Hello
Well I’m super excited to have reached my 25th sale today. It was a lovely surprise to wake up to.
I’m a tad nervous though as I haven’t posted beyond the UK before and I hoped someone could explain what I need to do at the post office so I can be organised. The order is going to Canada 
Any advice would be gratefully appreciated.
Karen
Congratulations on the sale. You should fill in a CN22 form (available from the royal mail website here http://www.royalmail.com/sites/default/files/cn22.pdf) and stick it to the front of the package (not everyone does this but if you have been paid for the contents you should and tick the commercial sample box). Then when you walk up to the counter make sure you know if you want international standard or international tracked as there can be quite a price difference (you can find out prices on the royal mail website, I wouldn’t use economy it can take ages), just tell the post person and it should all be hunkydory. (well it is at my local post office)
Hi Karen - it is a bit nerve-wracking the first few times posting overseas, I remember the feeling well! But don’t worry, it is quite simple.
For Canada you will need to add an ‘air mail’ label and to fill in a customs label, they will give you these at the PO but you can ask them for some to take home if the overseas parcels become a regular thing. Just make sure you tick the box marked ‘OTHER’ at the top of the customs label, write a brief description of the contents (‘fashion accessory’ perhaps rather than ‘jewellery’) and the value.
Also make sure that you put your return address clearly on the front of the parcel (some countries are fussy about where this is, I think Canada is one of them).
And everything else is much the same as a UK parcel.
Thanks Sasha
I did notice on the PayPal notification/terms it said to post trackable. It’s all abit baffling. I think I may end up out of pocket with the postage, but it’s all a learning curve isn’t it. I can adjust accordingly for future sales overseas.
Thanks again
Karen
Thanks Helen
I must admit when I noticed the address I went into a slight panic, but I’ve calmed down abit now lol.
It feels abit daunting, as I always fear parcels going astray. Fingers crossed…
I have Jiffy bags to post my items with them being small bits and bobs… Would this still be ok for writing my address on the front somewhere or would it confuse?
Karen
If you write the recipient’s address front and centre, and mark your address ‘sender’ and write it small in a corner somewhere there should be no confusion. Remember to leave space for the customs label though!
There is a new international ‘large letter’ rate that you might qualify for with a jiffy bag if you pack carefully.
Out of the hundreds of parcels I’ve sent out over the years I can count the number that have gone missing on one hand so I wouldn’t worry unnecessarily. I only use trackable shipping for large value custom orders. Do be aware though that parcels generally take around 2 weeks or so and not the 5-7 days quoted on the RM website.
I’m just going to say again that you should make sure you tick the box marked ‘OTHER’ at the top of the customs label - the other options all relate to duty-free goods which yours (being something you have sold) are not. Not that there will be any duty to pay unless it’s a super-expensive thingummy!
Thanks so much for the info Helen 
@HelenSmith
Karen
Congratulations !
As Helen said Canada like the senders address on the front in the top left hand corner. You can put the customs sticker on the back if pushed for space .
We have family there and have never had anything go a stray. Often things get there quite quickly too.
Thanks Deborah @DeborahJonesJewellery
I’m feeling a lot more confident about posting this item now with all of this fab help
It’s exciting to think something I’ve made will be venturing so far afield. It’s a shame I can’t fit in the Jiffy bag I’ve always fancied a trip to Canada. It looks like a beautiful place 
Karen
Thanks everyone for your help today. The parcel is now starting its long journey.
The nice lady at the Post Office even gave me some Airmail stickers and customs labels for next time
I’m off to alter my overseas postage costs. I never realised how pricey it is.
Karen
Royal mail price finder and the bulk edit listing tools are your friends for this! Make sure that you measure your items carefully and add some width on for packaging so you don’t end up getting charged small parcel when you’ve only budgetted for large letter.
Sasha
Ohhhh I never realised we could bulk edit the postage 
Thanks for mentioning it. Would’ve taken me hours altering them one by one.
Karen
Hi Karen
As I am Canadian, I am frequently sending things to family and friends and in 15 years I have never had anything go astray. I have had items reach there in less than 4 days although more likely to be a week or two. There is really no difference from sending locally except for the CN22 (I have a bunch of them from the post office) and that to make sure you put the postal code after the province and before Canada on the label. although I have done it the way we do it here and it has still arrived.