Hi everyone

[Sis Suze]

Thanks Kimmi for your reply. I'm still not clear on the procedure though. What I want to do is buy a box or two and keep it at my house to fill over a period of time, then call the shipping company to collect. Is that feasible? The company I have inmind is in London though

Thanks for the stuff about the specs...yes I'll check the grades with the intended recipient

[IainBusby]

Thanks Kimmi for your reply. I'm still not clear on the procedure though. What I want to do is buy a box or two and keep it at my house to fill over a period of time, then call the shipping company to collect. Is that feasible? The company I have inmind is in London though

Thanks for the stuff about the specs...yes I'll check the grades with the intended recipient

Hi Suze,
I don't know how other companies work, but we got our boxes from an agent in Coventry and we have to return it to the agent before a specified date ready for collection by the shipping company. You don't have to buy and pay for the box up front (it's only a very large cardboard box), you only pay when you return it to the agent ready for shipping.

I'm sure there must be similar agents in Birmingham somewhere.

Iain.

[Sis Suze]

Hi Suze,
I don't know how other companies work, but we got our boxes from an agent in Coventry and we have to return it to the agent before a specified date ready for collection by the shipping company. You don't have to buy and pay for the box up front (it's only a very large cardboard box), you only pay when you return it to the agent ready for shipping.

I'm sure there must be similar agents in Birmingham somewhere.

Iain.

Hi Iain, thanks for that. The problem that I have is that I can't work to a specific date. I just need to have a box here to fill over time as I'm not very well off myself so it will take a while. The reason I want to use this service is that it costs such a lot to mail stuff so it would be cheaper over time, as well as more beneficial to the recipient, to fill a box and send it.

Could I just get a large carton myself and then contact the company when I'm ready to ship it? It all sounded so simple but now I just get more and more confused...

xx

[IainBusby]

Hi Iain, thanks for that. The problem that I have is that I can't work to a specific date. I just need to have a box here to fill over time as I'm not very well off myself so it will take a while. The reason I want to use this service is that it costs such a lot to mail stuff so it would be cheaper over time, as well as more beneficial to the recipient, to fill a box and send it.

Could I just get a large carton myself and then contact the company when I'm ready to ship it? It all sounded so simple but now I just get more and more confused...

xx

Yes I think you could get your own box because you'll be able to get the different box sizes and the approximate shipping cost for each on any of the balikbayan box wesites. This company http://www.balikbayanboxes.co.uk/page3.htm was the first one I googled and they only cover Yorkshire and surrounding areas, but it will give you the box sizes. You just use just a normal (as strong as possible) cardboard box and then, given that it's going by boat, it's wise to use up a few rolls of strong parcel tape on it, just to ensure that it stands up to the rigors of the journey.
Iain.

[Sis Suze]

Thanks Iain, that takes a lot of the stress out of it!! I have rolls of bubble wrapr and parcel tape at the ready!!!
Also, do you know if British electrical appliances are any good over there? Such as coffee machines, printers etc etc? I know the electrical supply is different but I was thinking that if I got travel adaptors like we would take on holiday, would that be OK?

Thanks again xx

[IainBusby]

Thanks Iain, that takes a lot of the stress out of it!! I have rolls of bubble wrapr and parcel tape at the ready!!!
Also, do you know if British electrical appliances are any good over there? Such as coffee machines, printers etc etc? I know the electrical supply is different but I was thinking that if I got travel adaptors like we would take on holiday, would that be OK?

Thanks again xx

British electrical devices are fine over there as long as you have a plug adapter, but I would suggest that the specific things you mention, coffee machines, printers etc, wouldn't be very high on a Flipino's wish list. I know they like kitchen appliances such as liquidisers and blenders, slow cookers and rice cookers etc. Even microwaves if you've got an old one that's still working. Thats the beauty of the balikbayan box, no weight limit and if you put in something large like microwave, you can put lots of things inside it so you don't use up so much space.

Iain.

[trader dave]

British electrical devices are fine over there as long as you have a plug adapter, but I would suggest that the specific things you mention, coffee machines, printers etc, wouldn't be very high on a Flipino's wish list. I know they like kitchen appliances such as liquidisers and blenders, slow cookers and rice cookers etc. Even microwaves if you've got an old one that's still working. Thats the beauty of the balikbayan box, no weight limit and if you put in something large like microwave, you can put lots of things inside it so you don't use up so much space.

Iain.

the trouble i have found with electrical appliances THEY USE ELECTRIC now to you and i that is not a problem but to those people using a few centavo in electric it is

example i sent blender and microwave and electric kettle to mrs T they only come out of the boxes when i am there [the excuse they use electric] my answer I AM PAYING THE ELECTRIC that does not matter she says