Sending card to the US... have to give recipient email and phone number?

Posted by OkContribution6454@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 23 comments

Im not sure if Im going crazy, but Im trying to send my friend a birthday card to the US.

Im using the Royal Mail website, and picked international standard delivery, it keeps asking me for the recipients email and phone number and wont let me proceed without it.

Is that now a thing? Its just a card, i dont want him getting texts and email with tracking details ffs.

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nonoanddefinitelyno@reddit

I posted a package for the wife at the post office.

Absolutely fucking bizarre conversation ensued:

"What's in the package?". "No idea, probably a returned jumper or something?". "I need to know what in it" "A jumper". "No, I need to know - I can accept that answer" I leave, return 5 mins later. "Called wife - it's a jumper" "Thank you".

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Far_Dentist4880@reddit

There's a huge long list of things that you are either prohibited from posting, or have to be wrapped or given special handling of some kind to make sure they don't cause expensive chaos: https://help.royalmail.com/personal/s/article/Prohibited-and-restricted-items-personal-customer-guidelines

None of them are on the list to annoy you, they are on the list because some idiot (or their wife) DID post them and the poor sods at the postoffice or Royal Mail had to deal with the results.

If you don't know what's in the parcel, you don't know it's not a box of matches, damaged batteries, clinical waste, or a nice box of rat poison.

But my wife would never post a parcel full of ice cubes, you might say, but that's a lot of trust you are asking of everyone else whose parcel is next to yours in the sack.

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BeardedBaldMan@reddit

That's why my confident and consistent lie is so effective, even if they clearly don't believe you they just accept it

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shortandfelly@reddit

I had this.

I was sending my friend a stick.

It was a house warming present (he had a log burner).

She did at least find it funny 😂

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Dranask@reddit

I use moonpig no drama.

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HarketSavoy@reddit

Yes, it’s a thing now. I don’t know what they do with it though.

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CouchAlchemist@reddit

It's to sending tracking updates to the receiver incase they want to change the delivery options. The old way of putting in a I missed you card is just not done in most places and everything is on an app which means you need a way to identify whom to send it to. I normally just check with the receiver if they want tracking abilities and if yes, I'll ask for their email.

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TurbulentHamster3418@reddit

I sell & send to the US a fair bit, I just put my own email & make up the phone number, or Google businesses in that state & pick a phone number, they don’t use it.

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RetroBoxRoom@reddit

Just put your details in for that bit.

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Djinjja-Ninja@reddit

Put your own details in. Then you get the delivery updates.

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Embarrassed_Park2212@reddit

You could use your own. They won't know.

But just a useless piece of info. When I change my SIM plan and port my number, I keep note of the mobile number and use that to put in anywhere that asks for a phone number and I don't want to give mine. Obviously won't work for the USA as they have different number things.

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Conscious-Rope7515@reddit

If you don't want the tracking, just go to a post office, buy the appropriate stamp and ask for an airmail sticker, and put the card in a pillarbox. Old school, I know.

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spike31875@reddit

I'm in the US and I get packages from the UK from time to time (mostly books I can't get here). I like that the Royal Mail sends me delivery updates! But if you don't want your friend getting those, just put your own email address and phone number.

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FeedingTheBadWolf@reddit

I just use my own email and phone. Then I get the tracking.

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Any_Willingness_9085@reddit

Just put your own number and email, I do it all the time

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Outside-Resist4688@reddit

I had to go through all this when I took a parcel to the post office yesterday and it was only going to Wales. I was surprised.

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Front_Society1353@reddit

Just put your own. That way you can pay any charges if there are any

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ScallyGirl@reddit

I suspect because US has so many tariffs right now, it is a way for the local carrier to contact the recipient if any taxes/duties are owed.

As they will not be in this case, I would think you will be fine entering your own details.

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