Barcelona: I'll Pay $50 for Someone to Go to a Store for Me!
Jun 7th, 2005, 07:33 AM
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Barcelona: I'll Pay $50 for Someone to Go to a Store for Me!
I know this is a strange post/request, but PLEASE read on if you're going to Barcelona (or know someone who is).
I was in Barcelona two weeks ago -- saw two great jackets and, unfortunately, I didn't buy them. I thought I could get them in the US, but every store (~15)in the US is sold out! Now, I'm trying to get the item from the Barcelona store, but they have a hard-edged policy of not shipping things.
So, I need someone to go to the store to pick them up for me. It's in central Barcelona, just north of La Rambla. If you're visiting Barcelona, and can bring these back for me, we could split the VAT refund, too ($80) -- the total value of these coats is ~$400-$500 TOTAL, so bringing them back to the US would not be an issue, even if you declared them (the US lets you bring back $800 worth of stuff duty-free).
I think shipping them back from Barcelona would not be a good option as (1) the VAT refund ($80) would be lost, and (2) shipping would be EXORBITANTLY expensive (UPS quoted me $200+ for shipping back two unlined jackets (they look like sport coats/suit jackets -- not winter jackets/coats) -- I estimated the weight at 5 pounds TOTAL)!
Is anyone going to Barcelona and interested in making $80, or so? This "errand" would take you about 5 minutes -- it's in very central Barcelona, and all you have to do it bring the coats back with you to the US. I live in Manhattan -- if you're in NYC, too, I can pick them up from you, or we can just ship them (inexpensive -- I'll pay for that, too, if you'd like). Please let me know.
The store only has these on hold until Saturday -- maybe Monday. I might be able to get them to extend the hold a bit, but the point is that I'm working under some tie pressure here. Please let me know if you can help me out!
Oh, and if anyone has any creative solutions/suggestions for how to get these jackets, please let me know! Thanks for reading my post!
I was in Barcelona two weeks ago -- saw two great jackets and, unfortunately, I didn't buy them. I thought I could get them in the US, but every store (~15)in the US is sold out! Now, I'm trying to get the item from the Barcelona store, but they have a hard-edged policy of not shipping things.
So, I need someone to go to the store to pick them up for me. It's in central Barcelona, just north of La Rambla. If you're visiting Barcelona, and can bring these back for me, we could split the VAT refund, too ($80) -- the total value of these coats is ~$400-$500 TOTAL, so bringing them back to the US would not be an issue, even if you declared them (the US lets you bring back $800 worth of stuff duty-free).
I think shipping them back from Barcelona would not be a good option as (1) the VAT refund ($80) would be lost, and (2) shipping would be EXORBITANTLY expensive (UPS quoted me $200+ for shipping back two unlined jackets (they look like sport coats/suit jackets -- not winter jackets/coats) -- I estimated the weight at 5 pounds TOTAL)!
Is anyone going to Barcelona and interested in making $80, or so? This "errand" would take you about 5 minutes -- it's in very central Barcelona, and all you have to do it bring the coats back with you to the US. I live in Manhattan -- if you're in NYC, too, I can pick them up from you, or we can just ship them (inexpensive -- I'll pay for that, too, if you'd like). Please let me know.
The store only has these on hold until Saturday -- maybe Monday. I might be able to get them to extend the hold a bit, but the point is that I'm working under some tie pressure here. Please let me know if you can help me out!
Oh, and if anyone has any creative solutions/suggestions for how to get these jackets, please let me know! Thanks for reading my post!
Jun 7th, 2005, 08:02 AM
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Are these designer jackets? Anything special about them?
Why don't you Google for the designer and see who carries these jackets in the US? Just because you didn't find them in NY it doesn't mean they are not available in Chicago, LA or anywhere in between. Most if not all stores here would be happy to ship it to you.
Good luck!
Why don't you Google for the designer and see who carries these jackets in the US? Just because you didn't find them in NY it doesn't mean they are not available in Chicago, LA or anywhere in between. Most if not all stores here would be happy to ship it to you.
Good luck!
Jun 7th, 2005, 08:17 AM
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DUH!!! I apologize for the post above..realizing now that if someone picks these up for you then the jackets wouldn't be considered as "exports" in the usual fashion.
Again, sorry, and good luck!
Again, sorry, and good luck!
Jun 7th, 2005, 01:03 PM
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These jackets are only sold by Zara (www.zara.com). There are approximately 15 stores across the US -- every one is sold out in the sizes that I need (Medium and Large). This brand is based in Spain, so (1) they're easier (but still not easy) to find, and (2) they cost about half the price.
There's no easy way to do this, unforunately.
Does anyone have any thoughts on how to ship this, if I can get someone in Barcelona to ship it to me? UPS quoted me a cost of OVER $200(!!!) to ship a 7 pound package (my guess of the weight) from Barcelona to New York using their "most economical" shipping method -- and that's EXCLUDING any potential customs fees! That's why I want someone to put this in their suitcase -- it's much:
1) Easier
2) Cheaper
3) Faster
Can anyone help? If anyone has connections in Madrid, that would probably work, too!
There's no easy way to do this, unforunately.
Does anyone have any thoughts on how to ship this, if I can get someone in Barcelona to ship it to me? UPS quoted me a cost of OVER $200(!!!) to ship a 7 pound package (my guess of the weight) from Barcelona to New York using their "most economical" shipping method -- and that's EXCLUDING any potential customs fees! That's why I want someone to put this in their suitcase -- it's much:
1) Easier
2) Cheaper
3) Faster
Can anyone help? If anyone has connections in Madrid, that would probably work, too!
