sending a package to ukraine

[SilverBullet]

SB  i don't know. I know many girls who like Coach bags and they have many from 300-500

Yes, Coach are good. My Miss have several. Also Cole Haan is a hit. None of the brands are sold in Kyiv so some of the bags causes some admiration and questions, whihc my Miss don't mind. I just provide a link to Coach and Cole Haan and the Miss selects her favorites. By the way, the best discounted prices for these brands are at Century 21 in Manhattan, NY in case you are in that part of the country. Otherwise Loehmanns or Nordstrom Rack have good prices too. SB 

[SilverBullet]

I have sent and have had sent many packages to Ukraine, probably 15 total. All arrived safely and on time. I always chose the cheapest option, which is usually First Class International for small and lightweight packages, and Priority International for those about the First Class weight limit. Typically packages take 7 or 8 days to arrive in Kiev. Very reliable in my experience.

I have never used FedEx, UPS, etc.

Thanks for the feedback. Confirms my experience too with the Postal Service being very good in Ukraine.

[SilverBullet]

Gentleman, you are far too knowledgeable about handbags.
 

Comes from practice of carrying them around too much in Kyiv. Don't be surprsied when the Miss tells you to hold her bag while she checks out merchandise in a store or gets tired of carrying a heavy handbag filled with cell phones and a lot of other stuff. I just keep telling her, ok while in Kyiv but will not be caught dead carrying one for my Miss in another country. 

[Bocodillo]

Gentleman, you are far too knowledgeable about handbags.
 

Comes from practice of carrying them around too much in Kyiv. Don't be surprsied when the Miss tells you to hold her bag while she checks out merchandise in a store or gets tired of carrying a heavy handbag filled with cell phones and a lot of other stuff. I just keep telling her, ok while in Kyiv but will not be caught dead carrying one for my Miss in another country. 

Yup, had to do that on more than 1 occasion - couldn't tell you anything about the handbags in question, though. Maybe I need to become more metro-sexual 

[SilverBullet]

Smaller handbags might do the trick, then the Miss can not claim the bag is too heavy. Also in order to cut bag on numerous cell phones a couple of Samsung Duo cell phones (takes 2 SIM cards in one phone) can cut back the cell phone portfolio by 50%. There is one cell phone in use for every cell phone plan in order to be able to call for free depending on what cell phone plans family and friends are using.  Well at least I am not the only one in Kyiv carrying a hand bag around while walking with my Miss. I see a lot of Ukrainian men having to do the same quite frequently also, so no discrimination going on.     

[chromium]

I need to ship some clothes and books from Gdansk Poland to Kiev. I've read your alls posts - thank you. However, I wanted to ask for customs reasons, which I don't want to pay, is it better to ship from a residential address to another residential address, or should I ship it from my school to another school, does it matter?


Thank you!

[Ted]

MEEST was wonderful, I took everything to the agent in Oregon, filled out the paper work, paid the modest fees and 3 weeks to the day all of my packages arrived unopened. This included a new 27" i-Mac and several camera lenses I could not get stuffed into my carry on bags. No muss no fuss! This was in the dead of winter to Bila Tserkov.

DHL on the other hand held up a package for 8 weeks because they do not deliver everywhere, of course they don't tell you until you track it down yourself, and after much bitching and yelling at them a little babushka came by one morning with string tied around my package and handed it to me after I signed a really lousy xerox of my DHL waybill. It was only a macro lens from Amazon U.K. but DHL did make it plain that delivery in Ukraine has been "modified". The Germans did not have a problem delivering bombs to (over/on) Bila Tserkov during WW2, so I am assuming DHL has some money issues.

Oh and they are not "hand bags or purses" ... they are satchels, Indiana Jones has one. This makes it okay in my book.

[sjg-uk]

Last December i had an I-pod sent from England. My brother sent it normal recorded delivery from his Post Office to the local Post Office here in Kharkov. It took 5 working days and cost ?11. We just recieved a note from them to go to them and collect it. No problem.

