I had a couple hunters come out of Zim through Harare a few days ago. They were both charged a $40 Export Fee for their rifles.

They were with the meet/greet service and evidently the person helping them had never heard of it either.

I'll look into this further and revert.

BTW They said the meet/greet was very helpful.

Mark

Typical bloody Africa!

Penalize those who feed you!

quote:

I had a couple hunters come out of Zim through Harare a few days ago. They were both charged a $40 Export Fee for their rifles.

They were with the meet/greet service and evidently the person helping them had never heard of it either.

Sounds like another typical scam from Zimbabwe. The Outfitters and Professional Hunters of Zimbabw ought to be raising holy hell over this!

That’s a new one on me, didn’t happen 3 months ago. I’ve sent messages to a couple of people in Xim that should know if this is legit. I sort of wonder if it’s not something worked up by the now popular meet and greet folks to make a few more bucks off of unknowing American hunters? I did noticed on our two trips to Africa this year that many more people had their hands out for “tips”, some were disappointed.

I sent two messages last night, one to a PH the other to a contact in the US Embassy, neither had heard of this “export fee” on firearms. I’d bet it’s a scam to fleece hunters a bit more. I’d ask for a receipt if I was asked to pay an export fee.

I didn't have it last month when I came through.

It’s called the “fleece the hunter” fee and mirrors the dip and pack and shipping fee fleecing.

I flew out of Bulawayo on Sept 10 & this wasn't a "thing" there.

jdollar
one of us
posted 29 September 2021 01:44
It’s called the “fleece the hunter” fee and mirrors the dip and pack and shipping fee fleecing.


Yeah that's 100% SPOT F'ING ON about all shipping and some dip/pack that I've experienced.

I left about a month ago. I was charged no such fee.

I did use a meet & greet service. I made the mistake of giving the kid driving me a big tip. On the return trip, the price miraculously went up by 400%. His tip went down by 100%.

Let’s hope this doesn’t spread. Export fee. What a scam!

Going in and out of Zim in June there were no fees. As far as anyone knows in Zim there are no fees currently for Exporting guns. Seems like these Meet and Greet types are pulling a fast one on folks.

Everyone usually does have their hand out but remember the guys in Zim average no more than $10-15 per day. When you come through flipping $20.00 at guys you are making it it hard on the guys that follow. We had a party of 8 and my tips leaving the Falls in the Airport amounted to less than $20.00. I am a good tipper. I don't tip the Airline Staff or Zim officials. Never have and never will and have never had a problem.

IF you tip someone in the airport $20.00 for a few minutes of work or your driver for an hours worth of work are you tipping the trackers $200.00 per day each? They spend 10 hours a day serving you while you are in camp.

quote:

Originally posted by TNJohn:
...

IF you tip someone in the airport $20.00 for a few minutes of work or your driver for an hours worth of work are you tipping the trackers $200.00 per day each? They spend 10 hours a day serving you while you are in camp.

The fee for the airport meet was $20 for me. That was well worth it as it saved at least a couple of hours and I was through in 30 minutes.

Departing the same thing. We went to the head of the PCR document check line, and then went through firearms check, airline, airline double check, immigration, security and then the lounge. Again in 30 minutes, well worth the $20.

quote:

Originally posted by tanks:

quote:

Originally posted by TNJohn:
...

IF you tip someone in the airport $20.00 for a few minutes of work or your driver for an hours worth of work are you tipping the trackers $200.00 per day each? They spend 10 hours a day serving you while you are in camp.

The fee for the airport meet was $20 for me. That was well worth it as it saved at least a couple of hours and I was through in 30 minutes.

Departing the same thing. We went to the head of the PCR document check line, and then went through firearms check, airline, airline double check, immigration, security and then the lounge. Again in 30 minutes, well worth the $20.

+1

As my wife said the best money spent on our trip, was the airport meet and greet coming into the country and leaving. She was not sure how they were able to do that, meaning our being moved ahead of other travelers in various lines. I always have some money converted to Rands while traveling in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. I tip in South African Rands and give them $200 Rands, I just consider it part of the trip.

I'd pay $20.00 to get to the head of a long line, heck even Disney is charging $15.00 to get to the head of the line. Did not have any issues in Zim this year in or out and the wait times were in minutes.

A $5.00 tip to a porter, cab driver, customs or luggage person should equate to at least $50.00 per day for each tracker and the cook. The guys in the field do much more for you each day, tip them the big bucks.

When we travel we tip based on the country and tip according to the services provided, it is indeed part of the trip. For those that are plan to go to Zim $1.00 and at most $5.00 goes a hell of a long way within the airport and with your drivers.

Americans are viewed as easy touches in the airports because they tip too much. This past trip everyone had their hand out and expected a tip. Even the Zim officials and the airline staff. Ever seen a Zimbo tip these guys? Your guns will make the plane, you will make the plane, you will not have any difficulty if you do not tip. If you are out of compliance then a tip helps you.

I can afford to do these trips. There are folks out there that are trying to do lifetime trips get scared off hearing about this nickel and dime stuff.

Use a Zim Ph and operator and follow their advice. Ask them about the need for a Meet and Greet. Most often they or someone that works for them or they trust will greet you at the Airport. IF there are issues they will help you out.

Mystery solved. My client called the $40 fee an export fee and said he thought it was BS but his buddy paid for both his fee and my client's "Export" fee with a CC. Hmmmmm! Yesterday I received a copy of the receipt and shot it off to an operator in Zim. Turns out SA Airlink is charging a $40 firearms "handling" fee. All legit!

Mark

Good to hear that it was just Airlink.

I use Fast Jet and have been happy.

This tipping thing has its origins in the USA. Some jobs in the service industry are traditionally compensated by tips. Waiters/waitresses, cab drivers, bartenders and skycaps. To the extent there is some logic in this, it promotes better service and weeds out the employees with a bad attitude so management doesn't have to. Waitresses don't cook your food, they just deliver it, so I don't really see the applicability there. If anything, the cook should get the tip. But when there is no gradation of service (such as they either put the rifle on the plane or not), or when the person is not really rendering a service (but is putting you through some kind of screening that you didn't ask for), it's not applicable. Problem is, in Africa these people can make your life difficult if you don't tip them. So it's really a bribe, not a tip. I wonder whether perhaps the right approach might not be taking real money to pay legitimate bills, and fake money. Use the fake money for the bribes. I am not recommending counterfeiting. Just take some monopoly money or some old zim dollars. That ought to be entertaining.

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Mystery solved. My client called the $40 fee an export fee and said he thought it was BS but his buddy paid for both his fee and my client's "Export" fee with a CC. Hmmmmm! Yesterday I received a copy of the receipt and shot it off to an operator in Zim. Turns out SA Airlink is charging a $40 firearms "handling" fee. All legit!

Mark

I still don't get why people go through RSA to get to Zim when there are at least 3 airlines that go there directly. If it is not the RSA airlines soaking people with extraneous fees it is the people at JNB going through people's luggage.

Tanks,

In talking with Gracy Travel it seems that routing through RSA has been more dependable throughout the pandemic than booking with a couple of the other carriers that service Zimbabwe. To this date and to my knowledge Ethiopian has been the most dependable of all.

Mark

I flew to Zimbabwe twice on Emirates, going through Dubai. No problems at all on either flight.