Buyer doesn't want to pay customs charges. Please help!

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#286
Lovely64 & NatalieM - I totally sympathize with you guys & I would be so aggravated if I had to pay 20% - 40% of the item's value in customs. But for a seller in the US, it is simply not worth the risk to underdeclare. Aside from the potential legal ramifications, there is the issue of insuring the package. If I don't declare the appropriate value, I can't insure the item for the full amount. And that's a risk I'm not willing to take, as I simply don't have that much faith in the USPS, ParcelForce and whoever else has a hand in delivering my items.

We are all painfully aware of *bay's stand: it is the seller's responsibility to get the package to the buyer. Period. If it's lost or damaged, that money will come out of my pocket, so I simply can't ship without full insurance to protect myself. I make this clear in my listings and I ask potential international buyers to bid accordingly, e.g., factor in the customs duties. Is the item worth their highest bid + 40% in customs? If you are still getting a great deal, then buy all means, bid on my auction. If those added $$$ makes the item too expensive for you, then refrain from bidding. All I ask is that international buyers don't refuse a package once it reaches them, because that's just plain unfair. JMHO.
 
#287
choo_girl123 said:
Lovely64 & NatalieM - I totally sympathize with you guys & I would be so aggravated if I had to pay 20% - 40% of the item's value in customs. But for a seller in the US, it is simply not worth the risk to underdeclare. Aside from the potential legal ramifications, there is the issue of insuring the package. If I don't declare the appropriate value, I can't insure the item for the full amount. And that's a risk I'm not willing to take, as I simply don't have that much faith in the USPS, ParcelForce and whoever else has a hand in delivering my items.

We are all painfully aware of *bay's stand: it is the seller's responsibility to get the package to the buyer. Period. If it's lost or damaged, that money will come out of my pocket, so I simply can't ship without full insurance to protect myself. I make this clear in my listings and I ask potential international buyers to bid accordingly, e.g., factor in the customs duties. Is the item worth their highest bid + 40% in customs? If you are still getting a great deal, then buy all means, bid on my auction. If those added $$$ makes the item too expensive for you, then refrain from bidding. All I ask is that international buyers don't refuse a package once it reaches them, because that's just plain unfair. JMHO.
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I hope you didn´t take my post the wrong way, sorry if you did. I just said that I don´t blame ppl for wanting the value lowered. I didn´t say that it was the right thing to do! I pay customs on my items that I buy from the US, and believe me you....It is never a good deal, and I would never ever NOT pick up a package! That said to clarify my intent I am so sorry you are dealing with this maniac of a buyer from the UK,

Kat:heart:
 
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#289
lovely64 said:
[/b]

I hope you didn´t take my post the wrong way, sorry if you did. I just said that I don´t blame ppl for wanting the value lowered. I didn´t say that it was the right thing to do! I pay customs on my items that I buy from the US, and believe me you....It is never a good deal, and I would never ever NOT pick up a package! That said to clarify my intent I am so sorry you are dealing with this maniac of a buyer from the UK,

Kat:heart:
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Oh gosh no ... no offense taken at all! In fact, I am very happy to have the perspective of international buyers that are not complete lunatics, so T4P!!!
 
#290
AmourCouture said:
I second that...SOOO many people want me to mark as a gift that I've had buyers of items $2500 or more find a "middle man" in the US for me to ship to so that they can mark as a gift to get it home!!!
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And that, theoretically, is fine if the person you ship to in the US bought the bag and then shipped it overseas. I've done this before for european friends...I purchase the item and then gift it to them.

That said, declaring a package a "gift," at least in the UK, Spain, and Italy (when I lived in those respective countries) does not exempt you from duty charges IF customs decides to bust open your package and check it out. You may not be charged on the value of the item if it's marked gift, but I've been tagged with the base fee for a particular good (usually the duty rate times a value of $50) many times before. A lot of buyers don't know they can do that, but leather goods and designer goods especially are likely to get tagged.

It stinks, but customs are required...you just have to factor it in when you buy. Thankfully I live in the US now and have friends overseas who can purchase at different exchange rates and hold items for me until I next go over there, though you can get tagged import on bringing stuff home on a plane, too (been there, paid that.)
 
#291
My take on this (customs stuff)...

