Looking for basic information

Let?s <get a few things first off?
1) Where is your grandson located?
2) Is he mobile? Car or know his way around?
3) What kind of stuff do you want to send?

Once this is known, we can sort of give you good alternatives.

HB

Believe It Or NOT, We Have ALL Those Things Here!!



The cost to send "things" here can be VERY High! The time can be VERY Long!. "Customs" can be VERY Expensive!

It might be better,faster,cheaper,and in general less complicated to send your grandson something "Green"! You can send $$$ by Western Union"
Cris Colon

sending packages to D.R.

I have used FX to send packages to D.R. but it has been only documentation, I have not sent any goods abroad. FX can be expensive, an overnight letter pack is approximately $65.00.

I have used Fedex 6-7 times and 3-4 days and its there. Since he is in Santo Domingo, it would go from LA to Nashville(PROBABLY) Then San Juan PR, Then Santo Domingo. You will be able to track it online. Do not put any jewelry, watches,...etc. Identify the stuff as personal belonging, shoes...etc, not being to specific. 50-75 dollars for average size package of 3-4 lbs Shipping, Logistics Management and Supply Chain Management from FedEx

I get the idea that this boy is on a mission trip in Independencia province which is on the Haitian frontier. Am I right?
If this is so, there is little that you can send him that will arrive in a timely fashion.

Please tell me if I am right, and I?ll figure out some alternatives. FEDEX is NOT one of them.

HB. (And it is TRUE: There is NOTHING that you can send him that is not available here...at a price, for sure, but it is here)

UPS vs. FEDX

Stan_r said:

Hi, my name is Stan and I live in Los Angeles, California.

My grandson is in Santo Domingo and I am looking for information on how to send things to him in the DR.

I have never sent things internationally so customs and restrictions are all new to me.

I was thinking of using UPS, FEDX or DHL to send packages.

I would appreciate feedback on which of these services are reliable and reasonable in charges.

Stan

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We use UPS, and find it, while a reliable service, quite expensive. It's fine for shipping/receiving clothes, as it charges for the weight, but fifty dollars and over, just to ship books. This is quite irritating, seeing as there is no good english bookstore in anywhere from, and including, Sosua, all the way to Santiago. There may be one in Santo Domingo, but I've never seen one. As for FEDX, we find it quite unreliable, yet slightly cheaper. I'm not really sure about DHL, having never used it. Hope that information is helpful for you! aranoid:

No Way!

Hillbilly said:

I get the idea that this boy is on a mission trip in Independencia province which is on the Haitian frontier. Am I right?
If this is so, there is little that you can send him that will arrive in a timely fashion.

Please tell me if I am right, and I?ll figure out some alternatives. FEDEX is NOT one of them.

HB. (And it is TRUE: There is NOTHING that you can send him that is not available here...at a price, for sure, but it is here)

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INCORRECT: If what you are saying about everything you want you can find in he DR, is true, then tell me where I can find an english bookstore, or high quality electronics! Or how about a reliable hospital (you can't count those little 'clinicas')? Maybe I've just never seen one, but as for shopping, the DR is not exactly the 'place to go'. :tired:

dietcokeplease, welcome to DR1.

You are welcome to put your point across but no need to rant and rave, especially to a poster like Hillbilly who has helped so many people on this site for so many years. On the point of English bookstores maybe you have a point (although New Horizons bookshop in SD is OK) but high quality electronics are on sale in the better stores in the capital, and the availability high quality hospitals is debatable but not relevant to the OP's question anyway, who was asking about the best way to send parcels with food, clothes and shoes.

100% Agree with Chirmoya

Chirimoya said:

dietcokeplease, welcome to DR1.

You are welcome to put your point across but no need to rant and rave, especially to a poster like Hillbilly who has helped so many people on this site for so many years. On the point of English bookstores maybe you have a point (although New Horizons bookshop in SD is OK) but high quality electronics are on sale in the better stores in the capital, and the availability high quality hospitals is debatable but not relevant to the OP's question anyway, who was asking about the best way to send parcels with food, clothes and shoes.

