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Comment by jmcmichael | Hacker News Reader

Is it possible to ship stuff (laptops, cellphone maybe) via FedEX or UPS, internationally, and have it arrive at or near the same time/place as your destination w/o having to wait for it to clear customs?

I had considered this but eliminated it as a dependable method because I assume that most countries have their own customs procedures for items shipped via FedEx/UPS and in some cases items might be tied up for days or weeks.

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You're correct; to take advantage of the personal customs exemption for travelers you must carry the items in your luggage with you, not ship them separately. If you ship them, you might be deemed to be importing them, depending on the country's customs procedures (and even if you qualify for another exemption, they may be held in customs until you go fill out some paperwork to claim them).

I have been considering giving LuggageForward[1] a try. They seem to handle the customs aspect in a way that works the same as if you carried the bag with you. Their rates are quite attractive as well.

[1] http://www.luggageforward.com/

Disclaimer: no affiliation at all with them. In the end I never tried them because I now travel with carry-on only.

No. If it enters the country by post, you'll have way more headaches than just using the airline.

Taxes - personal items? They DGAF, you'll probably pay more in taxes than your items cost;

Proof of local address - y'see, they can't release your items without you having proof of your local address where you reside, WTF.

AND if they lose your stuff you're just as f'ed (yeah, waiting 3 months to get your insurance is fun)...

So, no, shipping your stuff separately via international post is not a good option.

EDIT: My bad, no not internationally. Customs is always a massive risk that could delay your package by a month.

Yes, Ground is now guaranteed time-in-transit for both FedEx and UPS and they both have 1, 2, 3 day options.

Shipping an actual suitcase, however, is not financially viable.

Getting an account or using an association like USAA can cut your costs substantially for expedited but ground rates don't move as much.

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