{"id":358,"date":"2007-06-21T06:37:25","date_gmt":"2007-06-21T06:37:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2007\/06\/21\/my-big-secret-and-shipping-restricted-items-to-italy\/"},"modified":"2008-09-01T19:42:23","modified_gmt":"2008-09-01T19:42:23","slug":"my-big-secret-and-shipping-restricted-items-to-italy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2007\/06\/21\/my-big-secret-and-shipping-restricted-items-to-italy\/","title":{"rendered":"My Big Secret (And Shipping Restricted Items to Italy)"},"content":{"rendered":"

So, now that it’s over, I can let you in on a big secret<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

\"Package<\/a><\/p>\n

Yesterday, a package arrived, long overdue and highly anticipated. Quite overdue since my estimated time delivery window expired a few weeks ago and usually with Amazon I never have problems with on-time deliveries to Italy. So I opened a troubleshooter email and wondered how I could prove that it hadn’t arrived.<\/p>\n

When my package arrived, I had a little surprise waiting for me:<\/p>\n

\nPresentazione in Dogana \u20ac2,50
\nSpese Postali \u20ac3,00
\nIVA \u20ac4,75\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Presentation in Dogana?? Postal costs? Tax, on what? I have never had to pay duty on an Amazon package. But I have learned to treat the Italian postal system as a child I’m babysitting – one that has no discipline and will do what they want no matter what you say.<\/strong> Some other expats have reported<\/a> problems<\/a> with the postal system and even avoid it entirely and use a “higher” postal system from the Vatican<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Besides the actual mechanism of moving around and delivering the mail, one of the biggest hurdles is actually getting mail into the country.<\/strong> In fact, they have a package graveyard<\/strong> near my house, conveniently disguised as “Dogana<\/strong>” (Customs) where packages go to die (or are “put down” if you prefer that gentler term). If you look closely, there are letters missing in front of Dogana which I believe read “Cimitero<\/strong>” (Cemetary) until angry and grieving package relatives decided to scrape them off. Maybe. <\/p>\n

\n\"Dogana<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

Here are some prohibited items that cannot be sent to Italy – the complete list of prohibited\/restricted items is available on the US post office site<\/a>. Make sure you check it so you can avoid sending restricted items, or at least labeling them correctly as such. Besides the things you’d expect to see on a restricted list such as arms and weapons (check), a few raise eyebrows like exposed photographic and cinematographic films or albums (no family Christmas card, Michelle<\/a>!) <\/p>\n

Some that stand out from the pack, and may have you scrambling to change things last-minute in your packages are: <\/p>\n