Pay for the Parcel

March 9, 2008 - 1:00 PM by Stephanie

One element that sometimes helps transplants to Israel maintain a semblance of lightheartedness (read: sanity) is receiving care packages from loved ones back home.

Little gifty parcels to be collected at the local post office that bring a bright note to the day:

Coloring books from grandma and gramps for the kids, a silk scarf picked up at a Macy’s sale, a bestseller for 1/2 the price it would cost to purchase in Israel, a popular series on DVD that hasn’t yet aired in Israel.

If there’s a way to take the fun out of it then by gosh by golly…

Prepare yourselves, ladies and gents, for the “double whammy”:

From hereon in your family & friends pay to mail the package on the other end and YOU will pay to retrieve it.

Nope I’m not kidding.

According to this story, Israel’s post offices are tacking on a “pick up fee” for packages from overseas. The starting rate is NIS35 or $10. And we all know the sky could very well be the limit.

The new service “improves and makes more efficient the process of the private and business customer releasing packages from customs. This service joins the basket of unique services that the Israel Postal Company supplies to its customers beyond traditional mail services,” Postal Company director-general Avi Hochman told The Jerusalem Post.

People: Time to get the petitions circulating.

Thanks Liza girl for the heads up.

Share with others