So FEDEX calls and says my package will be delivered within two hours. Cool. The customs due is 87LE, approx. $16.00. OK.... for what i ask her? She says customs are decided by the government and not FEDEX and she will include the invoice and a number for customs I can call.
See here's the thing. A few years back my Dad sent me a few items via FEDEX, a pair of sneakers he bought for me, some spices, nothing really. They assessed a customs fee of like 300LE, about $55.00. So anytime I get anything via
FEDEX they assess fees. Sucks man.
My things are always marked gifts, low dollar value, because they really are, but it never fails. I always pay something to get my items. This is why I do not use FEDEX much for anything, as they stick it to me each time here. Not big time money ok, I know, but its the principle.
Generally, the things I need from the States I wait for someone to bring them to Cairo, like friends or family visiting or have them sitting at my Dad's house for me to collect when I visit.
I can understand if I were getting like quantity of an item, like I am in business here or reselling, but these things are small, no value items for my personal use. I complained once to the FEDEX office here where I live and she smiled and said " So sorry, but this is how things work here..." Thanks sweetie, I know but thank you for reminding me again.
So I await my bellabands and some documents my Dad sent along, lets see if they custom the documents, I just can't imagine them assessing a fee to a few pieces of cloth, i.e. my bella bands, too funny!
You may be thinking, "Man Wishy, you shouldn't complain about paying a little to get something all the way from the US..." ok, maybe not. But, these are items that are gifts, have barely any dollar value and I am not reselling them! Sorry it is not fair.
While searching online about customs and FEDEX in Egypt I came across this response to a person who asked about paying customs when sending something to Egypt, too funny but so true.
dude the only way u can ship ur gift to egypt is through companies like fedex and UPS and they send it to anywhere u want door to door u can also do it with the post office but its not safe .
u have to go to fedex or UPS website to check the weight and the prices they gonna charge u alot and after u recieved it u will pay egyptian taxes on it thats what happen when isent my mom agift from USA to egypt in mothers day they asked her to pay around 30 dollars egyptian taxes lol and ifelt so bad cause ididnt know that she have to pay, so u gona end up paying twice the price of ur gift so the easiet way is to buy it from egypt or send the gift with someone u know wherever the gift located good luck
UPDATE:
Package arrived. Two bellabands (which are the shizit man, i just tried them awesome awesome awesome), two documents from my Dad and a few coffee pods and three button extenders for pants from my friend. Called the customs phone number they wrote for me on invoice, rings for a while then goes to a busy signal, tried calling three times! Super S read the customs invoice and said it says nothing as to how they arrived at duties. Surprised? I'm not! Anyway I'm happy and so ready to rock my bands, wow they are magic indeed!