Package from Germany, whats the procedure?

[misho_tabakoff]

Alex, listen to Adrian. We both have very very bad experience with the DHL Services  And the problem is not with the DHL but with the Bulgarian Posts Joint-stock copmany!!! All parcels from the Germany that are being dispatched to Bulgaria pass by Greece on the way to Bulgaria, unless they are being sent by DHL Courier - then you will receive your items to the provided address by a courier and you know it will cost you a "little" bit more money.

Moreover, do not rely on the tracking numbers unless you use DHL Packet International Premium or DHL Express International!!!! These tracking numbers keep you informed about the status of the parcels, but if you read on the DHL WEB site that your parcel has arrived, do not rush neither to your local post office nor to the post office at the Customs ... this means that your items are in ... GREECE!!!! Then the fun begin - parcels travel from Germany to Greece about one week (sometimes less), and then at least 2 weeks from Greece to Bulgaria!!!! I had a parcel that was delivered to Greece in about 5 days and then only after filling a complaint the package arrived finally after almost 2 months!!!

DHL Esxpress International service is too expensive. Adrian here is a little bit wrong - you may use the Premium service. Parcels travel about one week to Buglaria and it will cost you 24,- EUR.

The insured parcels (up to 50,- EUR) will cost you 17,- EUR, but you must wait at least 20-25 days to receive the package. If you want it insured at higher level, you must pay extra money.

The uninsured parcels will cost you 8,60 EUR and they travel fast enough - up 7-10 days

You may find all necessary information here - http://www.deutschepost.de/dpag?tab=1&skin=hi&check=yes&lang=de_DE&xmlFile=1004909

That's all folks!

[Adrian]

yep , the 'premium' is correct !

[piko1]

use only Luftpost by deutschepost the pocket shall come in 4-5 day's or weak
i have experience whit Revell Germany they send the item on 23.09 and on 27.09 was in my post office 

[misho_tabakoff]

Luftpost is an airmail service and it would cost plenty of money in case you order heavier items. I used to receive parcels by Luftpost and they are about 0.5 kg of weight.

[Alex]

Sorry guys that I did not report back here earlier in this topic.

On Tuesday 10 Feb. my friend in Sofia got the package. All went as described here in this topic from the post office near the customs, she needed the CL number provided from the (german)DHL tracking site.

No idea why this went so fast and others so slow, one thing is sure that this package went to Frankfurt first and there is a DHL distribution center located with airfield so I suspect that this went by air.

Wednesday 4 feb. send from store germany with DHL.
Friday 6 Feb. Outside Germany untracked.
Tuesday 10 Feb. Got the package.

Maybe it was Monday 9 Feb. already in Sofia we don`t know, did not made a pick-up attempt.


I have used DHL a few times to send goods or documents from here to abroad and that was with the express service it is fast and has a good tracking system only not usable for hobby goods therefore it is too expensive.
Misho about the premium service I did not knew that, will keep that one in mind and also the price is reasonable.

Online shop Lippe sends all packages for 9 euro with this DHL/(Now I know)Bulpost(or for other countries other local post companies) construction. Lippe must have a good deal/contract with DHL/Deutschepost in this case that they can send for this price.

Not sure if this is the right conclusion but maybe the difference in how the packages travel begin with how the sender send the package since there seems a lot of different ways to send a package.
But after all it is good to have it all in one topic now, not only to share experiences about this subject but also for our other fellow model train colleagues so they can see what possibilities there are or where the problems may have occurred.

My next package I hope will be locally but that depends on Vlado. 
Thanks all for the great tips and help!!