Last month, I wrote about the difficulties with an online order of a simple vibrator that we ordered online from the US, for delivery to Costa Rica.

Wanna know how that turned out?

We got the vibrator. But it took a week to get it through customs. We had to provide the following documents:





Just in case you don't speak Spanish - the rightmost document is a required translation of the contents of the shipment. It says:

"Vibrator - personal massager. For use with the clitoris. For the feminine orgasm."

Fortunately, FedEx made this easier by sending the forms by email, and they sent a messenger to pick up the documents, which was convenient.

The whole process involved duties and fees totaling USD 135. Depending on your perspective, that might be a lot; it nearly doubles the cost of the order (originally $189). However, Costa Rica doesn't tax my foreign income, so for me, it's a happy compromise. I'll take even a high consumption tax any time over intrusive income tax bureaucracy.