEx hub, Anchorage AK\\ 06:44 Arrived at FedEx hub, MEMPHIS, TN\\ 15:43 Departed FedEx hub, MEMPHIS, TN\\ 18:22 At destination sort facility, DULLES, VA\\ 07:52 At local FedEx facility, ALEXANDRIA, VA\\ 08:19 On FedEx vehicle for delivery, ALEXANDRIA, VA\\ 10:03 Delivered, ALEXANDRIA, VA ===== Appendix: Personal Cheque ===== Is a cheque a prohibited item? * If the cheque is endorsed to bearer, it may be a cash equivalent, and therefore prohibited. * If the cheque is not endorsed or is endorsed “for deposit only” to a named institution, then it has no value, and is not prohibited. Regarding any particular list of prohibited items, is it defined by the customs department of a specific country, or is it the policy of a specific courier. A customs department may at random open a package and check that its contents match the description on the customs form. If it does not match, this could be trouble. == DHL == In an online chat with a DHL agent, she said the personal cheque is a prohibited item. The following two DHL documents also list the cheque as a prohibited item, though neither specifies the way the check is filled out or endorsed. The third DHL document avoids mentioning checks, though it does list other cash-equivalent payment forms. https://www.dhl.com/th-en/home/ecommerce/business-help-center/prohibited-goods.html\\ Domestic Shipments\\ Prohibited Goods (Goods you are NOT allowed to send) * Fragile goods e.g. glass, porcelains * Currency or any methods of payment e.g. cash, cheque * … https://www.dhl.com/content/dam/dhl/global/dhl-freight/documents/pdf/dhl-freight-terms-and-conditions-global.pdf\\ DHL Freight Terms & Conditions as of 1st January 2025\\ 1. Prohibited Goods\\ DHL Freight does not accept the following: certain classes\\ of dangerous goods (see clause 7), weapons and\\ ammunition, wastes, living botanicals, livestock, animals,\\ derivatives of endangered species (e.g.: skin, fur, teeth,\\ shell, feathers or blood and parts of some plants, e.g.\\ seeds), bulk material, removal goods, money and/or\\ valuables, cheques, ready to use credit-cards, coins, fiscal\\ stamps, valid telephone cards, any means of payment,\\ securities (guarantees), precious metals, precious stones,\\ jewelry, art, antiques or tobacco products. https://www.dhl.com/content/dam/dhl/local/gb/dhl-ecommerce/documents/pdf/gb-ecommerce-terms-and-conditions-april-2024.pdf\\ Section 2. Defined Terms\\ Valuable goods - means any items that are irreplaceable or\\ not easily replaced, or have sentimental\\ value, or which could easily be used by\\ persons other than the Sender or the\\ intended recipient. Examples include\\ without limitation: precious metals,\\ stones or gems, cashiers/travellers\\ cheques, bearer instruments, stored\\ value cards (including pre-loaded cards\\ and top-up cards), credit/debit cards,\\ important documents (passports, birth/\\ marriage certificates, share certificates),\\ stamps, antiques, unprotected furniture,Se\\ artwork, jewellery (other than costume\\ jewellery); Value - means either the cost value of the item\\ at which it was originally purchased or\\ manufactured (as applicable), or the\\ open market value (on a like for like basis,\\ not new for old) of the item, whichever is\\ the lowest. Where the item is a cheque,\\ voucher, stamp, stored value card or\\ similar item, the Value of such items\\ shall be the actual cost of re-issuing the\\ cheque, stamp, voucher, stamp, card, or\\ similar item. 4. Shipments\\ …\\ 4.1.1. shall not contain (subject to Condition 4.1.3) any Prohibited\\ Goods, Restricted Goods, Unsuitable Goods, Dangerous Goods,\\ Valuable Goods, or out of scope items; == FedEx == https://www.fedex.com/en-jp/customer-support/faq/sending/what-goods-can-i-send/money-as-shipment.html\\ //This is a customer inquiry sent to the Japan website.//\\ Can I send monetary units?\\ Money (coins, cash, currency paper money and negotiable instruments equivalent to cash such as endorsed stocks, bonds and cash letters) cannot be carried by FedEx. See more details. A list of prohibited items, by country. Goods only, no documents.\\ https://www.fedex.com/en-us/shipping/international-prohibited-items.html == RNP == https://rnpexpress.com/en/shipping-terms-and-conditions/\\ 3.2 Prohibited Items for Shipping * … * Currency, coins, and banknotes. * Prohibited documents, such as ID cards, passports, and financial transaction documents. == Thailand Customs == The Customs Department, 1, Suntorn Kosa Road, Klong Toey, Bangkok, 10110\\ Customs Care Center at Tel. 1164\\ Fax : +66-2667-7767\\ E-mail : saraban@customs.go.th\\ E-mail: 1164@customs.go.th I called Thailand customs and the lady did not know what a personal cheque is. She asked me to email her with a photo of the item. (She is thinking goods, not documents.) I emailed her a photo of an example check off of google. She sent back a form letter telling me how to look it up in the database. Thai Customs Department database\\ http://itd.customs.go.th/igtf/en/main_frame.jsp , == Singapore Customs == https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/singapore+customs/FMfcgzQbfLQDcPnjcsrDFFgZHqpdKbrW\\ Good afternoon, Thank you for contacting Singapore Customs through live-chat. This is Jennifer. To help us assist you better, please elaborate on your enquiry please? Is a personal check an allowed document to come in through customs? please assist to elaborate on your enquiry. is the cheque being posted to Singapore Customs or to make payment for duty/GST to SC? No. It is payable to me from a company in USA. I will endorse the check and send it back to USA. it is an allowed document\\ OK. Good. Thank you.