Mailing back lost shawl from Switzerland?

  • Virgingorda
    Participant
    58 posts
    21 August 2019 at 15:20:40 #823516

    Hello

    I just realized after almost one week that I’d left my big shawl in the Migros Restaurant in Bern last week. The one on right in the center of Bern.

    I asked a friend who could speak German to call them and indeed they have my shawl in lost and found, after one week!

    But they said they’re not allowed to mail it to me, and it has to be picked up in person. I’m already thousands of miles away from Switzerland.

    I was thinking of asking my hotel in Bern if they could pick it up and mail it to me. But how much would the postal cost be? It’s a pretty big shawl probably weighing about 1 lb (or 1/2 kg). It can be sent via snail mail at the cheapest rate.

    Not sure my hotel in Bern would bother to do it. Otherwise, maybe (and a long stretch maybe) a good Samaritan traveler to Bern would pick it up for me and mail it to me? Even better if someone resides in the US and can mail it to me by US post once they return to state side. I can only hope and would be so grateful. 🙏

    The shawl is more of sentimental value to me since my 90 yo aunt just gave it me at our big family reunion a couple of months ago.

    Any suggestions? Thank you!

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    Virgingorda
    Participant
    58 posts
    21 August 2019 at 15:39:39 #920612

    I just called the hotel where we stayed in Bern, and they told me to email their management to see if it’s allowed for their staff to pick up the shawl and mail it to me. Hmmm…. Seems a bit complicated.

    JaneEB
    Participant
    219 posts
    21 August 2019 at 16:39:23 #920613

    HI Virgingorda,

    I found that posting to the UK from Switzerland is very dear. When I was there in June we travelled with hand luggage only. I bought a walking pole as it was cheaper to buy than to hire. I planned to post it back to the UK as I could not take it on the plane.

    I took it to the post office in Luzern and was quoted almost 40 Chf postage, including custom charges, which was a lot more than it was worth and so left it behind at the hotel.

    Perhaps this is why the restaurant and the hotel are reluctant to send it to you?

    Jane

    fletch182
    Participant
    21 posts
    22 August 2019 at 1:21:03 #920614

    We are going to be in Switzerland in September. We will not be in Bern but if the hotel was willing to mail it to one of our Switzerland locations, we would be willing to retrieve it and bring it back to the states.

    JaneEB
    Participant
    219 posts
    22 August 2019 at 5:15:00 #920615

    That sounds like a good solution.

    Jane

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    22 August 2019 at 7:45:49 #920616

    Hello from Canada. I too will be in the Bern area in September and was wondering if I could help. I have friends that drive from Canada to Florida every January for the winter and they would travel the I-95 all the way down from Maine to Florida passing through all the states in between. Maybe I could pass the shawl to them and maybe they could leave it somewhere if your location falls under those states. Let me know if that will help. Your shawl would have quite a journey if that is the case. LOL! International traveling shawl finally makes it home! Great story for CNN!

    Virgingorda
    Participant
    58 posts
    22 August 2019 at 15:28:25 #920617

    Wow, I feel so overwhelmingly touched and grateful to hear all the offers to help from kind-hearted strangers on this forum! Thank you so much, Jane, fletch182, and Cathy60!!

    LOL! It would indeed be an interesting news item — a shawl traveling thousands of miles, crossing many international borders to get home! My 90 yo aunt carried that shawl all the way from Australia to the US to give it to me at the family reunion. And she might have bought it on some other location faraway. It’s a cashmere shawl.

    Jane, I told the staff in Switzerland I would be paying for shipping cost. I think they need permission from their boss to actually take time off to go mail the shawl or even to retrieve it. An Austrian friend told me they tend to follow rules and authorities, and don’t act on their own.

    So it maybe difficult for the hotel staff to even go retrieve the shawl and mail it to fletch182. Thank you so much for your kind offer though!

    So Cathy60’s offer looks the most promising. My home is in Southern California, so unlikely your friend would traverse that way from Canada to Florida! Unless somehow I end up on the east coast at the same time somehow. Or perhaps easier if you could ship it to me. I would be happy to reimburse you for the shipping cost. And would love to treat you to a dinner if we ever meet!

    In any case, I’m just so happy to hear all these positive responses. It’s as good as getting the shawl back for real!