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Be Wise!
:chinese:

Chirimoya said:

dietcokeplease, welcome to DR1.

You are welcome to put your point across but no need to rant and rave, especially to a poster like Hillbilly who has helped so many people on this site for so many years. On the point of English bookstores maybe you have a point (although New Horizons bookshop in SD is OK) but high quality electronics are on sale in the better stores in the capital, and the availability high quality hospitals is debatable but not relevant to the OP's question anyway, who was asking about the best way to send parcels with food, clothes and shoes.

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I appologize. No need to get snappy. FEDX is okay, if you want to just ship small things I suppose, but a family member attempted to ship a parcel to me, and we never received it (using FEDX).

No problem.

Chirimoya said:

No problem.

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Kewl. :cheeky: By now I'm guessing the person who created this thread is probably getting a bit frusterated with our ramblings that have nothing to do w/ his/her question.
My appologies
Dietcoke

Stan_r, have you asked your church whether they have a transportation service to the DR? Some of the mission groups club together and send a plane load full of stuff every week.

Stan_r said:

Hillbilly, yes he arrived in the DR on September 20. He will be there for about 22 months. We have been getting some short emails from him updating us on the storm. Initially he said his debit/credit card didn’t work. Last night he said that he was able to use it at a local grocery store.

I have checked out the main couriers and for 5 pounds they are at about $100. The posts suggesting local purchases is correct. The cost of purchasing plus the cost of shipping then the potential cost out of customs would exceed local purchasing.

Dietcokeplease, actually I was amused when I saw the posts this morning.
Today I am spending some of my time scanning DR1 for accurate information on the conditions in the DR. I see the pictures and read of the deaths. I am sure that our church and I hope that the USA government will send relief to the DR immediately.

We pray for our grandson’s safety, and we know that he will be on the front lines providing help to those in need.

Stan

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Why thank you. :cheeky:

I'm sorry to hear about your Grandson. I'm not religious, but all my hopes and prayers go out to his safe return.

Best wishes,
Dietcoke

Okay, so the boy is in Independencia province. That is a haul from Santo Domingo.
And you are in Los Angeles. Ugh! Not a hot spot for Dominican transportation companies.
What many Dominicans do is use a shipper--door to door-- and send a box or a barrel of stuff to kinfolk down here. I am not sure how you would go about doing this from LA.
And as one poster mentioned there are church groups that send a plane a week down here. You sort of have to promise to be their version of a good Christian to get the service, but it is the cheapest..but just to Puerto Plata or Santo Domingo as I heard it.

HUMMMM...probably the nearest large town is Barahona, and they do have FedEx.


I think I would just make sure that the debit card is fully charged--so to speak-- and tell him that he can take advantage of trips to Barahona and Santo Domingo.

Honestly, I spent two years here with no parental support, no debit card and i did not go through much privation. Of course, this was 45 years ago, and things were way different here. He will be fine and probably learn a lot. The fact that you can call him on his cell phone is great.

It is good to know that he has folks who care.

HB

P.S. You might talk to other members of your church who have been in the same area to see what their experience has been. And if I can come up with anything, I will certainly let you know.

i would try the US post office, they have something similar to priorty mail, they furnish envelope or small box, except is clearly marked "international". this is not handled by the dominican postal service IMPOSDOM, it gets delivered in the DR by DHL. i have used them 3 times to send documents and they always got delivered, twice the service was quick and lots cheaper than UPS or FEDEX, once the service was slow, 2 weeks, but got there. i wouldn't send anything "precious" this way, and i would send only to a "good" address. send shoes in different boxes, a week apart, nobody steals one shoe, likewise, anything that you can take apart should go in 2 boxes, or suitcases if flying. labels should be taken out of clothing, this makes it harder for the thief to sell if he decides to steal with the intent of later re-sale. why do you think women's clothing gets stolen by male baggage handlers in the airport?