Is Shipping USPS to Phils Safe via Registered Mail?

[RyanC 0]

On 11/22/2013 at 10:09 AM, Caryh said:

Number 1, you're not supposed to send cell phones via the postal service as they have lithium batteries and postal regulations say thats a no no.

Number 2, declaring the phone will probably result in custom duties above the value of the phone.

Number 3, US postal guarantees end as soon as they hand the package off to FilPost in Manila.

Number 4, all the delivery companies, including the postal service have had trouble with theft and or extorted fees.

Given all that, we just sent a small package to my sister in law via the postal service. We declared the vitamins, shirts, and other small items. We did not declare the unlocked iPhone 4S we sent. That is just asking for it never to arrive, or a huge customs fee and likely an extortion fee on top of that. We've been at this game for a while now. My sister in law was charged like 200P duty on the items we shipped. Packages through the postal service always make it to the recipient for us, although customs fees and extortion fees are common where my wife's family lives in Davao City. Cards sent to that same location stand only about a 50% chance of making it, as they're grabbed up looking for inserted cash.

All shippers into the Philippines are supposed to be collecting custom duties on the items being shipped. So don't think that just changing shippers exempts you from duties. The problem comes in when the local delivery people take a 500P duty and turn it into 1000P or 5000P duty. Or a duty free item and turn it into a big duty. Like when I time I mistakenly wrote immigration documents on the customs for and my now wife was charged 5000P to get them. There is no duty on documents, but when they saw immigration, they saw many pisos to be made.

If you want your package to arrive, what I suggest is list a few things they can charge a duty on, even maybe a little over charging to, if its the custom in the area. But leave off those big ticket items that flag the package for theft and/or extortion fees. Yes there's a chance it may never arrive, and different shippers have differing levels of reliability to get it there depending on location.

Actually false, they have changed their rules since this post

[Hank_ 9,173]

That is why it is best to let OLD topics die and fade away.

[Caryh 5,206]

15 hours ago, Hank_ said:

That is why it is best to let OLD topics die and fade away.

No kidding, calling my entire post false because USPS rules had changed from 4 years ago is a little much anyhow. 

[Cyberfx1024 7,978]

1 hour ago, Caryh said:

No kidding, calling my entire post false because USPS rules had changed from 4 years ago is a little much anyhow. 

How is everything going na, is your asawa a citizen yet? I have been trying to get my wife to file asap but she says she wants to wait until after the New Year before we file. 

[Hank_ 9,173]

4 hours ago, Caryh said:

No kidding, calling my entire post false because USPS rules had changed from 4 years ago is a little much anyhow. 

Ya I know.. silly at best.  I bunch of my old posts could be called false because of things changing over the years.      

 

How you two doing?  Getting ready for the frosty weather?  We are still in the Phils, heading back home in a couple weeks.

[Hank_ 9,173]

3 hours ago, cyberfx1024 said:

How is everything going na, is your asawa a citizen yet? I have been trying to get my wife to file asap but she says she wants to wait until after the New Year before we file. 

Wait?   Process is taking 6-7 months as of late.   My asawa got done in 4 months, and friends in Tucson got done in 5 months and they filed almost a year later.  But friends up in Virginia it took almost 8 months, same for friends down Arkansas way.  Hopefully USCIS has the kinks back out of the system.

[Caryh 5,206]

Doing fairly well. The wife became a citizen last year, and just a couple months ago re-acquired Philippines citizenship.  Its nice to know the final nail is in the coffin of all the immigration paperwork. In seven years we'll be doing it all in reverse, when we move to the Philippines. 

I am kind of curious how my new vehicle is going to handle in the snow this winter. My wife finally talked me into retiring my 2004 Durango, so I replaced it with a new Ford Escape. I doubt its going to be as good with the less clearance, but hopefully it will be half decent in handling unless the snow gets too deep. 

[Cyberfx1024 7,978]

3 hours ago, Caryh said:

Doing fairly well. The wife became a citizen last year, and just a couple months ago re-acquired Philippines citizenship.  Its nice to know the final nail is in the coffin of all the immigration paperwork. In seven years we'll be doing it all in reverse, when we move to the Philippines. 

I am kind of curious how my new vehicle is going to handle in the snow this winter. My wife finally talked me into retiring my 2004 Durango, so I replaced it with a new Ford Escape. I doubt its going to be as good with the less clearance, but hopefully it will be half decent in handling unless the snow gets too deep. 

Just make sure you have some good tires for the snow. Do you have 4x4 or AWD in the Escape? 

[Hank_ 9,173]

On 10/21/2017 at 2:34 AM, Caryh said:

Doing fairly well. The wife became a citizen last year, and just a couple months ago re-acquired Philippines citizenship.  Its nice to know the final nail is in the coffin of all the immigration paperwork. In seven years we'll be doing it all in reverse, when we move to the Philippines. 

I am kind of curious how my new vehicle is going to handle in the snow this winter. My wife finally talked me into retiring my 2004 Durango, so I replaced it with a new Ford Escape. I doubt its going to be as good with the less clearance, but hopefully it will be half decent in handling unless the snow gets too deep. 

My wife did citizenship last year as well, we delayed completing this because we did an extended stay here, then moved to another state, so had to wait to file.  My wife completed dual citizenship here in the Phils... what a PITA!!  Easier to do it from the USA.   At least getting the new passport was quick and easy, DFA has for sure improved from a few years ago.

 

Snow (glad I left Minnesota so I could forget that 4 letter word) .. forgot what that was after living in Tucson for 18 years.  Now in TN snow is a couple day wonder ...