Post Office Package Predicaments
Living in another country, usually the trickiest things always deal with the government or federal branches. In March, some of my friends sent me a package for my birthday. My friend Jeff messaged me about a week after notifying me that they had sent the package and it was stuck at customs around a week after my birthday.
When I first checked with the USPS tracking information - it showed that my package was stuck at customs but didn’t give an exact address of where that was. Being one to Google and find out things for myself, I tried to find where this “Sofia Colis Postaux” was and ended up going to the post office in the city centre to ask about my package. When I got there, I understood that my package was not there although they had digital tracking info on it, and got lost about directions. Jeff had found a good news article from a Bulgarian news site explaining that in order to pick up certain international packages that were held at customs, you had to send 2 different forms for declaring what the goods were and also pay the VAT taxes due to “importing” outside goods. Still, I wasn’t sure what the correct steps were and so I asked my leader Bob and also asked my Bulgarian colleague Toshko to help me go visit the post office again.
After going to the same building but this time a different entrance with Toshko, we were told to send an email to the Ministry of Customs at customerservice@bgpost.bg in order to inquire about the next steps and how to get the package since I didn’t receive any email or text or slip. We both sent an email and waited a few days for a response. I then realized that this matched up with the article Jeff had sent me so I also sent another email including the documents for customs release. The same evening, we had a birthday celebration for Bob and I got more information that the place I needed to go in person was near the airport and there they could either give me the package or at least help get the package through customs.
So, at the end of the week, Toshko graciously takes me to the customs office (митница) and we wait there for like 25-30 minutes which is normal because the person who was supposed to be at the desk was not there. Finally, when the guy comes, I fill out the same forms I had sent by email but this time in person and they told me that it would be a week or so and to be on the lookout for an SMS from them notifying me when the package cleared customs. At last, things seem more hopeful as they also confirmed verbally that my package should end up at my local post office.
Although I never got any message from the Bulgarian post office, I did sign up to get notifications from USPS because I was eager to receive the goods. Finally after a week or 2 of waiting and getting updates from the USPS tracking with SMS text notification - I got a message saying I could pick up my package! Just one more small road bump occurred since the local post office 1756 near me closed indefinitely when I biked over to pick up my package. They left a sign on the door saying that all packages there were being rerouted to a different post office in Mladost 1, the neighborhood right next to mine. Since the post isn’t open on weekends, and there was a holiday Monday, I waited till Tuesday afternoon to finally go pick up my package! I did have to pay VAT of about $25 but the snacks from my friends and the birthday cards were worth every penny.
All to say, even in these small simple things we typically take for granted back home become a crazy adventure and learning experience. I feel like there were times of course I got slightly frustrated or just plain confused about why things were happening, but God allowed it all in his timing and was teaching me patience and communication with others. Anyhow, now I think its safe to say I’m an “expert” in all things postal-related - that is until a different type of scenario or problem occurs!
