eBay/USPS' dirty little secret: Why you should NOT ship clothing/footwear to Italy

[whacked]

... because the item will most likely get confisticated by the Italian Custom Service. Not because they are greedy or corrupted, but because they are supposed to.

Italy does not allow private individuals to import most items. The list includes most SF-relevant goods: clothes, shoes, watches etc.

Country Conditions for Mailing "” Italy
Prohibitions (130)

Albums of any kind (of photographs, postcards, postage stamps, etc.).
Arms and weapons.
Articles of platinum or gold; jewelry; and other valuable articles unless sent as insured Priority Mail International parcels.
Artificial flowers and fruits and accessories for them.
Bells and other musical instruments and parts thereof.
Cartridge caps; cartridges.
Clocks and supplies for clocks.
Compound medicaments and medicines.
Coral mounted in any way.
Ether and chloroform.
Exposed photographic and cinematographic films.
Footwear of any kind.
Haberdashery and sewn articles of any kind, including trimmings and lace; handkerchiefs; scarves; shawls, needlework including stockings and gloves; bonnets, caps, and hats of any kind.
Hair and articles made of hair.
Human remains.
Leather goods.
Lighters and their parts, including lighter flints.
Live bees, leeches, and silkworms.
Live plants and animals.
Nutmeg, vanilla; sea salt, rock salt; saffron.
Parasites and predators of harmful insects.
Perfumery goods of all kinds (except soap).
Playing cards of any kind.
Postage stamps in sealed or unsealed First-Class Mail International shipments.
Radioactive materials.
Ribbons for typewriters.
Roasted or ground coffee and its substitutes; roasted chicory.
Saccharine and all products containing saccharine.
Salted, smoked or otherwise prepared meats; fats; and lard.
Tobacco.
Toys not made wholly of wood.
Treated skins and furs.
Weapons of any kind and spare parts for them.

http://pe.usps.com/search/jsp/search...9&dtype=2#hit0

Lesson to be learned: check destination country's list of prohibited goods before shipping.

 

[A Guy from Shanghai]

Good to know. Thanks.

 

[needshoehelp]

Note to self: cancel impending live bee shipment.

 

[texas_jack]

lol @ ribbons for typewriters.

 

[Roikins]

Thank God I held off on shipping those playing cards to my friend in Rome.

 

[RJman]

Originally Posted by whacked;923297Country Conditions for Mailing "” Italy
Prohibitions (130)

Albums of any kind (of photographs, postcards, postage stamps, etc.).
Arms and weapons.
Articles of platinum or gold; jewelry; and other valuable articles unless sent as insured Priority Mail International parcels.
Artificial flowers and fruits and accessories for them.
Bells and other musical instruments and parts thereof.
Cartridge caps; cartridges.
Clocks and supplies for clocks.
Compound medicaments and medicines.
Coral mounted in any way.
Ether and chloroform.
Exposed photographic and cinematographic films.
Footwear of any kind.
Haberdashery and sewn articles of any kind, including trimmings and lace; handkerchiefs; scarves; shawls, needlework including stockings and gloves; bonnets, caps, and hats of any kind.
Hair and articles made of hair.
[B

Human remains[/b].
Leather goods.
Lighters and their parts, including lighter flints.
Live bees, leeches, and silkworms.
Live plants and animals.
Nutmeg, vanilla; sea salt, rock salt; saffron.
Parasites and predators of harmful insects.
Perfumery goods of all kinds (except soap).
Playing cards of any kind.
Postage stamps in sealed or unsealed First-Class Mail International shipments.
Radioactive materials.
Ribbons for typewriters.
Roasted or ground coffee and its substitutes; roasted chicory.
Saccharine and all products containing saccharine.
Salted, smoked or otherwise prepared meats; fats; and lard.
Tobacco.
Toys not made wholly of wood.
Treated skins and furs.
Weapons of any kind and spare parts for them. .
Well, there goes my weekend.

 

[whacked]

Originally Posted by Roikins

Thank God I held off on shipping those playing cards to my friend in Rome.

Originally Posted by RJman

Well, there goes my weekend.

 

[sjmin209]

I'm particularly peeved at the restriction on human remains.

 

[VMan]

I have a 'no shipping to Italy' rule in my auction descriptions but still get Italian bidders all the time. I've only had items snagged by customs when I used First Class, never with Priority or Express.

I used to tell Italian auction winners that I couldn't send their item to them, but then they'd ***** about it and I'd end up sending it insured and at their own risk. Most Italians told me they buy clothes from the US all the time when I'd tell them I can't ship, so I don't know how closely the rules are enforced.

 

[whacked]

Originally Posted by VMan

I have a 'no shipping to Italy' rule in my auction descriptions but still get Italian bidders all the time. I've only had items snagged by customs when I used First Class, never with Priority or Express.

Interesting. Do you put "Mens' shoes" or "Mens' shirt" etc. on the customs declaration form that go with the label? Thanks in advance,


Oh, I started this thread after a request I got today from an Italian buyer. Unlike previous occasions when I had simply declined, I decided to do some research this time. And lo' and behold...

 

[mack11211]

I've shipped to Italy OK.

It's often slow but it shows up.

 

[hookhook]

How the hell are the poor Italians supposed to live without good old American fat???

 

[Karo]

That is whacked, whacked.

Thanks for the tip. I just thought they were just a pain ********** for importing designer items. Another country added to my blacklist.

 

[Osprey Guy]

I was unaware of this issue. I sold an Etro shirt on eBay last month to someone from Italy (Italian shirt to an Italian). Shipped it via Priority Mail International. They received it on their end surprisingly quick...no problems. I guess Priority Mail did the trick?


Dennis

 

[LabelKing]

I shipped a vintage Nikon camera to Italy before, but it appears photographic equipment isn't on the restricted list.

I imagine if you're an Italian collector of Victorian jewelry, the hair restriction might prove tedious.