Tag Archives: Parcel

Mac Stamps

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Living abroad means having to adapt to customs of the host country, which could lead to either total frustration or bliss. I think each expat out there has got some silly story to tell about their host country. Mine started off as a frustration and changed into bliss, literally over night. Last night I was busy burning a CD for CH. with pictures of the wedding. I have been a bad girl and been postponing it for weeks ignoring her request to send it to her asap *sorry about that dear*. I told her my reason for postponing was not the fact that I had to burn a CD, that takes only 2 minutes but the fact that I had to sort out the stamps… I know… it sounds lame but it actually became a major annoyance!

So last night when I had finally written some postcards and finished CH.’s parcel [even though it’s flat and smaller than a postcard envelop it is still considered a parcel], I started the dreadful journey online in search of the right stamp… 80

Let me explain the system over here…There are seven different ways of sending off mail overseas: Airsure, International Signed For, International parcels, Airmail, Surface mail, HM Forces Mail and HM Forces Special Delivery. Then within the UK there is: First Class mail and Second Class mail, Standard Parcels and Recorded Signed For. First Class mail is supposed to be delivered the next day [not over the weekend though] and Second Class will take two to three days, within the UK that is. Then there is Recorded Signed For mail, within the UK and there is Recorded Signed For mail, outside the UK. Both are different issues and require a different form to be filled out which you will be given at the post office; orange for within the UK and blue for outside the UK. I had to send out eight parcels over xMas last year with valuables therefore needed ‘signed on delivery’, it took two weeks to arrive in the Lowlands, you want to know why?

Because some idiot had given me the orange sticker forms instead of the blue while I specifically had mentioned the destination… A nice Indian man at my local post office took time to explain it to me a while ago when I asked for orange forms, he kindly told me that I needed the blue ones instead. He is actually the only person at that post office who really enjoys his job and it’s showing! I remember -in December- I was suprised to hear that for £9,- I had sent off, eight parcels, CS. was there with me to help me fill out those annoying forms. In hindsight I guess they were just arsing about at that particular post office [Lakeside Mall].

Anyway… Postage depends on weight, size and destination. There are pricing tables to be found online so once you know how much it weighs you can look up how much postage is needed to send it off. So far so good, I mean it still takes forever to sort out how you would like to send stuff since there are too many options but my major annoyance is the fact that there is no amount mentioned on the new stamps… It just says First Class or Second Class… So the other day when I was at my local post office the Indian gentleman gave me these First Class stamps called First Class Stamps for Large Letters, meant to be used for large sized envelopes within the UK. According to him I could also use these for postcards outside the UK, he again explained it very well and took time to help me out.

I ended up searching for images of stamps last night just to see how much one stamp was worth since I needed to put 69p on one envelope [parcel I mean]. 50 x Large Letter 1st Class Stamp Sheet = £24.00 so one stamp is 48p… Then I still needed 21p and again ended up looking online to find the price of one small First Class Stamp and ended up paying 13p extra because I didn’t have the 21p only 34p stamps. This is how they make huge profits each year… But… While I was searching I found out that you can now print your own postage online… They had the same system in the Lowlands but only for PC. Everything seems to be developed for PC users only most of the time so to my surprise I found out that it works for Mac as well!

I really don’t understand the ways of this country at times, they have fitted carpet in their airport corridors *yuk*, above ground telephone and internet wires that stop working when there is a slight thunderstorm, but they have a brilliant online postage system for ta da: Mac!

I think I’ll stay a bit longer :P

Noticeable Oddities of the Day:

Run out of stamps? Don’t panic, print your postage from your PC or Mac. Print your postage online directly from your PC or Mac. The service is free (you just pay the normal postage price), easy to use and, because you can print your postage whenever you need it, you’ll never run out again. Use Online Postage to buy and print postage straight onto envelopes, labels or plain paper.

-No need for complicated software or equipment – all you need is a computer and a printer

-Print postage and an address directly onto labels, envelopes or paper

-Select the right postage using the ‘Quick links’ below or with our Price Finder

-Make secure payments online using your prepay account, credit card (or debit card for purchases over £3.50).

Parcels

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I have been busy wrapping xMas presents and received three parcels today, two were for me, one for A.. No I didn’t touch it to see what was in there emoticons/huh.gif
I’m happy that my parcels came in today since one of them is the most important xMas gift this year and it’s for my significant other. I was afraid it wouldn’t be on time but lucky me it is. The other parcel is from a different country and something I was told to order for him.
I wish it was Monday so I can see the huge grin on his face, I know he will like them! I’ve done pretty well this year especially when you take into consideration that I hardly know my way around here and I have no clue what to get where. Online shopping is an extremely good option but only if you know exactly what it is that you need to buy.
We pretty much did all of it last Tuesday though and I sent off all my parcels. Which was a bit of a pain because I had to fill out several forms, stuff that I already had done [sender mentioned on the parcel etc.]. I had to wait in line for 20 minutes which was okay and to my surprise sending parcels is much cheaper than in the Lowlands, even recorded mail [requires a signature on the receiving end].
This to me is a big plus because it means I can send out more parcels to people containing little surprises for them. A pleasure! I received a big fat parcel from my aunt yesterday but didn’t open it yet, I would like to wait till Monday but will give her a ring, she might want me to open it straight away… I hope she will like all the little xMas thingies that I bought her. If all goes well, she should receive it tomorrow. I’ll keep my fingers crossed. If so she can still put it on the xMas tree which would be cool!
Made a special xMas design for my blog today as you can see while reading this, hope you like! emoticons/biggrin.gif
Well better go to bed and get some sleep, it’s late and I don’t feel very well. I reckon it’s the side effect of the flu vaccination that I got on Monday. A. collected a letter for me yesterday so I will have to make an appointment in January at the hospital to have a scan made but that’s a worry for later…
It’s pretty cold these days, temperature dropped by 10 degrees, freezing over night but still sleeping with the window open; gives you weird dreams, well it does to me… Tomorrow I will have to cook dinner for Saturday, a nice Rendang and perhaps some shrimp dish too, we’ll see. I need to finish wrapping asap and I reckon it will probably take me at least another day, there is still so much to do. I did all A.’s presents today and a few more, but there are at least another 20 to wrap.
Off to bed now, sleep well!