I need some help/info....

Don't send it by normal mail as the DR mail service is hit and miss. I suggest you use a reputable courier, in which case the person's name and phone number will be the essential details to ensure it gets to its destination. Having said that, the address does make sense:

Plaza Lizzy, apartamento 15a ("Plaza Lizzy" sounds like the name of a shopping centre, but it could be an apartment building)
Calle Castillo, casi esquina Santa Ana (Castillo street, near the intersection with Santa Ana (street)
San Francisco de Macor?s (name of city)

That is more or less correct, but I repeat: you should only use the regular postal service if you're prepared to risk losing the package.

If you do send it using a courier that serves the DR (e.g. DHL, Fedex, UPS, TNT) the name and phone number of the addressee are the crucial details.

Follow Chirimoya's advice.

The system here is very, very different from that in the United States. If your friend is going to receive packages or mail from you on a regular basis, have your friend rent a post office box. If this is a one-time delivery, spend the money to FedEx.

Another possibility: have your friend open an account at EPS or CPS, local courier services. It gets a bit costly, but it's really about the only option for ex-pats living here.

As a non-solicited "good deed" I have investigated this case and found that only EPS (Express Parcel Service) has an office in San Francisco de Macoris.

Send your friend 50 dollars and tell him to go to EPS on 27 de Febrero #44, the telephone number is 809 586 7185 or 9285. Tell him or her to go there and open an account. They will give the person and ID number as well as an address in Miami where you can use the US Postal Service to get the package there. THEN they bring it to the DR, to SFM at something like $4.00 a pound plus insurance and service fee.

When it gets here, you friend will be advised and he'/she can call you and tell you how much to Western Union so that they can pick up the package.

Do not put a value of more than 175$ on the package or it will be retained by Customs. There ain't no other way. The mails here are super iffy.

So, weigh your options:
1) Use USPS ->Dominican Postal Service(?Yikes?) = very possible disappearance
2) FedEx,DHL etc = very expensive
3) EPS = sign up costs + retrieval costs = less than FedEx and very very trustworthy

Your call.

HB

Actually, the Dominican Post Office has gotten better. There have been several threads on this recently with positive reports from people who have sent and received packages. I sent a package myself and it was received within 4 or 5 days.

If you send a package by mail, send it insured/certified, or whatever is available along those lines. Don't send it just regular mail

ahmadj said:

Thanks do much for all the swift answers.

After giving it some thought, since it's s one time shipment, and since I'm shipping a netbook, I'll just walk into kinkos/fedex and ship it through them.

And I'll make sure to put the value if goods at $150 for customs.

Thanks again.

Click to expand...

A netbook with a $150 dollars value ?

May be worth booking that flight after all

I will second AlterEgo's opinion...do not send a laptop which are valued at 400 0r 500$$$...

Customs know prices.

Better plan on hand carrying it, or finding a #4 way of doing things the Dominican way.
This would be finding someone here that is going to the DR sometime soon and asking them to hand carry it for you. I am sure that someone will do this, you'll see.

Try it and see. Once it is in the country, it can be sent by one of the local couriers...Metro, Caribe Tour, Dominican Watchman, etc.. Piece of Cake!!

HB

Hillbilly said:

As a non-solicited "good deed" I have investigated this case and found that only EPS (Express Parcel Service) has an office in San Francisco de Macoris.

Click to expand...

Vimenpaq/Transexpress www.vimenpaq.com.do should be available in any major city (bigger than campo) in the DR where there is Vimenca/Western Union office.

Post office INPOSDOM now offers courier service from Miami as well called INPOSPAK INPOSPAK - Inicio de Sesi?n, they have a flight 3 times per week from Miami, and they claim the cheapest rates in the DR. You can open account and collect in any local INPOSDOM post office in the DR, which is as widely available as Vimenpaq.