9 ladies dancing, 10 lords a-leapin', 11 pipers piping...
October 22, 2008 8:12 PM Subscribe
I'm putting together a large care package box for my boyfriend, located at an FPO AP address. My plan is to fill it a ton of random stuff to keep him surprised and delighted, from funny shirts to little plastic toys to letters and pictures to CDs. It's been ages since I sent anything that required a customs form, and I definitely want this package to survive all scrutiny - how specific do I need to get when I'm listing the box contents, especially if I'm sending such a variety of items?
Do I really need to list each and every item I'm going to stuff in there, or are general descriptions fine? Things like "plastic toys" instead of listing each individual toy, for example? I just don't want to accidentally fill something in incorrectly, and have this take way longer to get to him.
Thanks!
Do I really need to list each and every item I'm going to stuff in there, or are general descriptions fine? Things like "plastic toys" instead of listing each individual toy, for example? I just don't want to accidentally fill something in incorrectly, and have this take way longer to get to him.
Thanks!
One line, "Unsolicited Gift," ought to do the job. Keep the specificed value under $50 or so.
posted by Etaoin Shrdlu at 8:20 PM on October 22, 2008
posted by Etaoin Shrdlu at 8:20 PM on October 22, 2008
Best answer: One line is definitely not good enough, but you can lump things togethers- "plastic toys", "candy", "magazines", etc. I've sent a few packages to FPO/APOs- the USPS Priority Flat Rate boxes are a great deal for those shipments, and you can really cram a lot of stuff into them.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:32 PM on October 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:32 PM on October 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
Best answer: The form you will need to fill out is a USPS 2976-A. You can view a PDF version here. You are supposed to list out the contents in detail, so "1 shirt, 2 music CDs, 3 boxes Jolly Ranchers,..." ad infinitum. Putting down "various items" or something else general would probably be a bad idea, and ensure that it got inspected and slowed down in transit. It's generally worth being specific. Just make a list of what you're putting in, as you add it to the box.
I'm not clear on whether packages being sent to U.S. personnel via the APO/FPO system abroad are always free of any import duty that they otherwise would get hit with (if it was just going normal post or private-carrier to the same place), and you might want to look into that because it affects whether he might get hit up for money before the package gets released to him. It may depend on the location.
You can fill out USPS forms online here, but I think it's more of a PITA than doing them by hand, honestly.
posted by Kadin2048 at 8:39 PM on October 22, 2008
I'm not clear on whether packages being sent to U.S. personnel via the APO/FPO system abroad are always free of any import duty that they otherwise would get hit with (if it was just going normal post or private-carrier to the same place), and you might want to look into that because it affects whether he might get hit up for money before the package gets released to him. It may depend on the location.
You can fill out USPS forms online here, but I think it's more of a PITA than doing them by hand, honestly.
posted by Kadin2048 at 8:39 PM on October 22, 2008
Went I sent some old squadron-mates some vodka dyed with orange food coloring in a Listerine bottle I labeled it "Listerine".
Everything else I labeled as 'gifts'.
posted by matty at 9:03 PM on October 22, 2008
Everything else I labeled as 'gifts'.
posted by matty at 9:03 PM on October 22, 2008
General's fine for an APO/FPO, you don't need to be nearly as specific as for a regular overseas mailing.
Last couple packages I sent my sister were just "non-perishable foodstuffs and personal care items", the latter being a Scope bottle full of green-tinted vodka. You want to screw that closed really tightly and put it in a Ziploc.
posted by padraigin at 9:35 PM on October 22, 2008
Last couple packages I sent my sister were just "non-perishable foodstuffs and personal care items", the latter being a Scope bottle full of green-tinted vodka. You want to screw that closed really tightly and put it in a Ziploc.
posted by padraigin at 9:35 PM on October 22, 2008
« Older Do I *really* have to wear a powdered wig, your... | Googlefilter: What is the name of this search... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by justlisa at 8:19 PM on October 22, 2008