[tribalogical]

MEEST was wonderful, I took everything to the agent in Oregon, filled out the paper work, paid the modest fees and 3 weeks to the day all of my packages arrived unopened. This included a new 27" i-Mac and several camera lenses I could not get stuffed into my carry on bags. No muss no fuss!

This is excellent news. I've been trying to arrange shipping some of my personal effects and household goods from California to Nikolaev. You can't believe what a hassle it has been to find a shipper simply capable of managing it.

Most important, I'm also bringing a 27" iMac, along with some of my studio gear. Can you tell me which method you used for shipping? Was it by sea or air? Judging by the arrival time, I assume by air...  my biggest concern is that the iMac will arrive in one piece...!

Did MEEST allow you to add additional insurance to cover it?

Thanks again for the great info!

peace,
tribalogical

[tribalogical]

Oh, and PS... did you get hit with any substantial customs fees for the iMac?

Thanks!

[Ted]

Not knowing at the time I could have lied about what was in the boxes, I did the right thing and claimed the correct price for the expensive items, aside from the computer I brought a $2000 set of Shun knives. Hey I cook! I honestly did not ship much other than clothes and a few lenses also.  I shipped by air, though sea was longer and much cheaper. My total price was about 1600USD, this included shipping insurance and customs. I shipped the mac in the original box that it come in, plus the plain brown sleeve that came around it ... I got it through the website so it came to Oregon from China, using that box seemed only right as it was completely without Apple logos. I was once and Engineer at Apple and I know the trouble my friends when through to make sure products were able to be dropped off the back of a truck at 60 mph...so good for the box!!

HOWEVER, since Ukraine roads are soooooooooooo smooth, if you have the Apple box you are going to be good to go.

For smaller items, I have had friends ship in a small box with declared value under $250 and they arrive in 10 to 14 days via US mail.

Get ahold of MEEST and talk with them they will set you straight! :-D

[tribalogical]

Thanks for the info!

Unfortunately, I don't have that outer plain box. I bought it at a retail store, so only the fully logo'd, big picture, white iMac box. I had prepped it for sea shipping, so it has lots of extra bubble wrap and popcorn inside, to protect the screen, etc. No open spaces left inside. I hope it's safe that way.

The rates at the Meest website seem pretty reasonable, but that doesn't count insurance or any customs fees. I'm going to be declaring everything as personal effects and household goods, which is true. None of the boxes will be over 70 lbs (Meest says anything over 70 lbs will be counted as commercial, and must have customs paid), so hopefully it won't cost a huge amount.

I'll be talking to Meest in the morning... the shipper I had arranged before leaving is still wrangling with Ukraine customs and port authorities, while my things sit in storage in California for over a month.

It was when they said they're being told they can't ship to Odessa or Kiev, and that they have to ship to St. Petersburg first, I knew it was time to find another shipper!

I guess just like everything else, it's good to find someone experienced in dealing with Ukraine...

[Ted]

Mac users have to stick together 

I hope everything works out!

[timinua]

I used MEEST for just about everything, even shipping my car. I shipped so much stuff that I got to know a fellow named Roman and worked exclusively with him. Then he directed me to Bosmix (www.bosmix.com). I never asked if it was a new company or just another face of MEEST because I am happy working with Roman. They have the same rates as M and when packages are delivered they are delivered by the M truck, but you can set up an online account, and you become more than just a faceless mailer.

I usually have my parents ship stuff to Bosmix, and then B fills out all of the paperwork by their own special method. Apparently, I only ever ship used clothes and personal household items.

And I've never had a box opened.

edit: ps: you can also use B to send packages to the US from Ukraine, and they have a special small package (up to 5 lbs) air rate to Ukraine from the US.

[dazure]

I used DHL New Zealand to Kotovsk. No problem. Of course you can track it online.