This post is a jab at how slow Aramex is, but also shows how our postal service can be pretty good sometimes. I know we all like to hate on the postal service but my latest experience has completely changed my view on them, at least when it comes to shipping between GCC countries.
Last month I found a pair of Nike Metcon 4’s on the Sun & Sand Sports website based in Dubai, they had free shipping plus a 15% discount for new customers so the pair ended up costing me substantially less than if I had purchased it locally. Not only that, but they didn’t even have the color I wanted locally so it was a win win.
Sun & Sand Sports shipped my package via Aramex on August 29th and only just today, September 10th it’s being delivered to me (I still haven’t gotten it as of this post FYI). That’s 13 days from Dubai to Kuwait.
On the other hand, last week I ordered a package from Qatar which got shipped by regular post on September 3rd. I thought I was screwed and that the package might take forever to get to Kuwait but then on September 6th I got a call from the Hateen Post Office telling me I could pass by and pick up my package which I did. I thought the post office probably closed around 1PM but surprisingly they closed at 7PM. They were pretty friendly at the post office and an old guy behind the desk offered me some Quality Street sweets. The only awkward part was when the customs agent asked me what was in the package and I had to try and explain to him it was a musical ballerina figurine in an abaya, but other than that the whole thing went pretty smoothly.
So…
Qatar to Kuwait via regular post = 4 Days
UAE to Kuwait via Aramex = 13 Days
13 days from Dubai to Kuwait, that’s crazy. To put it in perspective, I had a pair of sneakers ship from New York on August 31st by PostaPlus, and I got them today!
New York to Kuwait via PostaPlus = 11 Days
When your express mail service is over 3x slower than regular Kuwait mail, you know you’ve got a problem.
28 replies on “Postal Service Can Be Good!”
I would rather not buy things than use Aramex.
I use Aramex for Shop and Ship and have been getting deliveries in less than 4-5 days from USA/UK/Hong Kong since 2-3 years.
My Friend on the other hand using Shop and Ship hates it because it takes sometimes 10+ days for his deliveries from similar locations. Strange.
But also whenever I get a package from the post, it’s been smooth as well. No real complaints as such.
I use Shop&Ship for non-US and UK packages. Right now I have a package coming from Italy, shipped September 4th and currently under clearance. Might get this faster than the Dubai package…
Q: Whats is the box mark?
Ans: A musical ballerina figurine in an abaya.
Q: ….damn
Say no more fam.
I see they sell KAWS dolls at this online store, why are those things so expensive?
They scare the crap out of me.
In the past year I have started to use exclusively Amazon Global US & UK.
Most packages take 2-3 days to reach Kuwait, then another 2-3 days for custom clearance and delivery. Sometimes I would get an additional day because of a Friday. All deliveries are handled by DHL Express and sometimes Aramex and all deliveries are standard global shipping and not expedited.
Best of all, you don’t have to pay shit for ‘Extra customs/handling/insurance etc. Amazon takes a deposit on payment, and returns any extra money to your credit card.
The only down side is you’re limited with what’s available for Amazon global shipping, but I have previously ordered laptops, chromebooks, A/V receiver, Mesh networks, mobiles.
plus another downside is cost. its more expensive to use global shipping when compared to say PostaPlus.
Well I used to use MyUS, so for me Amazon Global is a bargain and a convenience at the same time.
hahaha that makes sense!
I am not going to renew with MyUS this year, and I was thinking of trying Stackry. Any idea if it is any good?
Also, can you consolidate packages with Posta Plus?
no u can’t consolidate but their pricing is so cheap you don’t need to do that
You absolutely can consolidate with Posta Plus. It doesn’t consolidate weight like aramex, but it consolidates the customs fee of 1KD per package. For example you can consolidate 10 packages and save 9 KD.
ah didn’t know.
Amazon global also works brilliantly with me for all the reasons u mentioned
I, for one, had a terrible experience with the local post office. Back in Fall 2016, I ordered Seasons 4-7 of a TV show from Amazon UK and only recieved Seasons 5-7 instead; Season 4 never came, and I waited through the new year and IT NEVER CAME. I ended up buying it by myself when I was Germany, and even to this day, IT STILL HASN’T ARRIVED!!!!
3 months ago i called Wells Fargo to send me a new Debit card, at around 10:30pm Kuwait time, the next day 1pm ish, i had a knock on the door from FedEx with my package. this was the fastest i ever ever got something delivered to Kuwait.
Bastards at HSBC in the Uk had me wait 10 days for a replacement card to be delivered within the UK. I don’t think they would have even bothered to send one overseas.
Why a musical ballerina figurine in an abaya Mark? Why?
I buy figures from Japan called Nendoroid they are mainly for display but every time I got to Hateen postal which is almost every 15 days I have to go through this same awkward shit of telling them its a kids toy(which its clearly not).
I just don’t understand whats so difficult in double checking spellings before putting up a board. I know Kuwait is not an English speaking country but if you are writing things in English, might as well get the spellings right.(Ministry of Communication)
I quite fancy a muhajabah ballerina
for our study.Is it by Lladro?
Have often wondered why is it we don’t have a
flagship Lladro boutique in K-town?!
Tanagra in Salhia and Avenues carry Lladro since they’re the dealers
You see Aramex has time to pile up all required packages and ship it, so, if you want to order something from whichever, make sure you know when is their shipment is, and order it two-three days before, which really easy thing to do.
as for the postal service of kuwait, it is 100% better, the sender doesn’t relay on certain date to be shipped, but on the closest date for shipment, sometimes ur lucky, sometimes, it get hold up because of one week eid vacation ends up 9 days off lol.
but overall, Kuwait postal service is good, and better for close country delivery, and it’s safer.
Aramex is trying to be cost effective by making 2 times delievery per month.
overall, Amazon makes direct deliever to kuwait one of them is Aramex.
Hi Mark, glad to hear your experience was so good. Here’s mine….
I placed 2 orders from the uk on 30/11 and 8/12. The MOC tracking said next office would be salmiya on 19/12 and 27/12. My apartment has a po box so I asked the haris what I should do, and he said he would collect (don’t understand po boxes so not sure how it all works). He went a few times throughout January but was being told the parcels were not there. I spoke with the postal service via the whatsapp number (says its the associate director of parcels) who said the parcels should definitely be there so to try one more time. (Salmiya PO kept putting phone down on me when I tried them directly btw). I went to Salmiya post office yesterday and was passed from counter to conter unti I found a lady in an office who looked on her computer and gave me locations of the parcels and told me to tell the guys at the counter to get them for me. I spoke with an arabic guy and was directed to an Indian guy who said to leave my phone number with him and he will look for both parcels. He whatsapped me today at 8am…said he has found one of the parcels,I was delighted! Then he asked me when I will come and collect and that he wants money. I have gone back to him, not mentioned any payment and told him to find both parcels before I come back.
Can you suggest what I should do? Is this normal, I didn’t see anyone else handing over money yesterday? I have built something of a rapport with the associate director of parcels – the guy at the end of the whatapp number do I tell him what I am being asked? Or should I get the haris to go and collect them the parcel for me, I don’t really feel comfortable going in again under these circumstances, I was the only female in there yesterday as it was?
For clarity, it is not a customs charge. This is what he wrote on his whatsapp message…..’give me some bounuse okey?’. I asked what do you mean. He said ‘give me some money, I mean bonuse’
Is there a Whatsapp number for the Hateen Post office?
I have a shipment from India to Kuwait ,now the message came From Hateen post office ,10 days before ,when will open the parcel section in Hateen post office ,and after 10 days they will return it from the mother country???