Chile Forum

Very, very angry.

We bought on internet (iherb, an American based company) several vitamines and/or foodsupplements because even with 30 dollar shipment costs they are so much cheaper than when you buy them at ahumada or other chilean drugstores. A couple of months ago the first order went well (not via DHL).

This time because of the size of the order we had to use DHL. To our very unpleasant surprise we received a phonecall from DHL that chilean customs blocked the delivery of our goods. The argument is that we need a medical prescription to get it through customs. But the products we ordered are all free over the counter products (not medicines!!) at any local drugstore and then you don't need a doctors prescription. The saying goes that because we buy it outside Chile we now need all kind of docs.

This smells like protectionism and we are really going in for a fight. We asked for the name and adress of the director of the office who is blocking our (small) shipment to complain. Anyone heard of this crazyness before? Is it really chilean customs or is someones at DHL playing silly buggers?

Does anyone got some advise for us how to tackle this?

It is not Aduanas that is holding it it is Seremi de Salud. If you get past them, then Aduanas will want their tax.

You must decide now if it is really worth the battle or if is better to do nothing and have Aduanas eventually send it back where you will get a credit minus a restocking fee and shipping.

Did you see the actual notice? Ask DHL for the actual notice. I'm pretty sure it directs you to the Seremi office in Santiago Centro with general instructions on what documents they are looking for. If you are going to do battle, bring data sheet printouts of each product from the net run through Google's translator.

You are not alone:
topic3544.html#p40767

FWIW, when you get to booths 12A and 12B, you will not find a more annoying pair of overpaid, underworked (job function and requirement, just say "NO" or ask for more docs to all comers), bureaucrats who call themselves "doctors" but seemingly know zilch about what they are supposed to be evaluating.

It is for human consumption, then you need the paperwork in advance. Generally any new product (for sale) needs to be lab tested and certified, otherwise it is the long winding bureaucratic trail to getting a waver. Bottom line, if you send stuff like that through the mail it is a crap shoot if it slides by customs.

Ellen-y-Rene wrote::evil: Very, very angry....... This smells like protectionism and we are really going in for a fight. We asked for the name and adress of the director of the office who is blocking our (small) shipment to complain. Anyone heard of this crazyness before? ... Does anyone got some advise for us how to tackle this?

Chill out, maing Don't give yourself an infarction. This is the basic reality of Chile, it is controlled by 12 to 15 old money families who have their fiefdoms, i.e. areas of control of life in Chile. Of course there is 'protectionism', they are not going to willingly give up control or lessen their incomes by allowing fair competition. They have a captive audience of 16 million consumers who - for the most part - are trained to accept lack of choice, lesser quality & service. The Status Quo is way to profitable.

Which is why I was pretty amazed that the Ibanez's sold out 51% of Lider to WalMart. I still don't know what to think about that other than being cautiously hopeful. I don't remember all the names, I've been gone for awhile, but you know them, Edwards, Cox, Larrain, Pichara.......

Chile, babay.

So does this apply to someone entering Chile on a Tourist Visa/ I understand the requirement for medications but what about vitamin supplements? Can a doctor write out a script for the vitamins and treat it as such?
Stang33

No problems when entering with supplements in your personal luggage, the problem is when you mail order products.

Chuck J 3.0 wrote:Chill out, maing Don't give yourself an infarction.

We know, you are so right, but every time something like this happens it's hard not to be angry. We are not at all used to this kind of "dishonest power play". Specialy because it's hard to get to the source of the problem. But, like all the times before, we already feel a little more relaxed and we will see what our options are. We don't want to give up just like that.

Actually, this has to do more with the Chinese importing all kinds of contaminated stuff than it does with the pharmaceutical industry. A lot of that contaminated Chinese (and other countries) stuff for human consumption comes through the United States where the laws really are not all that strict (in spite of having an FDA stamp of approval on it).

I disagree. That question of ultimate origin of each base ingredients is never asked, just the origin of the product itself "Made in USA" etc.

Also, again, you can bring in large amounts of whatever for personal use in your personal luggage without a blink.

AND how about the Chile-China FTA and all the possible contaminated goods you see in Lider to the corner discount or hardware shop?

E y R : you must do the cost/benefit analysis of is it worth the fight? Add in the extra charge from DHL to "help" you or if you are doing it yourselves, the back and forth costs to downtown and finally the airport and the 19% IVA tax if you get that far vs. price paid minus return shipping and restock fee. May be cheaper to reorder following my advice.

Anything proto-medical has to go through the hoops, it is worse if for human consumption. They have lists of brands and products that are accepted, everything else is questioned, the words “probiotics or probiotics” on the label is not acceptable without proof, proof being a blind peer reviewed vetted study. The term probiotic once meant something now it means nothing and is on many supplements in the US not so the rest of the world. The vitamins probably are not a problem it’s the supplements. I use a certain brand of vitamin s I can’t get in Chile when I’m here for the summer I carry in 5-6 months worth, if I need more I have them sent down, in a brown box in the air mail by a friend not a company or by a courier service, they always arrive unquestioned. For your information allot of food supplements are being turned around at the Canadian border these days, FDA approved or not.

eeuunikkeiexpat wrote:E y R : you must do the cost/benefit analysis of is it worth the fight? Add in the extra charge from DHL to "help" you or if you are doing it yourselves, the back and forth costs to downtown and finally the airport and the 19% IVA tax if you get that far vs. price paid minus return shipping and restock fee. May be cheaper to reorder following my advice.

Thanks for the advise eeuunikkeiexpat. We're certainly not going to spend any money on help from DHL or time as for travelling to and fro the downtown offices and so on. What we will do is file complaints with DHL-management, the Chile government and send a letter to El Mercurio for advise and hopefully a publication. This way we at least give it a try and do not make it too easy for 'this questionable system of customer protection(ism)'.

We have 2 more questions:
- do you know if our parcel still lies at a DHL office or that it has been claimed and confiscated by that dubious 'seremi salud';
- 1 of our 4 items (these are: calcium, fish-oil, vitame D and garlic) is Kyolic garlic and can be bought at any Ahumada and is 100% the same. We even downloaded the product description from the Ahumada website. We think we can demand delivery of DHL for this specific item since this product has been cleared earlier by the authorities for it to be imported in Chile. Do you agree?

Again thanks for the replies.

The way it works, Customs at SCL has the parcel but on Seremi de Salud hold.

If just one item is a "problem," the whole entrega de encomienda is on hold till resolution. No ifs ands or buts.

IMO, I really do not think you will get far with what you are doing.

Many chilenos feel your pain and that is why there continues to be an active market for such products on MercadoLibre, OLX, RIE among others.