Postal service now has plan to deliver Internet purchases

By the http://AMCostaRica.com staff

The postal service said Thursday it has created a system for shipping goods purchased via the Internet to customers in Costa Rica.

The system is called Box Correos, and it has a separate Web site -

http://BoxCorreos.com/boxcorreos

and registration is required.

The setup is much the same as private carrier services. Correos de Costa Rica said it has an address in the United States where shipments can be sent. Packages will be shipped to Costa Rica for distribution to customers here.

Correos also said that it would handle the customs duties to deliver packages to the customer's door, at least in the metro area.

Until now getting packages through the postal service tested the patience of most expats. Usually a trip was required to the central office in Zapote where taxes and customers duties would be paid. The postal service said that customs duty and sales tax would be calculated automatically and charged to the customers online. There also are provisions for insurance.

Correos got a lot of bad press over Christmas because the Ministerio de Hacienda began charging sales tax without warning on shipments from overseas. The postal service was caught in the middle, but somewhere there is a pile of Christmas presents still awaiting delivery once fees are paid.

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