Printable View
[QUOTE=Sidney]Just curious. I think Fedex is $35.[/QUOTE]Sid, USABOX collects my personal mail and sends it to me once monthly. The monthly fee, living in Argentina is $25, which includes one free shipment per month. I don't know about specific charges with DHL. A great service which a number of BA expats utilize.
[QUOTE=Doggboy]I ordered my monthly shipment from USABOX yesterday afternoon and it showed up from Miami today via DHL around 2:30. Amazing. Great service.[/QUOTE]Lately I've been getting next day delivery from them also.
That is, unless Argentina Customs decides that even though they have no idea what's in the package, that they want $60 ARS to clear it! This has been happening approximately every third delivery. I've learned to keep the shipments under a pound to reduce these incidences.
Thanks,
Jackson
[QUOTE=Sidney]Just curious. I think Fedex is $35.[/QUOTE]A one pound package deliever by DHL from Miami to Buenos Aires via 2 day service is $24 USD.
In many cases, it will arrive the next day.
[QUOTE=Jackson]Lately I've been getting next day delivery from them also.
Of course, that is, unless Argentina Customs decides that even though they have no idea what's in the package, that they want $60 ARS to clear it!
Thanks,
Jackson[/QUOTE]BTW - I've been in two different situations with DHL delivering something tome from the States. These two times, DHL held the shipment and told me that a $60 peso fee was required by customs to clear the packages. Both times I called to find what the hold was and the person I talked to just said "sorry, you have to pay the fee. Customs has just said it's due to clear the package" and that's basically all the information I could get.
Both times I asked to talk to a boss. I pushed the boss to explain what the deal was and he said the same thing the girl had said. However, after arguing a bit with him and telling him that I'm not going to pay for something unless I understand what I am paying for, he said "that's fine, we will waive the fee."
I found it interesting that DHL was willling to waive a Customs fee. I'm not sure if they are trying something crappy and make up a charge that doesn't exist, or if they actually paid the fee and then didn't charge me for it. However, both times I received my packages the next day with no extra fee, as promised by the boss.
This is not to be confused with true Customs issues, like the time I tried to have a $10 (US) power cord sent to me and Customs wanted to charge me $60 to clear it and I told them to go fuck themselves. It seems that ANYTHING electronic in nature will be held by Customs here and you have to go through some crappy tramites and actually go out to the airport Customs are to pick up the packe after you've paid customs duties, and so on.
Having said that, I've found DHL (both through USA Box and DHL themselves) to be much cheaper and efficient than FedEx from her to the States.
I sent a package to my Spanish teacher in B. A. from my home last July. After two months she said that she still had not received it. Finally, she received a notice from Customs, saying that this was the second notice and that she would need to pay 70p for it. But it was too late to pick it up, because the time limit had expired or something like that. I don't understand it?
I received the package at my home in February. Long after I hand carried another one to B. A. in September.
Argentines are very strange.
Anyone want a Snow Globe of San Francisco?
Questions for those living in BA:
I have a friend in BA in serious need of a new computer. I own a business that has many extra computers that are several generations newer than his. Would it make sense to try to ship something like this via USABox? Or, am I just asking for trouble with Argentina Customs? Assuming they opened the package and saw that it contained a computer, how would they assess the value and what fee would they charge to release it?
Thanks,
Stan
[QUOTE=Stan Da Man]Questions for those living in BA:
I have a friend in BA in serious need of a new computer. I own a business that has many extra computers that are several generations newer than his. Would it make sense to try to ship something like this via USABox? Or, am I just asking for trouble with Argentina Customs? Assuming they opened the package and saw that it contained a computer, how would they assess the value and what fee would they charge to release it?
Thanks,
Stan[/QUOTE]Hi Stan,
We consider that idea as a method of getting donated computers to the comedores. On the surface, it made sense: Lots of guys upgrade to new computers every few years, so let's get them to ship their 3-4-5 year old unit down here to give to the kids. Unfortunately, Argentina Customs killed the plan by insisting that we pay 100% import duties on what they determined was the value of the used computer, which usually amounted to several hundred pesos per unit.
Apparently it was more important to them to collect these tariffs (which they undoubtedly understand funds their salaries) that it was to let a few units go by for, literally, charity.
Thanks,
Jackson
[QUOTE=Stan Da Man]Questions for those living in BA:
I have a friend in BA in serious need of a new computer. I own a business that has many extra computers that are several generations newer than his. Would it make sense to try to ship something like this via USABox? Or, am I just asking for trouble with Argentina Customs? Assuming they opened the package and saw that it contained a computer, how would they assess the value and what fee would they charge to release it?
