Magyar Posta, DHL, or UPS - have you ever sent a big envelope to USA?

For UPS, the cost calculator is at their web site:

https://wwwapps.ups.com/ctc/request?loc=en_US

You only have to "login" to get an exact quote rather than the estimate. But the site above is pretty accurate (add a little more for some extra taxes and fees). When I used UPS Express Saver, it is about 60 USD to ship a UP enveloped letter to the Eastern US. And they pick up at my door. And I have never had a letter lost, or arrive weeks late, when I use UPS. So if it must get there, and on time, I always use UPS. I have had letters get lost or delayed that I have sent, or been sent to me, by the post office or DHL. So I only use those for non-critical correspondence. There is also EMS available at Magyar Posta, which I have also used and you can use the code provided to track your document to verify if it arrived or not.

Note: UPS or EMS will not ship to a PO Box.

Thank you.

octobop wrote:

We're going to the Posta after work to see how much it will cost to SECURELY get these important papers to the US in less than a month.
Any other options and experiences with shipping to the US?.[/u]

Thanks

You can just send it registered post and it'll be tracked with a signature.  Take anywhere between 3 and 7 days.  Cheapest option. 

UPS works quite well but it's mega bucks for what it is.  Their web site is very badly designed, even if you register (and I've used them for years). DHL and Fedex I've only used sometimes and I always end up back with UPS as they seem to have the most reliable service, regular rounds and personnel etc.

Incoming post is far more unreliable.  Even between the EU, it can take weeks to arrive here.  Mis-delivery is commonplace, especially if the person doing the round has changed and some other stupid thing happened (in our case, someone stole the number off the building! Why?!!)

Thank you everyone.
We just sent it with the Magyar Posta, it weighed around 220 grams, paid extra for faster service and internet tracking through Hungary.
Cost 6,920 huf.
UPS was estimating around 12,000 huf.

Said a prayer and sent it off!

While looking through the other postage threads, I noticed problems with shipping within the EU.  Once I ordered school books on the same day, one from the US and one from the UK.  The American book came in the usual 7-10 days, the UK one took a month.  Strange.
The only other problems I've had (besides the price, both ways) is once it took a month for my nephew's birthday card to get from HU to USA.  Usually it takes 10 days.
And I sent my husband a postcard 3 years ago and he never received it :-)

octobop wrote:

The only other problems I've had (besides the price, both ways) is once it took a month for my nephew's birthday card to get from HU to USA.  Usually it takes 10 days.
And I sent my husband a postcard 3 years ago and he never received it :-)

Tell me about it. Worst case I had for delivery was 6 weeks, UK to Hungary.   I also had mail delivered in Austria (when I lived there) via Melbourne, Australia with a journey time of 4 weeks, including messing about in Australian Customs. Reading lessons I think required by all postmen.  I sometimes buy stuff from Ebay direct from China and it can be amazingly fast. Sometimes 2-3 days only!

Here, we regularly get other people's mail.  Stupid thing is we know some of the people, keep delivering it to them and 5 years later, they've still not told the sender they've moved.  We've told them, next time, we'll return to sender.

I know I'm a bit late, but thought I'd add for future reference:
I usually use Fürgefutár for international packages.

Estimated your package dimensions and ended up with: 6800 through TNT and 9500 for UPS


(and if you're an expatshungary member you get 10% discount still: http://www.expatshungary.com/club/spons … furgefutar )

Sorry, I am late too.  I just sent a 3 day last week using DHL for an 8 1/2x11 inch envelope by DHL for a fixed cost of 9990 HUF.  It was mailed on Tuesday and received in Virginia on Thursday. I believe every Shell station has a DHL drop point and they were very helpful and it was easy to do.

i sent documents this summer to the states and paid approx. $60.  I used DHL and it took almost a week.  Fedex is very inconvenient as they are located by the airport and that is the only place i found where they would receive my letter.  I think the DHL office was on Kalman Imre street in the 5th.  ronald

Just a quick note on experiences on post.

I received a letter from the UK today 18th November posted on the 3rd November - just over 2 weeks ago,

And that's by airmail.

