POS Indonesia

fastpitch17

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Waiting for our new debit cards to arrive. Evidently arrived Jakarta today via US Priority International mail which cost US50.00. POS sent us a message that we need to first pay tax on our package and they will then deliver it to our address. It is an envelope and they are demanding Ro551,000 for tax.

2 years ago we paid Rp12,000 for tax. For a giv business who have never delivered any mail to our home here for over 11 years and the only way to get it is to know it's coming and calling them daily, they sure have a racket going on. We are going to the Post office here to find out what is going on. Not that it will help.

Anyone experience this robbery?
 
Since you seem to have a lot of post mail and problems with US why dont you have a drop box system in SG ?
 
Waiting for our new debit cards to arrive. Evidently arrived Jakarta today via US Priority International mail which cost US50.00. POS sent us a message that we need to first pay tax on our package and they will then deliver it to our address. It is an envelope and they are demanding Ro551,000 for tax.

2 years ago we paid Rp12,000 for tax. For a giv business who have never delivered any mail to our home here for over 11 years and the only way to get it is to know it's coming and calling them daily, they sure have a racket going on. We are going to the Post office here to find out what is going on. Not that it will help.

Anyone experience this robbery?
Exact same situation to get my US Debit Card last year with UPSP Proirity Mail. I don't remember the tax being that high but it was enough to set off my BS alarm. I knew asking them to explain how they tax an envelope was useless but at least it lets them know you aren't buying their BS excuses. Still have to pay but...
 
Exact same situation to get my US Debit Card last year with UPSP Proirity Mail. I don't remember the tax being that high but it was enough to set off my BS alarm. I knew asking them to explain how they tax an envelope was useless but at least it lets them know you aren't buying their BS excuses. Still have to pay but...
Yeah, if we want our debit cards we will have to pay. No choice there. Wife wrote them an email asking how they figure the customs/tax on a single envelope. She reminded them that last time was Rp12,000. Going to pay at PO because I am not about to download their pay app. I don't even believe it is here since wife called PO and they said they did not have. Probably setting in Jakarta so will probably still have to keep checking for arrival days after it's paid for.

Maybe it's good I am not receiving all the SS mail since it would probably break me.
 
A few years ago they changed the duty free amount for packages from 75USD to a laughable 3USD. And that includes the cost of shipping and shipping insurance.

The taxes for general items that don't meet a specific category of higher or lower taxes are usually about 30% with NPWP or 40% without NPWP, so either they categorized the contents in a special category with higher tax, or they valued the cards at 30-50USD. I would ask what value they assigned to the cards and why, because in my mind it should be zero, or some trivial amount just like documents.
 
They appear to value items at the highest prices they can find on the internet. An actual invoice means nothing. Everytime I have imported something, I have been hosed. Not a mistake I will continue to make but it appears it will contiue with "documents" as well.
 
Yeh it's b.s. they tax a document or a bank card. Wait till you tell them it's for your US savings account with $500k inside and they try to tax you on that hahahaha
 
I have been lucky, having credit cards delivered from Chase bank in the US using FedEx. Never got hit up for taxes, delivered straight to my house and have had 3 different sets mailed over in the past 2 years.
 
I have been lucky, having credit cards delivered from Chase bank in the US using FedEx. Never got hit up for taxes, delivered straight to my house and have had 3 different sets mailed over in the past 2 years.
I did get my cards 4 years ago via FedEx. Cost was US$150.00. Changed to POS and they hit me with a Rp12, 000 tax 2 years ago. This time Rp551, 000. Cost to send, US$50.00. POS replied to our email. Check with this link to Customs. It is a form definately designed for businesses. A lot of information I don't have is asked and must be filled in.
I'll just go and pay today. Someone has to cover these corruption losses. Guess it's us.
 
Hopefully, your cards are valid for 4 years or more.

Luckily, we just send all the US issued credit cards to our US address. So for online usage, I’ve got a picture of the card. And my wife, or any relative visiting us in Indonesia just brings the cards with them.

I get about 1 card per year compromised, and it’s rarely because of usage in Indonesia. We had a Danamon card compromised last year, and the hoops my wife had to jump through for contesting a $15 charge was ridiculous.
 
Hopefully, your cards are valid for 4 years or more.

Luckily, we just send all the US issued credit cards to our US address. So for online usage, I’ve got a picture of the card. And my wife, or any relative visiting us in Indonesia just brings the cards with them.

I get about 1 card per year compromised, and it’s rarely because of usage in Indonesia. We had a Danamon card compromised last year, and the hoops my wife had to jump through for contesting a $15 charge was ridiculous.
Only 2 year. Debit cards used for ATM mainly. After pickup we then have to go through the authorizing nightmare. Normally just end up contacting bank and asking them to authorize for us.

Not sure where the cards are at physically right now or once paid how long we may need to wait to get them. Last time they were right here at the POS office. This time when we asked the girl to check in any mail she told us none arrived. Next adventure.
 
