I participated in a group contest with WOMWorld and teamed up with 3 other tech bloggers from Sri Lanka, Singapore and Australia to figure out a code from clues individually sent to us. We each got a sealed box delivered via DHL.
I was monitoring the tracking logs from the DHL website and saw that the box arrived by evening of Sunday. I figured it should be home by Monday morning or afternoon. There were some delays according to the logs and I got a bit concerned. It finally arrived this morning after being cleared by Customs.
The box is made of hard transparent plastic with a 4-digit lock. You can clearly see the Nokia E72 inside but we still need to figure out the code in order to unlock the box.
Each of the 4 team members also get a clue so we can all figure out the 4-digit code. Unfortunately, I no longer needed the code to get inside the box. Customs has forcibly opened it for me.
Obviously, the inspectors at the Bureau of Customs got very curious about the Nokia E72 despite the fact that they can clearly see what’s inside the transparent box. They just need to closely inspect the items.
So there you go — no more code-breaking for me, thanks to the people at Customs.
ang kupad talaga ng customs, december 17 pa nila kinakalikot yung earphones ko, hindi pa ba nila na cocompute yun? tumawag ako kanina sa fedex, sabi nila hindi pa raw tumatawag yung customs, sabi naman nila, idedeliver na lang daw dito yung earphones tapos sa mag dedeliver na lang daw ako magbabayad ng para sa customs. t@en@ng yan, baka naman iniipit talaga nila para tumagal sa storage nila, me bayad kaya yun kada araw na andun yun. badtrip.
ay hindi ko lang alam bro ang maganda nyan hindi ka na ppunta, kaso ang hirap maghintay sa ganyan eh. mahirap maghintay sa hindi naman sigurado. yung customs ng post office hanggang bukas nalang pasok. kaya try m na pumunta bukas kung ako sau.
san ba location nung office tols? di ako pamilyar dito sa maynila eh. kung pupunta ba ako dun siguradong makukuha ko na yung item? tumawag na nga pala ako sa fedex and as usual ang sagot di pa raw tumatawag ang bureau of customs.
ask m nalang sa operator malapit lang din ung naia kasi ang pnta ko bukas ung customs ng post office pasay area din. kalayo taga commonwealth kaya ako. sana lang hindi mahal singilin sakin.
@jason:
tols, alam mo ba contact number nila? mas magulo pa sila sa pubic hair eh, lols. tinawagan ko yung numbers nila na nasa website nila pero kung san san lang ako pinapatawag, wala rin ako nakuhang info reagaring sa item ko.
guys nakuha ko na iphone P3400 cningil sakin. pero natawaran ko ng 2k. wala e gnun tlga.
wa. sakin tumawag na kanina, PHP 1,285.00 sinisingil sakin, halos 60% ng total price ng binili ko which is PHP 2,115.00. Pano ka tumawad bro jason? kasi idedeliver na lang daw sa dorm yung item ko. hindi ko nga makukuha eh, binigyan ko na lang authorization letter yung guard namin tapos iniwan ko yung bayad. badtrip. kelangan ko umuwi batangas eh.
badtrip talaga, nag email nako sa FEEDBACK ng website nila, ewan ko lang kung magrereply sila.
guys, para sa update about sa ngyare sa package ko,visit niyo lang blog ko. just click my name. Thanks! gud luck sa ating lahat! merry xmas!
Twitter: GekiDan
says:
This i the third blog na nakita ko na nagtatackle ng customs kurakot. Anyways, natatakot na nga ako sa item ko sa FedEx na naharang ng customs.
It’s a $30 worth of toy from play-asia.
Sana lang dumating ito nang maayos sa akin.
Twitter: silkenhut
says:
With such horror stories, I am already thinking twice if I should buy online and pay a lot more in the customs. My only reason to buy online is because they cost lesser than buying in the Philippines but if they get stuck in the Customs, you will have to pay the crocs.
Twitter: GekiDan
says:
Well, I ordered a $30 item via Play-Asia and when it arrived here, customs is asking me Php2k for taxes. That’s double the amount I have paid for.
Lesson learned ika nga.
It’s much better to buy here locally than import stuffs.
Kindly read my whole story here: http://www.jefusion.info/2010/01/onlne-shopping-fedex-and-philippine.html
Twitter: jadejavu
says:
GAAAAAAAAAA Go ung mga customs bat nila ako pagbabayarin nga 7k sa prize q napalunan sa NOKIA?
7k daw ksi 50k ung package ( N97 mini ) via UPS to.