I am quite sure the delays were not from the UK Post Office but here in HU and Magyar Posta.

fluffy2560 wrote:

I received a letter from the UK today 18th November posted on the 3rd November - just over 2 weeks ago,

Did the letter say "You must reply within 10 days of the send date or face taxes and fees" like one I received once from the US IRS, and which arrived a week after that ten day deadline? If not, lucky you. (It did turn out okay in the end, as they were very human about it all and accepted my "this is Hungary, got your letter a week late" reply -- (and there was no fee or penalty as my tax status was incorrect, and they simply changed it after I explained my circumstances)).

Lesson learned: Things do work in Hungary.

Just



at times



very



slowly....

klsallee wrote:

..... from the US IRS, and which arrived a week after that ten day deadline? If not, lucky you. (It did turn out okay in the end, as they were very human about it all and accepted my "this is Hungary, got your letter a week late" reply .....

Sounds like you were lucky.  Not everyone is quite as forgiving as the IRS (haha ;-) ).  Imagine working on a ship, 3 months on, 1 month off. Never get the post on time. A lot of governmental organisations still want to communicate by paper despite me pleading to be e-mailed. So much for e-government.

fluffy2560 wrote:

....governmental .... communicate...

.... is an oxymoron.

Some things never change. Especially bureaucracy.  Some funny old time radio from the 1960's on that topic:

Men From the Ministry

klsallee wrote:

....Some funny old time radio from the 1960's on that topic:

Men From the Ministry

Excellent choice.  I recommend trying "Yes Minister" as well both radio and TV.   I believe there's "Yes, Prime Minister" as well.  Great series.  Shows the British (or anywhere) civil service at its most obscure.

We all battle absurdity everyday.  I had one a few months ago with local government planning for redevelopment. Our plans were passed but we then had to fill in a form (and so did all our immediate neighbours) confirming that we did not object to these plans.  Object?  To our own plans?   WTF?

fluffy2560 wrote:

I recommend trying "Yes Minister" as well both radio and TV.   I believe there's "Yes, Prime Minister" as well.  Great series.  Shows the British (or anywhere) civil service at its most obscure.

Thanks. I will check them out.

fluffy2560 wrote:

We all battle absurdity everyday.  I had one a few months ago with local government planning for redevelopment. Our plans were passed but we then had to fill in a form (and so did all our immediate neighbours) confirming that we did not object to these plans.  Object?  To our own plans?   WTF?

facepalm

klsallee wrote:

facepalm

Meanwhile.....far far away....this is more my level:

D'oh

Well, we sent it 12 days ago with tracking.
The tracker in Hungary says it was "sent abroad".
The tracker in the US says it's still in Hungary.
Not. Happy.

We're going to pay for DHL or UPS next time. :-(

octobop wrote:

The tracker in Hungary says it was "sent abroad".
The tracker in the US says it's still in Hungary.

If you sent it via EMS, try this tracker:

http://www.track-trace.com/post

It will default to the correct country starting the tracking and correct status of the package (in theory). The US tracker may not report receipt until it appears in the US and entered into that system. But 12 days, and still not recorded as received in the US, is really ridiculous. It may still arrive however.

Unfortunately, EMS is of course a "cooperative". And sadly "cooperatives" often aren't. It is difficult to find anyone who can or will take responsibility over global issues when things go wrong.

UPS is a business. They at least have a central number in the US you can contact for global complaint issues. But in over two decades in using UPS, I have never had to use that contact.

Side Note: Did you send the mail with "signed receipt"? Just wondering, because that feature might delay delivery. Almost every time I use the normal Magyar post with an expedited package, they try to sell me on a signed receipt option. The two times I did so, it delayed the delivery time. I never use this option now for regular mail.

There is a return receipt and confirmation of delivery option with domestic US mail which does not need a signature from the recipient, and it was something I used all the time when living in the US. Very handy, and apparently did not delay delivery. But this option does not exist in Hungary. Their confirmation of delivery always requires a signature by the recipient.

klsallee wrote:

Unfortunately, EMS is of course a "cooperative". And sadly "cooperatives" often aren't. It is difficult to find anyone who can or will take responsibility over global issues when things go wrong.

