2026 Little Easy Bean Network – Plant A Garden, Water Your Soul, Join Our Family

[heirloomgal]

Something I forgot to mention to you as well @Blue-Jay about my shipment to you, which was a surprise. The Zonos App functions like an online customs agent, much like self checkout at the grocery store. So for the most part there are duties to be paid for anything that is shipped which isn't just paper. However in my case I paid absolutely nothing, I declared the contents a 'gift' and kept the value low and that, for whatever reason, made it so there was no customs to be paid at all. So for any of your international shippers, they should know to do that.

My friend who is an SSE member who tried to get a single packet of peas across using Zonos (and it didn't work) did not declare the peas a gift, and had to pay over $10.00 for that one packet in customs. She got that money returned in the end, but it just goes to show that the customs can be quite high if you don't fill the forms in just right. Zonos also did not charge me a processing fee (which they usually do), and I'm guessing that's because there was no customs to pay.

So, just some info for people going through this new system to ship your beans back. Looks like getting the details right is important.

 

[ruralmamma]

So, just some info for people going through this new system to ship your beans back. Looks like getting the details right is important.

I had a little bit of a shock when I was at the post office in town last week. The clerk wouldn't accept a package to be mailed out of the US because the customs label wasn't detailed enough. It simply said toys and candy and the clerk said it must state the specific toy and the specific brand of candy and that simply stating chocolate or gifts was unacceptable. My heart really went out to the elderly gentleman who just wanted to mail gifts to his great granddaughter. Of course this is the same clerk that wants to charge me $5+ for a regular envelope of seeds with some padding. No matter how I spread out the seeds or how flat the envelope is. I have mailed the same envelopes from a smaller post office with no issues other than adding some additional postage.

 

[Blue-Jay]

I had a little bit of a shock when I was at the post office in town last week. The clerk wouldn't accept a package to be mailed out of the US because the customs label wasn't detailed enough. It simply said toys and candy and the clerk said it must state the specific toy and the specific brand of candy and that simply stating chocolate or gifts was unacceptable. My heart really went out to the elderly gentleman who just wanted to mail gifts to his great granddaughter. Of course this is the same clerk that wants to charge me $5+ for a regular envelope of seeds with some padding. No matter how I spread out the seeds or how flat the envelope is. I have mailed the same envelopes from a smaller post office with no issues other than adding some additional postage.

I think it really makes a difference which post office you are dealing with. A particular post office clerk might interpret what is required on customs labels differently. They just simply get picky. Sounds like your smaller post office is the place to go.

 

[heirloomgal]

I went to the post office today with a package of seeds to mail, a small bubble envelope with very light seeds mostly, and she told me $15. I didn't recognize her, and this is my tiny local place where I'm pals with the usual regular daytime lady with years of experience. That did not seem like the right price to me. I politely took my parcel back and said 'oh I need to actually recheck that address', because I wasn't really sure what else to say to get it back. I drove 8 minutes to the next town over where I know there is another postal outlet with fairly experienced people, and it was $2.50. I find it really important to get an experienced person.