Best Way to Receive Package from Abroad

[ghost]

I recently received a birthday care package from the States. It was sent via USPS. We watched the tracking online, it took about 10 days. They claim to have rung my buzzer on a certain day, but they lied.. we were home all day and never heard it.

So we had to go down to the main Correo Argentino warehouse in Retiro to pick it up. It's like entering a time warp.. the whole place feels like it's 1955. And of course, the bureaucracy is Kafkaesque, Byzantine. You go to "international packages", take a number, and wait an hour to tell them you don't have a delivery slip. More waiting.. they print one up and give you another number. Then you go in the adjoining room to wait for that number to be called.

Finally you go to the inspection line where all the employees are wearing white lab coats (?!) They're supposed to ask you to open the package in front of them, whereupon they inspect the contents to determine what duties you owe, if any. But as soon as I opened my mouth and they saw I was a foreigner, they kindly just told me to take the unopened package and leave. Great!

What I don't understand is, why have I been able to receive packages in other countries (Guatemala, Colombia, Peru) delivered to my door with no inspections, no duties owed, but here in the supposedly much more developed country of Argentina, one has to go through this rigamarole?

The answer is complicated. Just like everything else. If somewhere else can accomplish a task in 2 steps in Argentina that same task requires 6 steps. It keeps allot of useless people on the job and provides extra room for the bribe machine to churn.

 

[Moonwitch]

I ordered some things from the UK and they seem to have vanished in transit. It has either been stolen by Correo Argentina or Royal Mail.

 

[citygirl]

Interesting - I love FedEx. Get boxes regularly delivered to my door and have never had any problems. I'm sure it's expensive but worth every penny.

 

[HenryNisental]

Pls read this:
A) If possibly, have the books sent separately to you (they do not pay import duties).
B) Send everything else by the US post office air mail, it is the cheapest and as safe as the more expense private outfits.
C) Always insure the package for small amounts. The amount is not important, but they will give the sender a routing number, and it will NOT get lost.
D) When the package arrives, you will get a card in the mail. Then you will go (with the card and your ID) to the International Mail Center across the bus terminal in Retiro (I think is Comodoro Py St).
E) Once there, show it at the counter, and then they will give you another ticket with a call number, take a seat and wait.
F) When your number is called by the paging system, go inside, they will open it and evaluate the content. You are suppose to pay 50% tax on everything of value. Offer the guy an small bribe, and PRESTO!, you are scot free.
G) Welcome to Argentina

 

[SaraSara]

You are suppose to pay 50% tax on everything of value. Offer the guy an small bribe, and PRESTO!, you are scot free.

People offer bribes to underpaid customs' agents and then complain about corruption in Argentina.

 

[ghost]

Interesting - I love FedEx. Get boxes regularly delivered to my door and have never had any problems. I'm sure it's expensive but worth every penny.

You must be kidding. Or maybe you are talking about business documents. I have had 5 out of every 6 FedExs stopped at EZE. The last one pissed me off so badly that I escalated the battle all the way up the chain to the Sr. VP level in the states. At which point I informed him that he had a serious problem with a "Mafia like" situation at the EZE op. I recieved a phone call from from the same VP who informed me that they were aware of the situation and that my package would be dilivered to my door within the hour [at their expense] because "customs" had captured the box and wanted $375.00 USD to release it. The pkg arrived as stated, however there were no customs stickers or tape nor had the box been opened.
FedEx is great for out-going but for incomiing they are off the list. [unless it is for documents only]. Just my opinion.

 

[Mariposa79]

Oh my God!!! Retiro IS a time warp...it is primitive!
If you don't arrive to wait in line before they open, you will be waiting significantly longer. I have been there mid afternoon one time and the whole process took like 4 hours!!!! They use a literal pulley system in the front to send the papers upstairs to where the packages are...there is no rhyme or reason.
Waiting in the other room, you have to bend your ears to listen for your, usually 6 digit # to be called, then yes, enter into a room with aduana in their white lab coats, to receive you package...then sign for it and that is all... I am also recieving things from the states and I always tell whoever is sending it to take everything out of any packaging, no matter what it is...and just tell aduana, if they ask, that it is all used. That I moved here recently and my mom is just sending some things I forgot...something along those lines...which is actually true for me, but hey...
So they open at 10am, I would arrive at 9:30 with a book and get ready to wait...
As far as notice, I always get a little paper stating I have something waiting for me. Pick it up right away though, because Argentina likes to charge you for any "extra" days the package has been sitting there.

Bureaucracy at it's finest!

 

[citygirl]

hmmm.. mine is usually a mix of work related stuff - some docs, some not. They send it in a fairly large fed-ex box. Like I said, I think it's expensive ( I want to guess last time it was 150+ dollars) but I've always had the packages delivered straight to my door, no questions and no problems.

Same going out - I just pop over to the fedex office on Cabildo and it goes out 2 day - no problems.

 

[mini]

Well, as usual it seems: Your milage Will Vary!!

I've never received package sent via USPS over 600grs at my house though I have received smaller packages. Others seem to get packages of 10kilos or more right to their door.

When I go pick packages up it has never taken me more than 1.5 hrs. total. Other take 4 hrs.

I've only had to pay tax once when my package was valued at US$115. Others have packages held hostage.....

Soooo.... Lauren, conclusion: You won't know 'til you try it!!

 

[ghost]

Soooo.... Lauren, conclusion: You won't know 'til you try it!!

And even then.....you won't really know for sure. Every package is it's own adventure.