An Australian friend of mine told me that in Hungary the abbreviation EMS (Express Mail Service?) was made up of words forming an oxymoron. "Express" means nothing of the sort.

klsallee wrote:

UPS is a business. They at least have a central number in the US you can contact for global complaint issues. But in over two decades in using UPS, I have never had to use that contact.

I also use UPS here for documents and it's the only one worthwhile and reliable for that kind of thing. I would complain heavily about their over the top/complex web site and their prices.  Forget it for heavy items within Europe.

I've used "man and van" couriers as well which worked out fine - cheap from places like France and Germany - but I wouldn't send anything fragile or expensive.  Cheapest and reliable items I've seen is 1.5 EUR per kg from UK or Ireland.

klsallee wrote:

If you sent it via EMS, try this tracker:

http://www.track-trace.com/post

This link merely takes us to the Magyar posta website.

klsallee wrote:

Side Note: Did you send the mail with "signed receipt"? Just wondering, because that feature might delay delivery..

We did not.

I hope anyone looking for information in the future can find this thread and read the whole thing.  Any way to sticky post "DO NOT USE MAGYAR POSTA" to the top? :-(

octobop wrote:

klsallee wrote:

If you sent it via EMS, try this tracker:

http://www.track-trace.com/post

This link merely takes us to the Magyar posta website.

That is sort of the point, to direct you to the correct tracking system to use. So don't bother with the US tracker. 

If in the long run you do decide to us the regular Post in Hungary, be sure to pay extra for fast delivery.
4 years back around this time of year I had to send some papers to the US for my resident permit. This time of year there is more mail going out with Christmas and all.
I let my Hungarian husband do the post and he went for the second cheapest option.
big , huge mistake at this time of year. The papers arrived very late, messed up my whole immigration process, I had to pay for an extention and a visa to stay longer.
Later we were told the US was the problem, some sort of terrorist thing. They were reading by hand every piece of mail coming in from overseas. Who knows, that was the story though.
If it is really that important is is better to get ripped off now on postage then to get ripped off at immigration services.
Seems cheaper then paying for another visa plus you get to miss the "joy" of going into immigration. As we all know, it is a regular fun house over there.
Over the last 15 years I have sent myself packages from the US to HU. Mostly just my fave beauty products which thankfully can be found in HU these days for the most part( double the price for many items though)
I had quick delivery from Las Vegas to Erd, Hungary for 5 or more deliveries.
The last time I sent a box over we lived in Budapest, this was perhaps 6 years back now.
It took over 5 months to arrive in HU. I had my husband go into every post office in our area, the main post office in Budapest and he even spoke on the phone to the head of the postal services. Still no one could find my box.
Tracing number was no good any longer for the US post so that option to locate the box was gone.
I finally gave up, decided to collect on the insurance for my package.
Wouldn't you know it, when it came down to cash money, they found my box just like that.
Seems it was sitting in a room in the Netherlands for 5 months! Don't even want to guess why it was there at all unless they worked as middle men for the 2 post offices.
Neither post office would except they had done wrong, they each blamed the other, of course.
Funny you should mention post cards.
In 1978 I sent people in the US post cards from Hungary.
I sent them 2 weeks into a 6 week stay, everyone got their cards over a month after I was back in the states.
Seems things have not improved very much in 37 years.

klsallee wrote:

That is sort of the point, to direct you to the correct tracking system to use. So don't bother with the US tracker. 

Once it arrived in the US, the US tracker was updated faster.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

If in the long run you do decide to us the regular Post in Hungary, be sure to pay extra for fast delivery.
.

The verdict was NOT to use Magyar posta at all next time.  We DID pay extra, much extra, for faster delivery, about 4 days, and it still took 2 weeks.  The Magyar Posta said they sent it abroad, the US Postal Service said it was still in Budapest.  Apparently it floated around in purgatory for 10 days.  Once it got to the US, it was at its destination in less than 2 days.

And just for kicks and giggles, I received a card from my mother in the US.  It arrived in 5 days.  Record time, neither of us could believe it!