INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE - MAILING INSTRUCTIONS

All squares should be securely packaged up and posted to:

Knit-A-Square,

Private Bag X900,
Bryanston 2021,

SOUTH AFRICA

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Please check HELPFUL HINTS or post the question in

QUESTIONS, ANSWERS AND HELP

If you have any questions about mailing squares that are not answered below

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IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER

• Please DO NOT REGISTER, INSURE or USE TRACKING NUMBERS for your letters, parcels, packages or boxes.
• We ask that you send your parcels through the POSTAL SERVICE of your country.
• Please DO NOT ship via FedEx, courier, or other mail services because they do not deliver to Box Numbers as in the KAS address. (Private Bag X900, Bryanston 2021, South Africa).
• If possible, do not give a dollar value on your parcels. [See Customs Slip information below**]

We pay duty on parcels.

Even a small dollar value on a parcel attracts far higher duties.  Letters, parcels/packages and boxes continue to arrive safely without any registration or dollar values appended to them.

• Please do not send parcels over 20Kg (44 lbs) from Australia, Canada or the United States or parcels over 30 Kg (66 lbs) from the UK
• Wrap your squares and crocheted or knitted items in a plastic bag or buy Tyvek bags or postal bags with an inner plastic coating to keep them moisture proof.

PLEASE DO NOT USE CLING WRAP as squares develop an odour.

• Tape your parcels well.
• Include the packing slip inside the package.                               
• Attach the mailing label securely to the outside of your parcel.
•  PRINTABLE PACKING SLIP & MAILING LABEL HERE

Example of the mailing label:

• Please send your squares flat.

If you are sending a large number of squares

it is helpful if they are bundled into 5’s or 10’s.

The KAS team appreciates receiving bundles of 35 (a whole blanket)

• All ‘ends’ should be darned in. The 20inch (50cm) ‘tail’ for sewing up should be butterflied to avoid tangling during unpacking as shown HERE
•  To find out if your squares have arrived, check the Square Lists 
  

Do not be concerned if it seems to take 3 or 4 months for your name to appear.

It takes several weeks for surface mail to arrive. Then the time to travel to the local post office, be unpacked and recorded by KAS volunteers.

SLIP-INS.  

Frequently, people send items such as soft toys and teddies in their parcels that we call “slip-ins”. It is most important that all packaging, labels, price tags etc. be removed. Once this is done, the item qualifies as ‘used’ and will not attract duty. It is usually not necessary to declare these on a customs slip since they have No Commercial Value.

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 **CUSTOMS SLIPS

We are all aware that Knit-a-Square in South Africa operates on a shoestring budget. Monthly donations are used to keep the operation running and help to cover the cost of KasVan fuel for the distributions, office upkeep and a myriad of other small expenses each month.

One of the expenses that KAS has to deal with is the charge levied by the South African Customs and Excise. Some of these are unavoidable, even when we have filled out the Customs Slip correctly.

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE TAKE GREAT CARE IN FILLING OUT THE CUSTOMS SLIP                                                                                                                         .

1. All customs slips have the option of declaring the parcel as a ‘GIFT’.  PLEASE BE SURE TO DO THIS.
2. All Customs Slips have a square for declaring VALUE.  Please declare the value as $0 or 1.
3. Please ensure your handwriting is clear. For example: A UK parcel declared a value of £12 sterling.  Unfortunately, the writing was not clear. South African Customs & Excise insisted it said £72. KAS had to pay 300 Rand (£17.50 or $30 US) to bail it out. This sum far outstripped the value of the goods contained in the parcel, plus it used up valuable cash that Knit-a-Square would prefer to spend providing the children with extra food.

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POSTAL INFORMATION FOR VARIOUS COUNTRIES

In general, the least expensive way to ship is by Surface Mail. It takes longer for parcels to arrive, but since there is a constant flow of packages coming in, this is not a concern. 

It appears that most countries have a “small packet rate” We have found that generally this is THE CHEAPEST way to ship.

The following comments are guidelines only.  Please check with your post office for pricing and the most economical way to send your parcel.

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AUSTRALIA - INTERNATIONAL SEA MAIL

 All parcels up to 2Kg go by air, no economy sea mail available for this size.

The following is the least expensive way to ship from Australia:

-Save your squares until you can make up a parcel over 2Kg. 

REQUEST: ECONOMY SEAMAIL

Maximum allowable weight: 20 Kg.

Maximum length: 105 cm

Maximum girth: 140 cm (width + depth)

 

Also in Australia there must always be a $ value placed on the customs note...some post offices will allow you to put $0, otherwise, please put $1.00

https://auspost.com.au/parcels-mail/calculate-postage-delivery-time...

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CANADA - INTERNATIONAL SURFACE MAIL

 It is wise to save items until you are close to the 2 kg weight to obtain the best rate.  

REQUEST: SMALL PACKET SURFACE MAIL RATE.

 Maximum size: Length + width + height = 90 cm (Max length 60 cm)

Maximum weight: 2 kg.

Parcels over 2KG must go International Postage Rate

A $ value must be placed on the customs declaration, please declare $1.00 as value.

https://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/far/business/findARate?exec...

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UK - INTERNATIONAL SURFACE MAIL

Please save up items until you are close to the 2 kg weight to obtain the best rate.

REQUEST: SMALL PACKET INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY RATE.

Maximum weight: 2 kg

Maximum size: 90 cm. (Length + width +height)

 

https://www.royalmail.com/price-finder

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UNITED STATES - INTERNATIONAL AIR MAIL

 The US Postal Service does not offer the option of Surface Mail (SA is Zone 7)

 

First Class Mail International

Maximum length: 24 inches

Maximum length x height x depth: 36 inches

Maximum weight: 4 lbs.

Priority Mail International

Maximum length: 42 inches

Maximum length x height x depth: 79 inches

Important tip - Do not use Flat Rate Priority Mail boxes. You cannot fit enough in them to make it cost effective. Use regular boxes that fit within the size guidelines.

Best Bang for Your Buck:

The more the package weighs for Priority, the lower the cost becomes per pound. However, if the package weighs less than 10 lbs., you will pay more per pound to send one package Priority than if you send smaller packages First Class International.

The Bottom Line:

US residents, if you have less than 10 lbs. including the weight of the packaging/container to be shipped, send smaller packages not exceeding 4 lbs. each that meet the size requirements for First Class Mail International. If you mailing weighs 10 lbs. or more (including packaging/container), send one package Priority Mail International.

https://www.usps.com/international/welcome.htm

 

 

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FOR OTHER COUNTRIES, PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL POSTAL SYSTEM

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