carolkirkland

I want to send Christmas gifts to Lithuania for family members in their early 30's, the 50 somethings and my aunt of 80 years. When my father was alive he used to send things like jeans and leather goods. He is now deceased and I have no idea of what an appropriate gift would be appreciated. Any ideas?

flanneruk

Why on earth would anyone in Lithuania (which makes and exports jeans to Germany and Britain) want jeans from a country that they have to pay import duty - and VAT, and a fat fee to the courier - for?

It probably costs your 30-something relatives less to fly to London or Dusseldorf to buy jeans and leather goods from Primark than it costs you to post these things.

Your first question has to be "why send these relatives anything, except our best wishes?" If they send you presents: it's worth thinking about how to reciprocate. But if they don't: your father's quaint custom made lots of sense 30 years ago, when Vilna was still under Moscow's boot.

It's not any more. It's a proper democracy, and its citizens can get access to all the tax-subsidised benefits Britain and Germany give Lithuanians (and America doesn't give its citizens).

Why continue a family tradition that ceased to make sense the day Lithuania joined the EU?

bvlenci

Lithuania's standard of living has increased quite a lot in the past decades, so jeans and leather goods may not any longer be as much of a thrill as they were under the Soviet domination.

I would send pretty much what you would give to friends or relatives near your home at Christmas. Maybe pullovers for the younger people, and cardigans for the older ones. Do you know their sizes?

bvlenci

It's true that the recipients of these gifts will have to pay customs, VAT (which can be more than the customs duty for items imported from outside the EU) and often also a "customs handling fee" tacked on by the courier.

A family in our town (in Italy) had relatives from the US come here to visit them. After returning home, the American relatives sent a nice box of gifts, mostly little food items they thought were not available in Italy. The family here had to pay an outrageous fee to collect the box, which was more than the items were worth.

If you want to send them gifts, have them shipped from a company located in the EU. Amazon.co.uk is a good choice, and has products from many other vendors. There will still be VAT, of course, but you'll pay it (and it's included in the prices shown).

Maybe you should give them Amazon gift certificates. I don't think there's an Amazon in Lithuania, but there's an Amazon.de (Germany) and an Amazon.co.uk . If they're comfortable with English or German, they could order from these companies.

Marija

Yes, we used to send jeans, scarves, fabrics and anything else the Soviets allowed to our relatives in Lithuania. We also paid a price equal to the cost of the goods as tariff. Thankfully, those days are gone! There are plenty of consumer goods now, you just need money to buy them. I only transfer money now, unless people come to visit and then everyone wants iPhones, iPads, etc. Electronics are cheaper here than in Europe.

sassy27

Oh, I am an expert on sending Christmas gifts to Lithuania. I have been sending a Christmas package every year since before 1989 and I still do. The recipient of my gift has never had to pay VAT. If you want to send gifts go for it. My friend and her family has always appreciated what I've sent. I've even asked what they wanted and did my best to find and ship it to them. Over the years I have sent candy, clothes, jewelry, handbags, scarfs, lotions, gloves, hats, hair accessories, games, books and much more. Whatever I have see something while I am/was out that I thought my friend or her family members would like, I bought and sent. So no different than any of my friends who live close by. My friend's son is in his late teens and loves anything basketball and Nike. Hoodies are a big hit. He asked for a messenger bag last year. My friend in her late 30s asked for cocktail rings and a red dress two years ago. I send gifts because I want to. Not because I think they need the items or they can't afford things. Who wouldn't like a gift in the mail? I can tell you though the cost of shipping has gone up a lot over the years so do your research.