Nov 28, 2016, 12:30 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
related thread - New change address verification for MP (just non-domestic changes?)
Any Drawbacks from having MP account registered to foreign address?
Jul 18, 2019, 2:43 am
#601
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Stockholm
Programs: UA PP, Marriott Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 179
Here's an additional data point related to the 1K kit when residing abroad - when United tried to send me the 2019 kit via normal post, it got stuck in customs and the Swedish post office wanted me to pay taxes and administrative fees to release the package. I refused and it took another 4 months of constant communication with MileagePlus before I was able to get the kit. I finally received it in mid-June; this time they sent it via FedEx. It's never happened before, but 2019 was an unlucky year.
Jul 18, 2019, 4:00 am
#602
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Here's an additional data point related to the 1K kit when residing abroad - when United tried to send me the 2019 kit via normal post, it got stuck in customs and the Swedish post office wanted me to pay taxes and administrative fees to release the package. I refused and it took another 4 months of constant communication with MileagePlus before I was able to get the kit. I finally received it in mid-June; this time they sent it via FedEx. It's never happened before, but 2019 was an unlucky year.
I know a few people who had 1k kits mailed to Sweden over the years and I’ve never heard any of them being asked to pay tax on any 1k kits. I also know of things getting lost “in the mail” (if they ever got sent out) or being held up by Tull and lost there despite no tax being due. But those haven’t been airline status kits.
When you refer to the Swedish post office, what exactly do you mean, PostNord?
Maybe some could read that as a spouse/SO being eligible for the status benefit without regard to address while non-SO/non-spouse individuals must share the same address as the LT member for benefit eligibility?
Last edited by GUWonder; Jul 18, 2019 at 4:07 am
Jul 18, 2019, 5:49 am
#603
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Stockholm
Programs: UA PP, Marriott Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 179
That’s weird. How much tax did Tull/Customs ask be paid?
I know a few people who had 1k kits mailed to Sweden over the years and I’ve never heard any of them being asked to pay tax on any 1k kits. I also know of things getting lost “in the mail” (if they ever got sent out) or being held up by Tull and lost there despite no tax being due. But those haven’t been airline status kits.
When you refer to the Swedish post office, what exactly do you mean, PostNord?
I know a few people who had 1k kits mailed to Sweden over the years and I’ve never heard any of them being asked to pay tax on any 1k kits. I also know of things getting lost “in the mail” (if they ever got sent out) or being held up by Tull and lost there despite no tax being due. But those haven’t been airline status kits.
When you refer to the Swedish post office, what exactly do you mean, PostNord?
Jul 18, 2019, 4:25 pm
#604
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Yes, I mean Postnord. I've had my kits sent to me in Sweden over the past decade and they've never been held up before, but like I said, this was an unfortunate year. They asked for about $12 if I recall, most of which was the administrative fee. This is because United valued the coasters at $6.00.
I guess we should be glad that UA haven’t been declaring the UA elite status plastic cards as being valued at $1, as PostNord and Tull/Customs may still want its pound of flesh even if Tull/Customs wanted almost nothing for duty.
Jul 18, 2019, 9:18 pm
#605
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: body: A stone's throw from SFO, mind: SE Asia
Programs: Some of this 'n some of that
Posts: 17,263
Here's an additional data point related to the 1K kit when residing abroad - when United tried to send me the 2019 kit via normal post, it got stuck in customs and the Swedish post office wanted me to pay taxes and administrative fees to release the package. I refused and it took another 4 months of constant communication with MileagePlus before I was able to get the kit. I finally received it in mid-June; this time they sent it via FedEx. It's never happened before, but 2019 was an unlucky year.
Jul 19, 2019, 5:40 am
#606
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Stockholm
Programs: UA PP, Marriott Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 179
You should email them and ask for an escalation - that's what I had to do after repeated "attempts" to mail the items. I think they actually tried to send it 4 times total, but I only got notice of two (the one that was held up in Customs and the one I ultimately received).
Aug 15, 2019, 2:34 pm
#608
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: middle of nowhere, formerly TYO/EWR
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 213
Anyone ever have success getting things mailed to something that isn't their listed address? I live in Japan, but it is very hard to get things (particularly packages) to my home address and usually get things shipped to my office near Tokyo. Do you think I could contact United to get things (i.e. the Premier Kits) shipped there?
Aug 15, 2019, 5:49 pm
#609
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SEA
Programs: UA MP (1K, 1MM)
Posts: 268
Anyone ever have success getting things mailed to something that isn't their listed address? I live in Japan, but it is very hard to get things (particularly packages) to my home address and usually get things shipped to my office near Tokyo. Do you think I could contact United to get things (i.e. the Premier Kits) shipped there?
I can't say specifically about Japan, but I was able to get my 1K kit delivered to my home address in mainland China last year (for 2019 flying) even though I get no snail mail ever delivered.
Since that time I moved to a different apartment and don't even have a key to the mailbox; need to figure out how to get things changed to my work address and a bit concerned as it was an issue getting my original address changed.
Aug 15, 2019, 8:07 pm
#610
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: HND, NRT
Programs: UA Gold (1K 2016–2023 by miracle extensions; RIP 1K status), 1MM
Posts: 220
They’re sent separately from and later than the 1K kit and you may need to follow up. It’s conceivable there are places they won’t send them but they most certainly do send them overseas. And they mostly work so are worth getting.
Last edited by Kannai; Aug 16, 2019 at 7:22 am Reason: Spellinh
Aug 16, 2019, 7:50 pm
#611
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ZOA, SFO, HKG
Programs: UA 1K 0.9MM, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz PC, SBux Gold, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 13,811
Aug 16, 2019, 7:51 pm
#612
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL, OZ, AC, AS, AA, BA, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 19,901
Aug 16, 2019, 7:52 pm
#613
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ZOA, SFO, HKG
Programs: UA 1K 0.9MM, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz PC, SBux Gold, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 13,811
Aug 16, 2019, 9:49 pm
#614
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: BOS, PVG
Programs: United 1K and 1MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 10,000
Aug 17, 2019, 12:39 am
#615
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 816
It might be more of a country / regional restriction or who knows maybe the policy has changed recently? I got mine in UK a few years ago ( still unused).