I am sending a quilt internationally and want to be able to track it. Is that possible? My mailman says no, I can;t believe that...
I want a tracking number so I can go on the internet to track and also the customer. Any suggestions???

He's WRONG!!
When you use a flat-rate box you get tracking. I do it all the time.

They are incorrect. You can track packages all over the world. I am not sure why he/she would feel you couldn't. When you go to post just ask for tracking and it will happen. Perhaps a different, larger post office would be better.

I once read that you should not put "quilt" as the description as it makes it more attractive to theft. I forget what word you should use - maybe linens?

I just went to the post office the other day..one where I get great service = and the clerk said that they cannot track past the point where it gets to the customs in the other country. Beyond that point, our postal system has no control over the package and therefore cannot track. Makes sense to me.

I think she is right. As far as I know (and I have mailed several things internationally that I would have LIKED to track), tracking only extends to the edges of OUR borders.

I would go to the USPS website and look for international shipping and use the method they provide for tracking if they do provide a method of tracking internationally. That way you know for sure what is available and not available.

fedex can track em too

Can you say UPS or FedEx?

Lanny

You can mail it USPS priority mail then once it is out of the US the tracking continues with their postal service called EMS. They are joined in the process and it is easily tracked. I had a web store where I had to deal with wholesalers over in China and have probably have done this 300 times.

When shipping internationally via the USPS, any tracking is within the US only. When the package arrives in the destination country it then placed in the hands of that countries postal service, hence there is tracking to that point only. If you want to track your package than you will have to bite the bullet and ship UPS, Fedex, DHL, etc. The cost will be much higher, but it stays in their hands till it is delivered. So your post man was correct!

Try Global Express.

Regarding "Priority Mail International", I found this page that says tracking is available except for envelopes and the small boxes:
http://www.usps.com/international/pr...ernational.htm

While Googling, I found several other websites that said the same thing.

"Global Express" did not have any exceptions for tracking.

Not true!! I ship Priority flat-rate boxes internationally all the time! I can always track it :thumbup:

just put insurance on it and delivery confirmation and you will have tracking numbers

Try DHL...can't remember but seems I had no trouble tracking things when DH travels overseas.

Go to the post office, they can always track your package, as well as tell you when the package arrived.

Thanks everyone. I can track it also using the customs form.

I ship things internationally quite often and at the suggestion of a USPS employee, I put a letter in the box with the sender, recipient, and the contents of the package. I also state on that letter that the enclosed information was also sent electronically. I insure and ask for delivery confirmation. Does this help thwart theft? Absolutely.

If I were sending the quilt, I would take a picture and not only enclose it but send that electronically as well. Then you have a record just in case.

I wouldn't ship it USPS. When I ship internationally I use FedEx or UPS. They can track it in the country it's being shipped. Then it if gets lost you have a better chance of it being located.

UPS will give you a tracking number. I always ship international UPS. It is more expensive, but you can track it.

This is an interesting discussion. I've been shipping first class pkgs internationally for a couple of months. Had no idea that the customs forms would enable tracking. Can you elaborate?

i always pay extra to get insurance and tracking

I sent a package via the Post Office. Yes they
gave me a slip of paper with the number on it. I
could then go to the internet and see the time, date,
and town that it was currently in. Also they posted
when the package had arrived. So just go to the post
office and talk to them at the counter. The package
I sent had three rag style throw quilts. Hope this
will help you. Betty Lee

use a flat rate box and put delivery confirmatin on it. you will be able to look up when it was delivered.

One of my sons just got back to the states after living in Europe & the mideast for several years & I ran into that when sending packages to him. You can track a pkg in the states & in most of Europe but in some countries you can't. If you send something through our USPS it is then turned over to the postal service of the country of its delivery destination. When Mike was in Italy it was a problem. In Bulgaria not so much. I guess you just to have faith. Or you can try FedEx as they do deliver their own but its 2-3x more expensive. Good luck

I once read that you should not put "quilt" as the description as it makes it more attractive to theft. I forget what word you should use - maybe linens?



maybe textiles

My sister works for the PO, and she verified this. Once it leaves US hands, no tracking is possible.

You would be better off using UPS or FedEx...they do track all over the world, and have many other less expensive options besides overnight service.

I mailed to canada and was told no way to track once out of the country. Its a waste of time and money.

You are correct. Every time I ship international I always ask that question and I get the same answer as you did.

Blessings...

I always track my shipments but there could still be PonyExpress in Minnesota

I lost a quilt, sent it to Germany, without tracking or insurance.
Very painfull!!
Insure your quilt and track it. They can do it.

donnajean, ktbb, butterflyblue --i was told the same thing. once it leaves here, we have no control over what happens to it and we don't really know where it is. right,k3n?

My daughter is in Panama and I had to send some schoolbooks to her.I wanted to be able to track them and insure them because they were over $700 worth of materials.The post office told me the same thing.Once it leaves the States it's a whole different mailing system.They would not insure or track.We just hoped and prayed they would arrive.They did but some things don't.Best of luck with shipping your quilt.

What ever you do, DO NOT put quilt on it. Instead, put linens & also be sure to put insurance on it. If it is insured, you will be able to track it. I insure all quilts, I put in the mail, even here in the states.

I sent some items to Venezuela and the tracking number was good until the items were stolen from the truck.

when I send a package overseas, I insure it - otherwise it never arrives.

BOTH UPS andFEDEX ship internationally, and you can have package tracked door to door. The USPS will only track on their boxes (if services is purchased) within US borders.