Article, Expats In Italy:
Mailing guide in Italy
1/20/2016
Historically, Italy does not have a reliable postal service or large industries involving around mail commerce. Until the de-regulation post 1990s, Poste Italiane (Italian Post) was the monopoly, and just like its telecom counterpart, Telecom Italia, was known for its inefficient management and poor service.
To send something by mail often involves standing in line for ten to twenty minutes or more. To receive something mail often means not getting it in the time frame indicated by the postal service, or not getting it at all. Even until recently, postal theft was a big problem, and anything of value should not be mailed without tracking and insurance. Sometimes even things of little monetary value do not arrive in time or at all.
I built a mail-order service business when I was in the U. S., relying exclusively on USPS or private courier companies to receive and deliver products from and to my customers. Over the thousands of orders that I had, I rarely used insurance option unless the customer specifically requested. In fact, I only had lost two packages, one of them stolen from my office door step. That’s a very reliable postal system. Coming from this background, Italy’s postal system’s quality is a stark contrast to what I experienced in the U. S.
OP, I would suggest that you research what countries have a reliable mail service and block those that don't. Just do a google search with the question, Does fill in the country name have a reliable postage system, or search the Board for what countries are best to ship to. Some countries are problematic and so sellers may not ship there due to problems with loss.
