APO: advice from Military or ex-Military members

[SmokelessJoe]

Friends:

A dealer in Germany offers to sell me a WEBASTO Diesel Cook Top (unavailable here) at a competitive price but asks this:

You know someone with one APO Box ?.
we live in close proximity to Ramstein Airbase, the greatest Airbase from Nato in Europa.

Then we can send the webasto cooker with APO-Box.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Thomas Mayer


I’m a Canadian so I had to go on the Internet to find that APO is a postal shipping system for the military.

A question for Military or ex-Military members: Is it reasonable to ask on this Forum if someone can help out ?

I don’t know whether it would be correct, not to mention complex, but the German supplier must have had some experience to suggest it.

Can anyone offer advice or opinions??

Sergei

[Over59]

I am thinking they have someone who could mail it from the base and suspect shipping would be less, I think you pay domestic rates. I assume it is this particular cooktop you want as similar are available at Marine supply stores here. But it is a little strange. APO box are stateside addresses like
APO 111000
NYC, NY
Prehaps you have confused him somehow about your status.

[Bustersmith]

I advise you not to use an APO address unless you are in the US Military. I am sure you would not want to do something illegal. Our military members in other countries where we serve can receive and send mail on our installations without paying import/export duties if it is for personal use(Canadian military have this privilege as well). In this case, you and your Host Nation contact would essentially be skirting German Customs (Zoll). This is not a good thing and the Zoll is serious about their job. It's better to go ahead and pay. Gene

[lewster]

Originally Posted by SmokelessJoe

Friends:

A dealer in Germany offers to sell me a WEBASTO Diesel Cook Top (unavailable here) at a competitive price but asks this:

You know someone with one APO Box ?.
we live in close proximity to Ramstein Airbase, the greatest Airbase from Nato in Europa.

Then we can send the webasto cooker with APO-Box.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Thomas Mayer


I’m a Canadian so I had to go on the Internet to find that APO is a postal shipping system for the military.

A question for Military or ex-Military members: Is it reasonable to ask on this Forum if someone can help out ?

I don’t know whether it would be correct, not to mention complex, but the German supplier must have had some experience to suggest it.

Can anyone offer advice or opinions??

Sergei

Sergei,

Have you spoken to the guys at Aqua-Hot? They are the sole North American Wabasto importer and they might be able to get you the cook top. They don't offer them, but may be able to special order it for you.

Worth a shot!

[SmokelessJoe]

Lew:


I’ve already asked my friends at Aqua Hot if they can do this. They say no.

(They are great people by the way. Thanks again for introducing them.)

They are not, incidentally, the sole Webasto distributor. There are many of them.

My guy in Ontario sent me this note after I asked him to help.

"Webasto will not release the cookstove to the aftermarket. Currently they will only sell the unit to RV original equipment manufacturers. As you know the unit is just rebranded with the Webasto name. If you go to the manufacturers website I think you should be able to find a local marine dealer that could supply you with one".

Maybe I can get a German member to ship this for me or maybe I will buy the Wallas original. The Webasto version is a tiny bit more pleasing to my eye and I thought the bigger service network might be an advantage.

I can get the Wallas from the direct importer so maybe that is were I should go.


Sergei