New Year and Christmas celebrations

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Russian brides > Main Forum > New Year and Christmas celebrations

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genuine_gent

Member

	Send: 11/22/2006 11:55:58 AM

In Russia, what exchange of gifts are expected over this period? Russians celebrate New Year more than christmas, but what about their christmas on the 7th January? Am I expected to take gifts for both events?

Adman

Member

	Send: 11/22/2006 5:39:44 PM

gg From what I can gather, gifts are a very important part of Russian culture (not necessarily expensive gifts) I would take a very warm coat (for you) and the other suitcase full of, not too expensive, gifts. If you are invited to a large christmas gathering and you show up empty handed, you are not going to score many points. PS They are also going to appreciate gifts on the 25th and when you arrive and when you leave and the days in between as well :))

danny3777

Member

	Send: 11/22/2006 6:03:12 PM

Excuse me but they have a 'Father Frost', not a 'Father Christmas', because 'Frosty' arrives on New Year and not Christmas. Presents are exchanged at midnight on New Year and 07 January, indeed 25 December, are merely reasons to 'party'.

genuine_gent

Member

	Send: 11/27/2006 11:24:52 AM

Thanks to the above replies. I now have a problem with Moscow customs and UPS. In october I sent out a DVD player/ VCR recorder to my lady using UPS parcels. I forgot to send out a form with item (I filled out a form on line like UPS advised me to) and Moscow customs have been sitting on the item for over a month. Moscow customs contacted my lady and demanded $200 from her for duty on it. The item only cost me $100 so my lady rightly refused the item. I now am told that the item is to be sent back to me. Has anyone had similar experience and or advice on what I can do?

danny3777

Member

	Send: 11/27/2006 5:54:09 PM

GG, Some months ago a friend of my wife asked me to send her some Manchester United (I know they are shite) football stuff to Ukraine. Ordering direct from the website UPS were cheaper than DHL so I went with UPS. It became obvious, the football store site had only started recently using UPS, that UPS came out cheaper because they weren't paying the appropriate bribes along the way and Ukraine customs impounded the package demanding all sorts of crap. Tracking the package online I eventually told the football store to shove it up their ass and to cancel the delivery and only, once did Ukraine customs realise that I wasn't going to play their little game, then did the package get released to the recipient where she needed to pay a modest import tax. In your experience, and I have no experience of Russia, only Ukraine, I would say to cancel the delivery, UPS have not delivered as promised, thus have it returned to you and ask for a refund from UPS. As I say, I have no experience of Russia, but Ukraine puts a high import tax on such things as electricals thus why you may have been somewhat naive to send it in the first instance USD200.00 sounds like a customs bribe to me, call their bluff and, worst case scenario, you'll get your DVD back but if she were to accept it then she would need to pay an import tax allbeit USD200.00 is bl00dy ridiculous.

genuine_gent

Member

	Send: 11/29/2006 11:16:48 AM

Thanks Martin. Now UPS have told me they want �88.78 from to have my item delivered back to me!!

danny3777

Member

	Send: 11/29/2006 5:31:40 PM

GG, Tell them to F.O. Guessing that you paid by CC make a claim with your CC company, UPS have failed to deliver as contracted and I'm sure, via the internet, you can source the appropriate import tax for electrical items into Russia and I doubt that it is anywhere near to the 200% that they are claiming.

genuine_gent

Member

	Send: 11/30/2006 4:34:19 PM

Martin, as you say a little naive of me in the first instance. I have now found the The Customs Code of the Russian Federation and I am trawling through the bureaucracy and it is a typically long document. UPS have washed their hands of the situation and, of course, when things go wrong, big companies like UPS then hide behind their contract. If the item stays at Moscow much longer it will be an antique. Perhaps for one Russian customs official, he/she will have an early christmas present. A warning to others who intend sending parcels, if you are going to send anything to Russia, first send the document detailing the item/s to customs and get a cost of the duty first. Now back to bureaucracy............

danny3777

Member

	Send: 11/30/2006 6:51:07 PM

GG, So if you say to UPS 'forget it' what will do they do? Do they keep your DVD or do they say 'fock it', it's only worth USD100, give it back to the guy? If they are still insisting, without budging, on the customs bribe or the money to return it to you then I would just leave it sitting there, sooner or later their warehouse will become overflowing, whereas they have to return or dump stuff, for you to thereafter say 'excuse me, where is my DVD? and subsequently claim compensation.

Russian brides > Main Forum > New Year and Christmas celebrations