Japonica

Or do you just plan in advance to spend an evening filling out customs forms?

It's our first Christmas living here in Australia. So, I went to Australia Post today with my Christmas cards in hand (yeah, late I know) and was all set to send them off (finally). The clerk asks me, "Do you have any photos in them?"

"Uh yeah, one in each, why?"

Well, it turns out I need to fill out a customs declaration form for every card that contains a photograph. So, she pulls out a stack of green customs forms...

Then I ask about postage. Well, never mind that each one weighs 11g. Because they have a single photo in them, they automatically double in postage.

Since I couldn't see myself standing there filling out 36 customs declarations with my 19 month old along, I took my cards and left. I guess I'll have to come back, pick up the &*%$# forms, grab a glass of wine and spend an evening making customs very happy by filling out the paperwork to attach to my Christmas cards.

I wouldn't bother with some of them (I guess I could rip open the envelopes and yank the photos out) but I also have some elderly relatives who do not have computers or email or internet and aside from snail mail and real photos (or the phone), they'd have no idea how we're doing.

Most days, I like it here. Then sometimes, there's some aspect of living here that's so ridiculous it's beyond comprehension.

Gems

What thats rediculous. I didnt know this, thanks for the info.

Gems

scottishcelts

It's a pain in the ass isn't it - I only posted my cards yesterday - and included photo's of the kids, but they didn't ask me if I had added pics I thought it was strange that I didn't have to fill in any customs slips at all, every other time I have posted cards on, I have had to do this.

Saved me time and effort though

iamthecreaturefromuranus

We posted back to the UK, unbelievable, four tubes of chicken salt. !!

One of the guests we have had out here from the UK loved the stuff and asked us to send her some over. $20 bloody postage.... and a VERY odd look from the women in the post office when she looked at the declaration.

scottishcelts

can you not buy chicken salt in the uk now? I bet some of the aussies shops import it.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

It was sent back to deepest West Wales... you can barely buy normal salt there, let alone chicken salt.

quoll

Goodness, I dont think we have ever had to put customs forms on letters with photos. We send them to the aged rellies quite often. I usually do the dreaded Christmas letter for the cards and as technology has moved on apace now you can put your pics in the narrative - some folk think that is the lazy way but it does the job for me and I love getting other peoples' letters to see how they are going.

robclaridge

I just stopped sending cards.... couldn't be arsed. A happy email and thats it.

TiddlyPom

Take them to a different post office and when they ask you if there's anything in there, say 'no'.

Write on the card 'Card only'.

herrchook

I was going to say that too. Or, just but the stamps you need for a card only and put them in the post box yourself. I've never been asked to fill out customs form for photos. Some of my cards this year were obviously more than a card only (had letters and photos in them) and I was only charged normal card postage rates. I've even had quite a few cards from the UK this year with just a 1st class stamp on them

Japonica

Unfortunately, that doesn't work for my dad's 82 year old cousin who doesn't have a computer. Otherwise, that would be the better option...save trees, save postage, save aggravation.

Japonica

I'm off to my local postal outlet today (a different one from yesterday) so I might just get the stamps as you said, and just mail them without the silly forms attached.

TiddlyPom

I've never been asked to fill out a declaration form for a card whatever I put in it.

I think you'll find that there are jobsworths in post offices, and then there are people who actually offer you customer service. The latter is my local. There are many with different stories - ridiculous ones about presenting driver licenses, even when that person doesn't have one because they don't drive.

Evelin

I read through the Australian Post charges docu http://www1.auspost.com.au/pac/pdfs/PostCharges.pdf, it says No customs form required for letters and documents.

Japonica

Thanks for that. I wonder though if they think Christmas cards falls in line with parcels or something? Are they in a class of their own. The woman last night said, "It's not our rules...it's customs..."