In his sombre autumn statement last month, Chancellor Philip Hammond made the staggering assertion that real wages in the UK were unlikely to rise for at least a decade. Despite this, PwC have claimed that the average UK adult still expects to spend £280 on Christmas gifts this year, highlighting the continued disparity between earnings and the rising cost of living.
After all, while factors such as the Brexit vote are likely to have a negative impact on consumer spending this festive period, this continues to grow at a faster rate than wages in the UK.
Of course, this is a financial concern that becomes even more prevalent when sending presents overseas to loved ones. While at first thought it may seem like an easy and relatively affordable procedure to ship a parcel or package abroad in the modern age, this can cause anxiety depending on the destination and the precise contents of your shipment. Make not mistake; the additional time and money required to ship an overseas parcel makes it crucial that you seek out the most competitively priced option that delivers the best value for money.
Image: – Weybridge Lib Dems
Avoiding Problems When Sending Parcels Overseas
With this in mind, here is a brief guide on how to simplify the process of shipping Christmas gifts abroad while also minimising expenditure and achieving the greatest value for your hard earned money: –
Take Care When Wrapping
This is one of the most essential keys for keeping a parcel secure because even with the most trustworthy courier it is most probable that packages get jostled and bumped around quite a bit. Items should always sit snug in their cases and as an extra layer of precaution for those valuables, mark a parcel as ‘fragile’.
Using a Good (and Reliable) Delivery Service
There are many options in this category. Nowadays it is possible to track a parcel over land or sea so this offers great relief for the safe passage of a package. It is also good for letting the recipient know exactly how long it will take to arrive. TNT has a superb reputation for fast and secure delivery as well as being competitively priced and professional, making it the best resource for sourcing suitable and financially rewarding deals.
Make Sure the Address is Correct and Take Care of the Basic Details
This sounds like something everyone should know already but the biggest percentage of parcels cannot be delivered due to incorrect addresses being recorded. Sometimes, foreign addresses have coding, provinces and districts which we are unfamiliar with so it is important to double check that it is number for number and letter for letter correct. The ideal address for long distance delivery is a printed version with clear tape across the face to prevent any smudging along the way.
Verify that there are no Restrictions Involved: Depending on what is being shipped, at times restrictions may apply. For instance, in some parts of the world certain items are restricted such as sharp objects, alcohol or some electronic objects. Failing to check this can delay the delivery of your package, while in some instances it may drive additional costs to remove these restrictions.
Embracing the Simplicity of Shipping Items and the Internet
It couldn’t be easier than the present day to organise international parcel delivery. In just a few short steps the destination, address, contact and all relevant information can be submitted online to a courier service. This is all that’s required to arrange for the safe passage and delivery of an international parcel, as the simplicity of online consumerism can be successfully embraced to negate costs, avoid potential obstacles and cope with the variable nature of the current, UK economy.
