These days, most of us do most of our shopping online. Going on the web to track down great gifts for your loved ones is an excellent way to ensure that you’re getting a good deal and a fantastic selection. Making sure the gift you have thoughtfully selected to your friends or family is sent safely, is something we all have on our minds hence why knowing top tips for sending gifts in the post is so useful.
You could simply send a gift straight to that address from the online site of your choice. However, that means that it could end up arriving with an invoice that shows the price. Plus, you won’t always have an opportunity to wrap the gift if it goes straight to the recipient and this is something that makes it even more special so you would want to make sure it is nicely wrapped.
For this reason, sometimes, sending your gifts in the post by yourself will allow you to make sure you do all these things. I have put together a list of tips for sending gifts in the post that hopefully would help you when you decide to send your gifts in the post by yourself.
FIVE TOP TIPS FOR SENDING GIFTS IN THE POST
1. Send it as Early as Possible
Even if you pay for special shipping, there’s no guarantee that your gift is going to arrive at your chosen destination on time – particularly if you wait too long before sending it. Ideally, you would want to make sure that you have your item wrapped and in the post a couple of weeks before it needs to be with your friend or loved one.
Adjust your timing based on where the recipient is. If you’re going to be sending your item overseas, then you might need to allow more time for it to arrive. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to predict for certain how long your package will remain sitting in customs, or the back of a truck somewhere. Make sure you get a tracking number so that you can find out where your item is if it’s running late. Understanding different tracking statuses, such as what it means when the USPS tracking says ‘shipment received, package acceptance pending,’ can help you better manage your expectations and actions if there’s a delay. For a deeper insight into this and other tracking statuses, consider exploring the detailed guide provided by findpostoffice.org’s insightful article on USPS tracking statuses.
2. Don’t Just Wrap, Protect
Getting a gift item such as those listed at UKGifts.co.uk sent to you before you send it to your friend or relative is a great way to ensure that you can add the finishing touches with wrapping, bows, and similar flourishes. However, above all else, your focus should be on keeping the item safe when it’s in transit. If you’re sending something fragile overseas, use extra boxes, packaging, and bubble wrap to stop it from breaking.
If it’s possible when you go to post the item, ask the postal company whether they can put a “Fragile” sticker on the side. Alternatively, you can write the word “Fragile” yourself and hope that the postal team will pay attention.
3. Always Get the Postage Right
Find out how much your post is going to cost before you send it, and make sure that you get it right. You don’t want to end up with a parcel that never arrives because you haven’t paid enough for postage. You might also need to think about whether the person receiving your product in another country is going to need to pay any customs charges too. Can you cover that expense?
When you’re researching your postage pricing options, make sure that you double-check the address, and ensure that the door number, postcode, and anything else you need to direct the postal team is correct. A return address can also ensure that if your package gets lost anywhere, it eventually makes its way back to you.
4. Get Them to Keep an Eye Out
Without giving away the surprise, let your friend or loved one know that they should expect something in the post from you. These days, a lot of people receive parcels and letters and end up putting them to the side or forgetting about them. This is often the case when people order a lot of items online regularly.
Tell your friend that you’ve got them a little something, and keep them updated with the tracking information, so they know when to expect it. If there’s something large that needs to be delivered, it’s best to see whether your friend or loved one can get someone to wait in the house for the delivery, as this will mean they don’t have to go and collect their item from a depot.
5. Remember to Add A Card
Finally, make sure that your friend knows that this item is from you by adding a card to the parcel. Just a little something to explain the gift with your name signed at the bottom should be enough. The addition of a little personal message on a card from you could be a wonderful way to make the delivery even more special.
A card is also a nice finishing touch for any gift because it allows you to deliver an extra dose of sentiment along with the product you’ve bought.
What do you think of these top tips for sending gifts in the post? Do you like making sure you send your gift in the post too?
*Disclosure: Collaborative Post
Thanks for stopping by,
Love you all ❤️
Franca 💋
Linking up with:
Laura says
There’s some excellent tips here for sending parcels. I don’t often get a gift delivered to me first to send out as I always worry about it getting broken once I re-wrap it
Priscilla Stubbs says
Great tips here, my husband is a great at packing parcels but even he found this useful
Michelle Corbett says
Wonderful tips.
Jo m welsh says
Some great tips the return address even it’s just a house number and postcode would be fine .
Nadia Josephine says
I love sending gifts in the post it feels exciting to get a parcel! Thanks for the great tips!
Margaret Gallagher says
Invaluable tips – thanks
The Little Bookstall says
What great tips! I do love getting a parcel, although it’s sadly quite rare. (Apart from all the stuff I order for myself! Not sure if that counts though!!!)
#KCACOLS
Helen Copson says
Ooh good tips! Especially about the postage price. I’m always surprised when I go to the post office and find out the cost! Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS
Lydia C. Lee says
My recycling on ebay is making me an expert in packing and posting. Great post #KCACOLS
Jennifer Lambert says
Great tips and it’s always fun to send and receive mail! #KCACOLS
Astrid says
These are great tips! I’m going to send a gift to a friend in Ireland for Christmas and have put a reminder in my phone to get it ready by early November. I’m in the Netherlands, so thankfully we’re both still in the EU, so no customs payments etc. However, sending stuff from the UK to somehwere abroad sounds really complicated. #KCACOLS
Becky, Cuddle Fairy says
I’m right with you on all of these tips! I send my family their gifts by post all of the time, with them living on the other side of the ocean. Your tip about protecting the items is oh so important! #KCACOLS
Jade Page says
Thanks some very timely tips as I was just about to do a birthday parcel for a friend #KCACAOLS
Jacqui says
Great tips! I wouldn’t trust the postal system in South Africa though 🙂 haha!
Jacqui says
Sorry, #kcacols
Jeremy@ThirstyDaddy says
Early as possible is a big one over here in the States this year. I’m not sure if things are as backed up other places but its a mess here #KCACOLS
Shelley Whittaker says
I often used to send gifts in the post, but I have been caught out recently with expensive postage and postal delays. I love websites that offer to gift wrap and send directly to the recipient – I tend to find its more economical too. #KCACOLS
Sam says
Really good tips and especially important is timing and doing it early X #kcacols