I was going to send a friend in Peru a package, but he told me not to. He said that any international mail, other than a letter, goes to the ‘international serpost station’. He said that it takes two hours to pick up a package, and there are fees amounting to US$15. That’s kind of steep for a $15 DVD.
Can anyone explain why international packages can’t just be delivered in Peru, and why the fees are so high?
Well, I checked SERPOST’swebsite (it’s Peru’s USPS), and the “problem” is that packages are paid by weight so 15 DVD can get you into prices like that.
Picking up an international package doesn’t usually take that long, although, for a parcel that small size your friend would have to travel some distnace to the main SERPOST office.
You can send parcels without problem, although I’d check with FedEx or other such companies in the US for prices
Hm… Bypass SERPOST via FedEx. I’ll look into that. Otherwise he’s not going to get it until April or May, if I go down there.
Thanks.
you can buy bootleg dvds in peru for less than a dollar
Seriously, do not do it. A friend of mine studied abroad in Peru for a semester, and has a story about how her mom sent her a care package without asking first. She had to travel for three hours to get it, and when she got there, they opened up the package and were baffled by the contents: a shit ton of candy. It was not my friend’s favorite moment in Peru.