    Thank you, all!

    fletch182
    Participant
    21 posts
    23 August 2019 at 0:40:19 #920618

    If Cathy60 can retrieve it in Bern and is going to be traveling around Switzerland maybe we can meet up and I can retrieve it from her. I live in Washington state so I could get it closer to its final destination. Just keep me posted.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    23 August 2019 at 15:47:52 #920619

    Hey Fletch 182, maybe you’ve got a better plan for the travelling shawl. But before we consider this, we have to factor in the cost of bringing the shawl back to the states if it makes the luggage overweight. Do you have room in your luggage for it? First I guess we have to get an idea of how big it is. Maybe Virgingorda could let us know an estimate size and I will be travelling all over Switzerland when I’m there so not a problem for me to pick it up in Bern. My itinerary is as follows:

    Sept. 10-12 – Lausanne, Montreux, Gruyeres, Sept. 12-15 – Thun, Bern, Interlaken. Sept. 15-18 – Oberbernerland-Murren. Sept. 18-25 Italy, Sept. 25-30 back into Switzerland and staying in the Lacern area. Are you anywhere around these places on these dates?

    fletch182
    Participant
    21 posts
    23 August 2019 at 21:11:01 #920620

    I can use the shawl as a wrap and/or place it in my luggage (it weighs approximately a pound according to previous info). I always leave all my clothes behind so I have empty luggage (room for souvenirs) on the way home. Our plans/route is as follows: Sept 13- 15 Zurich; 16-18 Lucerne; 19-21Lauterbrunnen; 22 Zermatt; 23-25 Montreux and 26 Geneva.

    Virgingorda
    Participant
    58 posts
    24 August 2019 at 8:10:24 #920621

    The shawl I think is no more than 2x4ft and not heavy. Probably 1 lb at most.

    Hope your itineraries would sync up somehow. What a relay that would be!

    Thank you for being my superheroes!! 🦸🦸‍♀️

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    25 August 2019 at 0:21:11 #920622

    OMG, this is too funny! I think this is going to work! I will be passing through Laterbrunnen on my way out of that area by train on the 18th and Fletch 182 will be there on the 19th. I can pick up the shawl at Migros in Bern a few days before as I will be there before I’m in Laturbrunnen. I will be in the Laturbrunnen-Murren area until the 18th at which time I can then drop the shawl at the lost and found at the train station I will be leaving from .Showing passports at both Migros and Laturbrunnen might be a wise choice for both of us. After all, this is a public forum and your shawl does sound like a nice one. We could use personal emails if I knew how to do it without it going public on this forum. I’ll have to look at my itinerary to make sure where exactly I’ll be leaving from in Laterbrunnen if this all works with everyone. This story sure took on a life of it’s own. I love Switzerland and I’m not even there yet!!!

    ioana
    Participant
    81 posts
    25 August 2019 at 1:54:53 #920623

    “After all, this is a public forum and your shawl does sound like a nice one.”

    I doubt there is anyone here that is preparing for the Great Theft of the Neverseen Shawl.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    25 August 2019 at 2:30:47 #920624

    Sorry if that statement offended anyone. Sure wasn’t meant to. You must admit though, it is a crazy, funny saga. Stay tuned.

    fletch182
    Participant
    21 posts
    25 August 2019 at 3:19:48 #920625

    Cathy60 and Virgingorda you can contact me on facebook under Marcie Drolette Fletcher.

    Virgingorda
    Participant
    58 posts
    25 August 2019 at 18:15:18 #920626

    Oh, I don’t have FB and never used one. Do I have to create an account?

    Thanks

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    27 August 2019 at 0:37:21 #920627

    Virgingorda, please email me. <removed>
    Thanks

    Annika
    Moderator
    7104 posts
    28 August 2019 at 8:58:02 #920628

    Hi Cathy60! I’m sorry to have deleted your e-mail address, but we encourage visitors not to share any personal information here, to prevent possible abuse. In exceptional cases such as the one in this thread, you can e-mail us and let us know with which forum visitor you’d like to share your e-mail address: [email protected]. We’ll then pass it on to him/her; it’s safer that way.

    By the way, how nice to see all help provided in this thread :-)! I hope it will all work out for you Virgingorda.

    Virgingorda
    Participant
    58 posts
    31 August 2019 at 2:55:15 #920629

    Hello Cathy, I’ve sent you email with he subject “Shawl/Switzerland”. Hope you’ve received it. Please check your Spam box if not.

    Marcie, sorry, I don’t have an FB account so not sure how to connect you. I’ve never tried to use it before.

    Hopefully, via Cathy, we all can connect.

    Thank you again for your kind offers to help!

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