suntravler

Several months ago, someone on this MB had recommended a website for selecting books/gifts that could be sent to Israel at a reasonable charge. If I remember correctly, this website was from the UK.

NOw, I can't remember the name of the website, and I cannot find the discussion on the message board. So if you would have any knowledge about what this website might be, please post the information.

Thanks.

FainaAgain

Africnow posted the link in this thread on 4/18 (scroll to about the middle of the thread)

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34789943

africnow

Yes, but if I remember correctly that was about the purchase of books and not about cheap shipping...

suntravler

W O W !!!!!!!!

FainaAgain....I can't believe you found it. A great big thank you. This is exactly the thread I was looking for.

(I'm curious about how you found it. I was using various search terms and then I went through about the last 150 threads on the Israel MB. And I still couldn't find it.)

Africnow....I couldn't really remember what your advice said. Perhaps it was wishful thinking that it had information about "cheap postage."

Since my trip to Israel in May....where I visited 10 of my cousins....meeting some of them for the very first time....I have wanted to keep up the connection with the younger children...to let them know that their family in the US is thinking about them even though they are so far away.

I have been browsing for little things I could send them....but the postage is about triple the price of the items...even by "regular" air mail.

So I was thinking that there might be some sort of Israeli or international website where I could safely purchase some things online and have them mailed at a lower cost.

While the kids understand a good amount of conversational English, I don't think they can read it. I was thinking of sending pretty calendars or some arts and crafts items....things that don't weigh a lot and that don't require a lot of English reading. (Their Mom is fluent in English.)

But pricing the postage from the US leaves me astounded.

africnow

No reason really why you can't send them surface mail - about 1/3 of the price! Takes longer but are enjoyed just as much when they do arrive

Do not ship large packages. Keep the cost - or at least the declaration of the cost - under US$10 or the recipients will be paying huge import taxes on them, even if they are labeled 'gifts'!

I am pretty sure that anything you buy on-line in Israel will in the end cost more even if the shipping itself is less. We don't have your large discount stores where you can pick up inexpensive gifts.

suntravler

"Keep the cost - or at least the declaration of the cost - under US$10 or the recipients will be paying huge import taxes on them, even if they are labeled 'gifts'!"

UH OH!!

I sent a package last week. For the customs declaration I said "$30" and labelled it as gifts.

I hope they don't end up paying any taxes on this. What do you think??? I would feel terrible if my gift ended up costing them money.

Thanks again for your advice. It will be very helpful and I will inform the rest of the family here about what you are telling me. Those kids were so adorable, we don't want them to forget us.

Thanks again for the advice, Africnow.

africnow

If it was clothing it might be all right.
If it was toys, they are likely to be charged import taxes and VAT. If it was anything 'electronic' then they will definitely be charged. It depends. The postal import/gift/tax laws aren't all that clear.

suntravler

It was photo albums and picture frames. I had taken a LOT of photos when I was there. I had the pictures processed and put them in albums and the best ones I framed.

Do you have any idea what the taxes might be on a package like that valued at $30 ??? They are living on a very tight budget and I would never want to cause them unnecessary expense.

suntravler

Africnow....I have never sent any packages to Israel before, so I am not familiar with the system.

Does someone from the Israel Customs agency actually open the boxes to see what's inside? I figured that it was likely the package might be x-rayed for security purposes.

I wrote on the US Customs declaration that it was "family photos, albums, and picture frames."

But that form was from the US Customs Service. Does that form stay on the package for the Israeli authorities to read also?

africnow

I have absolutely no experience with that type of package, but it being a family album the chances are good that they will not have to pay anything.

Yes, all packages entering Israel are opened for postal inspection. They are re-sealed with special postal tape, so everyone knows who opened it...just in case.

The reason for opening them is, of course, security. Many types of explosives and BCW can pass through an x-ray and not be spotted - but the customs dep't has taken advantage of that fact more than once.

Yes, the form that you fill out to send the package goes along with it.

suntravler

Gee....Africnow...

Thanks for this lesson. I'm sure it will be very helpful in the future.

Toda.

FainaAgain

Suntraveler, don't remember now, probably searched for "books to Israel" or something similar.

I love all kind of sleuth-related searches, that's all

africnow

Anytime. Glad to help out when I can.

suntravler

Africnow....

Are you at all familiar with this website or this company:

www.israel-catalog.com

africnow

Hi Suntraveler

I don't know the company, but checked out some of their prices:

Natural Sea Beauty products for instance. They charge 9.95 for hand cream. That is more or less NIS450. Claim that it is buy 1 get 1 free - BUT the real price should be in the NIS95-105 range.

Yossi Banai, The collection: They charge US$ 37.95 (x4.77 = NIS181.) In Israel the set costs NIS100.

And so on...

africnow

Sorry - ignore the above. I am too tired for words. Add a zero where it shouldn't be! At NIS45 yes, the price is very good.

suntravler

Once again, Africnow....TODA...THANK YOU. I appreciate your investigative work.

Hope you are getting some rest during Shabbat.

Shabbat Shalom.