Comments on: Italy’s Postal Embarrassment / Vergogna Postale http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/ Italy, India, the Internet, and the world Fri, 21 Nov 2008 01:23:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Grishnakh http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/#comment-119441 Grishnakh Mon, 26 May 2008 04:00:52 +0000 http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/#comment-119441 I think the main problem is the people of the country, and the fact that most of them are Catholic. This usually translates to a total lack of ethics on the part of the people, and allows extreme corruption to take over the government. Here in North America, we have a very similar country called Mexico. The government is utterly corrupt, and you can't do anything there without bribing someone. What does Mexico have in common with Italy? Simple: everyone's Catholic! Countries which don't have the Catholic Church in control simply don't have these problems, because people in those countries are more ethical. Why are Catholics so unethical? I have no idea. But you can't deny the correlation. I think the main problem is the people of the country, and the fact that most of them are Catholic. This usually translates to a total lack of ethics on the part of the people, and allows extreme corruption to take over the government. Here in North America, we have a very similar country called Mexico. The government is utterly corrupt, and you can’t do anything there without bribing someone. What does Mexico have in common with Italy? Simple: everyone’s Catholic! Countries which don’t have the Catholic Church in control simply don’t have these problems, because people in those countries are more ethical. Why are Catholics so unethical? I have no idea. But you can’t deny the correlation.

]]> By: Kelly http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/#comment-87915 Kelly Mon, 17 Mar 2008 01:56:02 +0000 http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/#comment-87915 2kg Christmas present took another 6 weeks, to get from Australia to Italy recently posted a letter, around the 7th of January, to Forli, hasn't arrived, my friend's Christmas present to me which was sent the week before Christmas hasn't arrived yet either, 3 months later...What can we do?? I almost don't want to bother sending anything any more 2kg Christmas present took another 6 weeks, to get from Australia to Italy recently posted a letter, around the 7th of January, to Forli, hasn’t arrived, my friend’s Christmas present to me which was sent the week before Christmas hasn’t arrived yet either, 3 months later…What can we do?? I almost don’t want to bother sending anything any more

]]> By: Old Jacques http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/#comment-65411 Old Jacques Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:46:24 +0000 http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/#comment-65411 I received the original Amazon shipment that I was expecting (and which had been already replaced with the identical substitute order) a couple of days ago. Funny thing about the Italian Postal System (Poste Italiane)... The replacement arrived first (mailed after 6 weeks of waiting for the original order) and had a €15 customs charge. The original order (of exactly same value) arrived a week+1/2 later without customs charge, but needed to be picked up at the Central Post Office, because it was hand-written labeled as "ingombrante" (bulky), even though the entire package was roughly 8x10x15 inches, and less than a pound (two [relatively] light books + 1 DVD), and the replacement was delivered "a domicilio". And the day before I received a notice that a Christmas package from my Sister needed to be picked up at the central post office because it was "ingombrante" (12"x12"x8"). Go figure. The best reason they could offer was that it was rainy seasin and they didn't want my package to get wet carrying it by boat from the central post office to the local area. What happened to "Not rain nor sleet nor..." And I am still waiting for two other DVD's from the same order, already resent as replacements as well. Neither original nor replacement has arrived... As to the €75 customs on $400 value, it doesn't seem out of line, as I believe (but am not positive) that there is an upper limit on custom free gifts, which should be under €100 if I am not mistaken. After which there are 20%IVA + customs charges + surcharges + overhead + fixed costs + service charges + ecc. + ecc. My other sister had her Christmas package sent 48 hours via DHL, and I paid €30 customs, after 8 days (sent 19th Dec., arrived 27 Dec.). No idea how much it cost her... but not what it was worth, if not thought value. Declared and insured value $100, but real value, probably something less (I'm guessing $70-80), plus it was someone from the mailroom that sent it out, and didn't bother writing "personal" or "gift". Such is life in Italy... I received the original Amazon shipment that I was expecting (and which had been already replaced with the identical substitute order) a couple of days ago. Funny thing about the Italian Postal System (Poste Italiane)…
The replacement arrived first (mailed after 6 weeks of waiting for the original order) and had a €15 customs charge.
The original order (of exactly same value) arrived a week+1/2 later without customs charge, but needed to be picked up at the Central Post Office, because it was hand-written labeled as “ingombrante” (bulky), even though the entire package was roughly 8×10x15 inches, and less than a pound (two [relatively] light books + 1 DVD), and the replacement was delivered “a domicilio”.
And the day before I received a notice that a Christmas package from my Sister needed to be picked up at the central post office because it was “ingombrante” (12″x12″x8″). Go figure. The best reason they could offer was that it was rainy seasin and they didn’t want my package to get wet carrying it by boat from the central post office to the local area. What happened to “Not rain nor sleet nor…”

And I am still waiting for two other DVD’s from the same order, already resent as replacements as well. Neither original nor replacement has arrived…

As to the €75 customs on $400 value, it doesn’t seem out of line, as I believe (but am not positive) that there is an upper limit on custom free gifts, which should be under €100 if I am not mistaken. After which there are 20%IVA + customs charges + surcharges + overhead + fixed costs + service charges + ecc. + ecc.

