I do not know if anyone of you happened to send some souvenirs from Indonesia bulky. It happened to me because I saw some beautiful pots that local craftsmen built in Lombok and were sold in the store BERKAT SABAR ART SHOP, and even if the price was very interesting, I was limited to a few souvenir photos of not thinking managed to bring home at least one (they are 80 cm tall).
But when the store owner showed me the applicable charges for transportation from Lombok to my home in Italy and included in a list displayed on the premises-I decided to purchase some to take advantage of the minimum size standards (1 cubic meter).
From the mentioned rates (265 dollars for a cubic meter) told me they were only excluded the cost of VAT and customs clearance, which were quantified in a maximum of 50/100 Dollars.
I bought some pots and then paying 100 dollars and 265 dollars for transportation Freight Express Indonesia Lombok from getting up to my residence in accordance with receipt signed by an officer of the company.
All in all I thought it was a reasonable figure for the four vessels purchased to have a souvenir of the holidays

When the goods arrived at the port of Genoa (after 45 days of purchase), I received an email from the Central Shipping Agency in which I was asked to send their delegation for customs clearance and other documents in my possession (which I had received a few days prior Freight Express Indonesia), so I sent it all in the belief that the whole process was so complete and that, having paid the VAT and customs charges after a few days, I received the goods.

After 15 days I received a mail from Instead Central Shipping Agency in which I was asked to pay the sum of 632 Euro a hundred of them were for VAT and customs fees and the remaining amount was for warehouse storage, insurance, loading and unloading, rights and commissions in response to my protests the amount required has been revised to Euro 315 and the alternative was to pay or give up the goods (I would have lost, in addition to cargo, the 365 dollars paid previously).

After a few days since I sent, reluctantly, this transfer, I received another email which asked for a further payment of 100 Euro for "Customs Inspection," leaving even the "right" to pay or give up the goods and, considering sums that had already paid, then I could not help but also do this wire.
In the end then the pots cost me $ 100 and, for them to have at home, I spent only 265 dollars I had been requested by the Freight Express Indonesia but $ 900.
Now every time I look at these three beautiful vases (one is broken as soon as I lifted) I think with a bit of bitterness to the beautiful beaches of Lombok and Indonesia.
So I hope that my bad experience served other tourists at the end of the trip, I hope to have only good memories.

Wow!! That's a horrible story I'm so sorry to hear that happened to you. It sounds as though it was your government & the shipping company in your country that caused you all the problems, is that right?

I've been shipping products for (resale) from Indonesia for 10 years either by sea or air. I've never had any problems with the shipping company I use in Indonesia but our government is ruthless and it seems to be getting worse each year. We have so many rules and requirements it's ridiculous, costly and very, very stressful. Some of the requirements are understandable and necessary but many are so confusing and complicated that everyone needs to be informed....the shippers in Indo, the customs brokers in your country, as well as the customs agents in the field. & the office and YOU need to be aware of duty charges, cuz they can be really high...in the USA we are only charged duty on textile, but it can be as high as 30%. I'm not sure if we are charged a VAT tax or if it is called something else.