Originally Posted by shinymagpie

I thought there were 3. The one to Oz which was resolved. The one belonging to Pinkywhite, which was from Japan to USA and Silverfern's which was Singapore to USA. What the USA one's had in common was both were marked relatively low and both were last postmarked by USPS as inbound into customs and thereafter missing in action... That's the scary bit. Why have they never been found...

Hmmm...

Sounds like it might be fairly common, then (especially for under-declared items)? :s

Not good at all.


ETA: I see the other two weren't accused of being fakes - that's something then, I suppose!

I am going through the same thing right now! Ahhh!!! I have a question for anyone out there that may know. If you ship a bag with insurance for the full value amount and it gets "lost" in customs, will USPS pay your insurance claim?

Originally Posted by lala_lux

I am going through the same thing right now! Ahhh!!! I have a question for anyone out there that may know. If you ship a bag with insurance for the full value amount and it gets "lost" in customs, will USPS pay your insurance claim?

What country did you ship to? I think items being held at customs isn't technically a "lost" but there are certain time frames for filing insurance claims, so calling USPS International Inquiry Center might help you to find out.

http://www.usps.com/insuranceclaims/intlclaims.htm

I just pulled this off the US Customs and Border Protection site - trade - internet purchases

This seems to be the standard flow for buying something. I am not an expert but this looks like what most handbag buyers would be dealing with.

Postal Service, Couriers and Freight
There are three ways goods can be sent to you from abroad. In order to avoid costly problems, you and the seller of your goods should agree on which will be used the international postal service, a courier service, or freight carriers.

International Postal Service: Merchandise shipped through the international postal service is forwarded upon its arrival in the United States to one of U.S. Customs and Border Protection International Mail Branches for clearance. If the item is less than $2,000 in value and is not subject to a quota or is not a restricted or prohibited item, a CBP official will usually prepare the paperwork for importing it, assess the proper duty, and release it for delivery. This procedure is generally referred to as a mail entry.

Packages whose declared value is under $200 ($100 if being sent as a gift to someone other than the purchaser) will generally be cleared without any additional paperwork prepared by CBP. However, CBP always reserves the right to require a formal entry for any importation and generally exercises this option if there is something unusual about the importation, or if important documents such as an invoice or bill of sale do not accompany the item.

If any duty is owed, CBP will charge a processing fee for clearing your package. Duty and the processing fee are usually paid at your local post office, where your package is forwarded.

Hint: To speed a package through CBP examination at a port's International Mail Branch, the seller should affix a completed CN 22 or CN 23 (U.S. Customs and Border Protection Declaration Form) to the outside of the package. This form may be obtained at local post offices worldwide.
Plus: Pretty economical.

Pitfalls: If the item's value is more than $2,000, it may be held at the mail facility until you can arrange for a formal entry. This may require either hiring a customs broker to clear your goods or you may file the paperwork yourself.

Lost packages are hard to find. Since most packages sent through the mail do not have tracking numbers unless they are insured or you've paid to have a tracking number, it can be impossible to trace a "lost" package. If a package is lost a "tracer" should be initiated by the sender of the package.

This part is the warning message

Can you trust the seller to provide accurate information about the item being shipped in the Customs section of the shipping documents? Giving misleading or inaccurate information about the nature of the item and its value is illegal. And it is the importer - YOU - who could face legal action and fines for this violation!

For example, antique silver teapot, silk kimono, 18-karat gold rope necklace. It is very important that this information be detailed and accurate. What is described here will determine the classification number and duty rate that Customs assigns the item when it arrives in the United States. If this information is inaccurate, you could end up paying the wrong duty rate for what you purchased. If it is inaccurate enough to seem deliberately misleading -- keep in mind that CBP does randomly inspect packages -- your goods could be seized and you may be assessed a fine.

-------------------------------------------
Back to how I read it...

Surely if there is a problem, some paperwork should emerge with a stern warning letter and a fine. Followed by the release of an item. But nothing at all...

Oh I wasnt the sender. I am the recipient. The sender is from Canada. If it never leaves customs then what happens?

Originally Posted by love18

My chanel bag is inbound custom usps new york what i can do ?please tell me what happened of your chanel bag ,please help me!!!

