Sending gifts to friends and family around the world

It's never been easier to send gifts to your friends and family wherever they are in the world. From the comfort of your home you can send almost any gift to anybody, in any country.

This article looks at the practicalities of sending gifts internationally.

Services

First we'll take a look at the different types of gift services that you can use.

International flower and gift relay services

Pioneered by the likes of Florists' Transworld Delivery and Interflora, relay services use local florists and gift suppliers to deliver flowers and gifts in a huge number of countries. Gift selections will vary from country to country but in practice international relay delivery is no different from domestic delivery with same day delivery a possibility.

International postal delivery

For a fee, international postal delivery is available at many web sites and shops. This may be a convenient option using a service you are familiar with, or your only choice if you choose a gift that is not available elsewhere. You'll need to order well in advance to allow time for delivery which can vary from next day to several weeks depending on the shipping method and destination. Import fees may need to be paid which are the responsibility of the recipient although it is possible to pre-pay with services like the Amazon Global Program.

Local retailer delivery

This method requires you to place an order with a retailer based in a country that is local to the recipient. Advantages are fast delivery, after sales support, goods that are legal and designed for use in the recipients country. Challenges you face are finding a retailer you can trust and dealing with currency and language differences. This is where Pressie.com helps!