Fed Ex Delivery From The States

[NYCExpat]

Hi All!

Does anyone have experience with receiving large Fed Ex packages here in Buenos Aires? I have received small packages (papers/letters) that were delivered to my apartment door. However, I have an over-sized package coming and I am hoping that don't have to go to the International Post Office in Retiro (that can certainly take an entire day). Thanks in advance for any experiences. Tim

PS: My package contains an (over-sized and framed) art print that weights 28 lbs.

 

[syngirl]

Most likely you're not going to have to go to Retiro -- you will have to go to Ezeiza. Unfortunately with Fedex any packages (especially artwork) that have to go through the aduana -- and this certainly will -- you now have to go out to Ezeiza. Fedex instead sends you a ltetter that I think they offer brokerage services, perhaps not, I can't remember. Basically when my mum sent a package that required me to go to Ezeiza, pay brokerage services, pay a bribe to get package released etc I decided it was worth neither the time, the hassle, nor the money.

I would not recommend sending packages like this again -- you could potentially end up paying thousands of pesos in transport and brokerage etc.

Hopefully someone who has actually been bothered to go through the process will have some good tips for you. I am sorry in advance for your pain! Suerte

 

[TomAtAlki]

I have no experience with Fedex, my experience is with art work. We have brought a lot down (we travel back and forth). Out of the frame, into a tube and hand carry. We get everything reframed here, very reasonable prices. Cheaper to Fedex that way too.
Nancy

 

[Somewhereinba]

Take my advice: Don't bother sending anything into this country. I had a wonderful experience today when I went to collect some t-shirts I had ordered on the internet at AFIP. Total cost $50 USD, had to pay 50 pesos on tax (no problem), until the lady told me I had to go to the national bank to pay it which means waiting over 2 hours. When I asked if I could pay it right there she looked at me in disgust and told me no, when I asked if I could take 1 of the t-shirts and leave the rest since it would be under $25 USD she said no. She then told me if I didn't like it to leave the country... I've been coming to this country for the past 3 years but this experience really rubbed me the wrong way.

I told her I wouldn't be going to the national bank to line up for hours and pay 50 pesos so I told her to keep the clothes and walked out. She then yelled that if I didn't come back and sign a form saying I didn't want the clothes that there would be trouble - nice threat. So I took a deep breath and signed the form. Her coworker who I first dealt with came over and asked what was going on, told him the situation and he said he would have let me pay there and go on my way, he felt sorry for me that I had to deal with this woman. The hoops you have to jump through to do such simple tasks is really hard for me to deal with, especially for those with jobs who don't have 2+ hours free time to waste during a work day. So basically don't bother importing anything into the country.

 

[NYCExpat]

Thanks all. I hope this is not the case. The interesting thing is that I purchased this print (it is actually a poster and not fine art) and had it framed from the AR website. I had no idea it would be shipped from the states - i really thought they were local. I will provide an update. Thanks again.

 

[DRSG]

We also have a terrible time getting things here. We ordered a bunch of books and a couple of DVDs off Amazon, and they arrived here OK, but were held for some sort of tax. We weren't even notified that the order was here until it was already returned to Amazon and we had been refunded! My husband had three boxes of office papers sent to his school, and he now has to pick them up at Retiro, instead of them actually being delivered to the address destination. What if we didn't live in BA? What would Argentina do?

 

[gordita75]

Not only did I have to go to the aiport but had to pay a bribe and something the guy invented 'extra export fee', I actually had to get a lawyer friend involved after paying both. This was to get a pair of 100 dollar eye glasses I had forgotten in the states. This was back in 2005, but i would NEVER use fed ex again, or anything involving the aduana.

 

[syngirl]

We also have a terrible time getting things here. We ordered a bunch of books and a couple of DVDs off Amazon, and they arrived here OK, but were held for some sort of tax. We weren't even notified that the order was here until it was already returned to Amazon and we had been refunded! My husband had three boxes of office papers sent to his school, and he now has to pick them up at Retiro, instead of them actually being delivered to the address destination. What if we didn't live in BA? What would Argentina do?

It's the DVDs that tripped you up there -- books are no problem, anything else is qhat causes problems.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

It's the DVDs that tripped you up there -- books are no problem, anything else is qhat causes problems.

Unless, of course, Moreno has scientifically decreed that your books are chemically toxic to the health of the Argentine public.

 

[Montauk_Project]

This is counter-intuitive, but send it by US post (not fed ex or UPS) so it will go to Retiro and not EZE. In retiro, you will have a long line and have to pay a fee, but you will get it out. Not so in Ezeiza. . . a client of ours sent us a box of 50 HD cassette tapes by fed ex after we told her not to. We hired a customs broker, tried everything (including bribes), tapes never got out. The broker actually told us to send things by normal mail so they go to Retiro (but certified so you have a tracking number).
If you bought it from an Argentine website they should deal with this or you should just ask for your money back, it is not worth the time and money.