Maybe call them and ask whether u should pay any fees..
Last week my LV bag purchased from Japan was held in customs. As I had the tracking number, I watched it, and expected a phonecall from customs. When nothing happened for few days I phoned them and paid over phone and my bag came next day...

Originally Posted by Konicek007

Maybe call them and ask whether u should pay any fees.. Last week my LV bag purchased from Japan was held in customs. As I had the tracking number, I watched it, and expected a phonecall from customs. When nothing happened for few days I phoned them and paid over phone and my bag came next day...

and how much did you pay? i am going to buy a chanel bag but thinking about the custom seems too much hassle :s so i am kinda confused

Originally Posted by love18

My chanel bag is inbound custom usps new york what i can do ?please tell me what happened of your chanel bag ,please help me!!!

This thread is over 2 years old so if it hasn't been updated by now I don't think it will be any time soon.

Have you called customs? You don't even say how long it has been

Originally Posted by aphrodite88

and how much did you pay? i am going to buy a chanel bag but thinking about the custom seems too much hassle :s so i am kinda confused

hi, sorry for late reply, i was away...
I paid about £50.. The bag was £150.

Help- I bought a vintage Chanel bag for $900 from a seller in the USA. The seller paid $650 insurance and marked the package as gift. The uk customs are charging me £155 to have it released!!!! Is there anything I can do about it?

Originally Posted by Hossain

Help- I bought a vintage Chanel bag for $900 from a seller in the USA. The seller paid $650 insurance and marked the package as gift. The uk customs are charging me £155 to have it released!!!! Is there anything I can do about it?

Probably not.... you can ask the customs agent why you are being charged

that amount since the packaged was marked as a gift...

Originally Posted by Hossain

Help- I bought a vintage Chanel bag for $900 from a seller in the USA. The seller paid $650 insurance and marked the package as gift. The uk customs are charging me £155 to have it released!!!! Is there anything I can do about it?

The seller did her best to save you money. You should have researched the duty and VAT that you have to pay. In most countries you pay taxes on gifts too. I doubt that she could have claimed that the vintage Channel purse is worth $60 or less. If the Customs open the package they can reevaluate the bag and charge you for a much higher value.

From HM Revenue & Customs web page:

2.4 Gifts
Goods sent as a gift that are over £40 in value are liable to import VAT. Customs duty also becomes payable if the value of the goods is over £135 but is waived if the amount of duty calculated is less than £9.

Originally Posted by Hossain

Help- I bought a vintage Chanel bag for $900 from a seller in the USA. The seller paid $650 insurance and marked the package as gift. The uk customs are charging me £155 to have it released!!!! Is there anything I can do about it?

You just pay it. You are obliged to follow international law. Please don't bid if you are not willing to pay import duties. The UK IS notorious for being one of the strictest in the world.

Originally Posted by hotshot

Probably not.... you can ask the customs agent why you are being charged that amount since the packaged was marked as a gift...

Hotshot - if you read the quote below, you will see that marking as a gift, it is irrelevant when the value is over £40. A Chanel bag is definitely worth more than £40.

Originally Posted by Skittle

The seller did her best to save you money. You should have researched the duty and VAT that you have to pay. In most countries you pay taxes on gifts too. I doubt that she could have claimed that the vintage Channel purse is worth $60 or less. If the Customs open the package they can reevaluate the bag and charge you for a much higher value. From HM Revenue & Customs web page: 2.4 Gifts Goods sent as a gift that are over £40 in value are liable to import VAT. Customs duty also becomes payable if the value of the goods is over £135 but is waived if the amount of duty calculated is less than £9.

Exactly. Buyers must take responsibility for international purchases. I believe the UK also has an impound indefinitely rule that they could use if they want to get really nasty.

Hi, is everyone can help , I bought handbag from
Yoogis Closet $325 plus delivery £29.95 I paid £233.56 , but the uk Customs ask me import vat £90 ... I don't know is this much , anyone know what I can do about it ....

It is up to the buyer to pay all the import taxes/duty, or whatever the government where you live decides to charge you to get your bag.
It is mandatory that anyone contemplating international purches know the law.
After reading the US rules and regs about customs and duties, I restrict my purchasing to USA only.
Though I would spend much less buying a bag from abroad, I just don't.
Whatever customs wants to charge, you must pay.
Not fun, but customs issues rarely are.