Hi, Guys!
I ordered from Amazon early March 2007 amounting to USD99.58, shipped via Standard International Shipping and estimated date of arrival was April 16. As expected it didn't arrive on time. I only got a notice around 2nd week of May and to my surprise, I still had to pick it up myself. Doesn't Amazon deliver direct to the shipping address anymore? Much to my dismay, i was to pick it up in Pasig Central Post Office and not in Ortigas Center Post Office which is a stone's throw away from my workplace. Plus, I had to pay PhP1,500++ for whatever charges.I've been reading here that most of your packages are being delivered to your doorsteps by Royale Logistics, did you choose Standard International Shipping also?
I still have a second order amounting to USD49.99, expected date of arrival was May 25. The package hasn't arrived yet, not even a notice. I wonder what's going on with Amazon.
Based on my own experience and many others here, most orders from last year was handled by Royale and delivered by them to your doorstep if you are in the Makati/Ortigas area. Since around February 2007, however Amazon split their deliveries between DHL/Royale, USPS/Philpost, and some other international couriers.
Around that time, local PO seems to have acquired a taste for DVDs as a lot of my Royale deliveries which were forwarded to the PO (I'm not in their delivery route) got lost... I presume, stolen.
If your order is handled by another courier , say USPS, you will have to pick it up at the PO after receiving the notice. That is, if you received the notice. Twice, I received a 'second notice' without receiving the first one. But at least my orders handled by USPS did arrive unlike my orders handled by Royale.
As for duties, if you have to pick it up, then chances are, you have pay duties if it's $50 and up (including s&H), that figure is not cast in stone and if you happen to be unlucky, you might be charged P1500 for a $10 DVD. I think (is it Keilu) someone got charged that way...
Since you cannot choose whether Royale or USPS will handle your order, it's a luck of the draw. These are all Standard Int'l Deliveries...