From US to here – it’s family stuff so I want it to arrive safe and fairly fast. It probably will have to go through customs as moderate value (really is a gift but I don’t think that matters does it?).
I’d like to imagine that a “proper” firm that does the whole trip themselves could do better than entrusting it to RM as they’ve kept me waiting ages for stuff in the past but TBH I don’t know if any of them really do this. Not fragile or really expensive, just “valued”.

Different in shape but similar overall size & weight to a wheel in a box (smaller in one dimension but otherwise similar)

Which major service would you use ?

DHL
TNT
???

I’ve never had a problem with USPS. It’s not as quick through customs as Fedex, DHL etc, but they don’t think of a number and double it to assess the import duty.

If you want speed then UPS is good.

Aaaah, thanks – Fedex ! That’s who I was trying to think of at ???
Been quite impressed with them in the past, I think

So would USPS deliver it the whole way ? I’d imagined they would definiely just shove it onto RM once it got to the UK

So would USPS deliver it the whole way ? I’d imagined they would definiely just shove it onto RM once it got to the UK

If the parcel is big then you’ll need “global priority” which will finish it’s journey with parcelfarce.
If it’s small it should go first class which arrives via the Royal Mail, quicker and more cheaply than global priority.
I can’t remember the size cutoffs.
https://ircalc.usps.com/

As a rough guide a bike frame would cost about $75 to send, arrive in the UK in 2-3 days then sit around in customs for a week or so.
Something football sized would arrive on your doorstep in the same time, but if duty is payable, a bit longer.

We’ve sent loads of stuff to the UK with USPS, never had a problem.

Nothing worth more than $50 or so though.