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I'm a 25 year old man living near Aspen Colorado, one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I enjoy blogging occasionally, about completely random topics.

The life and times of an intrepid American student spending a year teaching English in Moscow Russia.

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13 December 2005

Fed up with FedEx

Arggg... I just want a small piece of paper, that already cost me $400. And I am sure as heck not going to pay another $200. I am going to Europe for New Years, and I bought a railpass in November. Because of a beauracratic technicality, I had to buy it online from the US. I had a friend ship it here via FedEx. Well, he mistakenly wrote a customs value of $580 on the package. Two weeks later, I got a call from FedEx requiring me to pay a $200 duty on the bloody thing!

After weeks of getting the run around by FedEx's Russian division, I was finally given the answer that it is impossible to modify customs values. I guess I'll never see that package again. Oh, and to send it back to the states, $124!

I am hoping that my insurance on that pass can cover me, and get a new ticket issued. Otherwise, I will have to get it refunded for 85%, which leaves me out $60. :( I am already poor enough!

So pray that this all works out. I am looking forward to my vacation.

posted by Excalibur at 01:30 3 comments

3 Comments:

  • Holy Cow. I hope you get it straightened out! I am supposing you are using Eurail??? It is something you don't want to go without in Switzerland... its a fortune using the train there. Also, if you are on a tight budget, you'll learn rather quickly that any of the fast trains cost around 10 euros, and in Switzerland, 5 franks. AND GUESS WHAT! Our dollar is about .10 cents better than theirs ;) but the cost of living and buying food over there is monstrous. I found that granola, bread, and cheese were your best bet, as well as loading up on breakfast at the hostel you stay at :).

    I hope it works out for you! if you need help, let me know. Its got to be hard trying to figure it out over there. My cell phone # and home # is on the mask and I'm fanatical about checking email :).

    By Blogger Sweet Onion, at 00:22  

  • As a very green traveler (or traveller in BR Eng.), I will definitely use your help. I'm glad you've been to these places, and have some experience.

    Anyway, I stayed up until six this morning planning all these details of my trip, and buying new tickets. It turned out that insurance is useless unless you have a notarized police report about the loss (fat chance in Russia), and I also found out after three hours dealing with a travel agency in person, that I cannot buy European rail passes in Russia. So, at last, I went back to Portland Based www.bootsnall.com and reordered new passes. I will get an 85% refund on the old one, and the new one will be sent to a pastor in Berlin that agreed to receive them for me. I just hope they are there when I arrive!

    I ended up opting for individual country passes for Germany, Switzerland, and Benelux. This way I get 16 days of rail travel rather than 10, for only $45 more.

    By Blogger Excalibur, at 11:33  

  • cool deal! Well, you are going to have the TIME of your life, and it will be well worth it! And I noticed your last post....

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    By Blogger Sweet Onion, at 22:32  

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