Shipping Nightmare

June 16, 2010 8:36 AM

Advice on shipping a gift from Russia? Or advice on buying a gift online in the U.S.?

I am sure I am making this more complicated than it needs to be, but here goes...

A friend's birthday is coming up in a little more than 2 weeks. I'd like to send a gift. Friend lives in the U.S. However, I will be in Russia (currently in a small town, but I have access to St.Petersburg) from now until said birthday. Right now I see two options:

1) Buy gift here and ship to friend. I heard reliable shipping from Russia to U.S. is hard to find and absurdly expensive. Would you advice this option? If so, please advice on what carrier/service to select, and if you know, also about how much this will cost? I've checked the FedEx and DHL websites but couldn't find any information. Are they my only options? Ideally I'd like for the gift to get to the U.S. anytime between now and in two weeks, without it costing me a limb. And if you would like, advice on what unique Russian gifts I can find would also be appreciated. (Right now I'm thinking about a matryoshka doll.)

2) Buy a gift online and have the gift shipped directly to friend. If you would advice this option, can you please let me know about some good websites that offer gift shipping? Let's assume for the moment that I don't know anyone in the states that I can ship to and have them package/ship the gift, so I would be looking to buy the gift online and have it shipped directly to birthday friend. I'm looking for non-consumable gifts, but I guess I could also ship a cake or something...

Any and all advice appreciated!

(Anonymous because friend also comes on here sometimes)

posted by anonymous to Shopping (6 answers total)

I've purchased gifts via Amazon.com and had them shipped to the recipient (in the US) a couple of times (I live in the UK) without any problems. As mentioned, they do gift-wrapping and will not display the price on the delivery note if requested.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 9:33 AM on June 16, 2010

I would advise purchasing and shipping online. Shipping things via regular mail service from the post office in St. Petersburg, at least a couple of years ago, meant that they took months to arrive in the US. (Side note: at least back then, if you wanted to use regular mail to ship international packages, you had to ship them from the main post office and you usually had to wrap them there so that employees could verify the contents.) If you want it to get there more quickly, FedEx and DHL are both options but I'm guessing that you're right and they will be expensive. In your place I might send her some sort of e-card or small gift from online with promises of something nice to come, and then bring the main present back with me, but that depends on how long you're going to be there.

As for good gifts, matryoshki work; amber jewelry was also a favorite, but you will want to purchase from a somewhat reputable store rather than buying at a market because of the risk of fakes. Six years ago the Lomonosov Porcelain Factory had an outlet store on Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg with some really beautiful tea sets and other tchotchkes (and the prices were insanely cheap, especially compared to what the same pieces would cost in the US). Anything with a Palekh miniature on it will be quintessentially Russian and a lot of it is really beautiful. Gzhel-style ceramics are also pretty easy to find.
posted by posadnitsa at 9:47 AM on June 16, 2010

is coming up in a little more than 2 weeks.

I have shipped to and from Russia many times, packages, envelopes, bags, etc. Shipping TO Russia (even to small towns) can happen in as little as 14 days. Shipping FROM Russia TO the USA has never taken less than 20.

Buy your gift online and have it shipped domestically!
posted by fake at 10:08 AM on June 16, 2010

I've used Amazon to ship from and to all over the world, and things have always shown up when they were supposed to show up.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 11:43 AM on June 16, 2010

Definitely buy online (Amazon is good), if you must. But it may be a better idea to do what posadnitsa said - send a card now and promise the gift for later. Carry a nice gift in your luggage when you go back.

Shipping from Russia is not recommended, especially not with the Russian Postal Department. I have shipped stuff from Russia using FedEx and DHL (not to US though) and both were quite expensive. It was on company money, so it didn't matter to me. In both cases, I also didn't have to worry that they might open the packages and inspect them (it happens).
posted by vidur at 5:51 PM on June 16, 2010

I lived in Russia and some of the other post-Soviet states for several years. I used to try shipping presents, postcards and letters home to the US. I would say that about 50% of the items were ultimately received. I was typically in the boondocks so you might have better luck from St. Petersburg, or maybe things have gotten better over the last 5 years - I can't say because I stopped trying.

I also had a problem with US Homeland Security one time when I shipped a package home. They opened my package to check the contents, then shoddily taped it up again, having mislaid one of the items. Trying to get any response from them about the item they lost was a total waste of time. Definitely don't send anything valuable through simple international mail. The package (or some of its contents) could just disappear and you wouldn't have any recourse. And there is no guarantee on how fast it would be.

DHL is your other option, but is expensive.

Now I just make friends wait until I bring presents home in my suitcase when I travel.

If it doesn't have to be a Russian gift, your most reliable bet, as everyone says, is just to use Amazon.com.
posted by scrambles at 7:11 PM on June 18, 2010