A little bit continuing with my previous article about fast foods, DHL works very differently in Chile as well.
As you know my iPhone got stolen. Adding to that my ship one of two debit cards, I have here broke, so my family send me a packing, more like a thick envelope with SIM card, debit card, and 2 (100g) chocolate bars from the Czech Republic. This is what happen.
My family sent the shipment on August 15. It got into Chile on August 18, only 3 days later. Since August 18 the package was at the customs for 10 days. After we called them, I had to go the airport to the DHL station, where I found out that my package is not there, but it is at Private Broker, which was close for the day. So the next day, I had to go again to airport to pick up my package, which takes about an hour.
I came to the private storage office and they told that I need extra paperwork, so they send me to another office. In that another office I was told that because of the chocolate I need to go get more paperwork back at Santiago’s center Department of Hygiene. I said, that I do not want the two chocolate bars, so I did not have to go back to Santiago. I and other two workers from that second office went back to the warehouse. They gave me a safety helmet and brought my package. They opened and took out the Chocolate. Then they put the two envelopes with the cards back and told me to pay the fee. From DHL, I was told to pay fee of $7 USD, so when the private storage told me to pay $50 USD, I was surprised. The $50 USD was for the private storage that I supposedly was asking, which obviously is not truth.
In the end, I do not have my package and I am still paying a “private storage” at some Chilean warehouse. Form the bright side, I got to really practice my Spanish and experience Southern American culture with everything it has, which is the reason of me studying abroad.