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thekremlin2000
Frequent Guest
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Posts: 15
Location: S E Asia
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 Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2006 3:46 pm Post subject: Russia Post Office |
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Why do you still have to lug all the things you want to send back home, and really would rather not display to all and sundry but have to, along to the post office where they alone will pack it, woefully inadequately, after abusing you a bit for any reason, then ship it out for you?
Or should I be praising them for a uniquely comprehensive service...??  |
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5_Zvehzda
Just Starting
Joined: 30 Mar 2010
Posts: 1
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| Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 3:28 am Post subject: |
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| thekremlin2000 wrote: | | Why do you still have to lug all the things you want to send back home, and really would rather not display to all and sundry but have to, along to the post office where they alone will pack it, woefully inadequately, after abusing you a bit for any reason, then ship it out for you? |
There have been a few discussions about mailing packages through Почта. Never had the pleasure sending anything outbound while over there, only had a couple of small packages delivered to my home with success.
Do you mean its mandatory that all packaging needs to be done at the Post Office? Can the goodies be packaged by the sender in advance, brought over to the location, and just weighed and stamped at the postal station?  |
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thekremlin2000
Frequent Guest
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Posts: 15
Location: S E Asia
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| Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 8:34 am Post subject: |
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[quote="5_Zvehzda"] | thekremlin2000 wrote: |
Do you mean its mandatory that all packaging needs to be done at the Post Office? Can the goodies be packaged by the sender in advance, brought over to the location, and just weighed and stamped at the postal station? |
Yes, at least for international posting, you have to take your stuff and hand it to the devushka (translates as 'girl' but better as 'old witch'...) to pack as inappropriately as she can for you, so you get at least a 50% chance of receiving smashed CD cases or crushed books and flattened matryeshi. Then she'll send you to another counter to pay. Of course, you'll need to be abused heavily at each stage of this process.
What on earth is it all about, eh? In Soviet times, yeah, ok suspicion rules and spies are everywhere, so check everything and everyone. But things have moved on. I think Russia Post should, as well. |
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overseas_expat
VIP
Joined: 11 Jan 2005
Posts: 741
Location: Moscow
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| Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 11:01 am Post subject: |
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hehehehe  Welcome to Russia......
Some things in Russia have changed since Soviet times and some things will never change. Remember it's only been 15 years since Perestroika and those "dyevushi" have been working at Pochta Rossi since 1964. They have their own ways, oh yeah, and teach those ways to those who come up behind them. The Russian post office may improve some time in the 21st century--but I wouldn't count on it.
I have a travel book "Let's Go; Eastern Europe" which has a really funny insert in the Russia section naming it "the black hole of the the Russian postal system." Sound appropriate?
(BTW the entire "Let's Go" series are great travel books. Much better than Lonely Planet.) |
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Oleg
Frequent Guest
Joined: 07 Jun 2006
Posts: 50
Location: St-Petersburg, Russia
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:35 am Post subject: |
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| But I can't say anything bad about our post officce. I sent parcels only 2 times and in both cases I had no problems with them (a girl packed items carefully and more thoroughly than I can, and it took only 10 min.). |
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surfguy
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 13 Apr 2006
Posts: 6979
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:40 am Post subject: |
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delete
Last edited by surfguy on Sat Sep 16, 2006 2:34 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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mediashark
Moderator
Joined: 04 Nov 2004
Posts: 1599
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 5:09 pm Post subject: |
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You sent cash in a package?
It takes at least a week for a letter to get from any place within Moscow... |
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MrSpice
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 3431
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 5:15 pm Post subject: |
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| As far as I understand, Russian Post service is still the same government-owned beauracratic institution. Anything operated by the government is typically bad anywhere, but it's especially bad in Russia because all the Soviet service and work ethic probably remained the same. The only services that work well in Russia are the new private businesses or the western firms. I would just use one of the western delivery firms like FedEx, DHL or UPS to send any package reliably from Russia. |
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thekremlin2000
Frequent Guest
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Posts: 15
Location: S E Asia
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 5:45 pm Post subject: |
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It's a bit of game, isn't it?
Hey, can you imagine taking your unpacked load of stuff for posting overseas to your local post office in, say, London, heaving the bundle on the counter and saying, "Um, if you've got a minute, would you just pack all this up for me, please".
I'd like to be a fly on the wall... |
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MrSpice
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 3431
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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| thekremlin2000 - you have to reduce your expectations and realize that Russia is a very young democracy (if you can even call it that now). The country lived under communism and isolation for over 70 years. Considering that, it's doing quite well. Remember that 20 years ago it was almost impossible to travel to Russia and most Russians had virtually no chance of travelling abroad and seeing other countries. All private enterprise was banned. |
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surfguy
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 13 Apr 2006
Posts: 6979
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:46 pm Post subject: |
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delete
Last edited by surfguy on Sat Sep 16, 2006 2:29 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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thekremlin2000
Frequent Guest
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Posts: 15
Location: S E Asia
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| Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 6:33 am Post subject: |
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| MrSpice wrote: | | thekremlin2000 - you have to reduce your expectations and realize that Russia is a very young democracy (if you can even call it that now). The country lived under communism and isolation for over 70 years. Considering that, it's doing quite well. Remember that 20 years ago it was almost impossible to travel to Russia and most Russians had virtually no chance of travelling abroad and seeing other countries. All private enterprise was banned. |
Mr Spice
Simply observations.
I've been a 'Russianist' for some 40 years, so I have no expectations.
But I hope to have some someday...  |
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twicker
Frequent Guest
Joined: 03 Sep 2006
Posts: 25
Location: Durham, NC
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| Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 6:58 pm Post subject: True story ... |
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True story, hopefully NOT indicative of the whole Russian postal system:
I sent a package to Masha via post (not expensive or irreplaceable -- I don't send those via post; those go via FedEx or some such).
A book, in English no less. Didn't think it'd be worth anything to anyone other than she.
So ... that was in January. Still hasn't reached her. But -- one time she went to the post office, she *was* offered another package that the recipient hadn't picked up (in case the other, unknown package might have made up for the lost book).
No, seriously: they said, "Well, we don't have yours, but this one hasn't been picked up. Would you like it?"
Yeah, Russian post office and valuables ... at the moment at least, not so much.
Poka i udachi! |
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surfguy
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 13 Apr 2006
Posts: 6979
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| Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 7:48 pm Post subject: |
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delete
Last edited by surfguy on Sat Sep 16, 2006 2:30 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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twicker
Frequent Guest
Joined: 03 Sep 2006
Posts: 25
Location: Durham, NC
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| Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 7:51 pm Post subject: |
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Global Express, huh? VERY good to know ... thanks! 
(and, yeah, FedEx can be interesting ... I was actually thinking of using DHL ... )
Poka i udachi! |
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