have you had success from having things shipped from Italy?

[I like mango pudding]

I've heard stories of lost packages, stolen items replaced with junk, the list goes on.

I am eyeing a pen but, it is being shipped from Italy. This gives me second thoughts on whether or not it'll arrive successfully to North America.

Any stories you have?

[AltecGreen]

I've heard stories of lost packages, stolen items replaced with junk, the list goes on.

I am eyeing a pen but, it is being shipped from Italy. This gives me second thoughts on whether or not it'll arrive successfully to North America.

Any stories you have?

A large fraction of my vintage Italians pens came from Italy. All of them were shipped via registered mail and made it here successfully. This includes pens in the over $1K category. Bear in mind the shipping via registered mail can be slow. I had to wait as much as six weeks for one pen but most arrived in the three-four week time range. Of course, I was dealing with very well known pen collectors.


However, I am hesitant to ship to Italy.

[I like mango pudding]

okay, that's re-assuring.

but, would you buy a pen without papers but just the box? We're talking a several hundred dollar pen.

[carlc]

Personally it's not shipping from Italy (no problems there in the three (or four I can't remember) transactions where I have bought from Italian sellers), it's posting to Italy that's the issue. I had an Italian penpal who told me about sacks of mail being dumped down drains and other horror stories.

carl

[jar]

So far I've had good luck both shipping to and from Italy. However I insist on either registered mail or using FedEx, DHL or UPS.

[Robert]

Earlier this year I ordered a Netunno Docet LE from Giardino Italiano. The pen was shipped to me in Texas via FedEx, and I had it in hand within 48 hours after paying through Paypal. I could not believe how quickly it arrived, and packing quality and communication from the seller could not have been better. True, the shipping charges were a bit hefty but, given the price of the pen, not unreasonable. One small postscript: a couple of weeks after the pen arrived I received a bill from FedEx for U.S. Customs charges that FedEx had advanced. The bill was for $18.65 and appeared legitimate, so I paid it. Over the years I have ordered quite a few items from the UK and the EU, and this was first and only time I ever had to pay customs duty. I chalked it up to Uncle Sam's getting more serious about enhancing revenue.

[Freddie]

In the last six weeks from Italy via registered air mail received several fountain pens..
without any problems.... .

Fred
snacking on corn on the cob..with black truffle salt...
...

[piscov]

if you are on the receiving end it depends more on the honesty of the seller than on the mail service it self. I have received and send pens to Italy with no trouble at all except in one occasion. One time I bought in ebay a Montblanc 144 striated green at a ridiculous low price as it was mislabeled and then that same pen "got lost in the mail"..... I got my refund but what I really wanted was the pen. Send and ask to be sent to you always as registered mail signed for, or use DHL...

[tiffanyhenschel]

I have purchased two pens from a seller in Italy in the last year. Both arrived in about two or three weeks with no problems.