Shipping small personal items from Canada to Bali. Suggestions?

[surfermoe]

Hi folks,

My wife and I will be moving to Bali with our two sons in July of this year. We've been told (many times) not to bother shipping furniture or other large items, so we're planning to ship only boxes with smaller items, such as kitchen stuff (e.g. expensive blender), extra clothing, a few kids' toys, and some business files. In total, we're expecting/guessing it might be 10 or so boxes of goods.

We obviously wouldn't need a container to ship these items, but it seems that a service like DHL would be pretty expensive. Can anyone recommend another way of shipping our boxes - a way that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg and involve bureaucratic hassles?

Thanks a lot.

Moe

 

[davita]

Hi folks,

My wife and I will be moving to Bali with our two sons in July of this year. We've been told (many times) not to bother shipping furniture or other large items, so we're planning to ship only boxes with smaller items, such as kitchen stuff (e.g. expensive blender), extra clothing, a few kids' toys, and some business files. In total, we're expecting/guessing it might be 10 or so boxes of goods.

We obviously wouldn't need a container to ship these items, but it seems that a service like DHL would be pretty expensive. Can anyone recommend another way of shipping our boxes - a way that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg and involve bureaucratic hassles?

Thanks a lot.

Moe

My personal opinion is to stuff everything into your suitcases and limit to that.

Last year, as we had received a Retirement Kitas, I was informed that all items imported would be free of duty/taxes from Vancouver to Jakarta. We only wanted to bring a 10 place classic dinner service that was a wedding gift some 25 years earlier... we used UPS who did the packing and the fee was prepared. It comprised 6 medium boxes around 2wx2lx3ft high
When notified of the arrival we duly drove to JKT aircargo to be given the 5th degree on content. They stripped everything out and found nothing of concerm. There was a comment that the plates were new till i showed the original manufacuring date.

Customs were happy the consignment was as desribed, but still gave us problems because we no longer our boarding passes.
We had all other dates of leaving Canada and arriving JKT but they ignored this and demanded Rp3.5M for the permit-handling to release our poperty. We paid and demanded a receipt. I considered to challenge; but we moved eveything to Bali and did not start that action yet.

MY advice is to ship it from door to door,,,,ny experience of collecting in their cargo hanger was embarrassing and expensive,

 

[surfermoe]

Thanks for the info, davita. This is exactly the kind of customs hassle we want to avoid!

Moe

 

[pollyanna]

Shipping door-to-door might help with the hassle but it won't necessarily help with the expense. Our movers contacted us when our stuff reached Surabaya and said we owed 20% more for customs duty. It seemed excessive at the time but our only option would have been to go to Surabaya to check out what was happening. Knowing what we know now I suspect the movers were being truthful. No movers or shipping agents are immune to customs that I know of.

We got the same advice about not bringing stuff to Bali but my advice would be to use your own judgement about the things you don't want to part with. Some of the stuff we brought wasn't necessary but some of my "stuff" I'm glad to have.

 

[Markit]

Agree with all above - my tuppence: don't bring anything on a Retirement Kitas - they will suck you dry on duty. If you can find someone with a working Kitas they are allowed to import a certain amount of goodies duty free - go figure.

Once they have you together with your much loved possessions in Surabaya they will bleed you for all they can get.

We decided to bring all our goodies over using repeated flights back and forth home and the inevitable many visits from home that come with living in Bali. You will be surprised at how quickly and cheaply all your prizes with accumulate when you offer family and friends free lodging in Bali if they bring your stuff with them.

I always try and convince visitors that I've lived here for 5 years with 3 pairs of shorts and 10 tshirts and they will need even less. The rest can be filled with cheese and other non-essentials that you love.

Try it.

 

[gilbert de jong]

shipped on retirementvisa without any problems or inflated prices after the arrival of goods.

 

[Markit]

At a guess Gil I would think that you being able to speak fluent Indonesian might be a big help in all that you do.

I've always found that being thought to be stupid (automatic when you can't speak a language where you are) is a huge disadvantage.

 

[davita]

Markit please see my previous post #2. I would agree with you but my wife, although a Canadian Citizen, is Indonesian. She did all the talking...I stayed in the car...and still!