I'm in Japan as you know ;) And I've ordered loads of bags from the States and *bay US. And paid customs on each and every one 'cos I'm a good girl, I am :p.

BUT - it seems that there may well be a note on my "file" in customs now as all our Xmas gifts were also opened and rummaged through :wtf:.

No charges, obviously, but until I started buying bags last year, I didn't encounter any "rummaging" of a customs nature. :shrugs:

Not point at all to adding this to this thread, just wanted to share!
 
#292
Expat said:
BUT - it seems that there may well be a note on my "file" in customs now as all our Xmas gifts were also opened and rummaged through :wtf:.
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Hmm ... so do you think that customs is tracking how many online/overseas purchases you're making, and rummaged your items tagged as "gifts" to make sure that you hadn't stopped being a good girl? :p

That's very interesting! I wouldn't have thought that they track you unless you are a huge reseller or something. T4P!!
 
#293
choo_girl123 said:
Hmm ... so do you think that customs is tracking how many online/overseas purchases you're making, and rummaged your items tagged as "gifts" to make sure that you hadn't stopped being a good girl? :p

That's very interesting! I wouldn't have thought that they track you unless you are a huge reseller or something. T4P!!
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Oh I'm convinced! Or paranoid :p.
Wish I could sell - nothing's shifting :sad: and I've only got a couple of things listed.

I'll see this week - I'm expecting a couple of deliveries from the UK. Not a gift, Not a leather bag, Not shoes... clothes and a weaving loom LOL! If they aren't opened, I'll be surprised ;)

PS - What's T4P? :confused1:
 
#294
choo_girl123 said:
Lovely64 & NatalieM - I totally sympathize with you guys & I would be so aggravated if I had to pay 20% - 40% of the item's value in customs. But for a seller in the US, it is simply not worth the risk to underdeclare. Aside from the potential legal ramifications, there is the issue of insuring the package. If I don't declare the appropriate value, I can't insure the item for the full amount. And that's a risk I'm not willing to take, as I simply don't have that much faith in the USPS, ParcelForce and whoever else has a hand in delivering my items.

We are all painfully aware of *bay's stand: it is the seller's responsibility to get the package to the buyer. Period. If it's lost or damaged, that money will come out of my pocket, so I simply can't ship without full insurance to protect myself. I make this clear in my listings and I ask potential international buyers to bid accordingly, e.g., factor in the customs duties. Is the item worth their highest bid + 40% in customs? If you are still getting a great deal, then buy all means, bid on my auction. If those added $$$ makes the item too expensive for you, then refrain from bidding. All I ask is that international buyers don't refuse a package once it reaches them, because that's just plain unfair. JMHO.
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Oh I completely understand it ! I just saw lovely´s post and I felt liek ranting a bit...I need to ship everything to my mother who lives in a normal European country;) and then she sends it to me to Denmark...hate the delay :sweatdrop:
 
#298
dressage queen said:
deekai - do you have a reference for that? i'd love to be able to cite it to international buyers when they inevitably ask me to underdeclare or misdescribe even though my listings state that i won't.
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I honestly can't remember where I saw it, but the minute that I did.......that was the end of ever marking it anything but what it is. Not a gift, not a lower price and not used. I will try to find it again.

My son works for the post office and he told me NOT to mark as anything but what it is.

I also remember reading that customs officers are catching on to some of this because eBay is so prevalent.
 
#299
deekai said:
I honestly can't remember where I saw it, but the minute that I did.......that was the end of ever marking it anything but what it is. Not a gift, not a lower price and not used. I will try to find it again.

My son works for the post office and he told me NOT to mark as anything but what it is.

I also remember reading that customs officers are catching on to some of this because eBay is so prevalent.
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U.S. Code as of: 01/19/04​
Section 305. Penalties for unlawful export information activities (a) Criminal Penalties. -
(1) Failure to file; submission of false or misleading
information. - Any person who knowingly fails to file or
knowingly submits false or misleading export information through
the Shippers Export Declaration (SED) (or any successor document)
or the Automated Export System (AES) shall be subject to a fine
not to exceed $10,000 per violation or imprisonment for not more
than 5 years, or both.

As it turns out, my memory was off on the imprisonment time by a few years.
 
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