WTF International Post Office!

[citygirl]

Not true!!!Customs duties in Argentina include BOTH the value of the merchandise PLUS the cost of the int´l shipping!!
UNBELIEVABLE BUT TRUE. It is one the few (if not the only) country in world to do this. I just picked 3 boxes there, so I know this for a fact.

Is that for regular mail? I get packages Fedexed to me at least once a month and not once have I ever paid anything.

Wonder if the price is related to the new no import thing going on if there is a local equivalent.

NOLAChef - worst case, get thee to Chinatown to find the spices for the Chili cookoff. I found all the spices I use in my chili there - unless its something very exotic, you should be fine.

 

[KevinK]

The maximum value of customs you pay when something comes via the post office or via courier is the following..

take the declared or established by argentine customs of the item (an lcd tv 42 in with an invoice for 50 US$ is just not believable and they will declare a value)

add to that value the cost of shipping to your door.

take 50 percent of that and that is how much it can cost you to get a package through customs

example 1.

cell phone bought on ebay for U$S 50.
USPS postage charge 25

subtotal 75U$S * 4.05 (U$S) +
50 % custom 38.5 time 4.05 (dollar) = 460 pesos

add to that storage charges if you dont get there in three days.

Now if you are sent a package by air maill it goes to the customs near retiro for packages

however if you send a package express mail and it is not to large you mail delivery person will try and deliver and if there is a customs charge on that package will charge you so you do not have to go and pick it up.

hope that helps clear it up for you

 

[NOLAchef]

So the postman returned today explaining the 237 peso charge. APPARENTLY, I have to pay the same amount of shipping that the sender paid as well as half of the value of whatever is inside. The girl working told him to bring it to the international post office so I can pick it up myself and hopefully talk my way out of this bullshit. I'm not paying 60 f'n dollars for m&m's and dried chilis. HOWEVER if salary was half way decent here I wouldn't mind couphing up some cash for exotic chilis that I can't get here. This county really needs to get their act together....

Thanks for all the help gente!

 

[TexanPaul]

Best way to send a violin? In person, or Mule Pool. www.themulepool.com

 

[CMG]

I have been sent three packages- one last March, one in April and the last in May and I have recieved NONE of them. Other letters and parcels have arrived but not these three. Does anoyone have any advice on how I can retrive these parcels. Really quite p.o'd about it!

 

[Nancy Ruggeri]

hi everyone...Nancy in Vegas here...Argentine expat lol...love reading your stuff!!!
I just sent a care package to my ex sister in law and good friend.....I sent it the package EXPRESS MAIL WITH HOME ADDRESS DELIVERY...for all the reasons we all thinkg of sending express mail...quicker, ON LINE TRACKING OF PACKAGE, HOME ADDRESS DELIVERY, security......WELL DO NOT DO IT. Besides the small fortune I paid for the items I sent , the cost of the shipping, etc. When the packaged got to Buenos Aires it was delivered by a mailman to her home...and HE CHARGED $US 100.00 DOLLAR FOR TAXES...HE ADVISED MY FRIEND NOT TO HAVE IT DELIVERED TO HER HOME TO AVOID THE TAX...THAT SHE WAS BETTER OFF GOING TO THE POST OFFICE TO PICK IT UP. He did not negociate the price ...I felt terrible she really could not afford that cost but needed the vitamines I had sent her.
20 years ago I stayed in BA for a while and when I would get a care package, I'd have to go to customs to the air port to pick it up and pay a small fee. So there is the secret , have your package delivered to the post office. And again I am sorry you get shaken down my our institution...but be assured that they do not discriminate when it comes to scamming ...its across the board!

 

[Nancy Ruggeri]

"I have been sent three packages- one last March, one in April and the last in May and I have recieved NONE of them. Other letters and parcels have arrived but not these three. Does anoyone have any advice on how I can retrive these parcels. Really quite p.o'd about it!"

Hi...you need the invoice number for each package and any other information they could think of asking you...I first would ask the person who sent you the package to please trace at their end and to report it lost , since there may be insurance on the package that can reimburse the cost of the item that might be lost. Secondly I would start with the post office corresponding to your address. Thirdly ,I would also go on line and find the Argentina Customs phone number, if memory serves me , they have one for mail/packages. And lastly....have a lot of patiences my friend...take a good book with your...and may God be with you!

 

[elhombresinnombre]

Not true!!!Customs duties in Argentina include BOTH the value of the merchandise PLUS the cost of the int´l shipping!!
UNBELIEVABLE BUT TRUE. It is one the few (if not the only) country in world to do this. I just picked 3 boxes there, so I know this for a fact.

Good grief!!!! What kind of scammy low-life country would charge duty on the goods PLUS the shipping AND add IVA/VAT on the whole lot afterwards????????

Hold onto your seats, gentle readers and I'll tell you: one scammy low-life country would be the United States of America, another scammy low-life country would be the United Kingdom. I stopped looking after those two.

I guess that most people who seem scandalised by these fees have never received a chargeable parcel from abroad in their own country and have nothing to compare with. Different countries set the exemption bar at different levels so it pays to read the fine print on the web sites.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

I'm mailing a violin to a friend in BA. What would be the best way to do this?

Speaking as a violin restorer, I love it when people do this

My advice (if you don't want massive repair bills at the other end (if it even gets to the other end)) depends on how valuable it is.

If it is a student instrument - don't bother. You can buy new and used student instruments in Argentina. They are usually the same far-eastern instruments as seen in the UK or US though often with different labels inside and though they are more expensive to buy than in the UK or US it will cost less than shipping something that arrives as matchwood. (Hint: if you are visiting Chile, they seem to be cheaper over there)

If it is a valuable instrument, take it personally as cabin baggage. Phone ahead to the airline office if you have any doubt that you will be allowed to take it on board. Do not trust anybody else to take it - how do you know they won't just have it thrown in the cargo hold?

 

[davonz]

Are you sure about the USA.. I sent a package from AU to USA worth around $250 (which i declared on customs declaration form on box) in march, and they didnt get charged at the other end..
I dont know about UK.

In AU if the item is under AU$1000 no tax, NZ if under NZ$500 no tax is paid.. But if you do pay tax its GST (same as VAT) on value of goods and freight..