Job Discussion Forums

phis · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 250

Has anyone shipped personal effects from China to Indonesia? I'm looking for the cheapest way to do this. I want to send my computer and a few other smaller things. Most companies seem to specialize in complete 'household' removals. I haven't got anywhere near that amount of stuff. Names of companies would be a great help. Thanks

Fishy · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 138

Hello Phis, are you planning to ship anything valuable? At Christmas I shipped my dj equipment and record collection from the UK and had some hassle with customs. They kept everything until I paid 6m in made up customs charges, it only cost 4m to have them shipped from UK.

phis · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 250

Hi Fishy.

It might be that they thought that your dj equipment meant you intended to start some sort of business in Indonesia.

I will be shipping a computer, but I have the purchase documents, and it is obvious that it has been used for personal use only over the past year. The rest of the stuff is just personal items such as clothes.

I do hope that I don't encounter the problems that you had.

By the way, which shipping company did you use?

beefer · Joined: 10 Feb 2006 Posts: 238 Location: java

Chester · Joined: 15 May 2004 Posts: 383 Location: Australia

call DHL.
ask what they say, re guarantees and insurance.
if INDO customs want a bribe to release, with DHL they deal with it.

other freight is cheaper, but they use subcontractors and if its lost or frozen, they will not accept responsibility. (including fedex).

Fishy · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 138

I used a uk based company called Excess Baggage.

Custom's didn't charge me because they thought I using it for business; they just saw that it was worth a bit of cash and screwed me appropriately.

If you use one of the bigger companies you will pay more but at least you get door to door delivery and don't have to deal with customs.

I had my stuff shipped by sea. It took three months in total including the time taken arguing with customs. I probably could have had every thing shipped door to door by air for around the same money in the end doh.

Ah well, you live and learn and all that.

My stuff was obviously worth a fair bit of cash though Phis so you might be alright with you computer and clothes and stuff.

Good luck

malu · Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 1344 Location: Sunny Java

Another alternative is to bring it with you. On China-Indonesia sectors Garuda charges USD10 per kilo excess bagage and they usually give you the first 2-3 kilos free. I have heard - but have never tried myself - that some Chinese carriers charge as little as CNY30 per kilo.

Lots of eager porters at Indo airports to lug the stuff off the belt!

guruengerish · Joined: 28 Mar 2004 Posts: 424 Location: Australia

More by good luck than design, I decided to leave my computer at home and just brought the programs I wanted.

Little did I know that most programs are available in Indonesia, at a fraction of the normal price.

Unless you have lap-top, forget it; you may of course have a nice new flat screen which weighs next to nothing, but is it worth the hassle?

Put all your stuff onto an external HDD, and bring it as cabin baggage. Sell the rest!

Computers are very reasonably priced and there is a huge range of modern computer shops. In both Surabaya and Jakarta, there are large malls which sell nothing but computers and accessories. You're not coming to a computer desert. Just make sure you get a surge protector before you plug anything in, and earthing is almost unknown.