Russian Post..Sending stuff to RU

[sea-monkey 13]

I've sent 6 packages during the past 3 years to the same person. The first box was addressed to her apartment and never made its way to the apartment. After that, all stuff were sent to her office, blocks from the Kremlin.

Express Mail Service is more expensive by $20-30 but its worth it for the piece of mind plus getting there in about a week. It took me 4 boxes to realize I shouldn't trust Priority service

Priority Mail International (PMI):

(1) Lost package

(2) 1 month

(1) 5 months

Express Mail service (EMS):

(2) 8 days each

Also, my dumb FSU bunny sent me a box and listed the true value, $700 Am I going to get taxed here? All other boxes she has sent, has been valued around $100. She didn't realize there might be tax implications

[eekee 182]

You will have to pay customs charges, yes.

[sea-monkey 13]

Ok, I asked her about the value and she said she paid taxes on it already in RU. About $100.

The insured value showed up in the tracking info.

[eekee 182]

Ok, I asked her about the value and she said she paid taxes on it already in RU. About $100.

The insured value showed up in the tracking info.

i don't know if it matters if she paid taxes TO Russia for exporting TO America. That may be Russian export taxes, but you will probably still need to pay American import customs fees.

[baron555 934]

She didn't realize there might be tax implications

What tax implications are you alluding to? It's not income or a transfer of money.

[eekee 182]

I think by "tax" he means "customs."

[easyukraine 1]

its called duties.

[eekee 182]

its called duties.

yes, customs duties.

[sea-monkey 13]

DA, duties is what I'm implying.

[easyukraine 1]

well after 24 years of working at the post office I dont recall ever collecting customs duties for a package. most of the foreign packages I see are from military folks since I work close to wright patterson AFB.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I cannot speak about Russia so much, but I have had dismal results sending anything by regular or even express mail INTO Ukraine. We have never had a problem sending anything OUT of Ukraine. I have sent lots of boxes full of stuff and my MIL has sent us two HUGE canvas bags full of stuff and we have never paid any tax or duty on any of it. I have no idea what they declared the value to be.

The Ukraine Post is horrible, I am told Russia is the same. Virtually anything of value is stolen or disappears and the mail carrier charges my MIL 7 UAH (about $1) to hand over her pension check! He has to supplement his income. Whenever we send anything to Sergey it is by UPS or Fedex for station pickup in Moscow and that works pretty well, usually two day delivery.

I will never, EVER complain again about the USPS.

[baron555 934]

I've sent 6 packages during the past 3 years to the same person. The first box was addressed to her apartment and never made its way to the apartment. After that, all stuff were sent to her office, blocks from the Kremlin.

Express Mail Service is more expensive by $20-30 but its worth it for the piece of mind plus getting there in about a week. It took me 4 boxes to realize I shouldn't trust Priority service

Priority Mail International (PMI):

(1) Lost package

(2) 1 month

(1) 5 months

Express Mail service (EMS):

(2) 8 days each

Also, my dumb FSU bunny sent me a box and listed the true value, $700 Am I going to get taxed here? All other boxes she has sent, has been valued around $100. She didn't realize there might be tax implications

I only use FedEx and have never been disappointed. Both their regular service and the Express Air are good. You can track your package and get delivery confirmation and expectation announcement so that someone can be ready to sign for it when it arrives. Cost is a little higher but that cost to me, in the grand scheme of things, was negligible.

[sea-monkey 13]

The cost of Fedex and UPS are well over $200

I'm on a good roll with USPS EMS service. It only cost a little more than Priority. 8 total days.

well after 24 years of working at the post office I dont recall ever collecting customs duties for a package.

Any idea on why we can't pay for postage online with USPS (Click-N-Ship) for RU, UA, BY?

It looks like all the other countries, you can make the labels and pay for postage online while these FSU countries, all you can do is make the customs form. USPS.com doesn't even let me save a Russian address in the address book. I downloaded and use USPS's Shipping Assistant free software so I can at least save an address put more than 5-6 items in the contents box.

[slim 1,525]

You shouldn't have to pay customs or duties on "gifts." If it's commercial merchandise or stuff to sell then you'd have to pay a tax. A gift typically isn't taxable.

[norrin 3]

I always sent... still do packages to St. Petersburg and have never had any problems I send them regular mail but it takes up to three months during Christmas. When I first started sending packages Natasha told me to always estimate the value of less than 50.00 USD if not she would be charged. Also the other thing she told me to do is list EVERYTHING on the declarations form. They are less likely to take stuff out of the package because they are multiple copies floating around. I have sent gold that way also..listed as "Costume Jewelry". Cash is something completely different. Everything will be opened for cash and they know when its in there. Natasha's friends from Florida used to send her cash carefully inserted into unopened music CDs. They would just make a slit and slip in the cash. They snuck more than 2,000.00 that way. For faster service you can go international 2 day delivery by USPS (again list everything)it will get to Russia in two days however it will take a month before it reaches its destination. Depending on where the package goes will also determine reliability. Bigger cities I think are more reliable, though bribery and and theft can be found everywhere. Remember though its a big beuracracy so if there is paperwork that can be traced they are less likely to take something..but don't count on it.