bruce67

I have been faithfully sending a birthday card to my sisters son for the past 8 years - so far they haven't received one. They just have to be satisfied with the "email preview".

"Sigh"

feelbritish

Today my mom got her Christmas card from me delivered together with one from UK and from Australia! Think of Europe in the early to mid 20th century with strikes etc, that is what is happening in SA. Also told family that from now on it is email cards via Jacquie Lawson!

Alfresco

I don't even bother sending cards anywhere anymore. No point.

Mrs Danvers

News! News! The package was delivered! Success! Expected delivery date was December 31st. Actual delivery date Jan 31st.

So, I probably won't send via USPS priority international mail again, but I thought it might be helpful for you to all know. Packages are tracked and do (eventually) get there. Or at least mine did

Mallory

I sent my SIL a trinket jewelry gift last year from USA to SA. It never arrived to post office box. No more gifts.

MartynK

There's nothing new about this. The SA postal service was cheap, reliable and achingly slow - I remember one local letter taking two months to cover 15 kms - back in the "old days", but theft became a major problem down the track. We sometimes wondered why the kids never received anything for Christmas or their birthdays from my wife's family in the UK, so we just forgot about it until they eventually asked if SA children weren't expected to thank people? I was annoyed, but it turned out that none of their cards or presents had ever arrived.

The stories about missing mail, envelopes which had been opened - obviously to look for money - and parcels that had been rifled are legion; and Amazon UK restricted deliveries to SA years ago because of theft.

It's not worth sending anything unless you're prepared to pay for courier service

Alfresco

I concur everyone. Don't waste your time, effort and money sending stuff to S.A.

Rather send money electronically etc...

Tegwyn

I was trying to send my nephew's little boy a lovely pair of footie cleats to find out shoes are on the banned list of items to send to South Africa. Anyone heard of this, and how do I bypass it? This young lad really wants this pair and they are sitting here gathering dust.

ededed

Huh? That sounds like a banquet of bollocks to me. How are you sending them?

You know you can buy sportsman's warehouse vouchers online, and they can buy them there? That's what I'd do.

Oh, and they're called football boots, not cleats, just so you know..

Tegwyn

I went to DSL and I have this print out of commodities not permitted into SA by mail. They would not accept the package even if it was opened for inspection. I have a copy of it which I have forwarded to my nephew. I can send this scanned page to you to take a look at too if you like. Really does not make sense to me at all. There is a small blurb on this link but it is not really clear. DHL | Express Import Guidelines | English


Can be soccer cleats, or footie cleats, or soccer boots.... different word same stuff. http://www.soccercleats2015.com(I know you will snip the link) However my point. ;-)

MartynK

This doesn't make any sense to me either, and sounds more like a company policy that any legal restriction. The lists of prohibited and restricted goods appear at Prohibited and Restricted goods (long winded) and South Africa: traveller's customs guide (bit more manageable).

I know Amazon UK and a number of other online suppliers have restrictions on deliveries to SA and, in some cases, won't deliver at all, but that's another matter.

Alfresco

DHL is full of carp. They won't even take a laptop with a battery in, but you can send it via some other company which then send it via DHL and that's ok. Bunch of idiots.

ededed

I worked for DHL for 10 years, in South Africa, and am pretty sure that's rubbish. I've emailed a mate of mine (customs manager) and he'll check and let me know. DHL do have restrictions based on liability (laptop batteries require special IATA packing and handling and it's not worth their while - they have too many other "normal" shipments to worry about). Also, they don't carry certain items that are subject to additional security or duties, again because it's not worth the hassle. That's usually to protect local industries, but as far as I know there isn't a massive football-boot (soccer cleat - ha ha) manufacturing industry in Africa.

Tegwyn - I still don't know why you wouldn't buy a voucher anyway. Shipping is going to cost more than the boots, and you can't be sure they'll be the right size?

Tegwyn

I am in email contact with the head dude in Isando so should get more info from him soon. Some Hennie guy. Anyway, why these particular shoes is ones my nephew has been trying to get for his boy for some time but to no avail. I found the shoes (right size per request) right down to the right colour a fussy 8 year old desires. Who would have thought this could end up being so complicated!

ededed

Ah, fair enough.

My mate's one of the top chaps there, let me know if your contact doesn't come through for you.

My son is 7, and he wears what he is bloody well given!