Ok, title a little harsh, but, based on my experience, 2 months dealing with total incompetence, stupidity, and what I consider to be totally unethical behavior on the part of many I dealt with trying to get my van and my gear, this is unfortunately how I feel. But to my many new Peruvian friends, people I like and hope to keep in touch with down the road, this does not reflect on you, as people, as friends, as Peruvians. But the people I dealt with, in Peruvian Customs (Aduana, part of the largest criminal organization in Peru, SUNAT), my customs broker/clearing agent DASA Logistics, and people who run the warehouses and storage facilities associated with the ports (like Neptunia SA, bunch of total criminals), are Peruvians, so, how I was treated is a serious problem for all Peruvians. The people I dealt with never seemed to get it, I am a tourist, that is all. I did something which I guess the folks associated with the port of Callao, port next to Lima, simply did not understand. Their stupidity, and total lack of logic and flexibility just astounds me. There exist a certain type of corruption associated with the port and shipping, corruption involving customs, the many, and I mean many customs brokers who facilitate the clearing of imports through customs, and the different warehouses and storage facilities where imports reside until they clear customs. I am a tourist, yet I was treated like a criminal, like I was importing something into the country. Every chance I got I asked why I was being treated differently from a tourist who entered the country by driving across the border, from say Ecuador. They just didn't get it, even idiots I hired, whom I paid, my customs broker. I sensed this problem early, when I was trying to get advanced clearance of my van before it arrived in Callao. They, Customs, were asking for information and documentation which was not required based on the information provided in their own regulations for bringing a vehicle into the country as a tourist. Their own regulations state that all is required is a valid passport, proof of ownership (original title), and nature of entry to the country (which in my case was the bill of lading from the shipment), all of which I had all along. You can take care of this at the border upon entering Peru with a vehicle registered in another country in an hour or two; it took me 3 weeks. The process was simply unbelievable, I just couldn't understand how people could be so stupid, just amazing, and expensive, as every day I was delayed, and living in a hotel, cost me money. Now I must be honest, part of the initial delay was the fault of no one, as the ship was delayed 9 days from the initial ETA, but after that, it still took over 2 weeks to get my van through customs. And the crooks who run the warehouse where vehicles go from the port until they clear customs, they charged me US$250 to drive my van maybe 5 km. Plus, my broker was late in submitting some paperwork to customs, and, made a glaring mistake on one document, and one thing I quickly learned is that if you make even the smallest of mistakes, customs agents would find it. It was a very difficult and stressful time, and I was stuck, imprisoned in Peru, and not happy. So, I do not hate Peruvians, but I do hate Peru, and this is unfortunate, as there are many wonderful people in Peru, and there are many interesting places to visit. I was treated so poorly by so many, Peru does suck. The majority of Peruvians, including many who I now consider as friends, deserve better.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Brian C.L. Shelley, Ph.D.My South American Adventure. Archives
August 2018
Categories |