Why wont some people send things to Italy?

[tikibirds]

Everything I have ever sent to Italy has gone missing and shows up all battered and destroyed on my doorstep a year later.  The package was ripped in half, had all sorts of dirt inside and god only knows what else and something in italian stamped on in pink and was returned to me well over a year after it was postmarked 
 
I refuse to ship to italy

[Ringlets]

eesh!  sorry to hear that Tiki!   I guess it may depend on who checks it, where its come from , and also what is written on the customs label, as to whether it arrives safely. Thats why its easier for Euro/UK peeps to send items to Italy without much trouble - there are no customs forms

[mercynova]

Thanks for the advice and help guys What a great forum!

[Izrabeth]

Everything I have ever sent to Italy has gone missing and shows up all battered and destroyed on my doorstep a year later.  The package was ripped in half, had all sorts of dirt inside and god only knows what else and something in italian stamped on in pink and was returned to me well over a year after it was postmarked 
 
I refuse to ship to italy

Wow, you hadn't much luck 
I bought lot of things from US and UK and other countries, ponies and non ponies and I only had to wait or pay feesspeaking of troubles

[naylastar]

Plastic toys are banned? That makes on sense at all. Does that mean we're breaking the law posting ponies to Italy? A couple of my best customers live in Italy *smiles at Izrabeth* and I've never had a problem *fingers crossed*. Although one package was sent back to me but that was because the customer had given me an invalid address:(

[ponylady]

Plastic toys are banned? That makes on sense at all. Does that mean we're breaking the law posting ponies to Italy? A couple of my best customers live in Italy *smiles at Izrabeth* and I've never had a problem *fingers crossed*. Although one package was sent back to me but that was because the customer had given me an invalid address:(

Yes, I believe so 
http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/il_008.htm

[Eskara1862]

Plastic toys are banned? That makes on sense at all. Does that mean we're breaking the law posting ponies to Italy? A couple of my best customers live in Italy *smiles at Izrabeth* and I've never had a problem *fingers crossed*. Although one package was sent back to me but that was because the customer had given me an invalid address:(

And that is exactly why I won't ship to Italy.  I feel bad for the Italian collectors, but I don't want to be doing anything illegal.  Besides that, I want to respect the rules of foreign governments when it comes to imports/exports and would hope others would do the same for my country.

The reason toys can't be imported to Italy is because they have their own small toy manufacture industry (Italian ponies, anyone?).  By sending toys there, we are supposedly harming their industry.  It's the same reason you can't ship lace, leather goods, or footwear.

[ThriftyPony]

A lot of my etsy customers are from Italy, weirdly enough... I always have a nerve-wracking time shipping there. Packages take months to arrive at times and get lost occasionally. :/ I would say that I won't ship there but they make up a good chunk of my business.

Edit: Oh my goodness...

Now I realize I've been breaking the law! I have shipped so many things that are banned.

"

trimmings and lace; handkerchiefs; scarves; shawls, needlework including stockings and gloves; bonnets, caps, and hats of any kind."

Jewelry is on there too. And leather. Ugh. Could I get in trouble for that?

There goes that. Maybe I should block Italy? I just shipped jewelry there, like two weeks ago and it has yet to arrive. UGH!

[medleysong]

I am also one of those sellers that won't ship to Italy. I have had 3 packages over 6 years (which may not seem like much but can cost a pretty penny...) go missing or destroyed to Italy. Also, because they tend to hold them in customs for an eternity I have had two sellers from Italy (who bid without reading my restrictions) mark down my star rating because shipping was slow. It ended up leading to my dashboard falling below standard and now paypal holds my money for 21 days before they release it to me. It sucks, so no way will I ever ship to Italy again...too many problems.

[Izrabeth]

Jewelry is on there too. And leather. Ugh. Could I get in trouble for that? There goes that. Maybe I should block Italy? I just shipped jewelry there, like two weeks ago and it has yet to arrive. UGH!

No, no worries Thrifty. I buy all my jewelry from USA, something from UK too. I always received my packages without problems and sellers never had a single problem too
I know there are those restrictions but I also notice that our customs doesn't care much unless you are shipping food or chemical products (this from non EU countries), guns, knives...all the rest is ignored.I also bought a dress from China which is like to challenge the fate!!! LOL The customs just sent me a letter where I had to declare that I was buying that dress for my personal use and not to re-sell it 
I buy almost everything outside Italy and receive lot of packages from all the world so I think I can freely speak about all this matter
As I said in my previous post, the only troubles a buyer can have is that you have to wait 4/5/6 weeks your packages that comes from non EU countries since those packages stop by the customs, sometimes they also calculate those pesky fees but it's the buyer that pay them, not you!
Packages from EU normally takes 2/3 weeks to arrive to Italy and they don't stop in customs, they don't bring fees.

For sellers: the worst cases are that you receive back the package if you put a wrong address or the buyer refused to pay the fees, or, that the package got "lost" which means stolen...but I never had such issues honestly

I would just suggest you sellers to write in your sales that packages can take up to 4 weeks to arrive and that you are not responsible to customs fees added. Maybe ship in registered letter, or make sure you have some papers that show you have shipped..this just to avoid stupid italian buyers that leave you negative feedbacks for ignorance: they exist, yes!

As for custom forms on my packages I saw many times: My little pony toys, custom pony toys, plastic horse toy, plastic doll, handmade jewelry...and have to think to the rest LMAO

Feel free to pm me or post here if you need help, I hate this situation where sellers refuse to sell to Italy due to those things