I wanted to share my recent (as of today) experience with picking up mail, as I managed to get through with relatively little stress.
I received an aviso on Monday this week saying I had received a package from Nauru (although I knew it was from Norway because my friend had told me she was sending something for my birthday.... a month ago) so I went along, and attempted the best 'me hago la boluda' act I could muster. I told the first guy, who was security 'I'm not from here.' He said Sos extranjera? and told me to fill in the back of the form with my name and document number and get in line. I then had three separate lines to queue up in. It's the national sport.
1. After the first line they give you a number and you wait to the side. They call your number, you go up, they check your documents and you go to the next line, which on a busy day goes all the way out the door.
2. This line is to pay, and they will charge you the initial $AR40 for their troubles and $AR8 per day for being so kind as to store your package. So even though my slip was dated 13/4, they charged me for two days storage (I'm sure that's arbitrary though, they know that the slips aren't sent out the same day they are printed). So I paid $AR66.
3. After paying, they tear off your slip and leave you just a portion with a 6 or 7-digit number. Then you sit and watch the screen for your number to appear and when it does it's your turn to go to the Island. Just kidding. You go through to the back room where the officials call you one by one to collect your goods. The official found my package, told me to follow him to his computer where he asked me for the AFIP form. Again I told him I'm a foreigner, I have no 'clave fiscal'. Being Friday afternoon at 4.45pm he couldn't care less. He took a stanley knife and opened up my package while asking me 'What's in here?' I said that I had no idea, which was true. Well, I was hoping for marzipan chocolate but it turned out to be five different times of liquorice, including salty liquorice. Obviously well under the AR$66 I paid for receiving it. And the two hours I spent waiting. And the one hour each way to get to Retiro and back. And the risk of being deported for being illegal.
But hey, I had an enriching cultural experience and got to complain and sympthasise with a few Argentines who were buying replacement parts for their cars or motorbikes. But really the whole thing is kind of depressing and it's to be avoided if you can help it.