Thanks,
Stan[/QUOTE]It would be a miracle if that got through customs. Someone else can chime in regarding the surcharge you would pay, but I think you would be assessed a tax of 50% of the determined value. No telling about a release fee. I know a monger currently in BA who has some laptops for sale, if that would work. I have no idea about the asking price.
Stan,
Send him to the "Computer Mall" (Galeria Jardin) on Florida with a lot of small computer shops that will put together exactly what he needs. Prices there are not so much higher than waht I would pay at home, and depending on his needs, there also is a lot of quite cheap stuff they would not even sell anymore in the U. S. Or Europe.
What I did a year ago is bring a mainboard, CPU and hard disk with preinstalled operating system and the software I need in my luggage, and bought the cheap stuff (case, power supply, DVD) in BA, and assembled the box myself. This is an option for a techie like me, certainly not for everybody.
Basically the only way to bring anything in to Argentina without a lot of hassle is in your luggage, legally up tp U$S 300,-. And I have never seen a foreigner been asked anything when bringing in stuff like laptops, cameras, cell phones, etc. The kind of stuff people usually carry on their travels.
El Alemán
Thanks to all of you for the advice. I think that solves it -- either buy locally or bring in luggage. My intent was to make a gift of something that really has little value here, so I guess I'll try the luggage route.
I've only been to BA three times and, generally, I dress like a business traveler when I'm going through Customs. On those three occasions at EZE, they have waived me through with all my luggage without even bothering to scan it or ask me any questions. Is that common, or is it completely random?
Sorry to ask so many questions, but I was also going to send down an iPhone. They're remarkably easy to hack these days -- even my most computer illiterate employee can manage it. I suspect that this is the sort of thing that would get flagged by Customs as well, even if sent via Fed Ex or DHL, correct?
[QUOTE=Stan Da Man]I've only been to BA three times and, generally, I dress like a business traveler when I'm going through Customs. On those three occasions at EZE, they have waived me through with all my luggage without even bothering to scan it or ask me any questions. Is that common, or is it completely random?[/QUOTE]Random is my experience with a definite bias towards not giving a shit. Daddy Rulz posted a funny account not long ago of all the many things the screeners might be doing other than their assigned job. Funny and very true. On my last trip in to EZE, I arrived about 11:30pm and they put my luggage through the screener with nobody looking to see what the baggage might hold. Other times they have just waved me through. I read an account recently on a local expat blog where somebody brought in a well concealed, bubble wrapped tv. No problem.
[QUOTE=Doggboy]On my last trip in to EZE, I arrived about 11:30pm and they put my luggage through the screener with nobody looking to see what the baggage might hold. [/QUOTE]Sad but true. Slightly scarier: On the way back to the states this past Saturday, passing through the EZE metal detectors on the way into the terminal, the exact same thing happened. I believe EZE has privately contracted much of the airport security to Securitas, the behemoth Dutch "low cost" security provider. They are the bottom of the barrel. On the way into the terminal, that is exactly what they were doing: You place all your carry-on luggage on the conveyor; there are three "guards" there; but none of them are looking at the screen to determine whether a bomb is present. And, when you walk through the metal detector and it goes off, they just wave you to continue. Why bother with security at all?
[QUOTE=Stan Da Man]Thanks to all of you for the advice. I think that solves it -- either buy locally or bring in luggage. My intent was to make a gift of something that really has little value here, so I guess I'll try the luggage route.
I've only been to BA three times and, generally, I dress like a business traveler when I'm going through Customs. On those three occasions at EZE, they have waived me through with all my luggage without even bothering to scan it or ask me any questions. Is that common, or is it completely random?
Sorry to ask so many questions, but I was also going to send down an iPhone. They're remarkably easy to hack these days -- even my most computer illiterate employee can manage it. I suspect that this is the sort of thing that would get flagged by Customs as well, even if sent via Fed Ex or DHL, correct?[/QUOTE][blue]Hi Stan,
Do you see what you did here? With your last question you changed the subject of this thread from its title "Package Delivery Services" to "Airport Customs Inspections".
In the future, please consider the subject of your post and the subject of the thread where you are considering post it. If it's not applicable, please use the Forum's search function to identify a more appropriate thread, or if not found, then start a new thread for a new subject.
Thanks,
Jackson[/blue]
Sorry. I didn't think I changed the subject, but I'll bear that in mind in the future.