I don't know about the U.K., but I recently shipped things here from the U.S. Well, when I say "recently," I mean that I shipped them in early January and they showed up last week. !!!

I paid $1800 to ship three boxes weighing a total of 300 pounds. (One was rather large as it contained a digital piano.) I then had to pay QR1000 on this end for customs or taxes or something. My mind is still boggling at that amount of money. I'd have been better off just buying a second version of all the things I shipped!

The American company that shipped my things contracted with a local firm (Gulf Agency, I think they were called) to deliver the shipment. Did yours not do the same?