Claiming my package at the PhilPost Office

Yesterday I got this notice from the Philippine Post Office. It is said that I need to go to Quezon City branch to pick up my packages. This is not my first time to go here as I have been buying from abroad since 2009.

Both notices had stamps dated a week apart and arrived here for more than 2 weeks now. I don’t know what our mailman is doing and why I only get my notice 10-15 days after my items arrive.

Also, I am the one who will pick up my package from the post office instead of getting it delivered to my doorstep. Then why do we pay them if they don’t send our packages directly? AND WHY DID THEY HAVE TO INCREASE THEIR FEES, when they don’t send our packages directly? Apparently this fee is  for the “presentation to customs” fee.

Note: there is a 112 Pesos fee. back then this was only 50 pesos.

Moving on. Here is the dilapidated Philpost office. We pay so much, yet the facility isn’t air-conditioned, dirty, and not maintained properly. Heck, Even the parking lot and the roads surrounding this building has full of potholes.

First step is to go to Window 37. Wait for them to call you before proceeding or else, people lined up will get mad. Like that one police man earlier who went straight and cut the line. He didn’t even tried to line up when people told him there’s a line. If he is in a rush, he should have come earlier, because like me, I got out of the office and sacrificed my lunch time for this. You can tell which people are given priority by our government. But that is another story.

Step two is you have to wait for the customs official to call your name after he goes inside a small room to find your package. He opens up your package and when he sees that you bought something worth less than 1000 Pesos, then like me, you can just collect your package and leave.

Others are not lucky. You will be given a computation out of nowhere (they have a paper they will show you with numbers that I don’t know where they got it.) and you have to pay them additionally for “TAX.”

Last time I was here, a girl ahead of me had a package worth 3500 Pesos. They know the value (HOW?) of the bag and gave her a computation. She had to pay a little over 1000 Pesos for it. I know part of the fee is for the paper documentation, which sadly, adds to the total amount of tax you have to pay. I know because I was also taxed 2000 Pesos for the 8000 Pesos items. (I had to bargain to the customs officer to lower the tax because I don’t have money on me.

Unboxing Time! Even if the customs officer opened my package already, I am still excited to rip up the rest of the plastic. So, what did I get? My frame pannier front tube bag! It is in woodland camouflage pattern which I fell in love instantly the first time I saw it.

On one side, it has a zippered pouch with a mesh outside that also acts as a pocket. The other side has a velcro opening with two pockets inside. Both pouch are connected with straps and velcro for quick and easy installation/removal.

The pouch came with a strap that you can use if you want to bring the bag along with you.

Next is my Gopro bike mount. Originally, I ordered two, but only one came in the mail. SAD

No worries as I will just ask for a refund. Now I can finally use my Gopro for my bike. (I actually bought the Gopro because I planned to get a mountain bike before, its just now that my intended use for it will be realized.)

Can’t wait to go home and install them on my bike.

Ride Safe!

Tags: barbarous, Bike, Customs, cycling, cyclinglife, doppelganger, folding bike, Philpost, Post Office, Tax