Receiving a Package/Parcel from Home

[AncaMihaela]

Hi Everyone,

I know in the past receiving packages in Argentina was tricky. My mother wants to travel to Argentina because I am about to have a baby in September 2021. However, with all the airport restrictions and closures, I don't know if my mother will be here before the baby comes.

She asked me, if instead she could send me a package with all the things my family and friends have bought for the baby's arrival. My first instinct is NO don't do it, but maybe that just a bad reflex?

Has anyone received any care packages from home lately during the pandemic? What has been you experiences, if any?

I should mention that I live in Cordoba province.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

 

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

If you send it normal mail it has no chance of arriving.
If you send it DHL it will get there will be expensive and you will have to pay a lot of money to Aduana to get it out of customs.

 

[¡Sencillamente yo!]

If you send it normal mail it has no chance of arriving.
If you send it DHL it will get there will be expensive and you will have to pay a lot of money to Aduana to get it out of customs.

There have been some letters going back and forth in my little universe the past couple of months. None of them have ever arrived in either direction. (Not packages, just letters!) My best guess is that mail is not moving because flights are not abundant or frequent enough???

As for using a package carrie such as DHL, yes it is cost prohibitive, but it should travel and arrive. But I do have a thought / question:

Is it possible to calculate what any import duty would be PRIOR to shipment and PRE PAY it for your recipient? In that way, the cost is not the burden of the receiver and the package should move through the process faster.

Anyone know the answer to this? If you do, please post. Thanks!

 

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

I don’t think you can because Aduana/AFIP want to deal with the ‘importer’

To give an indication of the customs fees.
We sent some clothes and books by DHL from Uk to Argentina. Things you can’t get here.
Probably 15 items.
Aduana want close to 40000 pesos.

 

[¡Sencillamente yo!]

I don’t think you can because Aduana/AFIP want to deal with the ‘importer’

To give an indication of the customs fees.
We sent some clothes and books by DHL from Uk to Argentina. Things you can’t get here.
Probably 15 items.
Aduana want close to 40000 pesos.

Obviously, that's a lot of money in any currency.

Here is the question: What was the real value of your DHL shipment? (I am guessing not all that high and perhaps Aduana / AFIP wanted a 100% tariff or there about???)

 

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

Value wasn’t more than 40000 pesos don’t know how they calculate the tariff.
Probably based on what it would cost here +100%

 

[cbbsas]

I said 'no don't do it!' re wedding gifts but a few friends and family still sent them - with the strict brief that they shouldn't be expensive, and should only come via DHL, ideally in envelopes only. Nearly every day I get asked if I've received them yet - it's been 2.5 months! So really... do not do it!

 

[¡Sencillamente yo!]

I said 'no don't do it!' re wedding gifts but a few friends and family still sent them - with the strict brief that they shouldn't be expensive, and should only come via DHL, ideally in envelopes only. Nearly every day I get asked if I've received them yet - it's been 2.5 months! So really... do not do it!

If you have to get an exact, unique item across the world, there really isn't much choice except for shipping it, hoping for the best and paying whatever the tax / import duty amounts to. But if it is a gift and not so unique, the best thing to do, if able, is to buy something online, within the destination country and have it shipped. There is no problem domestically. (I am sure most people would think of this.)

 

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

I said 'no don't do it!' re wedding gifts but a few friends and family still sent them - with the strict brief that they shouldn't be expensive, and should only come via DHL, ideally in envelopes only. Nearly every day I get asked if I've received them yet - it's been 2.5 months! So really... do not do it!

If they sent things DHL I’m surprised they have never arrived, I have never had any trouble to send or receive anything if sent DHL.
Yes it is expensive but it has always got there in the quoted time in my experience.

 

[FrankPintor]

Yes you can receive packages here. You have to be registered with AFIP (e.g. as a self-employed person), and be able to navigate your online banking "mis pagos online" feature, both of which will allow you to generate and pay the electronic AFIP invoice ("VEP"). The import duties are calculated based on the FOB (i.e. value + cost of shipping, at the official exchange rate) value of the package, I don't know the percentage offhand but I can find out, since we did this quite recently. It wasn't 100%+.

Even if you send via DHL, DHL will release the package to customs once it arrives in Argentina. You get notified by customs, they send a link by email to take you to a page where you can generate the documents for payment, you pay your VEP, and then wait until Correos, not DHL, deliver your package. We were able to track the package on the Correos website, and if I remember correctly from arrival to delivery it took about 2 weeks in CABA.

This is speculative, but since Correos manage delivery here in Argentina, it shouldn't matter too much whether something is sent by delivery service or by normal post. We had something sent by post, which got here, could be tracked, but I wasn't able to get it out of customs because I'm not registered with AFIP. It got sent back to the sender (and it arrived there).

Too much FUD in this this thread already.