mailing anything to Manila ?

[kalapino 0]

I usually have no problem sending packages to my fiance in her hometown, Legaspi, but I sent a package for her birthday and it arrived yesterday in Manila where she is visiting family.

She went to the post office to pick it up and they make her watch as they open it and inventory everything inside. So not only is the surpise of opening it herself spoiled, they charge her 1800 pp to pick it up !

They decided how much everything is worth and they are charging her for it. Basically they are selling her her own birthday present.

magnanakaw !

this is rediculous.

I asked her if the employee's supervisor was there to tell the problem to but she told me everyone who worked at the post office watched the whole thing.


my advise is to not use the postal service to send packages to Manila.

[SMOKE 1,426]

FEDEX next time.

[Passing.star 0]

T hats very outragious! I can't believe they are that Makapal. You already paid for the postage why should they ask again for the pick-up? I wish your fiancee disagreed with that and told them off instead!!!

[RyaNRiza 1]

the Philippines postal system leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion. When Riza sent me her original packet with the letter of intent, pictures and G-325A it took 6 weeks to get to me, and then when I sent her ring and some other little presents it took another 6 weeks to get to her. She said that the box looked chewed on by rats. I mean, I paid almost $100 in postage using express delivery and it took that long? ugh.

[vsmtghdy 2]

If the package was sent and custom fee was not paid, then yes, she may be asked to pay for the custom fee/amount before they release the items. But usually, it is at the customs that they "may" open and check the contents/items to decide how much it would have cost. Some to get away with this fee, they would just declare: personal items/gifts and they will not charge you or the receiver for the package. You have to declare it as "gifts/personal items". And if you also have declared a big amount for the value of the package, then they can and will charge you or the receiver a higher amount for the customs. Next time, it would be safer to just send through Fed-ex, LBC or DHL.

[dora2X 0]

that's what happened to me also when my husband sent a gift for christmas, I picked up the package at cmec post office(customs), they made me paid php.1500. and then my husband send me some docs via usps last may 7th, till now, i still haven't it... called them everyday and they said they don't have the record yet.... plus the people that work there are very lazy to find and acting like they very tired looking for that letter envelope. thats sucks... good thing that he sent another back-up docs thru fedex, I got it now..

[edp333 9]

The customs department is no better. They seem to charge the highest mount they can get away with. At least the gift arrived. I have sent a few things that never arrived at the destination.

[ttevolla 0]

I have been fortunate to have an LBC office locally. I have used them consistently and the service has proven reliable thoughout the process. It also helps that my fiancee knows the LBC crew in her hometown.

[CaNdiD wiTcH 0]

It is so sad to hear such thing.. Basically, in the philippines and almost all the countries there is such thing as customs charges. They are converting value you declared into peso and then getting an amount as per their computation. Any package such as gifts cannot be released unless you will pay the customs duty. It is just sad that the customs duty here in the Philippines is so high and they are also adding up horrible taxes into it so the price would really come up.

My husband and I are using FedEx and UPS in sending docs and some other things.

I suggest everybody to use freight forwarders (FedEx, DHL, UPS), not postal service (even express delivery as they say) next time.

It is faster, better and safer...

Edited July 2, 2008 by CaNdiD wiTcH

[wizardfitz 13]

i had the same experience. my fiance sent me some burned music on cds a couple of years ago. i got a slip from the post office telling me i need to pick it up there. i went with a neighbor coz i didnt know how to get there. once there, they opened my package i told him it was only burned music on cds. he started calculating and wanted me to pay over 2k pesos for it ! WHAAAT????

i went to see another woman whom my sister knows ( my sister*s in laws used to be customs people so they still know people in there) and she told me she can only reduce it to half the quoted fee.

my fiance said forget it tell them to shove it down their throats! these people would try to get money out of a dying person if they can! they are ruthless, brutal and all they see if money!

i told the guy these cds u can buy here for a few pesos not even 10 pesos each and u want me to pay 2000 for them? its free music u get online for heavens sakes!

[ManilaIdaho 2]

In my experience,i guess i just got lucky when my fiance sent me a package last december,he gift wrapped everything coz he told me he wanted me to open those gifts on my birthday and on christmas day,it arrived 2 weeks after he sent it,i went to the post office and was told that as SOP,they will open the box so i agreed,they let me pay first 35pesos.when the head of the post office here in Tondo Manila opened the box,she was surprised to see all the gifts,i told her i wouldnt mind if she'll open it but i told her if she'll open it wont be a surprise anymore.she had with her the copy of the custom declaration paper and asked me to pay taxes for the gold necklace and computer games,i told her it was just a fancy necklace and the computer games were just CDs for my son,although irritated,she let me leave without opening the gifts and without me paying anything but the 35pesos.

Custom people are said to be one of the corrupt gov't agency here in the Phils,if they knew that they can milk money out of people they will insist on it but once they see that you're tough and wont get easily convinced,they will stop and look for another prey.

Edited July 2, 2008 by ManilaIdaho

[o0pink0o 3]

i had this same case too. i went home from work and my mom told me that have a package that i need to get in the post office. i excitedly went to the PO to get my package. the guy told me that they need to open it and check if there are some taxable stuff in it and according to them that it is their SOP to open and check the package. And so i let him open it (since i don't have any choice) then he told me that i need to pay Php2000. I said WHAAAT?? why should i pay for my gift? this package is a gift to me and the tax was already paid by the sender. he said that anything that came from abroad is taxable and subject for inspection. he said that the tax that was paid was the shipment tax only. so i madly went home to get some money.

when i got home, mom asked me on where is the package. i told her what happened and that i need to pay Php2000. my mom got mad and she said i'll go with you and you'll see, they will get some spanking lolz! when we reached the PO mom talked to the guy and told him that we won't pay that much to get that package. she gave the guy Php200 only and mom grabbed the box and we left lmao! i asked mom if we will get into trouble from what we did. she said don't mind those people who what only wants is to milk money. from then on , i always bring my mom everytime i have a package lol! and yeah we only pay Php200 everytime there is a package .

during that time, i realized that "MOTHER KNOWS BEST"

[lady23 0]

I just got my packaged last friday from post office and only paid it for just 35.00 pesos there are a lot of things, like dvd's tape, vitamins, choclates, clothes, etc. and same to the first packaged i had, only 35.00 too. But my fiance sent me documents until now i didn't receive it yet for more than a month. And two times he sent me a letters, it was missent to Bangkok lol. and he sent twice postcards received it for three mos. lol.

[mrsartis 10]

MY fiance sends me gifts and pasalubong from other countries using UPS 3 days guranteed and you can track it in 12 hours..

-ciao (i dont trust the PHilippine POstal System as well.. waaah

[fitzee21 0]

When sending anything via the U.S. Postal Service, ALWAYS use Registered Mail. This will ensure that your package will NOT be opened by anybody except for the person receiving it. It's the most secure method of sending mailings via the U.S. Postal Service. My fiancee lives in Metro Manila, and although the package only takes 5 days to get to the PI, it still takes them an additional 3-4 weeks for her to receive it. We have never had any problems with this method and same with my stepmother and stepaunt who've been sending Registered Mail for at least 10 years.

The other options are Fedex, DHL, or UPS. I've Fedex and DHL; because these couriers don't enter the Philippines' postal system, the packages are delivered more efficiently.

Edited July 2, 2008 by fitzee21