I am interested in hearing about shipping small parcels to friends in Jamaica. Whats the best way? Is it safe and reliable? Nothing too valuable will be sent but 40-50 dollars worth of stuff my friend needs.
Printable View
I am interested in hearing about shipping small parcels to friends in Jamaica. Whats the best way? Is it safe and reliable? Nothing too valuable will be sent but 40-50 dollars worth of stuff my friend needs.
I tried sending a 2 liter bottle of soda and a six pack to a friend in the UK - UPS wanted $233 USD for it, cheapest way. :mad:
They said "basically you are paying for jet fuel".
~CM
No easy way to send things to JA especially away from the busy towns. JA Post Office has closed many offices esp rural ones. FedEx and UPS very expensive. Almost cheaper to fly down and hand deliver than sending.
The cheapest way is to bring it with you next time you visit. The only other economical way is to have a barrel shipped by freighter, at least for us that live near the east coast. But that only makes sense if you need to ship a lot of stuff. Retrieving the barrel once it arrives can be a hassle, or so I hear.
The lack of shipping options really amazed me when I looked into it. You would think in this day of global commerce, where I can routinely get packages shipped from China at little cost, that we could get small packages shipped to Jamaica without it costing more then the contents.
I often thought about the idea of starting an online retailer based in Jamaica that would accept online orders from around the world for delivery within Jamaica.
As said above, the best way is to take it. OR, you could ask here if anyone would carry it for you.
We once tried sending a small package via the postal service. It was not too expensive as I recall. After a long time it was returned to us as undeliverable. We hung onto it and delivered it person our next trip.
often times the Jamaican recipient has to pay to pickup a package/parcel at the Jamaican Post Office....
and recently that amount in Jamaica that the recipient has to pay has been jacked way up......
mi would have to say dat FedEx is probably the best route to go.......
FedEx delivers it right to your door no problem.....just depends if you can afford the costs
but overall it's best to hand carry sumthin down der...
Cool Runnings, Marko
I usually ship two barrels a year down to my home. It costs me $60 for the drum and $60 to send it and about a week later, my friend Marshall picks it up for about $125 in customs fees for a declared value of about $500. If you don't send things that you can purchase locally in Jamaica for a reasonable price, then it is the way to go. I just sent a portable waterheater/shower propane unit, a water pump and some farm tools and equipment valued at about $500 and I couldn't purchase them there for three times the amount.
A win-win for me.
Peace and Guidance
I sent a small padded envelope one time. Cost $20. Was never delivered or returned to me. Learned my lesson....just bring it with you.