The problem begins.
After searching the internet about the probability of a parcel in kuwait to be received by rightful owner..i got dismayed.

After 3 weeks of waiting..No green Card
Took a taxi and went to Kaifan (MOC) with the necessary documents. Inside I saw a booth with a sign> Parcel
No person in-charged in there so I bothered to ask the flock of women (drinking tea and chit-chatting> I assume they are the employees) where should I go to get my parcel.
Since they cant understand basic English, I tried >parcel, box, where,> making signs for squares.
One woman just point to the corner office. So I went there I showed to the person behind the desk my documents..She replied> RJ No here..no here..go shhhh..go shhhh..
What is shhhh? i asked…she showed me her flat palms going upwards with my eyes following that ascending hand and she made that sssshhhh sound again.

..ahhhhh airport! i said and we laughed with my energy starting to drain. but suddenly she said “go down”. I got excited and looked for stairs…then I went down and I saw a booth for claiming boxes. I gave my documents to one kuwaiti guy behind another window and he said “Not here>go to airport cargo…Im starting to ask myself why am I here in Kuwait?

So i rode a cab with disappointments..Suddenly my fighting spirit starts to regain and I instructed the driver to go fast to the airport cargo…

I arrived..out of the cab>asked the security>he pointed>I went…
I saw….I saw a nasty bldg called Mail Exchange Office
I think Im close to my elusive package..I felt the hot desert breeze.
I saw a warehouse with a lot of boxes from overseas but in bad state, like they exploded.
Then I asked a bangladeshi guy “Where can I claim a parcel from UK?” he didnt understand so I just said “Britanya, Britanya..where?
He replied 3rd floor…
So I climbed that lonely dark stairs..Finaly 3rd floor..
I walked to the hallway that looked like “in a post invasion condition”
I saw a lot of sacks from royalmail, some opened with parcels in it. Some boxes are just laying on the floor..one parcel was used to chuck the door to remain open..it was a horrible sight. The Nazi could have been more careful with the boxes when they invaded Poland.

I saw one bangladeshi guy and asked for my parcel..gave him my documents. With the sign of willingness showing through his eyes he accepted my papers and directed me to his Kuwaiti boss while he gets the records from those chai-drinking employees.

I was so excited I started to smell the desert oasis that once a hot humid breeze…The kuwaiti came, carrying loose files 2 inch thick.
Sat down and turns the pages one by one..then…suddenly after 5 pages..he just flipped the records just like an uninteresting magazine and said..Not here..Sorry not here..Go to your post office.

I didnt respond due to an interruption of the loud breaking sound of my heart. And that bangladeshi guy saw me with sadness and i felt the feeling of sympathy bcoz i think he knew that there is something wrong with the system he dared not to change or loose his job.

So i went to the post office near my flat..knowing there was a slim chance..but i did it anyway. I was greeted by Kuwaiti women, cited my problem and one talked to their manager..When she came back ..she said that parcels are not here but in the airport cargo. They were nice and concerned but felt helpless.

I went home…but with the Roman attitude of fight another day.

I imagined grandparents sending their loved ones some gifts, Official documents that need to reach a jobless person, tokens of appreciation, letters of hope by good news or praises to Allah, a merchandise bought with a last penny for the spouse working in a distant place and/or any other things that so valuable it makes living in Kuwait bearable.

Maybe I know what is the content of my parcel. A gift from a friend that was so secret, intriguing and worth fighting for..maybe my friend sent me….the elusive.. THE HOLY GRAIL

They flag every package thats over letter size and customs makes you pick it up from keifan, where they open it in front of you and check it.

If you have anything in there, you’re screwed. Even if you order from a store and they send you a catalogue with your order thats got women in bikinis for example, they’ll cinfiscate the package. Retarded.

Not worth it IMO. EMS takes a week to get to you, and I’ve never had any problems actually receiving the package, but customs is a bitch. You’re way way less likely to get flagged by customs if you go through a private courier.

i agree with you about your situation . same as i . i collece my monaco number plates from shuwai5 and they told me be careful maybe the police wil catch you and that going to be your responsibility .. but at the end they gave me my plates and trying to advice me to dont use it in a bad way :)

I was so close to jumping the counter and beating his face in… even recalling it now is making my blood pressure rise. So, I do not recommend snail mail. I have been using Fedex ever since, it comes directly to me, and yes, sometimes it is opened, but at least it isn’t happening in a humiliating way infront of me. And yes, there are fees now for everything which sucks… but i figure paying fees is better than ending up in jail for assault.

I use snail mail all the time in Kuwait. A lot of places will not ship to Kuwait, but a lot of the shopp owners on Etsy.com do.

I have had a LOT of stuff never show up. Mostly jewelry….sterling silver bracelet valued at maybe 20 kd.

I think the absolute KEY is to put your PHONE NUMBER in Kuwait under your address. And tell the sender to mail your package by REGISTERED mail which should not cost much more than standard US mail.

Now, the post office will actually CALL you and tell you that you have a package.

Of course you need a po box.

Mine is in Farwaniya. But my husband says there are loads available in Khaitan.

Hmmmm..it usually does take a month BUT all my packages reach Kuwait in less than ONE WEEK….

I have no idea why they float around for 3 weeks.

Last year my Aunt in NY sent me a laptop vis Kuwait snail mail. She sent it by registered mail and it got her without a hitch.

****Please keep us update on the mail situation Marky Mark! Im so depressed! I have 4 packages enroute from USWS….and am wondering if I will have to pay 80 KD at customs. Anyone have anyone WASTA we can borrow :-( ??

I ordered LOTS of stuff from abroad, I tried almost every method. I’m one of the online shoppers freak. Now if you order something directly to your Kuwait address not using a PO Box, then you’re talking about less than 5% of receiving it at all, unless it is something that you need to pay customs to AND your mobile number is provided on the package. In that case they call you to come, so they can see if you need to pay customs. On the other hand, if you do have a PO Box number, then the item will be in your mailbox if it can fit. If it can’t then they put a receipt in your mailbox and you just take that receipt in where they keep they packages in the same building and pick it from there.

See, the whole idea is that if the package doesn’t leave the post office, then it is safe, but you have to pick it up yourself. However, if the package leaves the post office, there is no tracking of what the delivery man have done with it. Sometimes (in documents) they get rid of it or they return it saying the person wasn’t available (crap of course) so they can go back to their managers and just say I delivered all and done a perfect job, other times they open it (packages), if they like they take it, and if they don’t like it they still can’t deliver it opened so they get rid of it.

Time frame can take up to three months from receiving it in Kuwait to PO BOX.

I hope I was helpful

Thanks

Mail is addressed to my office.

And Kaifan PO is at the intersection of Road 55 and 80 and is diagonally opposite to City Center. Its the building with a tower and a huge dish.

Map: http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=29.3401718&lon=47.9480588&z=17&l=0&m=b

Good luck I say.