I'm curious to know how you guys get to receive your package when you order stuff online. Does it get delivered to your home directly? Or do you still have to claim it to your post office? If you still have to claim it from the post office, then how much do you pay for the taxes of your package? Is it a reasonable amount? Or you don't have to pay anything at all when claiming it?
Aloha Sidney: I order alot (for me) online because we pay less for things online than here in Hawai'i oddly enough. The packages ALWAYS come directly to our house. We have a house mailing address however. I know IF you have a PO Box that is a problem for a lot of places they won't send stuff out to PO Boxes. The ONLY reason we would have to pick it up at the post office IS IF we are NOT HOME when the mail lady comes to deliver our mail. THEN we get a pink slip to come pick it up OR we can write down on that slip when we will be home and would like it delivered. Thank goodness they DO NOT leave stuff if we are not home as I am afraid it will get stolen. We had a REALLY GREAT I mean TERRIFFIC mail lady for the past 15 yrs. who just quit to go work at her families businesses. We are all going to miss her terribly! Hope this helps you. If you have any questions I am new here, but saw this and thought I'd respond. I am here looking for a coupon code for CompressionStockings.com for Jobst Relief CHAP Style 30-40 mmHg Open Toe Both Legs Compression Stocking. Aloha Antoinette
@ islandantoinette, it seems like you're new here, welcome to the forum! I hope you enjoy your stay here and you will find what you are looking for. Anyway it's nice to know that you guys have it delivered straight to your home. As for me, if they look like packages (I bought a cellphone screen protector, and the mail looked like it was a postcard that was inside, so it was delivered straight to our home) then they get sent directly to the post office, and from there we will be sent a notice that we should claim it before it reaches 30 days since the notice was sent. It's such an inconvenience, plus we have to pay 12% in taxes plus $20 in "import and processing fees" if the item is priced above $50.
I've only had to go to the post office downtown (where they work together with customs) once to pay taxes for one of the packages I received; it was somewhat big, and they usually charge taxes for those. The rest have always been delivered straight to my house.
I had one time my package go to the post office but it was so long ago i don't remember how much i paid for the taxes but that was only once it was my first time ordering online and now i get all packages sent to my door big or small they come to my door which makes me happy i don't have to drive all the way to the post office to get it.
The only time I get my packages straight to my door is when I order items locally. But when I order items internationally, then that's the time that I will have to pick it up from the post office, which is really a hassle. Maybe you ordered from an international store that time, that's why you had to pick it up from the post office.
Mine get delivered straight to my door. Occasionally, if a person requires it be signed for and I'm not home, then I'll get a slip saying that I have to pick it up at the post office. I've only ever had to do that maybe twice, though, and it's really annoying.
I have my packages delivered straight to my home. The delivery guy just leaves the package outside my door if I'm not at home. I live in a secured apartment complex and haven't had any problems. Many people get packages left outside their down. My neighbor has passion for shoes. She gets a package every week from Zappos.
Even if the item that you bought came from another country they still get delivered straight to your door? If that's the case then the US customs aren't that strict as compared to my country. They collect a fee over here for each parcel that you claim.
Sidney, if I'm right, we're from the same country. And as for our customs/post office - it's not about being strict at all. Ha! Not sure if you've noticed, but our post office is a big money-making group. It's not about getting the taxes and whatnot, it's about them getting money! Like you, I get the notice and I have to go to the post office every time. I don't care if they properly explain how they "compute the taxable amount" or whatever, that tax is never supposed to have the same amount as the item's actual price. And second, tell them you don't have enough and say, you only have this much on you? They'll accept it! They'll accept it, and you'll see right in front of you, that they'll pocket that money. You don't get to pay the "full tax amount", sure, and you do get your package, but you won't get a receipt or anything because they "let it slide" so that they can have the cash for themselves. That, my friend, is the truth when it comes to our post office. Assuming we're from the same country anyway.
I also came from the same country as you two. If you would notice, post office in our country lacks the postman and/or delivery man to deliver all the parcels. I remember when I was a kid, letters are delivered to our doorstep by postman/mailman. And they can only deliver letters as they don't have any means of transport other than a bike or by commuting. Here where I live now (in the UK), our parcels (whether letters/packages) are delivered to our doorsteps and all postmans have cars/vans provided by Royal Mail to carry the stuffs they would deliver. As for the fee, I think the minimum fee of 45 pesos goes to customs or processing fee..I'm not really sure where it goes. And yeah, they have ridiculous calculations if in case you would need to pay for customs fee. Taxes and other stuffs are added twice than it should be. I once bought a North Face jacket from the US as it was very cheap compared to the stores in Manila and they calculated a customs fee 2x than what I paid for the item itself! But I can't pay them that amount (around 3-4K pesos I think) and I even showed them my wallet without any money of that amount. In the end they accepted a 500 pesos customs fee. Hahaha... It's usually corrupt customs official that just want money from people and I'm not one who'd fall for these useless men/women.
Because my dad is disabled there is always someone here to take in the packages, if there is a rare time when nobody is in the delivery man will leave it with a neighbour, we are happy to take in packages for each other round here.
It depends on the size of the parcel and also on whether there is any tariff on it. Thing which can fit into the mailbox are usually delivered to the house. Bigger items will have be collected at the post office. If it's a taxable item from overseas, then it can only be collected from the post office after you pay the tax.
I always get things delivered directly to our house...saves the trip to the post office & is just generally more convinient that way
I hate having to go to the post office, so I always have packages sent to my home. It's annoying when I miss a delivery and have to go to the post office to pick it up, so I definitely wouldn't want all my packages to go directly to the post office. There are a few security concerns when it comes to deliveries left out on the porch, but I don't order big enough items that often, so most of my packages can just fit inside my mailbox.
If its regular mail, I had to pick it up at the post office. My aunt is my messenger when I had a package. She works at the towns court and the post office guys would just tell her if I have a package. But if its Fedex, DHL or LBC, it goes straight to my home.
I've had items directly delivered to my door, both domestic and international packages, I have never paid any fees or taxes. On occasion, I have missed the home delivery and had to pick up packages from my local post office, but I've never been asked for any additional payments.
Yes, even if I order stuff from China, Korea or Japan it comes directly to my door and I don't have to pay any additional fees. I haven't had to deal with customs. I don't order anything weird or illegal.
@ razelia and mrsgeedee, you guys are so right! I think that the "storage fee" of P50 (it used to be only P40) is unnecessary already, and by comparing the way things are done over here to the other member's responses then that "storage fee" is one big rip off under the premise of inspecting the parcel because it might have drugs in it. Which post office branch did you claim your packages? Here in our post office they have a "receipt" and a customs examiner is the one that is in charge of the computation. I asked if I can partially pay since I don't have enough money when I went there and she said no though. You can't haggle with her. So I have no choice but to leave the parcel with them until I can fully pay them at once. I was charged P1,260 for a cellphone worth P5,689. It seems like your post office is better, since any amount is accepted, lol.
