EMS versus Surface

[BlueBMW]

Yeah there's never any guarantee, but a good packer can make all the difference.  The guy i've been using in Japan double boxes everything and even when I get a package that is nice and rounded from excessive handling, the items inside are always just fine.  Usually I'm shipping larger/heavier items.  My typical slowboat package consists of a pair of X68000s and some random stuff usually weighing in at around 40lbs.  Cost to ship is usually around 10000 yen or about $131.

If you can wait, surface mail is great and cheap.  Another option for lighter items is SAL shipping which is kind of halfway in between EMS and surface hehe.

[PunkicCyborg]

Isn't there a weight/size limit with SAL?

[Arkhan]

EMS or gtfo.


It's always worth it.  You'll do surface and get broken/lost toys and go f*ck, WHY DIDN'T I EMS.  IM SO STUPID.WE
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I've had things arrive EMS faster than Priority.

It's wild to have games from Japan get here in 3 days, and stuff from California takes a week.

[FiftyQuid]

I'm was already leaning towards EMS, but it's good to hear all the feedback.  Thanks guys!

[Nando]

The guy i've been using in Japan double boxes everything and even when I get a package that is nice and rounded from excessive handling, the items inside are always just fine. 

where do you get your stuff from?

[xelement5x]

If you can wait, surface mail is great and cheap.  Another option for lighter items is SAL shipping which is kind of halfway in between EMS and surface hehe.

I use SAL for almost everything since I'm normally not in that big of a hurry.  I'm normally buying games and not stuff with moving parts so it's served me well and I've never had a lost package yet.  ::knock on wood::  Shipping time can take from a couple weeks to a month but that's normally well within my window to file a claim on PayPal if something goes wrong.

However, SAL has a weight limit of about 2kg I believe, so if it's more than that it has to go EMS or surface.    I think SAL is about 60% the cost of EMS too, so the amount you can save pays off in the long run.  For stuff that's more expensive though (like $150+) or very rare, I will go EMS just to keep my personal sanity over the next month. :p