# Poste Italiane {sigh}



## PauloPievese (Nov 2, 2012)

Not really an expat thing. More of an "Italy" {sigh} thing.

On 3 August I mailed a parcel from the USA to Italy with the modest hope that it would reach my friends in time for their Palio on 21 August.

On August 7 my parcel had *transited the Atlantic Ocean* and arrived in Milan where in the next day or two it arrived in Customs.

On 27 September, 7 weeks later the report was "Customs Clearing Processing Complete"

On 18 October, after an unexplained gap of three weeks the parcel arrived in New Jersey having completed its *second transit of the Atlantic Ocean*.

Jersey City, Ybor City, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and New York and on 24 October it departed on its *third Atlantic Ocean transit* where it arrived in Milan the next day, 25 October, three weeks ago.

This is the last we have heard of my parcel. Given prior interludes of multiple weeks I still have hope that I might get a further report of its movement. It is clearly pointless now, merely an intellectual exercise, as I don't think that it's ever going to reach my friends by 21 August. 

21 August 2023 perhaps. 

Stay tuned.


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## PauloPievese (Nov 2, 2012)

As of 18 November the parcel is back in New York having completed its *fourth Atlantic transit*.
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In fairness to Poste Italiane, I suspect what is happening is that there is duty due on this gift, no one in Italy willing to pay it, and so it get's returned to the USA. Last time it got almost all the way back to me, Ybor City being just the other side of Tampa Bay, at which point the ping pong match continued, the postal service in the USA saying "hmmm, destination Italy" and sending it on.


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## GeordieBorn (Jul 15, 2016)

Sounds costly on their part!


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## PauloPievese (Nov 2, 2012)

The parcel has now arrived for the second time at Ybor City, 40 miles from home.
The last time it got shipped on to Miami on the east coast to begin its third transit..
The suspense builds.


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## PauloPievese (Nov 2, 2012)

Ybor City sent it on to Miami for international routing. Miami returned it to Ybor City. Ybor City again sent it to Miami. Miami again returned it to Ybor City. A less dramatic but still impressive ping-ponging.


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## PauloPievese (Nov 2, 2012)

And at the end of the day after four transits of the Atlantic the parcel was returned to me. However the routing number shows that it was sent on to Miami where it virtually resides to this day. Perhaps the parcel never actually left the post office and it was only the routing number that circulated.
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Okay, seriously. I'm guessing that the problem was that there was some import duty imposed on the parcel. How does one send a parcel to a friend in Italy and (a) have it actually arrive and (b) manage the duty if any?


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## GeordieBorn (Jul 15, 2016)

Use UPS or the likes....


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## NickZ (Jun 26, 2009)

1) Was the label correct? Depending on the value of the item it might make sense to search the duty chart for the least expensive duty.

2) Is the item actually allowed to be imported?

3) Find out if your friends are willing to pay the duty?

I'd be VERY careful with UPS. Read their TC very VERY VERY closely. They have nasty habits. Things like taking on fairly hefty service charges if they do the brokerage.

Unless the item isn't sold in Europe the simple thing is to order it from Amazon Europe and have them deliver. Or if it's sold only in the US order from Amazon.com and have them deliver. They'll tack on the duty etc. I think. I know the show the amount to me when I glance.


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