Yelläks /ˈyæl•eks/

If you have to send some private goods from Germany to India or to a distant country in general, you would send it through DHL. Despite the fact that DHL promises to deliver the parcel to India within the next 14 days, it might take up to 1.5 months (as I already experienced). In addition you need to fill out the customs declaration form.

So far my experiences with DHL are very bad. One parcel did not arrive at all, one parcel has been opened and resealed again with another duck tape. One third of the content of three other parcels is missing. When I gave the parcels which were wrapped in thick and strengthened cardboard boxes, to the post office, they were in the shape of a box. When I picked them up in India 1.5 months later (I moved to India), they were 3 blue plastic bags. The boxes themselves got missing. Since February 2008 the complain is running. In the meantime I am a very regular visitor of the post office and the post master. Despite the complains, nothing moves and DHL is in a very nice position, telling “If you have any trouble, you have to approach the local post office of the destination.” all the times.

However, if you sent your parcel as letter, there is no such problem. A letter arrives within 3 days, no custom declaration is required and so far, all my “letters” arrived save, sound and especially unopened. In Germany an international letter can be of the size of length+width+height=90cm (with no side exceeding 60cm) and a weight of up to 2kg. If you sent only up to 1kg, you even pay less postage compared to the parcel “service” provided by DHL.