Forgive me if this has been discussed somewhere. This is my first time visiting here. I recently sold a bag on Bonanza to a buyer in Thailand. I packed the bag in an appropriate sized box, insured it for the full amount of the sale, and sent it Express. Now the buyer is refusing the bag because of high customs fees. The sale was for $1400, and she said that customs is charging her another $1400 in fees. She said the post office in Thailand is sending it back to me. How do I handle this? She opened a claim through paypal as SNAD, which obviously is not the case. Do I dispute her claim? I certainly don't want to refund anything until I get the bag back in the same condition as when I sent it. I just want to make sure I don't lose all of my money. Thanks for any input.
Buyer Returning bag due to customs fees
- Thread starter beemer
- Start date
I have no idea how much customs fees are but 100% fee sounds exorbitant! I wonder if either the buyer misunderstood the declaration value and took that as the fee or if she just has buyer's remorse.
As for the Paypal dispute, respond to it and state that the package wasn't even delivered to or accepted by the buyer because she refused to pay the customs fees so there's no way she can claim SNAD. Let them know that once you receive the refused package back, you'll refund her purchase price (minus shipping).
I would also recommend contacting Bonz ([email protected]) and apprise them of this buyer. Chances are that if she's pulling this on you, she'll do it to other sellers too. They like to be made aware of problems.
Thanks for the advice. I will contact bonanza as well. At first she told me the fees were $700, and then she said it was $1400. Definitely a shady buyer! She also sent me a message on Bonanza asking if I wrote $1400 as the value on the forms. Duh! I'd be crazy not to send it fully insured. This makes me not want to sell to international buyers in the future which is a shame.
You did everything 100% right. The buyer was wrong. Definitely respond to the dispute that you are willing to do a refund less fees & shipping.
Put in there that it was not SNAD as the buyer refused to even accept the package.
Put in there that it was not SNAD as the buyer refused to even accept the package.
Ugh! I'm sorry you had a messy transaction.
Other posters already gave you a great advice. So, I would like to add, let your buyer know it will take a while you will receive the package back and refund the buyer. Even though you sent it by Express mail, it will come back the cheapest way. That means it takes very long time to come back to you.
Even if you are open to international buyers and add cautions to them about customs and no undervalue on the custom form in your listing, I would recommend you to mention about it by email before closing a deal. I don't believe all potential buyers read a listing thoroughly.
I hope your package will come back to you safely!
Other posters already gave you a great advice. So, I would like to add, let your buyer know it will take a while you will receive the package back and refund the buyer. Even though you sent it by Express mail, it will come back the cheapest way. That means it takes very long time to come back to you.
Even if you are open to international buyers and add cautions to them about customs and no undervalue on the custom form in your listing, I would recommend you to mention about it by email before closing a deal. I don't believe all potential buyers read a listing thoroughly.
I hope your package will come back to you safely!
Call paypal and have them note in the dispute that the buyer refused the bag due to custom fee and it is on the way back to you and you cannot issue a refund until you have your item back in your possession.
I haven't done an international sale in the longest, but in case I open it up in the future...can you tell us this redonkulous buyer's bonz ID please? I'd like to avoid her!
there must be some mistake on those fees. does she have a letter or anything that states they wanted that much?
That seems outrageous! I'm from Thailand but am now living in the US at the moment. As far as I know, I believe luxury product tax is 60% in Thailand so IF she did get tax for the full amount, $700 sounds about right but $1,400 is ridiculous.
She needs to be aware from the start that there is a possibility that she will have to pay custom on the package so it's not an excuse to refuse the package.
Sorry this happens to you, OP. I hate it when people give my country a bad name
She needs to be aware from the start that there is a possibility that she will have to pay custom on the package so it's not an excuse to refuse the package.
Sorry this happens to you, OP. I hate it when people give my country a bad name
Seriously?! Great. Now I have to wait forever to get the bag back. This seriously irritates me as I really need the money right now, and there was another person interested in the bag that I could sell it to.
Thanks so much for your input. I was wondering how they calcullate it. I do not believe at all that they are asking for 100% of the value in taxes. Especially since her first message to me said $700. She has responded several times saying that I wrote $1400 on the box (like this is all my fault), so that is the amount of the customs fees.That seems outrageous! I'm from Thailand but am now living in the US at the moment. As far as I know, I believe luxury product tax is 60% in Thailand so IF she did get tax for the full amount, $700 sounds about right but $1,400 is ridiculous.
She needs to be aware from the start that there is a possibility that she will have to pay custom on the package so it's not an excuse to refuse the package.
Sorry this happens to you, OP. I hate it when people give my country a bad name
Hi. Here is a page from the Thai Customs Duty Department. It shows a sample process. Their customs duty processes are horrendous.
I recently had a buyer from Thailand. I decided to cancel because the taxes made it unreasonably high and effectively overpriced the item. I rarely cancel a bid if someone bids before engaging brain but I made an exception.
I can't really see why your buyer was not aware of this before bidding.
I recently had a buyer from Thailand. I decided to cancel because the taxes made it unreasonably high and effectively overpriced the item. I rarely cancel a bid if someone bids before engaging brain but I made an exception.
I can't really see why your buyer was not aware of this before bidding.
I just had a buyer from Thailand bid on a bag where the auction specifically stated no international transactions and was also preset for that feature. However, the buyer's ebay address is located in the US (MA) so ebay could not automtically block her from bidding. I accepted her offer last night assuming she lived in the US and this morning received an email asking to cancel the request because she is currently in Thailand and the taxes would be too high. She missed the bold lettering in the auction stating no international shipping. 
On the plus side, she agreed to the cancellation and the FVF's will be credited back so I could relist.
On the plus side, she agreed to the cancellation and the FVF's will be credited back so I could relist.