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Christmas Packages and German Customs

Posted by (Carrollton, Georgia, USA) on

Have any of y'all had this happen?

Usually around late October, I send packages home to my folks with Christmas presents.

Some live in West Germany and some in East Germany, and since the postage is so outrageously high, what I usually send is very light (cd's, clothing, etc.) and my declared value (for GIFTS) is generally under 25.00 USD.

Well last year I sent a wooden candle holder ($6.99) and a teddy bear (9.99) to my aunt.

A few weeks later, I get a call from her telling me that my package did arrive, but it is being held in Customs and she has to go there and pay a duty if she wants it.

This would have made the package worth one and a half times more than its value, not to meantion the inconvenience of her having to make the trip and paying money for a GIFT!

Sooo embarrassing, so I told her to just leave the package in Customs and it eventually came back to me and I delivered it in person when I saw her again.

What's going on and has this happened to you????

Thanks

B~

Posted by
2297 posts

Bill, I've done that a few times but it has never happened to me. I usually get a sticker to fill out with the value of the parcel and the option to declare that it's a gift. Occasionally, a parcel might still end up in customs (that has happened a few times from gifts coming FROM Germnay) as a control to see that there truly is nothing commercial in the parcel but then I wasn't charged customs.

BUT I hardly ever send parcels now and instead order gifts through online services located in Germany and only pay shipping with the Deutsche Post. You can use websites such as amazon.de. I've also done photo gifts through photobuch.de - great to do calenders with your own pics that way because you not only save on shipping but you also get one with the correct German holidays in it. Or I check online what's playing at local German theatres and order tickets for a show (play, music, opera, Cirque du Soleil ...).

If you don't have to pay those huge postal fees there's a bit more money available for a more valuable gift ;-) Not to say that it's only the monetary value that makes a truly memorable gift but it gives you more options.

Posted by
242 posts

Beatrix,

I have ALSO been filling out that sticker and marked it as a present and listed the weight and value.

I will take your advice and use Amazon.de from now on and spare myself the hassle.

Thanks!

B~

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