How to rent a P.O box in palermo
- Thread starter Ceviche
- Start date
Ceviche said:
Right, delivered in Buenos Aires, to your doorstep. And it can be anything you can ship down here legally.
What they do is assign a weight by some formula that involves both weight and bulk of everything included. You get up to 4 "pounds" free. I just initiated a delivery of three hard cover books (one of them was a smaller size, the other two around 700 pages) and all of my mail for the month (about 25 envelopes of varying thickness), and it didn't cost me extra, except when I've sent an extra shipment. I've never once had to pay extra.
They also have an "open and repackage" option which allows you to give permission (by shipment) for them to maximize your packages and possibly get the weight/bulk ratio within free limits. Otherwise, there's a reasonable price per pound (don't remember what that is offhand) if you exceed the limit.
You have to declare what's in the package, and I had problems one time over 6 years I've been using this.
The one problem was a replacement power cord for my laptop (not the converter, but converter to wall) from Dell. Dell refused to ship it internationally because it was electronic in nature, which caused problems to Argentina. I had them ship it to USABox, and declared it as a power cord. Customs here held it up. Long story short, it would have cost me over $100 USD to get my $25 USD power cord out of Aduana Ezeiza.
You have a risk on certain sensitive items no matter how you send it. you can lie about what's in the box and it may get by, or if it's x-rayed and/or opened and found to be something else, it complicates significantly getting something out of Aduana. Best thing is to be as vague as possible and hope for the best on those types of items.
I ordered eye glasses online last year, sent to my USABox account, and had them here in three days from time of order to receipt in my apartment. That was lucky - it all depends on when the shipments hit, when the order is made, how busy the day is, etc.
I've never gone more than 5 days to get my mail on the worst of coincidences of timing, and one error - they sent my package to Bahia Blanca that time by accident and I had to wait for it to come back to BA.
There is no extra charge for the fast delivery. It's DHL overnight express international and comes included with the price I pay. There may be cheaper options using a service like USPS, I don't remember because I never bothered to use it.
USABox also has shopping services where you can order things and people actually go out and buy you stuff and ship it to you. I don't remember very much about it, never used it.
EDIT: If you're going to send something down you think might be a problem, don't ship anything you need (like documents) with it. It's worth an extra shipment cost for something very "iffy" to go separate so you don't absolutely have to pick it up. I forgot to mention the outcome of the power cable, above. I left it there. There was no freaking way I was going to spend hours of my time and over one hundred dollars to buy a cable I could have made here for about a third of the cost or less, but that's another story.
@ El Queso
If you have time. Can you visit the webpage and actually send me the link to the EXACT plan you have.
It seems this is exactly what I am looking for!
I am confused because the webpage says a 0 us$/month plan and a 10 us$/month plan. I can not see a 30 us$ a month plan with some free lbs every month.
If you have time. Can you visit the webpage and actually send me the link to the EXACT plan you have.
It seems this is exactly what I am looking for!
I am confused because the webpage says a 0 us$/month plan and a 10 us$/month plan. I can not see a 30 us$ a month plan with some free lbs every month.
Ceviche, very strange. I'm seeing the same thing you're seeing. I'll take a look at my plan and see what's up. Maybe they changed their service and grandfathered me in or something.
In the meantime, you might want to send them a request. They can be slow sometimes in replying.
I'll post what I find in a bit.
In the meantime, you might want to send them a request. They can be slow sometimes in replying.
I'll post what I find in a bit.
Here's what my plan covers (I was $5 off on the monthly price):
Monthly Fee $: 35.00
Monthly Shipments Included: 1
Monthly Pounds Included: 5
Additional Shipment (1 Pound)$: 23.75
Additional Pound $: 2.75
Miami office pick up (1 Pound)$: 15.00
Miami office pick up additional pound$: 0.95
I don't know what the deal is on the discrepancy.
I kind of chuckled when I was reading through the FAQs - they were answering how long it takes to get shipments and they just happened to give the exact same answers that were my experience - between 24 hours and 5 days. I swear I'm not a hack for USABox
Maybe once you join you're offered something else? Service no longer available? I don't know. I did a quick calculator, though, on 5 (I was wrong on the limit too) pounds and got $41.95 for the cost. I've never had a shipment bigger than 4 pounds, so that's still reasonable I'd think. Hell, I may be paying too much! Most of my shipments are one or two pounds.
Another thing I forgot to mention, and I'd bet it's this way with all forwarding services - you have to fill out a USPS official form (there's a link in the FAQs). I don't remember what all it has on it, but you have to get it notarized. You'd have to ask them if they'd accept an apostilled document.
If I remember correctly, they get your account up and running and start accepting packages on payment and registration, but don't let you send anything out to you here until you've faxed or mailed the notarized form to them.
It's well worth the hassle. I met a guy here when I was making trips to explore the possibilities of BA and my particular business. He was using this service and recommended it highly. I got it all set up before I moved down here, so it was pretty easy. But even if it takes you a couple of weeks to get it set up, you'll need it over time anyway.
Monthly Fee $: 35.00
Monthly Shipments Included: 1
Monthly Pounds Included: 5
Additional Shipment (1 Pound)$: 23.75
Additional Pound $: 2.75
Miami office pick up (1 Pound)$: 15.00
Miami office pick up additional pound$: 0.95
I don't know what the deal is on the discrepancy.
I kind of chuckled when I was reading through the FAQs - they were answering how long it takes to get shipments and they just happened to give the exact same answers that were my experience - between 24 hours and 5 days. I swear I'm not a hack for USABox
Maybe once you join you're offered something else? Service no longer available? I don't know. I did a quick calculator, though, on 5 (I was wrong on the limit too) pounds and got $41.95 for the cost. I've never had a shipment bigger than 4 pounds, so that's still reasonable I'd think. Hell, I may be paying too much! Most of my shipments are one or two pounds.
Another thing I forgot to mention, and I'd bet it's this way with all forwarding services - you have to fill out a USPS official form (there's a link in the FAQs). I don't remember what all it has on it, but you have to get it notarized. You'd have to ask them if they'd accept an apostilled document.
If I remember correctly, they get your account up and running and start accepting packages on payment and registration, but don't let you send anything out to you here until you've faxed or mailed the notarized form to them.
It's well worth the hassle. I met a guy here when I was making trips to explore the possibilities of BA and my particular business. He was using this service and recommended it highly. I got it all set up before I moved down here, so it was pretty easy. But even if it takes you a couple of weeks to get it set up, you'll need it over time anyway.
There is also EarthClassmail.com, which is the one I use, the one benefit that they have is ypu can use multipule of there virtual addresses which are available most big citys, I use ones in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Portland, and St Louis. Also I have been very happy with there Web interface, the only drawback versus the service El Queso uses is doesnt include any free shipping.
I have been using them for about 5 yaers, and even if I moved back to the US I would still keep the service, as it is so much more convient than traditional mail.
I have been using them for about 5 yaers, and even if I moved back to the US I would still keep the service, as it is so much more convient than traditional mail.
