Posting letter to Trinidad

[Toleman]

Hi

I need to send a letter to Trinidad and have looked on the Royal Mail website and apparently need to Pay for postage on there and do a print out.

Am I able to just make the value up with normal stamps?

Apparently a standard card weighs 30g but all I need to send is a standard letter sized envelope with 3 small re-sealable bags in with 5 pepper seeds in each. What would this weigh?

Thanks Chris

[Ethel]

Why not take it to the post office? They will weigh it and tell you the postage charge.

[Toleman]

Bit stuck for time at the minute Ethel but I may have to if I cant do it the other way.

Thanks for the quick response.

[Ethel]

No scales? I would err on the side of caution, especially if there is not much difference in price between weights.

You can use normal stamps.

30 gram is �1.35
50 g is �1.82
60 g is �1.82
65g is �2.31

I would put �1.82 worth of stamps on it.

[Toleman]

Thanks Ethel :)

[TCL-MUMPING]

As a guide for weight, a �1 coin weighs 9.5g. You could use a pen and ruler as a simple balance. Put the pen on the edge of a table so it is flat, lay the ruler on it so the pen is under the half-way point.

Suspend the package from the overhanging end and use pound coins on the other end to balance the weight. Count the coins used and you'll have an idea of the weight.

[spudqueen]

Ethel is almost right - if the letter weighs no more than 20 grams then it is 90p, if it weighs no more than 40 grams then it is �1.35. Have a look here
http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content1 ?catId=19100179&mediaId=19100242
Look for letters to Rest of World

[spudqueen]

As an after thought - is it okay to send seeds to Trinidad? A lot of countries don't allow plants or seeds to be imported other than with a special import licence to reduce the risk of disease (plant diseases that is!).

[Toleman]

You would think that but being a member of a few chillihead forums, Australia seems to be the only problem country.

Thanks for the replies.

[Postdog]

I wasn't going to add anything, but, seeing as you just responded - just in case you are still to send this, make sure stamps have a denomination on them - a multitiude of 1st or 2nd won't be valid for abroad.

[TCL-MUMPING]

Postdog you are not correct in saying stamps have to show the value when posting abroad. Stamps showing no value are called Non-Value Indicator (NVI) stamps and there is one for worldwide for airmail up to 40g at the cost of �1.35 but it shows only "Worldwide up to 40 grams" for example

[spudqueen]

Postdog - when they first brought out the non-value indicator they were only for use in this country, however this has now changed and you can use them worldwide.