SHIPPING- POSTAL SERVICE OR SEA

Option #2: Shipping by Postal Service or by Sea

SPECIAL NOTE: If you decide you can’t bring all of your personal belongings with you on your flight and you decide to use a shipping company or courier service, you will incur charges both at your home of record and once the shipment arrives in Lima. If you do use this service, it is recommended that you do choose to send your shipment door to door.

In Peru the customs charges will be between 7–20% of the value of your packing list plus the 19% IGV of this amount. You may be shocked to suddenly find they are charging you for things on the duty-free list--- like old tuppaware, or bedding, or clothing or kitchen utensils. It seems they will charge you for anything they find that they feel like charging you for. You will also have to pay Customs Clearance (minimum US$ 100), Documentation Fee (US$55), Handling Fee (US$40 - 70), a daily storage fee (depends on size of shipment), and transportation to your house.

One 2005 Overseas Hire writes: After doing a bit of research, shipping by sea through an international shipping company turned out to be the least expensive option by far to ship my 700 pounds of stuff. The option I went for was not door-to-door so I had to box my stuff up and deliver it to the shippers’ office myself. The bill from the shipper worked out to a little under $1/pound of stuff. Other than having to drag my stuff across town, the process was quick and easy and my things arrived safe and unbroken in Lima, although the boxes looked like they had seen several better days.

The frustrations came once the stuff arrived in Lima. A facilitating company was called to deal with getting my things out of customs and delivering them to my house. Even though everything was on the duty-free list, they were giving me an estimate of $1000 in delivery and customs. I had been warned of a charge, but nothing approaching this large amount. I think the initial estimate is just a way to soften you up so you think the amount you actually end up paying is reasonable. In the end it cost me about $500 to have my things taken out of customs and delivered to my house.

Most teachers return to their homes in the USA or Canada during the Christmas break (remember we have over two months of vacation then), and they tend to go home empty-handed and come back with many things they could not include in their July luggage allowance.

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