Getting a camera to Mendoza

NEVER NEVER NEVER send a package to Argentina. If you cannot bring it with you in the plane, forget it. Even if you send it by courier, it will be blocked and detained by Customs in Buenos Aires, and she will have to go there to pay a huge import fee, and probably a huge bribe. Expats never have things sent to Argentina.

Imported items like this are very expensive, Argentina has the highest import taxes in the world.

Best to buy or to send to nearby Santiago, Chile.

Hi Mendozanow,

Thanks for the quick reply, even if it is pretty depressing. I was thinking of sending a well-used one out, described as her own personal property rather than an import, in the hope that this would avoid the customs problem. Is this likely to help at all?

Barry

No, the rule is that is has to have value less than $25 to escape import duty, but when they open it up and see they will say it is more.

People assume the same basic rules apply to all countries, the hard lesson is that they do not. Try to make your daughter see this, as it is tough to change mindsets.

They should bite the bullet, and buy replacements, perhaps cheap ones.

Hi Mendozanow,

It's not a question of biting the bullet; just how best to solve a problem at the least possible cost. My daughter normally works as a project coordinator for an aid agancy in countries like The Congo, Somalia, Haiti, etc, so she is used to dealing with awkward and even very corrupt bureacracies and very difficult logistics.

But I take your point, and sending one from here doesn't seem like an option. I have managed to locate the thing she needs on something called MercadoLibre; next thing is to work out how to buy it and get it to someone who is living in a tent

Thanks again
Barry

mendozanow wrote:

NEVER NEVER NEVER send a package to Argentina. If you cannot bring it with you in the plane, forget it. Even if you send it by courier, it will be blocked and detained by Customs in Buenos Aires, and she will have to go there to pay a huge import fee, and probably a huge bribe. Expats never have things sent to Argentina.

Imported items like this are very expensive, Argentina has the highest import taxes in the world.

Best to buy or to send to nearby Santiago, Chile.

Horribly true.

BarryH wrote:

Hi Mendozanow,

It's not a question of biting the bullet; just how best to solve a problem at the least possible cost. My daughter normally works as a project coordinator for an aid agancy in countries like The Congo, Somalia, Haiti, etc, so she is used to dealing with awkward and even very corrupt bureacracies and very difficult logistics.

But I take your point, and sending one from here doesn't seem like an option. I have managed to locate the thing she needs on something called MercadoLibre; next thing is to work out how to buy it and get it to someone who is living in a tent

Thanks again
Barry

Try Western Union, yes massive percentage they take but like you say about haiti, congo etc, I got a package in the middle of borneo so they do work AND we do have them here. Mercadolibre is like a chilean ebay, good and kinda reliable ... let me know how things go ... pm me if you need to ..... hope you get this resolved .... ps don't use correo argentina, try fedex, ups etc ...