Best Way to Ship Document to VN

[shy1akaanh 0]

When I send gifts to my wife, I would send it through USPS with the flat international rate, $50 for a max of 20 lb. It would take about two and half weeks. Since i'm going to send a lot of important documents to my wife, what is the best way to go? Yeah I know i can check online, but I like to know if u guys have any recommendations to a particular shipper. Thanks a bunch

[ScottThuy 140]

I just sent under 1 lb of documents via fed ex on a Friday at noon.. by Monday was approx 45 USD by Wed was approx 65 USD.. yeah.. go figure faster for less... If I want to send docs fast.. Fed Ex.. USPS approx 10 days for me from Florida.. check a local pack and ship type store and they can do the numbers to tell you what it will cost...

[shy1akaanh 0]

oh that weird. thanks for the input. i was thinking about sending like a 15 lbs worth of documents...lol. there like 2 and half years of emails, chats, call records, and such. it might be cheaper for me to fly back.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

oh that weird. thanks for the input. i was thinking about sending like a 15 lbs worth of documents...lol. there like 2 and half years of emails, chats, call records, and such. it might be cheaper for me to fly back.

15lbs of documents will cost about $250 via Fedex. It would be a lot cheaper if you can send those documents to your wife electronically (via email, etc.), and let her print them out at a local internet shop in VN.

[lindal24 1]

When I sent important documents, I used Fed Ex and it cost about 50-70 bucks each time depending on weight (50 min). The only things I sent were the marriage certificate documentation to get the process started before I got there; tax documents, timeline, and miscellaneous documents for the interview (just in case), and then the requested documents for the blue slip we got.

Luckily (and oddly), my family has made a lot of trips back home these last three years so if I wanted to send something "bigger" I just sent it with them...

[Bernie C 24]

I am afraid to use the USPS to send to VN. I have had to many things get lost! OK within the US but the mail service in VN has proven to be less than reliable.

Like Jim mentioned - you can send electronically, but if the docs need to have original signatures that wont work.

I prefer fed-ex. It may be more expensive but I never had a problem with anything getting lost using them.

I hand carried all our docs for the interview because I was too nervous to send them but if you cannot go personally then I would recommend fedex.

[shy1akaanh 0]

anyone try USPS global express? I used USPS international priority before and nothing is lost. It take a while but it get there. Was thinking of using USPS global express. Somehow I think USPS is safer because of the government affiliation with it. Vietnamese are always scare of everything government. It won't get lost...I hope so. I wish i could hand carry it but it will cost me a job. lol. can't afford that.

Edited January 29, 2010 by shy1akaanh

[toddandhien 2]

anyone try USPS global express? I used USPS international priority before and nothing is lost. It take a while but it get there. Was thinking of using USPS global express. Somehow I think USPS is safer because of the government affiliation with it. Vietnamese are always scare of everything government. It won't get lost...I hope so. I wish i could hand carry it but it will cost me a job. lol. can't afford that.

If you value what you are sending, I would recommend staying away from anything that will ultimately use the Vietnam Postal Service as part of the delivery vehicle. It is okay for a greeting card, but many have reported that important material has failed to arrive. It is not the Vietnamese people that I would worry about stealing it, it is the service itself, which IS the government. Good advice offered previously in this post. I would advise going with an independent international courier, like FedEx.

[lindal24 1]

anyone try USPS global express? I used USPS international priority before and nothing is lost. It take a while but it get there. Was thinking of using USPS global express. Somehow I think USPS is safer because of the government affiliation with it. Vietnamese are always scare of everything government. It won't get lost...I hope so. I wish i could hand carry it but it will cost me a job. lol. can't afford that.

It's the VN Postal Service that you have to worry about. USPS will get it to VN in 10 days, but VN Postal Service will probably take another 30 to get it to its final destination--if at all!

[Bernie C 24]

AGREED!!! I also once considered using DHL until I went to the DHL office in Nha Trang. One look around the place convinced me that it would be a very poor decision.

I visited the fedex office in Nha Trang and it was very well organized and professional. I felt much better about using them.

This is kind of funny - When we were in HCMC waiting for our visa, Doans parents called and said the approval letter had arrived in the mail. We asked them to put it on the Hanh Tourist Bus and we would pick it up at the terminal as it was right near the hotel. Bo Va would have none of that. He said it may get lost. He got on the nightime sleeping bus and rode all night to hand deliver it to us. He ended up staying in HCMC for two days and we spent alot if time together. It was a really special and defining moment for me and my relationship with my father-in-law (to be).

Sorry - not related to the post but a nice story anyway!!!

[shy1akaanh 0]

good story. lol. thanks for the advice guys. hopefully everything go as planned.

[decker 1]

VN post has lightened a couple boxes I sent. They also emptied one totally, but were nice enough to deliver it anyway. FEDEX has never been a problem, although $$$$$.

[ScottThuy 140]

find someone going there to take a package for you.. best/ safest and cheapest way

[lindal24 1]

find someone going there to take a package for you.. best/ safest and cheapest way

...just make sure as to not abuse the privilege!!

My husband's family ALWAYS sends stuff back and forth with my family and it makes me mad because they don't bother asking my immediate relatives (only my aunt who packages the stuff...) and then my family (brother/sister) gets mad at me... Its ironic cause they'll ask to ship like a small amount of pepper grinds and end up shipping over 20 lbs!!! My second trip back (to get married) I ended up bringing 2 boxes of stuff just for them! Needless to say, I get pretty irritated about the whole shipping/sending stuff with people who are traveling to VN--especially when they abuse the privilege!!

[SuperDuper! 230]