Florence has been your adopted home for the last six months or so. You moved here with a couple of suitcases and, although you’ve managed to sell those dumbbells and kitten heels, your personal effects have doubled and you really want to take those mementos of Florence back home with you. Instead of paying for extra cases in the hold, turn to Mail Boxes Etc. in corso dei Tintori for your overseas shipping needs.
Store owners Francesca and Annalisa have been doing this job for the last 25 years and are experts on the ins and outs of international shipping, from customs documentation to the rules and regulations of what can and cannot be sent overseas.
90 per cent of Mail Boxes Etc customers in the Santa Croce neighbourhood are Americans needing to send their personal effects home after spending time in Florence on vacation. “They come to us because often they prefer to pack new purchases in their case and have their old items shipped. Sometimes it’s the other way around.” Perhaps a client has bought a painting, a set of Tuscan plates and a couple of cases of wine, all directly from the maker. “We always recommend that they do a single shipping of their purchases instead of having each item sent separately. Customers save money by having their goods delivered to the place where they are staying and contacting us for one combined shipment instead of three or four separate deliveries.” Indeed, Francesca, Annalisa and their team arrange for the items to be collected from hotels around Florence, taking care of the paperwork, packaging and shipping on their clients’ behalf.
Suitcases wrapped and ready to be shipped can be found inside the corso dei Tintori store, perhaps belonging to students who have come to the end of a study abroad experience in Florence. “We recommend that they come to us, so that we can advise them face to face on how to have their personal items shipped home after spending so much time here. Being here in person means that we can make sure the paperwork is correct and that everything will make it to the final destination without getting stuck in customs.”
“Meat’s not allowed, including salami and prosciutto, unless there’s a special import license, neither is anything flammable like perfume, which actually requires a risk certificate issued by the producer and certified packaging in order to be shipped outside of the European Union. If they see perfume bottles on the security screens at Florence Airport, for example, the package is sent back to the store,” explains Francesca, showing us a list of hazardous goods, similar to the no-nos indicated at airport check-ins. “Then there are the more obvious things like guns and anything with a sharp blade. Ornamental swords bought in a souvenir store can be shipped internationally as long as the blade is blunt.” The main tourist requests for overseas boxing remain the usual favorites, however. “Wine, olive oil, pasta and pasta sauces, cookies and Parmesan are what we ship the most for American tourists here in our Santa Croce store.”
The Mail Boxes Etc Santa Croce team doesn’t just handle suitcases and the odd box or two. They also have expertise in international house moves. “We have shipped up to 30 boxes for Americans who lived in Florence before moving back home again.”
Given their experience and the longevity of their store, Francesca and Annalisa often see the same faces. “One of our customers is an American gentleman who has rented the same apartment in Santa Croce for several years now and he uses our address to receive his parcels. Then there’s a lady from the States in her eighties who comes back to Florence every year and has her items shipped back and forth.”
Francesca lights up when she remembers some of the more unusual requests she’s received over the years. “One customer had bought all these big paintings and wanted to have them shipped to Nigeria, and we did it. Then there was this gigantic Murano glass chandelier, which I wrapped with the utmost care. The client was convinced that something would break, but it reached its destination intact. Not a single leaf broke. They were absolutely delighted!”
Mail Boxes Etc. 345
Corso dei Tintori 39R, Florence
+39 055 2466660
Tips for your international shipping
1. Send all your items together in one shipment to save money.
2. Choose the right packaging, making sure it’s sturdy but light.
3. Filling out customs documentation correctly, such as declaring the value of the items you’re sending, can help you to save money.
4. Every country has its own laws. Did you know that you cannot send perfume to the U.S.? Alcohol, food and old artworks are all subject to restrictions. A shipping professional can always offer the right solutions.
5. A specialist store sorts out any customs issues even after you have already left Florence. It’s something an app can’t do!
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