Jun 7th, 2005, 01:55 PM
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i live in valencia and we have several zara stores here.
i am arriving at jfk august 4th and spending a couple nights in manhattan.
however, i cannot get the VAT returned for you as i am spanish resident.
see if they can give you all the info numbers, color, size, and i can get them for you in valencia.
how will the payment be made for them?
i am arriving at jfk august 4th and spending a couple nights in manhattan.
however, i cannot get the VAT returned for you as i am spanish resident.
see if they can give you all the info numbers, color, size, and i can get them for you in valencia.
how will the payment be made for them?
Jun 7th, 2005, 03:20 PM
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My daughter is going to Barcelona soon, but she's going to be going back to Italy until Sept., however, she's going with some other students who are returning to the States (and might be interested in making some extra $--but they may be overweight in luggage already...don't know.) I will e-mail her this and see if she (or her friends) could help.
Jun 11th, 2005, 06:27 AM
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I do not know what jacket is it an we have Zara in Turkey as well. ( probably the jacket is made in Turkey as well 
By the way this post keeps place in Turkey. Would not be better in Spain Board ?
Good Luck
Murat
By the way this post keeps place in Turkey. Would not be better in Spain Board ?Good Luck
Murat
Jun 12th, 2005, 07:16 PM
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If you search Barcelona on this board, I believe you will find the names of some guides. Perhaps you could buy some of their time to buy the jackets for you and take them for shipping; a local might know a cheaper way to ship them.
Jun 12th, 2005, 07:37 PM
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Please forgive me for being terribly suspect of anything like this?I know that I will get "flamed" for saying this but....I hope that most of you would not even think of doing something like this for a total stranger.If the coats are that important to them then they would pay the extra price of shipping from over there.(Forgive me odonnela but when you said that you would "even pay to have them shipped to you if that is what the purchaser wanted from where they live"-duh?) When you purchase things for a stranger overseas that they want you to bring back-does anyone else wonder what might be "in the coats" or packaged with them? Every airline always ask if you are bringing something for someone else or have accepted a gift while overseas....are you getting the drift?It is one thing to be bringing back souvenir things but when you start bringing back coats that are $400-500 for a total stranger- I would be thinking twice!(Especially for ONLY $40.00!)
Jun 13th, 2005, 02:43 AM
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I agree with dutyfree; this is a very odd request for a public board.
I would not for the life of me want a perfect stranger to stuff 2 new jackets in his/her suitcase, possibly squished with same stranger's dirty clothes....... and the opposite risk is there also and foremost.
Zara will probably have a new line out in the states soon and you will have your choice of
jackets to purchase in person.
$40 is peanuts for the hassle this might involve.
I would not for the life of me want a perfect stranger to stuff 2 new jackets in his/her suitcase, possibly squished with same stranger's dirty clothes....... and the opposite risk is there also and foremost.
Zara will probably have a new line out in the states soon and you will have your choice of
jackets to purchase in person.
$40 is peanuts for the hassle this might involve.
Jun 13th, 2005, 05:11 AM
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I would check out some other shippers. I have done a lot of meetings in europe and shipped hundreds of pounds of stuff back and forth. There's no way it should cost $200 to ship a few pounds back to the US - unless you're asking for overnight delivery and personal escort through customs.
Try FedEx and DHL etc.
Try FedEx and DHL etc.
Jun 13th, 2005, 08:32 AM
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Post is the way to go. Just recently I shipped about few kgs. of clothes from NZ. FedEx, UPS or whatever other shipping company wanted few hundred $, the local post office? $50.
The commercial shippers really do not want to get involved in small/personal international shipping. They will, but they will charge the "real" prices. Post offices are run or governed by governmental bodies and are bound to international post treaties. They have to make it affordable to local poulation even if it's a money loosing proposition.
Any small international shipping - try the local post office.
Trust me, it's the cheapest option.
The commercial shippers really do not want to get involved in small/personal international shipping. They will, but they will charge the "real" prices. Post offices are run or governed by governmental bodies and are bound to international post treaties. They have to make it affordable to local poulation even if it's a money loosing proposition.
Any small international shipping - try the local post office.
Trust me, it's the cheapest option.
Jun 13th, 2005, 09:08 AM
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I thought the request was outrageous, also, to ask a total stranger to do all that work for you (the time involved, not to mentioned carrying the stuff around with you and using up your own customs allowance) -- and then saying you are going to to them the big favor of "splitting" the VAT refund with them so they can have $40!!!! All because someone just has to have some particular coat they were not astute enough to buy when they had the chance. And being too cheap to pay a professional for the services of doing it.
Jun 13th, 2005, 09:18 AM
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This post is now almost a week old, the original poster has obviously moved on to another planet, and perhaps the BEST response would have been, "You are correct. It IS a strange request...and one unlikely to be honored..."
But what the heck, let's just keep TOPPING THIS and see how far out of hand we can get it!!!
But what the heck, let's just keep TOPPING THIS and see how far out of hand we can get it!!!
Jun 13th, 2005, 07:46 PM
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My mantra whenever traveling is: if you see something and you want to buy it -then do. It always happens that when you think that you can get it cheaper or at home you cannot.You will ALWAYS regret the stuff that you wanted and decided not to buy when traveling overseas. WHEN IN DOUBT-BUY IT!
Jun 28th, 2005, 06:22 PM
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RIDICULOUS,
NEVER,NEVER, carry anything through a border for anybody ! As a retired Customs Agent, this is stupidity & illegal.Remember, your declaration is "your" personnal exemption, it is not for anybody else.Please, do yourselves a favor and walk away from this absurd request !
NEVER,NEVER, carry anything through a border for anybody ! As a retired Customs Agent, this is stupidity & illegal.Remember, your declaration is "your" personnal exemption, it is not for anybody else.Please, do yourselves a favor and walk away from this absurd request !
