Wow! So many topics from me lately...how weird is that? Anyhoo, It looks like I'm going to be having something shipped from Japan. I've been offered EMS or Air Mail. I've always used EMS before...as I've heard its better, but whats the difference?
Air Mail is like first class mail in the US where it takes like a week to ship a package cross country, and it gets here faster because its sent by plane, not by boat. So, once it gets to California, it will have "first class" priority status and take about another week to get to your house. EMS is the same thing, however, once it gets to US, it traverses faster than normal first class, very much like priority mail, which takes 3 days top to get a package. This is just a general assumption. I'd go with Airmail if you can wait 2 weeks, EMS, if you want it to get here within a week, because thats how long a package took to get here from Japan when I opted for EMS.
What is it you're having shipped? If it's > 2kg, it'll have to be EMS (as for some weird reason Air Mail is more expensive than EMS at that point). EMS generally takes 3 days from Japan to the states, but of course, there are customs. Airmail is about 5 to 7 days, even though I've seen faster. EMS is autmoatically insured for 20,000 yen which is a big plus, but is of course, more expensive. Airmail isn't insured, but for another 410 yen, you can send registered airmail which is trackable and insured for 6,000 yen. Out of roughly 1,000 packages I sent from Japan, only 1 got lost (knocks on wood). This might be useful: http://www.post.japanpost.jp/english/fee/index.html
Thanks guys! It's going to be an AES and a game, so it's going to be a bit weighty. I opted for EMS. It was only a few dollars more, I can't say no to getting it here faster.
And insurance, too. I've got a feeling that shipment may have cost you an arm and a leg if you'd have gone the airmail route. (As an aside, congrats on the AES!) When I import things like games or music CDs, I usually choose Airmail - it takes about 7-9 days to get to me here (Oregon) and unlike the US' First Class Mail, I've had very few packages arrive looking like they were methodically sat on by a 300-pound man, and never have I had the contents damaged. EMS is for when I'm a bit more paranoid - special or limited edition items (i.e. my limited edition first printing of Clannad), or also anything I can't live without for more than 5 days. Often, the cost of what I'm ordering is such that I'd be paying 1/3 of that for EMS, so it's usually not worth it unless I want the shipment protected well. So that's basically my decision process when trying to choose.
I almost always use EMS. It gets here in 3 days! (US East Coast from Japan) Plus I hear its better to do this for insurance.
