Thursday, April 22, 2010

Rockin my bands

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!




20 comments:

  1. Grrrr... that totally sucks! At least the bella bands rock tho... I have a couple that I think I'm going to have to start using them sooner rather than later!

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  2. I hear your pain. When we order things form the USA, we have to make sure it's not shipped UPS. UPS has these high ( sometime costing half the value) brokerage fees. I wonder if that what you are paying real is the brokerage fee?

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  3. that would be very irritating I am sure! At least the bands are working for you! That is a positive!

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  4. Glad you got your bands and like them! Anyone who tells you that you shouldn't complain about the mail or paying customs has never lived overseas, I guarantee it. These are the same people who have the luxury of running to Target or the mall every time they need something and zero comprehension of the hardships of living abroad. Anyway, enjoy your new gift :)

    xxoo

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  5. Customs suck...sorry you are having to deal with that.

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  6. That is totally ridiculous. It would irritate me every time I had to pay that fee. Like it didn't already cost money to have it shipped. What losers.

    Glad your stuff got there and you're happy about having it!

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  7. I think that would make my head explode!

    I hope you're enjoying your new bella bands...

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  8. Wow - definitely something I've never thought of. What a pain in a ass.

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  9. Yikes, that is a pain! Glad you are loving the bands though!! (-;

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  10. What a palava! I am lucky in that I can run out to Target to get mine. Went there for Belly bands tonight - they didn't have any - came out with $200 of maternity clothes! Go figure!
    I think pony express could be a solution here...!

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  11. Idiots indeed.... :(

    But the US post office isn't better either.
    We have an APO address, a Photo school in the US sent a school catalogue. It never arrived. Today I got an email, requesting an address update, because the catalogue got returned to them.
    Sorry guys, can't get more American than that :S

    Now I need to google Bellabands,.... :)

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  12. Grrrr...that would irritate me, too! :(

    Glad you're loving your bands...mine are a lifesaver (okay, really a style-saver but as crazy as I am, they're probably someone else's lifesaver!) even still. Hope you can get lots of use out of them. Enjoy! :)

    xoxoxo

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  13. Wow, that sucks about the taxes...very frustrating! Yeah, I'm so glad you got the bands though, I know they're the best aren't they?!

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  14. wow I had no idea! Glad you got your bella bands, I hear nothing but great things about them. Congrats on your pregnancy! Wishing you all the best

    ICLW #107

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  15. I have lived out of the US before (twice, one year each time), and I really hear you about the hassle of shipping, etc.

    Congratulations on your pregnancy! So happy for you.

    ICLW

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  16. Sounds like some awesome goodies!!

    ICLW

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  17. UHG that's annoying! I'm so glad you liked the bands, that's awesome! Rock em girl!
    *HUGS*

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  18. wow that is a lot of process just for gifts. But yay @ receiving them!

    *iclw

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  19. Glad you're happy at the end!

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  20. That's just ridiculous!
    I hope your test goes okay today.

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