www.CostaRicaTicas.com

What up fellas,

I need some help. I did a search but did not come up with any recent relevant threads.

I am thinking about sending a birthday gift to a chica in CR. A bottle of perfume, $50 value.

1. What are my options? Can I just use Global Priority Mail in the post office?
2. Are there customs duties she would have to pay? If so, approximately how much?
3. What is the shipping time? Is it the 4-7 days that the USPS says?
4. What are the chances it gets "lost" in transit? (I hope some Tico gives it to his wife/gf and use on himself)

Thanks in advance for the help.

If she has a P.O. Box then I would just send it to her by the U.S. mail.Mark it "for personal use only" and there is no problem with duty. I had my son send me an electric razor that way and it took 10 days to 2 weeks but arrived without incident. I also receive a monthly prescription from a Pharmacy in the States that does the same thing. Don't forget to wish her a Happy Birthday. Hey, are you announcing that you have joined the ranks of the dreaded MMen? Say it isn't so,Orange.

Orange;
Had an experience once and you might benifit by it:
Was still living up north and while talking on the phone with the "Novia of the month", she said that they had a cold snap and she was mucho frio at night.
Well, not being there to keep her warm, I decided that the next best thing would be a blanket. Got on line with Pennys and sent her a $30.00 blanket. Next time I visit, I asked her if she liked it and she told me that she got a card from UPS saying that she needed to pick it up in Pavas. I said why didn't you pick it up? Mucho Dinero. Huh?, I say. We get a taxi, go to UPS and customs and formalities charges came to $50.00! I paid it and she got her $30.00 blanket.
DON'T DO IT.
Just shove it in your bag and bring it down.
LVSteve

_________________
Just an old horney, fat gambler.

As the experiences of Vegas Bob and LVSteve show getting a mailed package to the recipient without getting it intercepted by customs is very hit or miss.

My own adventure more paralleled LVSteve's. I ordered 2 shirts and a couple of coffee mugs online. I had to pay CR sales tax and duty when it arrived in Costa Rica. The cost was more than the merchandise.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Thanks for the replies, I was hoping to hear from our 3 wise men, and residents of CR.

First off VB,
I am nowhere near M-men status. This is just a girl that I hooked up with 4 times in my 5 days in February and we seem to have "clicked", whatever that means. We've been emailing each other almost every day and no RFM yet. I think this may the real thing.

I told her that I would be sending her a gift and she said that, if anything, I can give it to her when we see each other next. Would a real pro refuse a gift?

I won't be sending it because of the duties mostly, but also I heard that they "lose" packages. I used to sell on Ebay a couple years ago, I had a part-time home business for about 6 months. I once sent an $12 item to Canada and it cost the person like $25 duty to pick it up from UPS.

Orange wrote:



Certainly glad you put those laughing emoticons there Orange. I was worried we were going to have to call out the CRT Crisis Intervention Team and as everyone has seen they are really getting a workout lately.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine