Bringing a container with our stuff...

[Delaluz26]

Hi! I really appreciate all the advice and wisdom I've gotten here so far so thought I'd ask about this unfolding situation... Our shipping container is apparently on the way set to arrive in early December. My husband, as an Argentine citizen who lived in US for 20 years has done all the right paperwork to be able to bring it all here duty free. We used icontainers out of Miami and continue to feel like they are jerking us around and estafandonos. Every time at the very last minute they suddenly had some emergency thing come up that required us to pay them more. Right now I am looking at another 1k bill and now that I'm in Argentina that feels like a lot of money. Curious what if any advice any of you can offer if you have worked with icontainers before and/or if you have brought a container in post-pandemic. Our pachante de aduana that was recommended by icontainers quit on us yesterday and we've just found someone through a family connection that has a much better vibe. We aren't trying to bring in anything out of the ordinary, just our household items which include a lot of original artwork by my husband made for us. Any advice/thoughts/words to the wise? (I've gotten the Argentine pov from family members here who brought things back with them, but I feel like I want an expat perspective as well).

Also, for anyone who has done this, how long did it take from arriving in port of BA to getting released to you? Anyone who did this bring it to another province or specifically Entre Rios? Thanks in advance!

 

[argsteve]

I shipped 100 boxes to mar del
Plata from California. No electronics or furniture just clothes kitchen and everything else you can think of. Haha Things you can’t find here. Great kitchen stuff Great sheets Great towels. All my clothes art tools. Etc etc So why not.

It took one month to get here I think it sat at the shipping place in LA for two weeks . It took about two weeks to get it out of customs I had to pay a bribe of 300 dollars to get it released from customs. I could have fought that but was advised to just pay it and get the stuff. ... I hired a company to help me it was not cheap but I shipped everything to my door. And I filled up a 200 meter house so it was maybe worth it. Your stuff is your stuff. I was happy to do it. But I am here for good - so it was give it away in the USA or bring it.

 

[sts7049]

your container is in transit and they are trying to tell you that you owe more money??

 

[argsteve]

all the prices were set when it left from LA ---all based on cubic meters squared.....

 

[from_the_north]

Container shipping rates have, depending upon the destination, gone up from 200 to 500 percent within maybe less than a year, if I recall correct;y; I would not be surprised at the additional cost if that is a cost that is being passed on.

 

[Delaluz26]

I shipped 100 boxes to mar del
Plata from California. No electronics or furniture just clothes kitchen and everything else you can think of. Haha Things you can’t find here. Great kitchen stuff Great sheets Great towels. All my clothes art tools. Etc etc So why not.

It took one month to get here I think it sat at the shipping place in LA for two weeks . It took about two weeks to get it out of customs I had to pay a bribe of 300 dollars to get it released from customs. I could have fought that but was advised to just pay it and get the stuff. ... I hired a company to help me it was not cheap but I shipped everything to my door. And I filled up a 200 meter house so it was maybe worth it. Your stuff is your stuff. I was happy to do it. But I am here for good - so it was give it away in the USA or bring it.

Yes, we are here for good too (whatever that means as I've learned over the past decade that nothing is ever permanent) and we are bringing everything that we didn't give away in the US. Based on the past two weeks, I know I will be relieved and happy once my everyday luxuries from back home and here with me since so many of what we consider basics in the US are just not used here. Thanks for your perspective!

 

[Delaluz26]

So our container has arrived as of last week in BA and we are working with a new customs depachante (I think that's the word) to help us with the tramite but it seems like while we have everything ready to go on our end, they are not allowing them to make an appointment to release the container. IF it doesn't get released by Wednesday then they will start charging us a high fee in dollars per day for every day it sits there. Our agente is advising us that if it comes to that to just pay it to release our stuff and then try to get it back with an attorney's help.

Does anyone have any experience or have an attorney that they have worked with who can help? (We have an attorney friend who is willing to help but this is not his area of expertise). Thanks! (Of course we hope it doesn't come to this!)

 

[jblaze5779]

Just ask them how much of a bride you have to pay and to cut out the bs.

 

[Delaluz26]

Just ask them how much of a bride you have to pay and to cut out the bs.

We should ask the pachante de aduana?

 

[steveinbsas]

We should ask the pachante de aduana?

Based on personal experience, the title commonly used for a customs agent or broker in Spanis is despachante aduana. Perhaps "panchante" aduana is a "slang" expression? Porteños have a habit of dropping syllables.

Or is "panchante" aduana the title of someone who actually works in the aduana (customs) office?

Just curious.