Sending and receiving packages in Indonesia

I’ve used both public and private and found private much more efficient in most cases,
Many companies have deals at certain times of year so it’s worth looking around and compare prices
You’ll pay taxes of between 50% - 100% of the value of certain goods over the value of GBP £99
From Europe to Indonesia it usually takes around 24hrs to land in Jakarta, actually getting the parcel is anyone’s guess
I’ve ordered goods recently for Christmas and I’ve tracked them to Jakarta I ordered 6 days ago, I’ve wrapped them ready to put under the tree next month
Most things I can get in Singapore order and collect within a couple of hours whilst doing my 2 weekly food shop 😁

Hi,  Where do you order from in Singapore?  Do they deliver direct to your home and what do you do if  there import duties to be paid?

Sending (International) - Use FedEx or DHL - These companies are fast and their tracking system means you know where your letter or package is all the time, even down to knowing the name of the person who accepted the thing.

Receiving (International) -  Use FedEx or DHL - These companies are fast and their tracking system means the sender knows where the letter or package is all the time, even down to the sender knowing the name of the person who accepted the thing.

They don't come cheap, but there's an excellent chance of the latter or package getting to its destination without issue.

National - Assuming it's just a normal, inexpensive item, the local kantor pos does the job.
I avoid one or two of the local parcel companies because they've proven themselves to be rubbish. No names, but my sister's name is Jane.
One company took three weeks to get a parcel from Bintaro to Central Jakarta, and then it still had to get to Central Java - I could have walked there faster.

Cashmere wrote:

Hi,  Where do you order from in Singapore?  Do they deliver direct to your home and what do you do if  there import duties to be paid?

I don’t get delivery from Singapore I can order and collect and be back in the house from leaving within 2 1/2 or 3 hrs
The charges and imported charges would be high as it’s international

Gwmeath wrote:

The charges and imported charges would be high as it’s international

That's a big point to remember, that and customs are very likely to open packages to check the contents.

Hey everyone,

So after much research and trial and error, I settled on a USA based company called "Planet Express".

They are able to do several things with a very quick turnaround and reasonable prices. Among these are to consolidate multiple packages into one package. They provide you a USA address to ship your items and take pics of your package prior to forwarding it to your overseas address. The company is very responsive and gives you several options for shipping, including USPS, DHL, and FedEx.

FYI, if you order from Amazon you can choose the gift wrap option to avoid VAT but you must decline to have a receipt included.

All the best

Sending packages in The Philippines is so hassle in Indonesia.If you dont have contact really you will struggle.

At least now we have contact balikbayan box manage by filipinos who can help sending stuff in philippines

A big help.

xheers,
rick

For South Africans ,services like FedEx and DHL are generally too expensive, so we rather opt for the Speed Services that the local Post Office offers.

BUT when I lived in Malaysia and also now in Indonesia, in both countries the parcel would only arrive after 6 weeks. So we tried using the slowest & cheapest method for sending parcels from SA to Malaysia & Indonesia, and it also takes exactly 6 weeks (but is much cheaper)

Indonesia's local Post Office, has every time put the parcel inside a nicely wrapped & well sealed transparent plastic bag (marked "Pos Indonesia"), so the regular rain will not damage the package or the address.
They deliver to your doorstep, and you have to pay the delivery guy a small amount of "import tax", for which you get a receipt.

I only once did not receive a package, though I saw on the SA Postoffice tracking website that the parcel has been delivered, so I went to Kantor Pos and asked who signed for it. They showed me the recipient details, and I fetched my parcel from them without problems.

For local (National) mail, like when I order things from Jakarta to Ciamis using the online shopping website "Tokopedia", JNE (which should take 2 - 3 days) cost quite a bit more than the local Kantor Pos (which should take 4 - 5 days), BUT...
JNE always takes about 4 days, and Kantor Pos only takes 2 days, so I now use the cheaper option as they are 2 days faster