To ask you you to help me send a parcel to Germany?

[Zitouna]

Here for traffic. I sent a parcel to Germany in November - presents for my friend who has just had a baby. Sent via the post office, who checked all the forms for me.

It has just been returned to me - the only information is that it was refused by German customs due to ‘non-compliant postal item identifier’. Which I think means the customs form is wrong. But I’ve checked against the advice and can’t see anything wrong/missing.

I want to resend (quickly, because the baby will be too big for the things soon!) but don’t know what to do differently! If I send with a private courier (DHL?) will they advise me? Has anyone successfully sent presents to Germany from brexitland?

There is a thread for everything on mumsnet isn't there!

We also sent a parcel to Germany that didn't arrive it was sent on 7th December.
Only photos

@BaronessBomburst

My family get around this my ordering gifts from Amazon.nl, or other Dutch websites. I order for them using UK based websites. I also have a pile of presents in my wardrobe which I'll only be able to give them when we next go back to the UK.

this

I send gifts to friends in the US and Germany by ordering off Amazon. While I would rather not use Amazon, it cuts down on the postage too.

Its such a shitty Brexit effect. My mum used to send me a parcel every Christmas with presents and treats in, food stuffs I miss from the UK, but last Christmas she didn't send anything because it was too much hassle, too expensive (postage has gone right up) and I'd have to pay too much fees for it. Ordering from shops within the country is the way to go even though it limits you so much more.

I've received parcels from the UK and am in Germany. I haven't had to declare what's in the parcels I receive at all! I'm not sure where that information comes from but it certainly isn't universally true.

Clearly label things as gifts and downplay the value (after all they're second hand if you've cut off the price label and they can't be returned) to avoid customs charges - nobody wants to pay 20€ to receive a present which no matter how lovely the thought might not fit/ be useful to them!
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Packages from the UK take a very long time to arrive (easily a month) but do get through if there's a customs for clearly stating the contents with a low value and the category box for gift crossed.

The postal cost and time mean in all honesty its not worth buying and sending items from the UK if the same item could be dispatched from within the EU - its really only worth sending very personal stuff or the extremely unusual thing which can't be ordered and dispatched from a .de or.eu website.

The same applies in reverse - the postage to the UK from the EU costs an insane amount and takes ages so it makes more sense to order presents on .uk websites which offer gift receipt and message+ giftwrap and send directly to the recipient.

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr the bilingual customs form which the German post office uses has the checkbox Geschenk/ gift (lower case) on it so I think she's ok using the word especially if written with a lower case g!

I sent my friend’s parcel to Germany on 19th December via Hermes International( was under 2kg and cost £8.90 to send), it was just clothing and I totally undervalued it on the form( put £19 and the labels said £350) . The tracking kept saying that it would be delivered by 31st December ( I bet they wanted to avoid the paperwork themselves), but eventually she got a note to say that she can go and collect it on 6th of January. So 18 days.
My friend sent one back to me from Germany via DHL , paid €30 postage , wrote a precise description and value of each item, and it arrived within 4 days!
I then another parcel via Royal Mail ( again under 2kg) to another European country on 24 December and it is still at the customs in that country . The crucial thing was to have a tracking number as then I could see that the system required them to fill out an online declaration form, which had to include the receipt and prove that you paid for the items and their value. I provided that a few days ago but ‘ the information you provided is being checked ‘ still.
Sorry for a lengthy post :)

Does it need a tariff code?

OP please rethink resending it. The other problem is she may have to spend a lot of time getting the package, depending where she lives. When we lived in Berlin the customs office was wayyyyy out in the burbs and you had to queue for hours and then debate the cost with an official. I wouldn't put someone through that who'd just had a baby.

I'm sure we could help you find similar items from inside the EU -- doesn't have to be Germany. Have you looked at DPAM?

@dreamingbohemian I might wait until her mum goes out to visit in March, tho the clothes won’t fit for long then!

I really don’t want to put her to any trouble - just what you don’t want with a new baby I know. Just that one of the items has a particular sentimental value and definitely only available in the UK so won’t find alternative sources. They have had some stuff successfully delivered without any charges or having to collect, so think if I’m a bit more canny with the values then it might be ok. Haven’t had chance to either get to post office or contact DHL today so still deciding!

On mine I had 1 camera bag, & I copped the same. It seems to be common on items going to Germany,