Need Help! Ban On Private Parcels To Argentina

[La Fleur]

We went into the DHL office on Avenida Belgrano, our apartment is 1 block away. They said it's in the airport and gave us the DHL number for Ezeiza. They´re saying it's a law! We rang back and asked them what the cost of this bróker is and they said they don't know... the whole thing sounds dodgey. 30 years of democracy on thursday and I can't get an atm card and a packet of sweets into the country! My mom is calling DHL in Ireland

Your best bet is to push at the Ireland end - get your mum to ask why she wasn't told this when she sent the parcel, and why this isn't on the DHL website. She can threated to go to the 'Fair Trading Commission' (or whatever the equivalent is there) about this unless DHL helps you at the BsAs end..

And at your end you can try going back to the office (as it is close) and asking for the exact number of the law, and a photocopy of that law. If you have someone with you who speaks good castellano and knows the system, you can also ask to be given their complaints book (libro de quejas) which they must let you write in by law, and the complaint will be followed up by the authorities (eventually). At the very least they will pay you some attention before having you write in their book, as they will not want that, and if there is some way around this problem they may find it. You could suggest they take you to EZE on their next run (they must go there regularly) and their employee helps you get your stuff and then brings you back to the office.

Good luck.

 

[ElQueso]

I stopped sending anything more than letters through DHL - I have a mail service in the States that collects my mail and sends it to me. Books (for personal use), for example, are supposed to be immune from tariffs, but when they come in via DHL (and I'm assuming FedEx) they are held up anyway - I've never actually gone and retrieved them because DHL charges and arm and a leg for their "Customs Broker" service. I haven't sent a book down here in over a year as a result (use my iPad now to buy books online).

It may have been the jersey and the candy that held up your package - apparently clothes are a big no-no item, and probably the candy as well.

You may be able to get DHL to waive the "Customs Broker's fee" (I can't remember exactly what that charge is, but it's at least $50 USD if I remember correctly, maybe larger). I was able to get them to waive it once after a lot of bitching and calling, finally getting hold of a "supervisor". However, DHL in the States was zero help - apparently the local companies are separated (like most companies here that have internationally links) from the parent company and they told me I'd have to go through local offices to get anything done.

I just had a new ATM card sent through DHL about two weeks ago - the only other things I had in the package were envelopes from my mailbox. It came straight to my door, no Ezeiza.

As Ejcot mentioned, don't ever use your ATM here. Don't mean to be preaching if you already know, but you are losing great gobs of money if you do. I still need my ATM card to pay for certain services in the States, so when it expires I need a new one here to update the expiration number on accounts - but living here, even for a short time, you need cold, hard cash to convert at the blue rate (or pay extra for services like Ejcot mentioned to send money down here).

 

[fifs2]

The sweets are likely the issue here...any food or beverage items sent by normal post or DHL will have an issue. Just get the card sent by registered post with nothing else and you should be fine. It's been the only full proof solution I've found so far...

 

[Irishche]

I met a girl on my fb page, been chatting a lot because she wants to move to ireland... anyway it turns out that she Works for customs, she's looking into it for me. fingers crossed

 

[Somewhereinba]

I also had a ATM card sent to me via DHL, however I believe the delay is due to strikes. Only in Argentina can they suggest you pay import tax on an ATM card hahahaha!!

 

[khairyexpat]

In my 9 years I've been here I never ever had this problem. Every time I needed a renewal of an Expired Card, or a replacement for a Lost or Blocked Card, it arrived in no more than 2 or 3 days to my door in UPS or FedEx from Canada. My Banks must have done this for me 7 or 8 times so far.

May be because you combined it with other items (that are subject to duty).

 

[ghost]

This is typical for incoming DHL and FedEx packages and it has been this way for more than 4 years. Never try to get anything into AR via DHL or FedEx. Even DHL and FedEx headquarters in the states know that EZE is a mafia but they have never been able to clean it up. You have only two options 1 . go to EZE and pay or 2. forget it. [you must then call them and formally reject the package or they will charge you storage forever, and cost is very big] In the future use Express Mail via the post office and you will have your stuff.

 

[PaulZ]

Packages via DHL are an issue. The moment it is one of those carton envelopes, which are normally only used for papers, they will show up at your doorstep.
Anything else will end up at Ezeiza, and will require a piece of paper from the DHL office at Av Belgrano to pick it up. That piece of paper was $165 a few years ago (so basically US$50 back then). Count on being charged a ridiculous "storage fee" for each day your package sits there, and to deal with clueless people in the customs office. They will determine what they think it is, and what the value is, and charge you whatever they want... I paid 100% duty one time over the value and shipping cost... So be prepared for an expensive trip...

 

[Somewhereinba]

In my situation it is only an ATM card, nothing else. I'm hoping the problem is the strikes and it's not sitting at customs waiting mafia tax. It's been over 1 month so far.

 

[Gringoboy]

What if you say that the card has no monetary value?
Which in effect, it doesn't. It's an instrument really.