My other sister had her Christmas package sent 48 hours via DHL, and I paid €30 customs, after 8 days (sent 19th Dec., arrived 27 Dec.). No idea how much it cost her… but not what it was worth, if not thought value.
Declared and insured value $100, but real value, probably something less (I’m guessing $70-80), plus it was someone from the mailroom that sent it out, and didn’t bother writing “personal” or “gift”.

Such is life in Italy…

]]> By: Karin Wolfe http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/#comment-64234 Karin Wolfe Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:28:01 +0000 http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/#comment-64234 I mailed a 9-pound box of Christmas gifts to my daughter in Torino on Dec. 5, 2007. She had not received it my Jan. 11, 2008 so I had the US post office trace it using the customs declaration number. A week later it was delivered to her and she had to pay a 75 euro customs fee! Since it cost me $58 to mail and she paid approx. $112.50, the total cost to mail a box of opera CDs and opera and ballet DVDs was $170.50!! Crazy. This was a not a commercial importing mailing, it was personal gifts, I cannot find any info explaining the Italian 's charging so much...can anyone shed any like on this? The box had my personal home address, not a business, on the box and it was insured for $400. Thanks. I mailed a 9-pound box of Christmas gifts to my daughter in Torino on Dec. 5, 2007. She had not received it my Jan. 11, 2008 so I had the US post office trace it using the customs declaration number. A week later it was delivered to her and she had to pay a 75 euro customs fee! Since it cost me $58 to mail and she paid approx. $112.50, the total cost to mail a box of opera CDs and opera and ballet DVDs was $170.50!! Crazy. This was a not a commercial importing mailing, it was personal gifts, I cannot find any info explaining the Italian ’s charging so much…can anyone shed any like on this? The box had my personal home address, not a business, on the box and it was insured for $400. Thanks.

]]> By: caroline crawford http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/#comment-64219 caroline crawford Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:07:13 +0000 http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/#comment-64219 My mother sent my christmas present in October, it still hasn't arrived. I have lost all hope. I wouldn't mind but it appears that she has suffered a lapse of her usual appalling taste and actually sent me something quite nice - we may never know. My mother sent my christmas present in October, it still hasn’t arrived. I have lost all hope. I wouldn’t mind but it appears that she has suffered a lapse of her usual appalling taste and actually sent me something quite nice - we may never know.

]]> By: Old Jacques http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/#comment-63292 Old Jacques Sun, 13 Jan 2008 09:52:47 +0000 http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/#comment-63292 I did, but it has been jumping through all sorts of hoops and over and onto all sorts of boxes like some dog and pony show. Part was sort of my problem, as the credit card used in november expired at year's end, but whooda thunk it would matter, or that I would be doing this two months later, or that they couldn't just use some internal accounting method (gift certificate refund+charge), as the original credit card charges ($6 over the gift certificate for the residual shipping costs) didn't even cover the second partial order lost. You see, they don't just replace, they send and charge you for a new identical order and then refund the same amount. Too much trouble, methinks. And all handled by anonymous customer service forms. I did, but it has been jumping through all sorts of hoops and over and onto all sorts of boxes like some dog and pony show.

Part was sort of my problem, as the credit card used in november expired at year’s end, but whooda thunk it would matter, or that I would be doing this two months later, or that they couldn’t just use some internal accounting method (gift certificate refund+charge), as the original credit card charges ($6 over the gift certificate for the residual shipping costs) didn’t even cover the second partial order lost. You see, they don’t just replace, they send and charge you for a new identical order and then refund the same amount. Too much trouble, methinks. And all handled by anonymous customer service forms.

]]> By: webmaster http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/#comment-62756 webmaster Fri, 11 Jan 2008 11:25:32 +0000 http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/#comment-62756 Jacques, if something goes missing from Amazon, let them know - they will replace it! Jacques, if something goes missing from Amazon, let them know - they will replace it!

]]> By: Old Jacques http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/#comment-62741 Old Jacques Fri, 11 Jan 2008 10:30:24 +0000 http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/#comment-62741 You done right furshur. I ordered 6 pieces between books and DVDs on Nov 17 since an American friend for whom I played tour guide sent me an Amazon.COM gift certificate. Being pre-Christmas, they split it up into 4 partials (3+1+1+1, even though ALL were listed as "in stock, immediate delivery" and I opted for a single shipment), which had expected dates Dec 14, 20, 27 & 28. The 14 Dec package came Tuesday 8 Jan, with almost €15 di Dogana (of which 9 was actual customs+IVA [you also have to pay 20% IVA on the customs charge!] and €6 "customs handling charges" by the dogana and the Poste). The second arrived (no charges) yesterday, and the other ones (shipped Nov 22 & 25) have yet to show, and being girl's DVDs I suspect they may never make it anyway... Almost funny thinking of the poor postal worker who gets it home and discovers his DVD player won't do Region1 and his kid hating him for not being able to watch Disney Princesses or Hilary Duff... My family also sent Christmas presents TO Italy, and of three sent in late November, one got here the 21st, on the 30th, and one has yet to show... Another sister (always the procrastinator) sent her packages the 19th using DHL 2day service, which arrived the 27th (one we discovered actually sat in storage with a Mysterious Customer Hold Order from the 21st [no one was ever able to explain why it was there or how to break the spell, except to say "sometimes when we have a lot of packages, some get put on customer pickup by the warehouse people(?!?)"]), since "they were really backed up from the Italian teamster's strike" (which was successfully concluded two weeks before the package was ever sent...) and "they were really swamped this year since lots of people were sending Christmas stuff", to which my only thought was "After 2000+ years of knowing about and making a fuss over Christ's birth, you'd think that at least the Italians, having the Pope here and all, at least they would be expecting Christmas to turn up *again* this December here, wouldn't you? How could it be that DHL isn't prepared for the Holiday Season to get busy?" Mah! You done right furshur.

