Mail forwarding costs from USA

[MikeyD]

I received a new credit card at my US mail forwarding service and was going to have it shipped to me in Liloan Cebu via FedEx International Economy but the cost is around 300 USD.  Previously I had mail forwarded via FedEx for $88.99 when I was in Cebu City.  The current rate to my old address in Cebu City is $93.73 so the rates have not gone up that much but I can’t imagine why delivery to a town 1 hour north of Cebu City would be 3 times the cost.  Has anyone had mail forwarded to an address outside of Cebu City and was the cost reasonable?  (I know reasonable is a relative term, so let’s just say less than $100)

I have an option for DHL Express Worldwide for a little over 100 USD.  Has anyone had any mail forwarded to them in Cebu outside of Cebu City via DHL?  Is DHL a dependable mail/package delivery service outside of Cebu City?  I did receive a balikbayan box via DHL when I was in Cebu City and I don’t remember any issues with the delivery service.  

[Gator]

8 minutes ago, MikeyD said:

I received a new credit card at my US mail forwarding service and was going to have it shipped to me in Liloan Cebu

Has anyone had any mail forwarded to them in Cebu outside of Cebu City via DHL?  Is DHL a dependable mail/package delivery service outside of Cebu City? 

Back in 2021 I used DHL to send documents back and forth a few times to the wife. Sent to the school where she works, which is located in a province a little south of Moalboal. Cost to send from the USA was about $74.00 and for her to send to the USA was a little less (about 3,400 pesos), but she had to go to their office in Carcar.

No issues at all with their delivery to her, the driver even sent a text to her to confirm the delivery, and you can of course track your package. Just make sure the address you give them in Cebu can be found on / matches what’s on Google maps. 

[hk blues]

$300 USD!!!

I sent my old passport via LBC from here to UK for about $50 and the UK Passport office returned it via DHL for a premium of less than $50.  

$300 seems extremely expensive.

[BrettGC]

I've used DHL since I've been here and it's the same price to where we were living in Dumaguete (provincial capital) to where we are now about 3 hours north of that ("the province").  It's 90AUD for an A4 envelope from Australia.  You'd have the check the prices from the US but I don't reckon it'd be $300USD somehow.  

Did you perhaps click the wrong button somewhere in the process?

[Jack Peterson]

6 minutes ago, BrettGC said:

I don't reckon it'd be $300USD somehow.  

Did you perhaps click the wrong button somewhere in the process?

 Documents to the UK is 1.800 peso via JRS (Used last Month to send my Proof of life.  10 day delivery) 

[stevewool]

24 minutes ago, Jack Peterson said:

 Documents to the UK is 1.800 peso via JRS (Used last Month to send my Proof of life.  10 day delivery) 

Do you have to do this every year Jack 

[Jack Peterson]

10 hours ago, stevewool said:

Do you have to do this every year Jack 

 Used to be every 2 years at random But now, it seems we are marked for yearly, probably and age thing

[OnMyWay]

$300 is way out of the ballpark but what most are missing here is that the fee is charged by the mail service to their customer, not the fee that you you would pay directly to the courier company if you book it personally.

The mail services have contracts with the carriers that should usually be a bit less than the published rates you see on the carrier website.  However, the mail services may set their own pricing to their customers, and they can set it up to discourage use of Fedex and encourage use of DHL.

Generally speaking, DHL has better coverage of provincial areas than Fedex abd UPS.  They have been here many years longer.

Liloan is not far out of Cebu City and at most, might be one extra day.

Edited January 7 by OnMyWay

[hk blues]

13 hours ago, Jack Peterson said:

 Documents to the UK is 1.800 peso via JRS (Used last Month to send my Proof of life.  10 day delivery) 

Yep. I think I was 2,400php with LBC and DHL were similar 2 years ago. 

Nothing like 300 usd. In fact, mail to the USA was cheaper than to the UK with both.

[hk blues]

54 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

$300 is way out of the ballpark but what most are missing here is that the fee is charged by the mail service to their customer, not the fee that you you would pay directly to the courier company if you book it personally.

The mail services have contracts with the carriers that should usually be a bit less than the published rates you see on the carrier website.  However, the mail services may set their own pricing to their customers, and they can set it up to discourage use of Fedex and encourage use of DHL.

Generally speaking, DHL has better coverage of prudential areas than Fedex abd UPS.  They have been here many years longer.

Liloan is not far out of Cebu City and at most, might be one extra day.

I don't think we are missing the point - I'd imagine we are all well aware that businesses, and particularly government agencies, will get a much better rate due to bulk etc etc than a random one time only customer but the fact remains that as a random one time only customer I paid less than 50usd - way, way less than 300usd.