Perhaps the mod can add this to the “shipping to and from” thread if people find the info useful.
We are leaving Taiwan in December and have used Taiwan Post exclusively to send everything back home.
Originally we looked at getting a shipping container but felt the cost was too high.
The actual cost of the freight was quite low (only a few hundred $US) but the add-on fees such as port fees, insurance, bio-security fees, homeland security fees, trans-shipment fees, knockdown fees, pickup and delivery fees just blew the budget.
So we decided to ship back all we could using Taiwan Post.
The rules are pretty simple for post.
Weight
First the max size in most cases they will take is 20kg (Except USA and Thailand Max 30kg, and Malaysia Max 10kg), no expections, we had one box that was 90 grams over and they rejected it.
Turns out the scales are linked to the post computer and if the weight is over the max allowed the system will not allow the entry to continue until the weight is under the max limit.
Volumetric Weight
As of the 25th of October all parcels now have to have their measurements taken.
This is because they will now charge on either actual weight or volumetric weight depending on which is greater.
Calculate the volumetric weight by multiplying the box’s dimensions, then dividing the result by 6000 to obtain the weight.
eg HxLxW/6000=weight.
If you have a larger box it’s actual weight may only 10kg but based on it’s volumetric weight it may be 20kg, you are going to pay the shipping on 20kg not 10kg.
Insurance
Don’t expect to be able to insure expensive items for their true value.
All destinations have max insurance limits and are based on what they call SDR (Special Drawing Rights) units.
Currently 1 SDR is equal to NT$47.
Each destination has a specific max SDR value.
eg USA has a max SDR value of 1,000 so 1,000x 47 gets you NT$47,000 max insurance. Some other countries have lesser SDR values, some as low as 327x 47 (NT$15,369) for Spain.
Insurance only applies to lost items, if the item arrives damaged then no insurance will be paid.
SDR values and postage rates (Surface) for Asia/Oceania can be found here
http://www.post.gov.tw/post/internet/u_english/postal_f_7_41.htm
SDR values and postage rates (Surface) for America/Europe and Africa can be found here
http://www.post.gov.tw/post/internet/u_english/postal_f_7_42.htm
Airmail rates can be found here
post.gov.tw/post/internet/u_ … _f_7_2.jsp
There was a good little calculator on their website for finding the exact postage rate, but at the time of writing this the page was unavailable.
Here is the link anyway in case it comes back http://www.post.gov.tw/post/internet/u_english/postal_ff_5.jsp
Insurance Charges
Insured value up to NT$6,000 is NT$24
Insured value over NT$6,000 for each additional NT$1,000 or part thereof add NT$4
If you have anything of high value or overweight then perhaps you may be better to go with EMS post.
I haven’t tried EMS yet, perhaps someone else can offer their experiences with it.
Delivery time
Depending on where it’s going and how it was sent, it can be anywhere from 7 days to 150 days.
Estimated delivery time chart here
http://www.post.gov.tw/post/internet/u_english/postal_f_7_5.jsp
There is a lot of good information on the Taiwan Post website, it’s just a shame the actual site itself is crap.
Most of these pages I linked here cannot be accessed directly unless you go to the site map first.
Site map here http://www.post.gov.tw/post/internet/u_english/sitemap.jsp
So far we have sent back 15 boxes and the average cost is around NT$1,200 per box, hopefully another 20 boxes should see us finished.
Some boxes have already arrived, no problems with the post, a few problems with customs and duty back home though…damn tax grabbing …'s, but thats another story…