Anyone expierence with currier services?

DHL is your best bet for mail sent from Germany to Ho Chi Minh City. I'm not sure if Germany has FedEx, but FedEx is reliable (as long as it meets Vietnam's mailing requirements.)

I had medicine sent from Florida to HCMC. But due to the cost and weight of the medicine exceed the allowable limit, it was delayed and required me to obtain a trading license, which FEDEX helped me get. So instead of receiving the package within 5 days, it took about 1 week or so.

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Guess they do have FedEx in Germany

Customer Service Germany:
(0049) (0)1803 123 800
(9 cents per minute from a German landline. Mobile rates may vary with max. 42 cents per minute.)

http://www.fedex.com/de_english/

The couriers aren't the problem, VN Customs and Excise IS, plus there's the special requirements (not only in VietNam) that apply to imports.

Most every time it requires a visit to their office and any interaction with government involves time and bribe money.

My employer imports advanced integrated circuits every month and it took about a year for the Customs to figure it was same-same every month and now they get waived through.

If your shipment includes books, photographs or video run you into the equivalent of the morality police whose decisions are subjective and invite bribery.

Medicines attract the attention of the Ministry of Health who is concerned about cheap knock-offs from Thailand and India.

Guns, offensive weapons (including pepper spray, big knives, brass knuckles, etc) are profited. Percussion nail guns are possible but difficult and blank percussion shells hard (easier to buy in China and take te bus/train back to VN. Coffee has weight limits.

And always have the shipments addressed to the couriers office WITH YOUR CELL NUMBER WRITTEN BEHIND YOUR NAME (applies to mail, too).

STAMPS. Outgoing mail has stamps which, before franking. cancelling, have resale value in VietNam, which is why they usually stamp parcels and airmail in your presence.

Incoming mail has cancelled stamps which, if removed by postal workers, can be sold to collectors. Mail without stamps is treated as unpaid mail. ALWAYS have your shippers use tape, not real stamps.

Remember, mail sent Post Restante or pick-up at the Post Office counter is charged additional to pre-paid charges, the amount the Post Office would normally charge for local delivery.

Customs are also using container X-ray machines, so they can see almost everything.

My mom has been sending us stuff from Puerto Rico every month. We use USPS (I know this isn't an option for you in Germany) and it's cheaper that DHL and FedEx. For a 20 lbs Flat Rate Priority Box it cost about $60.

It takes about 2 weeks for it to be delivered to our house and you can easily tell it's been opened, searched, and touched, a lot. First time she send me a box it contained some new shirts for me and she didn't remove the price tags and it was HILARIOUS (or not) the amount they wanted to charge us for "tax". It was like 3 times the value of EVERYTHING that was inside the box including shirts, chocolates, measuring spoons, a calendar. Since then, we make sure NOTHING has tags.

I once missed the delivery guy and when he came back the next day they were charging me $25 for delivery.

One of my husbands co-workers had some heart medicines sent to him from the US and it's taken more than a month to get them delivered and an awful amount of money. I guess they even took a "sample" to test the pills.

I would def. talk to the FedEx and DHL people BEFORE your mom sends anything here. Right behind the Rex Hotel in D1 there's a FedEx office, it might be helpful to pay a visit.

Be careful, I can't imagine myself dealing with this kind of issues in a foreign country. It can get really ugly really fast.

melba525 wrote:

... One of my husbands co-workers had some heart medicines sent to him from the US and it's taken more than a month to get them delivered and an awful amount of money. I guess they even took a "sample" to test the pills ...

Your husbands friend should check out the VN pharmacy, I know someone in a similar condition.

The only difference between the VN medicine (very economic as it is government subsidised) is the fact one of his Western medications is three pills instead of one because the three generics are the same as one name brand.

He checked with his Canadian doctor and was told the three pills are exactly the same.

This is one of the ways VN cuts medial costs and why there are so few OTC (over the counter) drugs here.

Your friend should enclose a pharmacist;s note giving the DIN number and generic name of the drug to speed up importation / approval time.

DHL EXPRESS WORLDWIDE is very reliable. Door to door delivery including HCMC -IF YOU'RE AT HOME !!! 
If not, don't expect a phone call to arrange delivery. I've had two packages (paperwork from my bank) sent back to Australia marked as " UN-ABLE TO BE DELIVERED. "
The DHL delivery guy turned up, I wasn't home at the time - that was it.

Be VERY wary of VN Customs - they will hit you up for 'Import tax' on everything they can.
ALSO be aware there is a VERY long list of things they will simply reject.
Things you can normally bring in with you in your personal luggage.
Outstanding example - Ladies make-up !!!
Bring it in yourself with you, not a problem - have someone try to send it to you as a gift - - - FORGET IT ! 
VN Customs will hit you up for a full government importing permit for 'make-up' even a single 100ml gift.
Had that happen to us last year at Xmas time. :-(

Flip465 wrote:

... Be VERY wary of VN Customs - they will hit you up for 'Import tax' on everything they can.
ALSO be aware there is a VERY long list of things they will simply reject. ...VN Customs will hit you up for a full government importing permit for 'make-up' even a single 100ml gift.
Had that happen to us last year at Xmas time. :-(

Really, this why using a customs agent SAVES MONEY. Do you think companies would use agents if they weren't worth the duty they save?

A Foreigner looks like a pile of money to a Customs inspector and having someone who speaks VN and can explain the goods to an inspector will save cash.

Just like visas!

If you are receiving personal goods, a visit to Customs with VN speaking friend usually gets them through free - except fr the waiting time (ever seen the hordes at Customs n Ham Nghi at the river end?).

It was my partner who went to pick up the package I'd sent her from West Aust.
She's a 100% Vietnamese lady and still got the run-around for weeks.
Each person she was told to contact in VN Customs had a different idea of what should happen and how much it would cost her.

In the end, DHL returned the package to myself (at no each cost) and I put it (with the other goodies) in my suitcase and brought the lot up here with me.
After all the warnings I'd been given about what to expect from VN Customs it ended up simply a case of showing my passport and visa to a very dis-interested officer at the airport to stamp it, walked downstairs and straight outside. That was it !

My visa is another matter all together. Not knowing any better, I asked my travel agent for a 6 month multiple entry / exit visa from the VN Embassy back in Oz. Paid the travel agent up front for it and ended up getting sent a 3 month visa instead.
Suddenly the travel agent couldn't understand English any more :-(
My current visa only has 2 weeks left on it, so it's off to find a travel agent somewhere in the city to get the paperwork done for an extension next week.

Hey guys,

thanks a lot for sharing. There are useful information.

I have a friend sending a package with DHL express from Germany to VN. She complained after 2 weeks and DHL Germany said that it was already arrived in VN, but they don´t know why it´s not delivered. So she told her family when ask DHL VN they did not answer and delivered it 2 months later without any reason for delay...

Another friend had good experience with DHL Germany it was delivered within 2 weeks. So I guess it´s a matter of luck depending on person and maybe to whom it´s addressed and which part of VN to delivered.

I talk to my mum and she is anyway coming next month so she will bring it as overweight luggage with her. As this a important stuff I rather wait a month and know my mum will bring it savely to vn.