Receiving via the POS is hell. Sending and shipping not so bad.

BTW, my US cards that are being sent to an European address also often don’t arrive.
 
Receiving via the POS is hell. Sending and shipping not so bad.

BTW, my US cards that are being sent to an European address also often don’t arrive.
We tried the regular post thing. Those cards never arrived. US Priority International does work. 10 to 12 days. Cost this time. US$62.00. FedEx works to. 6 days.

I inquired about sending a plain letter envelope to the US. Priority 10 days (they say) Rp500,000. Regular 30 days, Rp300,000. Talk about a racket.
 
I have been lucky, having credit cards delivered from Chase bank in the US using FedEx. Never got hit up for taxes, delivered straight to my house and have had 3 different sets mailed over in the past 2 years.
I know a few people who sent debit cards about three years ago via the post office. When the cards arrived in Indonesia, there were no duties or extra fees. However, since debit cards expire in 3-5 years, they might need to do that again soon.

When did you last receive the debit card? Was it within the last year? It seems they have started scrutinizing people sending bank cards recently (?)

People are sending cards either via the post office or courier or asking people to carry it. Those who have had their cards rejected recently appear to me have used the post office. It might be useful to know if sending via the post office or a courier makes a difference ?

Are the levied being imposed by the post office, people in the post office (illegal) or Indonesian duty/customs? These are separate entities, but at airports and harbours, their offices are usually close to each other. Also as other people query, if this is the legal levy how did they calculate the duty ? Why does IDR12k suddenly change to IDR551k ??
 
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I would ask what value they assigned to the cards and why, because in my mind it should be zero, or some trivial amount just like documents.
If a bank or individual sends a bank card to another country (other than Indonesia), there is usually no duty or tax because there is no established method or classification for calculating it. If other countries do not impose taxes or duties on sending bank cards, but Indonesia does, it seems to be another example of how some people in Indonesia like cherry picking, selectively apply rules to top up personal income.

If it is classified as a card, it would imply that anyone sending a postcard (which some people still do), or people sending public transport, train ticket, bus, coaches in another country would now have to pay taxes? Keep in mind that travel agents sometimes send physical public transport tickets, such as train, bus, or coach tickets, to their clients in other countries well in advance of the travel date.
 
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Hopefully, your cards are valid for 4 years or more.

Luckily, we just send all the US issued credit cards to our US address. So for online usage, I’ve got a picture of the card. And my wife, or any relative visiting us in Indonesia just brings the cards with them.

I get about 1 card per year compromised, and it’s rarely because of usage in Indonesia. We had a Danamon card compromised last year, and the hoops my wife had to jump through for contesting a $15 charge was ridiculous.
Just curious, is there a location in particular that's riskiest in your experience for card fraud?
 
Just curious, is there a location in particular that's riskiest in your experience for card fraud?
Mine have almost always happened after use in the US for an extended vacation. Had one compromised that was only used once directly with Air Canada for tickets and nothing else. I don't know of any case where I have had a card compromised outside of the US or Canada.
 
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is there a location in particular that's riskiest in your experience

McDonald’s! 😂
That was a BRI card and it happened in Manado.

At a Coffee Bean in Jakarta we also had a problem after using a Bank Mega card (which gives a large discount).
 
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I know a few people who sent debit cards about three years ago via the post office. When the cards arrived in Indonesia, there were no duties or extra fees. However, since debit cards expire in 3-5 years, they might need to do that again soon.

When did you last receive the debit card? Was it within the last year? It seems they have started scrutinizing people sending bank cards recently (?)

People are sending cards either via the post office or courier or asking people to carry it. Those who have had their cards rejected recently appear to me have used the post office. It might be useful to know if sending via the post office or a courier makes a difference ?

Are the levied being imposed by the post office, people in the post office (illegal) or Indonesian duty/customs? These are separate entities, but at airports and harbours, their offices are usually close to each other. Also as other people query, if this is the legal levy how did they calculate the duty ? Why does IDR12k suddenly change to IDR551k ??
The last time I received the cards was last November, maybe it helped that they were sent via FedEx instead of USPS. They were also two metal credit cards one for my wife and one for me, so I would assume they would attract more interest than a plastic debit card, but all 3 times in past 2 years made it directly to my house with no issues.
 
We tried the regular post thing. Those cards never arrived. US Priority International does work. 10 to 12 days. Cost this time. US$62.00. FedEx works to. 6 days.

I inquired about sending a plain letter envelope to the US. Priority 10 days (they say) Rp500,000. Regular 30 days, Rp300,000. Talk about a racket.
Prices sure have gone up. I sent a POS envelope to the US about 10 years ago. Was handled by DHL once it left the hand of POS. Think it was 160k, then. Just a few pages in a flat envelope. Got to the US recipient in 4-5 days.
 

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