My English buddy, on the same retirement kitas as myself, sent a house-full of stuff door-door from Hong Kong to Bali without a hitch. Seems to depend under which star one is born!

Indonesia has standards in its bureaucracy....it is to confuse.

 

[davita]

To the OP from Canada. I'm sure you are aware that the power in Indonesia is 240VAC and 50 hertz so any major electrical appliances from Canada will require some electrical intervention. Just posting a reminder!

 

[Markit]

Well there goes that theory.

It does seem to be open to chance - I know of someone that owns and runs a hotel here that imported a oldtimer motorbike from England - bike got to Surabya and they wanted 30 juta. Friend then said No-fecking-way, sent bike bake to Singapore where he had it taken completely appart and sent back as spares. Customs laughed and said there would be 100% import duty on antique spares. Friend then had to re-export the pieces of his bike back to the UK. Don't ask what it all cost - would have been far cheaper to just throw the whole thing in the ocean but that isn't possible now is it?

 

[gilbert de jong]

At a guess Gil I would think that you being able to speak fluent Indonesian might be a big help in all that you do.

I've always found that being thought to be stupid (automatic when you can't speak a language where you are) is a huge disadvantage.

now, I mean these days..yes being pretty fluent helps a lot.
but back then, I did nothing other then handing over the paperwork to the movingcompany back in NL and they took care of packing/shipmentlist/shipping and over at surabaya the process was taken-over/handled by their partner here..I just waited here on Bali for the trucks to arrive..

I think key is using a company that gives guarantees, regarding handling of paperwork/costs/insurance/etc..

About the bike : if he would like to try again, tell him to ship the bike to singapore, then on the boat to batam or malaysia..(have some tips to make it cheaper to, but that would involve travel-insurance)

@davita..an Indonesian woman (with all respect, cause I know many ) is 9 out of 10 times fighting a losing battle when it comes to 'handling burokrasi'..

 

[ronb]

Well, sometimes there are problems, sometimes there aren't. We brought 20 cartons air freighted to Denpasar - it's some years ago. We used a local agent who cost about 1.5 juta. The cartons came through without being opened. The agent helped us find a truck to get the stuff to Lovina. But when the truck didn't have a good tarpaulin, the agent sent a motorbike to get an inexpensive big blue tarp - because it was the wet season. I have often found that using local agents who speak English is a good way to deal with officials who may be after money.

 

[davita]

Quote "@davita..an Indonesian woman (with all respect, cause I know many ) is 9 out of 10 times fighting a losing battle when it comes to 'handling burokrasi'.."

hahaha ....OK Gil, I'd like to tell her what you quote; but she is a daughter and sister of police generals who are Ambonese....and I'm too afraid! :black_eyed:

 

[gilbert de jong]

hahaha..

but she should not have to deal with any birokrasi in that case, I mean she's family I only know people like that ;p
you must know right, that 9 out of 10 lower/middle government employees 'shit their pants' (sort 'o speak) when confronted with someone higher up the ladder..be it the 'power-ladder' or on bali the 'social ladder' (kaste)..

for OP : Moving Services, Moving Company, Relocation Services in Canada

 

[jiminc]

Hi folks,

My wife and I will be moving to Bali with our two sons in July of this year. We've been told (many times) not to bother shipping furniture or other large items, so we're planning to ship only boxes with smaller items, such as kitchen stuff (e.g. expensive blender), extra clothing, a few kids' toys, and some business files. In total, we're expecting/guessing it might be 10 or so boxes of goods.

We obviously wouldn't need a container to ship these items, but it seems that a service like DHL would be pretty expensive. Can anyone recommend another way of shipping our boxes - a way that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg and involve bureaucratic hassles?

Thanks a lot.

Moe

where possible state the value as less than $50, that way it pass through the custom without hassle.

obviously if you shipped in large 1 meter x 1 meter box and state that the value is only, say, $20 - the custom will still inspect and charge accordingly

my advice: ship in small, reall small, as in shoebox packagings and declare the value around $40.

 

[Robsail]

Has anyone had any recent experiences sending personal items to Bali from Australia? What companies and costs where involved? What is the name of a good agent that can handle the customs and delivery to door?