Does this raise red flags?

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fashion16

O.G.
Apr 15, 2007
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I am in the US and on a hunt for the perfect Hermes bag, I found one on a reputable site (at least posts here say it is reputable) but based in Australia.

I have hesitated to make a large purchase overseas due to concerns with shipping and customs/duty fees.

I reached out to this company and they offered to declare a lower value to avoid customs fees and advised they will only take wire transfer.

This is a well established company so these two details caught me off guard. Thoughts? Am I being paranoid?

If I buy a $15k bag and they declare a low value to avoid fees and it is lost, I think I am done for, right? Also, that just doesn’t feel right/ethical. Thoughts?
 
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Am I being paranoid?

If I buy a $15k bag and they declare a low value to avoid fees and it is lost, I think I am done for, right? Also, that just doesn’t feel right/ethical. Thoughts?
Catering to a buyer's greed (avoiding expenses) and cutting corners to solely benefit the seller is exactly the special sauce of a high-ticket scam. Don't be the patsy.
 
I am in the US and on a hunt for the perfect Hermes bag, I found one on a reputable site (at least posts here say it is reputable) but based in Australia.

I have hesitated to make a large purchase overseas due to concerns with shipping and customs/duty fees.

I reached out to this company and they offered to declare a lower value to avoid customs fees and advised they will only take wire transfer.

This is a well established company so these two details caught me off guard. Thoughts? Am I being paranoid?

If I buy a $15k bag and they declare a low value to avoid fees and it is lost, I think I am done for, right? Also, that just doesn’t feel right/ethical. Thoughts?
Wow I’m in the middle of the same debacle. What did you end up deciding to do? I was just going to submit my payment via Wise but now I’m not so sure.
 
The wire transfer part is a complete red flag and deal breaker in my opinion. At a minimum, use PayPal. But, usually I would always try to locate the bag in US based before overseas if you can via Fashionphile, Yoogis Closet, Rebag, TheRealReal, etc. Even find something similar to it. Overseas is a hassle unless you can’t find it at all (vintage). Goodluck! :smile:
 
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Also worth mentioning, undervaluing on a customs declaration is against the law and customs would be within their rights to seize the bag and heavily fine the company so any organisation who is prepared to do this is something you should be wary of.
 
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