Hi Dawn,
In my experience, trying to deal with a foreign customs agency
directly is a futile effort.  If you write to them, one of two things
is likely to happen.  First - nothing.  That has usually been my
experience.  Or secondly, you get a form letter several months later
saying they have no record of the parcel.  Just trying to deal with
domestic customs can be a nightmare (as the recent pen discussion
illustrates).  The problem is - there is no way of knowing how far
the parcel got, unless it is registered.  Much mail going to Italy
and other Mediterranean countries from the United States gets flown
into Spain first, or sometimes France, and is then transferred to
another plane headed for the country of destination.  So, a holdup
could occur in the country of origin, or in the country of
destination, or at some intermediate transfer point.  Seven weeks is
longer than airmail should take, but I wouldn't give up yet - I have
seen airmail parcels take considerably longer than that.  When a
parcel is registered, it has to be signed for at each transfer point,
so it is much easier to trace.  Also, your mention of possibly being
"scammed" brings up the other advantage of using registered mail.
Let's face it - sadly, not everyone is honest, even though the vast
majority of shell folks I have dealt with have been.  A registered
parcel has to be signed for, by the addressee, at the time of
delivery.  Therefore, a potentially dishonest person, having provided
hard evidence that he did receive the parcel, is not likely to claim
that he didn't.  If you really want solid evidence of delivery, ask
for a return receipt at the time you mail the parcel.  This is a
postcard which is attached to the parcel.  The addressee has to sign
the postcard in order to get the parcel, and the postcard is then
removed from the parcel, and immediately mailed back to you.
Regards,
Paul M.
Rhode Island