Famous Birthdays on 11th November

Many of the parcels being couriered around the world every single day will be birthday gifts, which is why this week we our dedicating our blog to famous birthdays of people all around the world. If you have a friend or relative overseas who is celebrating a birthday soon, why not think about sending them a parcel with RAND?

Film fans with 11th November birthdays will be delighted to know that they share their birthday with the wonderful American actor Leonardo di Caprio. If you’re thinking of sending him a gift, you’d better get in quick before he gets inundated with presents! Another American star of the screen celebrating her birthday on this day is Calista Flockhart, so be sure to use our parcel quote finder to get a quote on all your birthday gifts to the US!

If we go way back in history, we find an emperor and an empress of the Roman empire born on 11th November in 995 and 1050: Gisela of Swabia and Henry IV of Kaiserpfalz. Or, if you prefer your historical figures a little more royal, how about King Sancho I of Portugal in 1154? If you’re sending a gift to Portugal, make sure it’s with RAND for the best rates!

Parcel Tips: Day 3

We’ve now reached the middle of our week about parcel packaging, and today we’re going to be looking at the addressing and labelling process to ensure the postal service in each country knows where the parcel is going when you post internationally. It’s all very well having a beautifully packaged parcel, but it’s no good if it never makes it to its destination.

Unless you have beautifully clear handwriting, you might want to steer clear of writing the address by hand. If one letter or number is read wrong, it could end up in the wrong place. Instead, it is better to print the address in a large font and clear typeface (such as Arial). You may even want to do this in English and in the local language to make it easier for the local postal service.

If you are sending something fragile or need the box to remain a certain way up whenever possible, write this clearly on each side of the box in English and the language of the destination country so that the instructions are carried throughout the journey.

If you are going to write the address, use a waterproof, smudge-proof pen (such as a biro) rather than  something like a felt tip which can run when it gets wet, making it impossible to read. In any case, using sticky back plastic or something similar can help keep the address intact even if it travels in wet conditions to protect your parcel on its international journey.

Interesting China Postal Restrictions

Following on from yesterday’s post about the things you can’t send to Afghanistan, today we are replicating this with a list of some of the more unusual things you won’t be allowed to send to China. Some of the items China don’t allow are very sensible. As with many other countries, you will not be allowed to send any meat products to China, as if these are contaminated they could affect the native livestock supplies which could be catastrophic. However, once again, there are a few things you might not expect to be a problem that are on their prohibited items list.

Used clothing and bedding are important things to note for eBay sellers. If you’re selling your beautiful designer coat but it’s been used, remember not to send it to China. Also, you may not send any material which might do harm to China on a political, economic or any other level, whether this is a book, a magazine, a video tape, a CD or even photo negatives, so check everything thoroughly before you send it.

Sewing machines are another unusual prohibited item, along with other basic machinery and electronics such as radio sets, wrist watches and tape records, so steer clear of sending anything along these lines.

Vietnamese Women’s Day

Did you know that 20th October signifies Vietnamese Women’s Day? On this day, the people of Vietnam show their love and respect to women by showering them with roses, small gifts and good wishes, and the day was established by Vietnam Women’s Union. If you have female family or friends in Vietnam and you want to make sure your gifts will arrive in plenty of time to celebrate the day, RAND offers cheap parcel delivery to Vietnam, so take advantage of our competitive rates today.

Uganda Independence Day

Uganda flag

Each year, 9th October signifies Uganda Independence Day, a celebration of Uganda gaining independence from the United Kingdom, which occurred on 9th October 1962 and since has been used as the date of significance in the Ugandan calendar. Up to this date, the Britons had controlled the country and everyone lived under British rule, with strong political, ethnic and religious divides throughout the country. While the British legacy still lives on in the form of the country’s national language, English, the country is now self-governed by the Ugandan people, and this is celebrated each year with parties throughout the country. To send a gift to Uganda, RAND offers fantastic rates on international parcel delivery, so use our parcel comparison tool to check out the rates on offer.

Lesotho National Sports Day

In Lesotho, a small country found in Africa, the first Monday of October (this year 7th October) celebrates National Sports Day in the country. Communities come together to play and discuss sports. There are several sports Lesotho is at least somewhat known for on the world platform, including football, netball, tennis and athletics. Four athletes from Lesotho made it to the team in the 2012 London Olympics, though the country has as yet never won a medal. Sports equipment is often bulky or heavy if you are intending to send some to celebrate the day, but if you are going to send something like a tennis racquet or a cricket bat as a gift, remember that you can get the best rates on international large parcel delivery with RAND.

The Privatisation of the Royal Mail

Recently, it has been announced that the Royal Mail will be privatised in the coming weeks. This means that employees will be given a share of the postal service with members of the public being able to buy shares from £750. It has long been recognised that there are flaws in the Royal Mail, but is this necessarily a good thing? It is too early to say yet how this will affect the post in the UK, but one thing is for sure: it won’t affect the way RAND operate. We can still offer the same high level of parcel delivery anywhere in the world, and you will always have the option of fast, reliable delivery wherever in the world you’re sending your items.

Competitive Rates Available With RAND

Well, it’s Monday again, and we’re sure you have a to do list as long as your arms just like we do. If you have ‘MUST DELIVER PARCELS’ written in capitals and underlined three times at the top of yours, you’re not alone. Fortunately, this is one of the easiest tasks to cross off, and you don’t need to spend a fortune getting everything posted. All you need to do is head to RAND’s quote finder to get yourself the best prices on parcel delivery. We are able to deliver parcels virtually anywhere in the world, so get a quote now and get that to do list whittled down.

Sending Parcels to Europe

There are a lot of courier companies out there, and that means a lot of choice. However, if you want to go with a courier company that is reliable and offers excellent rates on parcel delivery to Europe, RAND should be your first choice. We understand how important it is to you that your parcels arrive on time and without any damage, which is why we strive to offer the best possible service to each and every customer. Whether it’s France, Denmark, Estonia or anywhere else in Europe, we’ve got it covered, so use our quote finder for the best price today.

RAND Mobile App

If you send a lot of parcels but hate having to wait until you’re at a computer to find out where those parcels are or to schedule the delivery of another, RAND has a solution. Our mobile app is ideal for anyone who wants to stay on top of their parcels on the move. If you have an Android device and want the peace of mind of always being able to find out where your parcels have got to, head to the Google Play store today and download our free app.