At isa pa ung N97 q CLEARANCE delay parin dahil sa Customs na yan! via FedEx to at 4 days delay na.
Next is my TRIAL from WOMWORLD, N86 8MP 1 day Delay na dahil Clearance delay rin…mag wawait na lg ako ng balita…ito Via DHL…damn! I need to kick those heads of customs…Bob* ung politiko na nagimpose ng 12% na vat…yan d umasenso ung Pilipinas dahil sa 1% lg ung pumupunta sa tao..ung 11% nsa mga POLITIKO!
[...] here on How the Bureau of Customs Spoiled the Fun for Mr Abe of Yugatech. I guess it really shows on how they respond is who they [...]
OMG! I’ve read the article and the comments. I was thinking of buying stuff online. It looks like a bad idea na. I agree with the sentiments of the people commenting on this post. A complaint should be filed. It angers me on how stupid this guys from customs are. It was in a clear plastic container. I’m sure the sensors would’ve detected something if it had dangerous contents.
So ano ang gustong iparating ng customs? Buy Pinoy?
We (me and my family) also experienced something like this last Dec ’08.
We were expecting a package from the US sent by our relatives. Of course, it’s for the holidays and everyone in the family has at least one item. Well, everyone except my cousin who was expecting a BNEW mobile phone.
Turns out, there should’ve been two phones in the box. The old used one (for my younger cousin) and a BNEW one with all the trimmings. Alas, the BNEW one went AWOL after a trip into Customs.
I was infuriated by this and was planning to make legal steps. However, my mom and grandma said that “it’s probably best not to get in their way”. I don’t know if they’re scared of them or something, or maybe they just want to avoid the hassle.
I guess the rumors are indeed true. Those people from that Bureau make money out of other people’s belongings. That, and they charge you with every possible crap they can come up with. SHEESH!
Twitter: GekiDan
says:
I tried EMS the other day. And I received my item from Japan without hassle. Just paid Php35. XD
Twitter: zeromd
says:
LMAO. You know what. Everybody’s got a problem with customs. I got charged 200% of my purchase price! See my blog entry here:
http://zeromd.wordpress.com/2010/03/12/200-customs-tax-only-in-the-philippines/
Had a bad experience lately with Bureau of Customs and FedEx, bumili ako online ng educational textbook costing around 35 dollars tapos tinawagan ako ng FedEx sabi I have to pay an additional P 1,900.00 dahil daw sa taxes and custom duties, nag reklamo ako pero until now wlang action, lahat na sinulatan pero wlang nangayari, saan ka makakita ung bayad ko sa taxes is much more higher than the amount i paid sa educational textbooks, yung FedEx naman hindi nag justify sa package ko na ung items are educational textbooks na supposed to be wlang tax, pinabayaan mangkurakot yung taga customs, wlang kwenta ang service, next time meron transaction online im gonna make sure hindi FedEx! only in the Philippines!!! hindi na talaga aasenso bansa natin, daming kurakot
Yuga, you’ve got a very strong case against customs. I suggest lumapit ka kay tulfo or any media that can expose these guys in customs. Na biktima na din ako nyan… I had a package shipped to me via fedex worth 5k, tapos they billed me around 3.8k… it was just a special computer mouse… kakaiba yung fees nila… may storage fee na 800 pesos just for a damn mouse… kakaiba talaga mga hayop na yan…
Hey, awesome website. I actually came across this on Yahoo, and I am stoked I did. I will definately be coming back here more often. Wish I could add to the conversation and bring a bit more to the table, but am just absorbing as much info as I can at the moment.
Thank You
Dog Toys and Clothes
putang inang customs na yan. i sent my gf a dslr at im looking at the fedex tracking sabi “clearance delays” im guessing ng pipicture taking na ang mga mokong na un!
Twitter: jehzlau
says:
@kyleb – ahahahaha.. natawa me sa comment you.. Yeah ur right, ginagamit nila yun para ma test baka ipadala sa recipient.. baka pinasa pasa na yung DSLR.. woooooot!
Nag fedex din me dati, ang tagal. Bukas na din yung pinadalang phone sakin O__O
guess how much i paid? P4,000 para i release. putang ina hinold nila ng ilang days so daily pumpatak ung fee. suppose to be friday at sa house ideliver guess what my gf had to pick it herself kasi dami nila reasons bakit matagal. i had a feeling palusot lng nila un para madagdag ang stocking fee kasi balak nila tuesday pa i deliver. i am gonna write a complaint to them. and to the customer service na they ignored my gf’s call whenever they see her number. humanda kayo i want this on the news.