It all depends what and where you are sending and how?
Don't ever use regular mail without tracking unless it's something super small and cheap.
It all started some 10 or more years ago when the Italian post was veeeeery bad and over the years it stuck for good because it did not drastically improve.
Now you have tracking of most registered serviced on their website so you can relax a bit more.
If you have ever been to Italy and experienced the Italian lifestyle you must have noticed that they are very much relaxed.
That directly impacts the working habits in various industries.
It's a very general statement I agree but it simply has a lot in common with the Mediterranean way of life and is very similar in Spain and especially drastic in Greece.
I have so far not lost any items shipped to Italy but the leadtimes have usually been very long with either myself or the buyer chasing the post office to find the item.
The same thing is now also happening with the French post, good luck to those who experience it often.
E.g. an item shipped from France....it took 2 weeks before it even left France after having traveled 300kms to Paris to reach the airport and that with priority tracked mail.
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/in ... 245AA6Kd6ohttp://all-things-grow.blogspot.com/200 ... italy.html