I know there is Fed EX but is there UPS

[Zackdotcom]

In Argentina? Has anyone used it to bypass customs?

 

[RichardP]

I've sent things from the US via UPS to Argentina. The person that received the items was charged a tariff of 50% of the value that I declared. This was my experience about 2 years ago. The fee was charged at the time of delivery. I intentionally declared a low value, but not too low as they will simply look up the cost online and charge the tariff based on that.
If you are just sending personal items such as clothes, it's a very expensive way to go.

 

[Zackdotcom]

I've sent things from the US via UPS to Argentina. The person that received the items was charged a tariff of 50% of the value that I declared. This was my experience about 2 years ago. The fee was charged at the time of delivery. I intentionally declared a low value, but not too low as they will simply look up the cost online and charge the tariff based on that.
If you are just sending personal items such as clothes, it's a very expensive way to go.

You need to send from the recipient... so if i want to send myself something tariff free make sure the names match! Ive done this through EU and South east Asia... plus i have my own fed ex account another must have!

Thanks

 

[mini]

Using UPS is not going to by pass customs. Everything with every carrier goes through customs. The difference is whether the carrier acts as the customs broker (& you'll pay them for that, bad idea) or it goes directly to you.

I'm not sure sending yourself a package will save you from the customs charges.

 

[orwellian]

Sending clothes is illegal unless it has been properly de-sanitized in the sender's country. You'll probably have to pay some high fine or bribe to get your clothes in (never label your package with clothes).

Mini is right, you can't bypass customs. What you can do is label the package below 25 USD or as books (this will obviously only work for packages with plausible weight and size).

 

[evan]

i need to send a letter to the US and would like to be sure that it gets there. FedEx quotes me a minimum of $42. Is that really the cheapest?


edit: more accurately a finger print card, but i'll send it in an envelope and it weighs the same as a letter.

 

[mini]

Just send it regular mail. No one is going to steal your letter. I've never had any letter get lost yet & I've sent lots of official & administrative papers.

ETA: I feel like I should put in a disclaimer non the less: the author of the above message can not be help responsible blah, blah, blah....

 

[syngirl]

Just send it regular mail. No one is going to steal your letter. I've never had any letter get lost yet & I've sent lots of official & administrative papers.

ETA: I feel like I should put in a disclaimer non the less: the author of the above message can not be help responsible blah, blah, blah....

$40 bucks for an envelope sounds about right -- i had to send DVDs of a project to a client in Belgium and they were about $65 bucks.

We sent our wedding invites via Correo Argentino -- half of them individually, half in an official Correo Argentino box sent to my mum for her to post. The only ones that got there were the ones in the box. I'm convinced the guy at the counter took my cash for the loose ones, pocketed it, and threw them in the bin.

For important papers such as immigration forms that are time-sensitive I personally wouldn't use Correo Argentino again -- especially if the cost of having to redo all the paperwork is higher than the price of sending via FedEx.

On the bright side, I've never had a problem on the receiving end of things, even when my mum sent me my new credit card, and my sister sent me a christmas gift that was a bunch of makeup.

 

[wreReynolds]

My experience was similar. Letters posted at one of the red round boxes arrived. Those that I handed to an agent in a Correo Argentino office vanished. Yet, locals tell me to never use the mail boxes. Go figure.

 

[el_expatriado]

When sending via UPS, you are going to have your package controlled by customs and it is subject to all the Argentina rules. Be prepared to pay 50% of its value in taxes.

My girlfriend works in UPS and there is no way to get around customs when shipping by them.

The best way to get expensive things into Argentina is by a private courier who has contacts in customs (i.e. not fedex or ups). They will charge usually 50% of the value of the item plus a fee per kilo and take care of the whole process. You deliver the items to them to their office in Miami and they give it to you in Buenos Aires after going through the whole process.

The one I use will ship everything except clothes or LCD televisions, which are too complicated paperwork-wise in customs.