The U.S. Army post office in Stuttgart

I'm an exchange student and moving back to the US next month. I'm not affiliated with the Army in any way.

I'd like to ship my stuff home, and I'm wondering if there's any way I can use the Army post office. The Deutsche Post is a bit too expensive. Any way I could use the APO?

No, it's a violation of the Status of Forces Agreement for civilians who are not eligible for a government ID card that includes logistical privileges to mail anything through the APO and is strictly prohibited. Furthermore, any civilian government employee or military personnel who violates this rule by mailing something for someone else are subject to get their priviledges revoked. No one, I repeat, no one would be willing to risk their APO priviledges to help you. Furthermore, you have to show your ID card every time you mail items at the APO.

So the answer to your question is NO it's not possible to mail your stuff through the APO. What I would suggest is you try to get that stuff back the same way you got it here. Or if you can't afford to mail it back through Deutsche Post (I would definitely recommend sending it certified if it's really valuable) than I would suggest you try to sell it.

Why would you even ask about the possibility of using the APO, as you know it is an APO, and you're an exchange student?

Lavender, quit being a bitch, its unbecoming!

Jeffrey, a bit late now, but if had made friends with any ID card holder they would probably mail the things for you.

Back to you Lavender, do you really think no one mails stuff APO for non ID card holders?

dang...and here I was assuming by 'very good connections' you meant you knew someone with base access who was nice enough to take you shopping to buy said peanut butter, or buy American (tax-free) products for you by request when they went.

To OP - yeah, it can be done, but at this stage it is probably just easier to pay for an extra suitcase or ship it. Or just get rid of stuff.

Edit: by can be done I of course mean get a friend etc to mail for you.

You can find people, but the cost to return won't be so favorable as to simply pay extra suitcase charges. Also it is easier by orders of magnitude!

lavender can you quote any other army regulations for us?

I'm just perplexed by the sense of undue entitlement, cutting of corners, and illegalities some Americans are willing to attempt to try to save a few dollars. I believe this is becoming more and more prevalent in our American way of life.

Sorry, I'm not the legal expert like you are.

Undue entitlement? what entitlement? I was just asking... is there a problem with that? What's with your attitude?

I don't know anybody that lives on the base, so I couldn't use that option anyways. Thanks anyways ppl.
Does anybody know of an inexpensive cargo carrier? I want to ship about 40kg worth of stuff home, slowest and cheapest method possible.

lavander is one of those small and very small percentage of American living abroad that would not help another American. Jeffries is just asking question either yes or no, how hard can that be. If anybody live in stuggart hold an id card please help that person by PM him if you can help. Lavander do you know how many germans are sign in on post to go shopping as a guest. Every freaking days.

So give me a break.

If you're that concerned about helping him to get his 40 kgs of stuff home by shipping it through the APO why don't you drive your supportive self to Stuttgart and use your base priviledges to help him out? Or better yet, why don't you just send him some Euros to ship his stuff home through the German system because after all you're in the majority of Americans who want to help a fellow American living abroad out. So step up to the plate here's a great opportunity for you to do so.

Surely, Stuttgart is not that far to drive from Bamberg for someone who wants to help an American. Then while you're at Stuttgart take him shopping too on the post with the Germans so he can get some tax free items. After all the Germans are shopping every day and it's not fair that he doesn't get in on the shopping too, because he's an American.

What I find ironic about your post you asked others to PM to help him out but aren't willing yourself. Now this is all assuming you have base priviledges. If you don't have base priviledges I'm sure you must have a friend who does. So why don't you just call your friends to help him if you don't have base support priviledges? I'm sure your American friends are just like you "among the majority of Americans who are willing to help a fellow American living abroad out".

What airline are you flying back? That might be the cheapest way. Last I checked, United charged US$100 for an extra 32kg suitcase from Germany to the US and US$50 for an overweight (>23kg, up to 32kg). If you are sending books, you can also pursue sending a surface-carried M-Bag.

i'm flying united as well, and I called, they charge 80€ for 23kg suitcase... upped their rates from when you flew. but I'd rather avoid the additional bag... I'm traveling by train to the airport and it's hard to manage so many bags. the deutsche post charges 62€ for a 20kg box by surface, which is not tooo expensive. probably will ship with that unless I can find a cheaper option. about half my stuff are books, so I'd love to get that sent by book mail, but their M-bags are only for business customers.

and true... plenty of germans go on the base to go shopping. i have a german friend who just simply walked onto the base (alone without American ID) and went to the store and bought some stuff. he says they never checked ID at the store, and there were plenty of areas he could walk onto the base property. but i'm assuming that'll be harder for me, because I would have to drive a car with 40 kg boxes.

Love this one! What a bunch of bullshit! Ever go out with a bunch of Germans who get alligator arms when it comes to pay?

Not true, unless they changed it.
They aren't a well-known product, but I've sent M-Bags as a private customer before. I once used an Ikea bag as the "bag" for the boxes because I couldn't find anything else quickly. It was fine.

Nope, don't have any friends with alligator arms. I don't have cheap German friends. The people I go out with are always willing to pay up.

Your comments about the Germans getting in the commissary, PX, or post office is irrevalent to this thread topic, in my opinion.

I discussed this topic today with a several of my friends who have base access priviledges and this is what they said. Only a fool would let someone ship something from the APO under their name. You don't know what the person is shipping, although you're told it's only books, it could be weapons or it could be other items that are prohibited from being shipped through the APO, including drugs. It could be something that's illegal to be shipped by customs and as you know many things are illegal.

No one I know with base access said they would allow some stranger to ship something under their name from the APO. It's just not worth the risk of getting your privileges revokes or worse yet being arrested for only trying to help an "American abroad out".