I ordered 6 pieces between books and DVDs on Nov 17 since an American friend for whom I played tour guide sent me an Amazon.COM gift certificate.

Being pre-Christmas, they split it up into 4 partials (3+1+1+1, even though ALL were listed as “in stock, immediate delivery” and I opted for a single shipment), which had expected dates Dec 14, 20, 27 & 28. The 14 Dec package came Tuesday 8 Jan, with almost €15 di Dogana (of which 9 was actual customs+IVA [you also have to pay 20% IVA on the customs charge!] and €6 “customs handling charges” by the dogana and the Poste). The second arrived (no charges) yesterday, and the other ones (shipped Nov 22 & 25) have yet to show, and being girl’s DVDs I suspect they may never make it anyway…

Almost funny thinking of the poor postal worker who gets it home and discovers his DVD player won’t do Region1 and his kid hating him for not being able to watch Disney Princesses or Hilary Duff…

My family also sent Christmas presents TO Italy, and of three sent in late November, one got here the 21st, on the 30th, and one has yet to show… Another sister (always the procrastinator) sent her packages the 19th using DHL 2day service, which arrived the 27th (one we discovered actually sat in storage with a Mysterious Customer Hold Order from the 21st [no one was ever able to explain why it was there or how to break the spell, except to say "sometimes when we have a lot of packages, some get put on customer pickup by the warehouse people(?!?)"]), since “they were really backed up from the Italian teamster’s strike” (which was successfully concluded two weeks before the package was ever sent…) and “they were really swamped this year since lots of people were sending Christmas stuff”, to which my only thought was “After 2000+ years of knowing about and making a fuss over Christ’s birth, you’d think that at least the Italians, having the Pope here and all, at least they would be expecting Christmas to turn up *again* this December here, wouldn’t you? How could it be that DHL isn’t prepared for the Holiday Season to get busy?”

Mah!

]]> By: Ann http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/#comment-61932 Ann Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:50:29 +0000 http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/#comment-61932 That's even if the post office even notifies you of the letter. On a few occasions, whether it's a letter from the States or even within Italy, sometimes it arrives, other times is returned to sender. I've also ordered from Amazon UK and up until now have had no problems receiving things I have ordered. Yet when I've ordered things off of Ebay UK, I have received everything no problems, except for one package that I ordered at the end of November, hoping I'd have it in time for Christmas. No such luck. The Italian postal system's bad rap is even known in my hometown in South Dakota. Last time I was back (2005) went to send a box of things to avoid paying excess baggage. The man was like "You want to send this where!?!? Let's hope it gets there!" That’s even if the post office even notifies you of the letter. On a few occasions, whether it’s a letter from the States or even within Italy, sometimes it arrives, other times is returned to sender.

I’ve also ordered from Amazon UK and up until now have had no problems receiving things I have ordered. Yet when I’ve ordered things off of Ebay UK, I have received everything no problems, except for one package that I ordered at the end of November, hoping I’d have it in time for Christmas. No such luck.

The Italian postal system’s bad rap is even known in my hometown in South Dakota. Last time I was back (2005) went to send a box of things to avoid paying excess baggage. The man was like “You want to send this where!?!? Let’s hope it gets there!”

]]> By: Michelle http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/#comment-48911 Michelle Fri, 09 Nov 2007 17:03:54 +0000 http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2007/10/31/italys-postal-embarrassment-vergogna-postale/#comment-48911 I think the poste are getting better in some ways (well, the post offices "look" prettier and now there are actual lines to stand in) but what is up with everything going through the dogana now? Before it was hit or miss and seemed to only affect boxes. Now they are also targeting envelopes - which actually used to arrive in a week from the U.S. via regular post. The fact that they now go through the dogana means you wait a month or more AND have to pay. A true vergogna! I think the poste are getting better in some ways (well, the post offices “look” prettier and now there are actual lines to stand in) but what is up with everything going through the dogana now? Before it was hit or miss and seemed to only affect boxes. Now they are also targeting envelopes - which actually used to arrive in a week from the U.S. via regular post. The fact that they now go through the dogana means you wait a month or more AND have to pay. A true vergogna!

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