Sending paperback book from Puttaparthi to UK or USA by Post

Last updated on 25th Jan. 2020

Today (13th Jan. 2020), I sent a paperback copy of my "Who am I? I am I - Ultimate Existential Reality Answer; Vedanta; God and Science conversation", https://pothi.com/pothi/book/ravi-s-iyer-ultimate-existential-reality-answer-vedanta-god-and-science, book to London, UK by postal mail using Puttaparthi Sub Post Office now located on Chitravathi Road.

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I have earlier sent such packages to USA too. I thought I should put up a post on it as it may help others who find themselves with a similar need.

Today I was told by the Puttaparthi sub Post Office personnel that if my small package is to be described as book then the package should have holes in it or open on one side so that the book inside can be seen. If it is completely sealed then it will have to be described/categorised as small packet. Book supposedly is cheaper than small packet.

I did not want to take a risk of the book getting damaged or worse, falling out of the package, due to one side being open or holes in the package so that the book can be seen from the outside of the package. So I preferred to go with small packet higher charges.

The pics below (some info. blanked out) show how I packed the book in a bubble wrap cover of a past amazon.in book delivery to me, and then into a Manila cover.

Given below is a pic. of the receipt with some data blanked out. Note that the package was declared as 250 grams weight (though I think the Puttaparthi sub Post Office weighing scale may not be that accurate and 250 grams may be little higher than its actual weight).

The receipt has a tracking number (RNxxxxxxxxIN) which can be partially tracked here: https://www.indiapost.gov.in/VAS/Pages/TrackConsignment.aspx. Going by past experience, the tracking info. gets updated till the package is put on a flight going outside India. After that there are no tracking updates.

Usually USA delivery has taken two to three weeks. I expect London, UK delivery to take around two weeks.

I wanted to know the basis of the Post Office charges and how much the difference would be if I had used a package where the inner book content was visible from the outside of the package thereby allowing me to declare it as a book instead of a small packet. So I dug up some info. from the Post Office website (India Post) and have given that info. below.

https://www.indiapost.gov.in/VAS/Pages/CalculatePostage.aspx has these options for International (United Kingdom/USA):
* Letter/Document
* Parcel
* Small Packet
* Printed Papers

There is no book category but perhaps Letter/Document or Printed Papers categories can be used for book.

For UK, the charges as per above page for air delivery are as follows:
250 gms, Letter/Document - Rs.262
250 gms, Small Packet - Rs.272
250 gms, Printed Papers - Rs.257
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I had chosen small packet and paid Rs. 272 without knowing about above calc. details.

As the other options are only Rs.10 to Rs.15 cheaper but would need holes in the package or one side kept open (to allow examiners to see the book), I think small packet with closed packet on all sides and without holes, is a better option for me.
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This is the tariff page for air letters/printed papers/small packet: https://www.indiapost.gov.in/MBE/Pages/Content/International-Letter.aspx.

This is how I understand it:

For UK
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250 gms, Letter/Document
Base charge: 20 [1st 20 gms] + (10 * 12) [10 for next 12 addl 20 gms and part thereof] + 4 * 13 [Surcharge of 4 for every 20 gms] = 20 + 120 + 52 = 192
Registration: 70
Total: 192 + 70 = 262.

250 gms, Small Packet
Base charge: 60 [1st 100 gms] + (45 * 2) [45 for next 2 addl 100 gms and part thereof] + 4 * 13 [Surcharge of 4 for every 20 gms] = 60 + 90 + 52 = 202
Registration: 70
Total: 202 + 70 = 272.

250 gms, Printed Papers
Base charge: 15 [1st 20 gms] + (10 * 12) [10 for next 12 addl 20 gms and part thereof] + 4 * 13 [Surcharge of 4 for every 20 gms] = 15 + 120 + 52 = 187
Registration: 70
Total: 187 + 70 = 257.
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Only the surcharge varies for different continents/groups of countries.
The surcharge for USA (North America) is Rs.7 instead of Rs.4 for UK (Europe). So for a 250 gms item for all the 3 cases above, for a USA destination instead of UK, the additional charge will be: Rs.3 * 13 = Rs.39.

So for USA, the charges should be as follows:
250 gms, Letter/Document = 262 + 39 = Rs.301
250 gms, Small Packet  = 272 + 39 = Rs.311 [Checked with CalculatePostage.aspx that it gives the same figure of Rs.311 for this case.]
250 gms, Printed Papers = 257 + 39 = Rs.296
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25th Jan. 2020

I was informed by the London, UK, recipient that he got the book on 23rd Jan. 2020. So the book took a reasonable ten days by India post mail from Puttaparthi to recipient/addressee in London. That's pretty good!

He wrote (over email) that he got it in one piece and that he is going to read it. So the packaging of the book parcel seems to be have been good enough.

The tracking info. of India Post tracked it till arrival in London postal centre on 19th Jan. 2020 but as of today, has not yet updated the tracking info. further to show that it was delivered to addressee.

Given below is a pic taken a few days ago of the tracking info. (which has not changed as of around 6 PM today):