Package Delivery Services

[Jackson]

Just curious. I think Fedex is $35.

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.

[Jackson]

I ordered my monthly shipment from USABOX yesterday afternoon and it showed up from Miami today via DHL around 2:30. Amazing. Great service.

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

[El Perro]

Just curious. I think Fedex is $35.

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.

[El Perro]

I ordered my monthly shipment from USABOX yesterday afternoon and it showed up from Miami today via DHL around 2:30. Amazing. Great service.

[El Perro]

For Come On Down or anyone else-any success or history receiving packages purchased through Ebay? I used EBay twice recently in Mexico City without a problem, though the wait time was between two and three weeks. And on both occasions a notice was dropped at my address and I picked up the packages at a local post office.

[ComeOnDown]

Friends regularly send me packages through regular mail and all of them have been personally delivered to my doorstep by the mailman. However, in this one instance all I got was a notice that I have a package that needs to be picked up at the international mails department located in Retiro. It still is not clear to me what the criteria is for packages to be delivered door-to-door as opposed to getting them personally at the mail office.

At any rate, I went to the office in Retiro and not surprisingly there was a long queue. As in most Argentine government offices, the procedure is such that you have to deal with several people / counters before you get the finished product. In this case the first among many steps is to secure your number and then when called present your notice and pay storage charges if any to the receiving clerk. Sit again and wait for the number written in your notice to be called. This is a bit tricky because the sound system is muffled, so if possible sit as close as possible to the speaker. When called you present your notice to another clerk who then directs you to the dispatcher tasked to assess if your package has contents which are taxable. When I was asked for the contents of my package I simply said used clothes. I don't know if this did the trick since I did not have to pay any duties on my package.

The entire process took something like two hours. If you can, I suggest that you come first thing in the morning when the line is shorter. They open their doors at nine.

[Aqualung]

I don't think a "properly" sealed box is going to stop anyone from opening it if they want to get in a get something out. If you can open it, so can they.

They just take the whole package! It has happened to me! Just this last year I didn't get two packages I was sent!

Use DHL or one of the private companies NEVER Correos Argentianas

[El Queso]

Well, I think the first word of advice is NEVER send anything through regular mail. Except possibly a letter or something that you don't care much about. Use the courier services like DHL or FedEx, etc. They're bit expensive possibly, but very reliable.

I don't think a "properly" sealed box is going to stop anyone from opening it if they want to get in a get something out. If you can open it, so can they.

[ComeOnDown]

Not really sure if this belongs here. Anyway here it goes. I requested a friend to send me some stuff from Austria. He sent it through regular mail. When the box arrived, it appeared lighter than its supposed to be. My worst fear was confirmed, the package was opened with some items stolen. My friend was partly to blame because the box was not sealed properly. A word of advice, packages whenever possible, should be taped on all sides and corners. It may not stop them from stealing what is inside but it will certainly be a deterrent and may make them think twice before opening it as will be too obvious if they do so.

[El Perro]

I've never had any problems outside of Argentina customs (which doesn't matter what you use, if you have something you have to declare or something that they discover that you didn't declare you will always have problems of money) They are extremely prompt - I almost always receive my mail the following day if I request it early enough, never later than the day after - again, unless it gets held up in Customs, and then it's DHL, not USABox that is dealing with it.

Ditto to all above. Very fast, and yes, I go to great pains to make sure I don't have anything sent to me that customs will impound. I had one experience with that, and once burnt twice shy.

[El Queso]

I use USABox as well, for almost a year now. I've never had any problems outside of Argentina customs (which doesn't matter what you use, if you have something you have to declare or something that they discover that you didn't declare you will always have problems of money) They are extremely prompt - I almost always receive my mail the following day if I request it early enough, never later than the day after - again, unless it gets held up in Customs, and then it's DHL, not USABox that is dealing with it.

I've sent them email requests a couple of times and always had fairly quick responses as well. Like Doggboy, not sure why they didn't answer you.

[Jackson]

Hi Bob,

I've been using USABox for about two years. From my perspective, their service has been flawless.

Thanks,

Jackson

[El Perro]

Does anyone have recent experience with USABox? I am thinking about using them but I sent them some questions about three weeks ago and they still have not responded. If they handle mail the same way they handle questions I do not want to do business with them.

Thanks, Bob

Hey Bob-I've been using them for two years between BA, Spain and now Mexico-no problems. I can't say what the deal is with the no response though. Their phone number is 305-406-1696. Suerte.

[AllIWantIsLove]

Does anyone have recent experience with USABox? I am thinking about using them but I sent them some questions about three weeks ago and they still have not responded. If they handle mail the same way they handle questions I do not want to do business with them.

Thanks,

Bob

[Rainot]

I had a package shipped to me via FedEx, a box not just a envelope, containing electronics I needed from the states. Other than a 1 day delay where my FedEx tracking showed it was delayed at customs, it got passed through and delivered to my door.

No customs payment or tax. Maybe because it was a computer part, not the whole laptop it didnt need to be paid as a import duty. Who knows.

Also, guess no one needs to sign for anything directly here, my doorman received it - my buzzer was never rang by the FedEx guy, it just went directly from the FedEx guy to my portero who later knocked on my door to personally hand me the package.

I see that Amazon. Com delivers to international locations for only a little bit more in shipping fees so I think I'll try ordering a bunch of books for delivery to my place in Argentina.

You got really lucky. Almost all electronics get caught in customs and you have to pay taxes, especially those which look expensive hehehe. Maybe 'cause it was the first time you ordered something this year. You're allowed to bring stuff up to 25 USD per year. If you exceed those 25, they charge 50% of what you exceeded. Only for goods that pay taxes, of course (which doesn't apply to your books) E. G.: device that costs 100 USD, 100 - 25 = 75; 50 % of 75 = 37.5 USD ($120) That's what they would charge you. So if you bring anything else (that pays taxes) into the country that same year, remember you already used your 25 bucks.

Here's Amazon's price list for items delivered to Argentina (they don't send electronics outside the US):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custom...&nodeId=596202