A few weeks ago I made a post about getting a box sent over with some of my belongings in it. Was all a bit confusing, and seemed that others had fallen foul of a combination of unclear guidance and DHL.
So here's how it went for me and the lessons to be learnt that will potentially save you at least $160 and possibly a lot more.
First off, from the UK there are several services that ship via DHL / UPS / Parcelforce but at the commercial rates not the consumer ones. So $100 for a box up to 15kg icompared to £160-200 by the same companies direct. Parcels2go for example, and any other combination of www. some mention of parcel/baggage .co.uk.
So in my case it went via DHL for £92.
As it's all used personal belongings then I needed this form http://www.customs.govt.nz/NR/rdonly.../0/nzcs218.pdf But I made the mistake of attaching that to the box. See below for what to actually do. Now this form looks like the wrong one, due to all the expceptions to exceptions in who shouldn't use it, but if you're here, or about to be, then it's the one you want.
So DHL had the box, then it arrived at Auckland before being trapped with a 'delayed clearance' flag. I enquired to be told that I was about to be charged $160 for the privelege of DHL unsticking the form and handing it to customs. No thankyou.
So what you actually do is fill in that form, take it with your passport to any MAF office to get the MAF clearance certificate, or promise to take in what they need to see, and then to the customs office with your passport. You also need the Airway Bill and the flight details (separate for DHL). Ntoe this needs to be written, not noted froma call. DHL tend not to offer htis, but as soon as you ask they will do it. In my case then I got them to email this straight to the customs. So from 12:00 when DHL said $160 i got it all sorted, MAF, Customs and back to DHL with a released flag in 1h 40.
The tent MAF didn't even want to see as I explained what I'd done to clean it (hoovered to death, pegs in jeyes, then dishwasher, then back in jeyes).
Customs were also fine, but as the parcel was over $400 in value there was a $38 charge paid by credit card over the phone. If I'd had the DHL email to me then I could have paid in person, but I was back in the office before it arrived with them.
Note that the Customs charge would have been on top of the DHL charge. And also that I went into the office in Tauranga despite the parcel being in AKL. Not sure what the process would be if you can't get in to an office in person as they need sight of your passport, although I THINK that you can send a copy of your passport to them, may need to be a certified copy though. Best to call and check, they were very helpful.
So in summary. Send through an agent, then as soon as it's posted get a copy of the airways bill and flight details emailed to you. Fill in teh form downloaded above. Then go into MAF and then Customs with the completed form. Pay the $40 and the system releases your parcel. No delay, no ransom from DHL.