What is the quickest postal service from the USA?

[Dangermouse]

Often when I come to the checkout of on line stores that are based in the USA, I will get several options of which postal service I wish to use, eg USPS, Fed Ex etc,
I will track the items and normally items will land in the UK within a week, sometimes within 2 days, only to sit in customs for 3 to 4 days "waiting clearance".

As we know if you get a customs charge, and I don't mind paying it, PARCEL FORCE collects the fee on behalf of the Customs, despite I am told this is illegal to do! Again I don't mind them doing it they are quicker at notifying you than customs. But I do mind the extra they charge for delivering the item. This is something that you have already paid for and are having to pay twice.

So my questions are these:
Is there a carrier that will see the item to your door,
And / Or, is there a carrier that will fast track your item through customs?
I don't understand how some companies can advertise 48 hour delivery if they only deliver to the country and not the buyer,

DM

[Sim G]

Fed Ex is probably the fastest, but no doubt the most expensive. One advantage of Fed Ex is that they pay all of the duty and charges and deliver it to your door where you write them a cheque for what they have paid.

But to tell you the truth, as shipping has become very expensive relatively over the last couple of years, I have started using USPS, the US postal service. Been very reliable and sometimes very quick. Four days for a parcel from Dillon in Arizona........ I can't get that sort of service from Newcastle to Kent!!!

And on Friday night I ordered some stuff from Hong Kong using ordinary mail....... got it Tuesday!

[Dangermouse]

I normally use USPS when using Sinclair's / Brownell's and find them suitably quick, at least until the item arrives UK side!

DM

[Robin128]

7+ days in customs and £12 fee from Parcelfarce.

[bravo24]

7+ days in customs and £12 fee from Parcelfarce.

The same happened to me Rob, i bought an item off ebay from US, it was 7+ days in customs and £12 charge, i was fuming, i had already spent $110 :x :evil:

[TobyH]

from the gumph from UK post, apparently the charge is for 'admin' rather than posting it. They say in bold letters that its not for posting it. Doesn't make me feel any better though!

[Chuck]

Loadsa stuff from the US in the past, all used UPS and never a problem