Sending post to Russia

[Digga]

We've been working with a firm who have offices in St Peterburg and Moscow and we've hit a bit of a communications brick wall.

It appears to be unbeleivably difficult to send parcels to Russia. I hasten to add, we're not trafficking drugs or anything, just CD's with product data, DVD's contacining product videos and the like.

So far, to get initial information over we've had two stabs at it. We sent package #1 via good ole Royal Mail, which must have taken over a month to arrive, during which time a duplicate package #2 was sent via City Link. Package #2 arrived back on my desk this morning, having enjoyed a 6 week round trip...

Does anyone have any useful ideas on this, other than getting clients to decamp to our side of the iron curtain? Clearly there's far too much stuff to e-mail, and some of it is not e-mailable anyway, but 4 to 5 weeks is useless and it's going to prove difficult to work with.

[Egbert Nobacon]

What about people like DHL or UPS. They seem to cover most of the world.

[Maxf]

Fedex it - probably the most expensive way but IMO the most reliable. Or, why not host it online and let them download it (obviously you'd have to be sending a lot of packages to make this financially worthwhile).

[Digga]

I did think about this at the time, and again after putting this post up. If anyone can confirm that UPS or DHL have got their st together in this regard it'd be useful.

[Taita]

Does it have to be physically sent? Could you FTP it? You can set up VPN's, sFTP etc if security is an issue,

[Digga]

Taita said:

Does it have to be physically sent? Could you FTP it? You can set up VPN's, sFTP etc if security is an issue,

Yep, there are a few bits & pieces that, unfortunately, need to be physically sent. Hence the issue.

Anyone with actual experience will liekly have come accross these problems and found a solution. I hope!

[Taita]

Digga said:

Taita said:

Does it have to be physically sent? Could you FTP it? You can set up VPN's, sFTP etc if security is an issue,

Yep, there are a few bits & pieces that, unfortunately, need to be physically sent. Hence the issue.

Anyone with actual experience will liekly have come accross these problems and found a solution. I hope!

Pop me on a plane with it in my hand luggage?

[Digga]

Taita said:

Digga said:

Taita said:

Does it have to be physically sent? Could you FTP it? You can set up VPN's, sFTP etc if security is an issue,

Yep, there are a few bits & pieces that, unfortunately, need to be physically sent. Hence the issue.

Anyone with actual experience will liekly have come accross these problems and found a solution. I hope!

Pop me on a plane with it in my hand luggage?

Have you ever flown with Aeroflot?

Check out their safety record.

Wikipedia said:

"There are records of approximately 127 accidents involving Aeroflot aircraft and 6,875 fatalities (plus 20 people killed on the ground), making an average of 54.13 fatalities per accident since 1953. The last incident with fatalities occurred in 1994."

Edited by Digga on Wednesday 10th September 16:55

Edited by Digga on Wednesday 10th September 16:56

[Taita]

Digga said:

Taita said:

Digga said:

Taita said:

Does it have to be physically sent? Could you FTP it? You can set up VPN's, sFTP etc if security is an issue,

Yep, there are a few bits & pieces that, unfortunately, need to be physically sent. Hence the issue.

Anyone with actual experience will liekly have come accross these problems and found a solution. I hope!

Pop me on a plane with it in my hand luggage?

Have you ever flow with Aeroflot?

Check out their safety record.

I like to live on the edge

[Exigeowner]

we use TNT and have agreed some really good rates, the plastic bags with very little weight we send all over the world for only about £ 30.00 per package

[Digga]

Exigeowner said:

we use TNT and have agreed some really good rates, the plastic bags with very little weight we send all over the world for only about £ 30.00 per package

"All over the world" is seemingly less of a problem than behind the (apparently still extant) iron curtain!

Are you saying you have used TNT for Russia specifically?

[Exigeowner]

Actually we have not sent to Russia for along time, we have done a few to KZ.

I have just looked in the TNT Catalogue and they state a guaranteed to Russian Federation transit time of 1 - 2 days soonest ( most expensive ) and economy but still recorded service is 7 days.

[Digga]

Exigeowner said:

Actually we have not sent to Russia for along time, we have done a few to KZ.

I have just looked in the TNT Catalogue and they state a guaranteed to Russian Federation transit time of 1 - 2 days soonest ( most expensive ) and economy but still recorded service is 7 days.

Thanks for that. I'll have to talk to them or one of the 'other' parcel people, because I've a hunch it's down to the fact that the packages we're sending are, effectively, 'zreo' value - they are useless to anyone else and it's nto stuff were selling to the Russians. The delays might just be a consequence of the authorities being miffed that they're nto getting a cut out of it, as they would if it were a 'sale'.

[Exigeowner]

I tend to find that all the courier companies will declare at leat some value even if it is just docs, £ 10.00 or something

[Tazio1]

Give me a ring, I run an international courier company and have many clients that regularly send to Russia.

I can advise you on what you need to do, call 08700 110 701

Cheers

Darren