I've sent perfumes to Greece, Mexico, Turkey, and several European countries without problems, but once I had to wait to find out if I could ship batteries in the package or if they were potentially "toxic".

Every country has different rules. I mail packages overseas every week and it is a good idea to check the usps.gov website for "restrictions" which apply. They makes no sense whatever and you will never be able to guess what bizarre customs requirements exist by using logic. You will also never be able to find out until it is too late what the receiving post office is in the habit of putting packages through. As of February 2006, the Philippines is opening EVERY SINGLE PACKAGE received in that country and "taxing" the contents. Does not matter if they have any value, are new or not, you pay. This is something your friendly USPS will not tell you. I can fill a box with used underpants and mail it to Manila and Luisa will have to pay "import duties" on the items.

Used? :eyebrow: Try sending some new ones without wearing them yourself sometime and see how much in duties they charge. :blush:

I'm truly sorry Tonchi, I just couldnt help myself with that last comment.

Yes, it's true that there are customs fees on a ball of earwax nowdays. It's like that on the other (corrupt ) third world countries that I send packages to as well. Some have disappeared altogether. It's so frustrating that I dont notify the receiver when something is sent anymore.

Some unscrupulous people will take most anything being shipped in from the US. Even if the items have no commercial value. Bastards.

When I rule the world there will be some rather drastic changes though. All underpants imported into the Philippines (used or virgin) will be duty free. :)

Nam palameee....oo-oo! :D

Perhaps the perfume overloads the dogs' or robo-sniffers ability to detect the other bad stuff they're on the lookout for.

Funny - I just mailed a bottle of perfume to Canada (yesterday morning) because I couldn't take it on the plane with me (yesterday afternoon) and wasn't checking any baggage. The post office clerk forgot to ask me about what was in the package so I guess I got away with one.

Of course they'll probably be waiting for me at the border upon my return. An entire swat team. Followed by a trip to a remote airstrip and a short flight to Cuba.

Somebody feed my iguana please.

Actually, a market for used OR new underpants exists in Manila, if you should have any to contribute. You can sell absolutely anything no matter how bizarre, because no matter what it is, somebody does not have it and can find a use for it. Luisa even sold her nephew's dirty shorts, which he had dumped at their house assuming that they would be washed, folded, and returned to him at whatever time he deigned to favor them with his next appearance. Anything not nailed down gets grabbed and sold in that country. Her best sales, however, have been the Archie comics I send to her, and we have been told that the market for old National Geographics is very lucrative, $1 each, which unfortunately will not even cover shipping them to the Phils (and they would also be "taxed" as imports).

I am of the opinion it is not any nation's right to tax a gift that I give a friend that does not enrich them or is for resale.
As long as it is not an illegal substance in that nation, it is none of their damn business.

"...then, they alllll moved back..."

If it doesn't enrich them, it won't be taxed. You can give as many loving hugs as you wish, with no worries about the taxman.

I probably did not help our case when I told the tax supervisor at the Manila airport that there was nothing of any value whatever to a Filipino in Lu's package, it was just text books and soap. :eyebrow:

I think the real problem is that you didn't slip him 10 bucks while you said it.:eyebrow:

A cigar, bottle of scotch or a tin of pipe tobacco does not enrich my friends if they are just going to smoke or drink it. It does not increase their financial wealth in ANY way.
If their argument is that it is worth something, then ALL gifts must be taxed equally.
Some nations have a separate tobacco tax and some have a separate tax for alcohol and will tax people on gifts they get in the mail from other nations. So, if your friend sends you a few oz of tobacco, you get a bill for $15 for $20 to the tax thief before you can get your package. That is bullshit... so I send things like "hobby supplies" (more specific, but I'm not telling) with inner boxes of tin wrapped in metallic tape. The description makes it seem like it is supposed to be that way... never had a problem. Done this since one of my Canuk friends had a package stopped and they tried to embezzle money from them this way.

Actually, we ended up slipping her the equivalent of $57.00 instead of the $350.00 they were originally demanding and managed to get the package released. Luisa's aunt is a Jedi master when it comes to negotiating with corrupt officials. But the little dance we had to do for a month set the stage for that, because it showed them that we were not going to give up and they would have to fight us for the package. First you show the guns, then you all sit down and talk :rar: