For US buyers who have purchased from Luxlexicon - did you have to pay customs etc when your bag arrived?
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Can't speak about luxlexicon specifically, but it's a total luck-of-the-draw if you'll end up paying customs. There's a better chance you won't than will, but it's worth being prepared for the possibility. Americans are REALLY lucky on this front and it's why I only order bags when I'm in the US: I've never had to pay customs despite all sellers declaring the full value of the item. This includes from another Singaporean seller, like yours.
In India, on the other hand, the smallest and pettiest of things totaling $100 require heavy customs, notarized affidavits, passport copies... huge nuisance.
Maybe for new and pristine they're higher, but I notice the prices are a lot LOWER for B/Ks in decent/good condition, particularly from Japan. The exchange rate right now is 🔥. B35s especially are in the 7k range, whereas they were mid 8-9k a year or two ago.
Take caution with Japanese sellers, there are a number of newer sellers who are not disclosing that the bags are repainted. Prices are lower but still much too high for an altered bag that is basically junk once it starts to peel.
Hello, does anyone have any experience with purchasing from zenplus.jp?
How about from 'Minico shop' on ebay?
Do either of them "impose" customs fees/duties?
How about from 'Minico shop' on ebay?
Do either of them "impose" customs fees/duties?
Not sure what you mean by this? Customs duties are imposed at point of importation (ie by your country).
First of all, I was asking if anyone has experience with either of the sellers.
Secondly, obviously I realize that the destination country imposes customs duties. I was asking if, when purchasing from these sellers, anyone has had customs duties imposed when the item arrived in the country. I've purchased from many Japanese sellers, and [they have classified the goods so that I] didn't have to pay customs on those purchases. Wondering if these sellers would be the same.
Thanks for clarifying your post. Personally, I wouldn’t deal with a seller who intentionally misrepresented goods on customs declarations. How will you be satisfied those items weren’t also being misrepresented to potential buyers?
@FrenchNewbie also if the value of the goods was given as lower on the package I dont know how you would stand if Customs checked the item and found it was say, a Birkin..Customs officers are'nt stupid and both you and the seller would open yourselves up to all kinds of trouble for comitting an illegal act.
I don't think any reputable seller would agree to take this risk.
Secondly what if the item went missing in transit?? I don't know how you'd stand on making a claim against an undervalued parcel.
I don't think any reputable seller would agree to take this risk.
Secondly what if the item went missing in transit?? I don't know how you'd stand on making a claim against an undervalued parcel.
Just to be ONE HUNDRED PERCENT clear just so that my question doesn't continue to be misinterpreted, or no one makes baseless assumptions [and also so the discussion stays on topic]: I have in no way asked, and will never intend to any way ask, a seller to declare a shipment as a diferent item and/or a different value.
I am just asking if there are certain sellers or countries of origin where import fees are required in the US. For example, I have purchased from sellers in Japan and Italy and other parts of Europe/Asia and never had customs fees imposed (in fact I just learned this was a "thing" recently). But I read some fine print in some of the listings & they will say, for example, "not responsible for import fees". So just wondering what predicates that? Is it based on some type of commerced pact between destination and arrival country, or is it just luck of the draw?
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I am in the USA, so the information below only pertains to international purchases coming into the USA.
If an item is under $800 total, there is no import fee/customs fee.
If you did not pay a fee on any item $800+ that means the seller did not appropriately declare the item or it slipped by somehow.
Fees are charged for all international shipments $800+, even within North America. Some countries do not have an import fee, but that has no bearing on the fact that an import fee will be charged when an item shipped from that country comes to the USA.
In years past, some overseas sellers did not fully declare items without being asked to underdeclare (it happened to me more than once as a buyer and I certainly didn’t ask or know about it) and they typically used a cheap/less monitored shipping service, but now they typically send via UPS or FedEx which are much more stringent and also often add on an additional brokerage fee as well, ~$50-75 on top of customs fees. Something changed with shipments during the pandemic.
You should plan to pay customs, but I just budget for about 10% and it may be slightly more or slightly less. If you go to the United States customs website they have a table of customs and tariffs. It is probably hundreds of pages long, and you cannot accurately predict how much something will be. For example, a bag primarily made out of cloth has maybe a 10% fee, a bag made primarily out of leather maybe an 8% fee, a bag made out of cloth and leather maybe a 15% fee, a bag made out of leather with a metal fastener maybe a 6% fee; these are all just made up examples of % fees, but this is exactly how it works with the specifics of categories and fee differences. It is not predictable, and you also do not know if the seller will categorize the item correctly because there are so many options. Also, once they open the package in customs to check the item against the invoice and description to see if it matches the item (as well as what they think the item should be categorized as), they can decide that it matches the classification and charge you that fee, they can disagreeagree with the classification and charge you a different fee and require you and/or the seller to submit new paperwork about the item’s description or origin, or they may just send it back to the seller. I have been through this numerous times, even from huge department stores like Selfridges, who miscategorized an item (but it is so encoded that it is very hard as a layperson to figure out what it should be). Even working directly with my sales associate the item was almost sent back to London.
Some countries seem to have higher import fees for the same item, so I think the USA may have trade agreements with some countries to bring the fee down to the ~8-10% range, but I will let others speak to this if they know the details. I have purchased some items (same category as items that were charged ~10% range) which were ~20% range since they were coming from UAE. Hong Kong was also higher than expected. For me UK/Canada/Europe/Japan are all in the ~10% range.
@FrenchNewbie
Here is some info, this may answer your questions, but check out all of the links found through this website also.
One thing that is confusing, that I am still not 100% on is that it looks like we have free trade agreements with certain countries, but it is conditional, for example, even if there is a free trade agreement within North America, it is only for items produced in North America (not Hermes, made in France).
Here is some info, this may answer your questions, but check out all of the links found through this website also.
One thing that is confusing, that I am still not 100% on is that it looks like we have free trade agreements with certain countries, but it is conditional, for example, even if there is a free trade agreement within North America, it is only for items produced in North America (not Hermes, made in France).
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Thank you very much!!
I appreciate your detailed and kind responses, without making assumptions or passing judgment.
Glad to see someone else has has similar experiences where they have involuntarily not been charged customs fees; and that they are unpredictable, and totally reliant upon multiple variables that aren't steadfast.
You are more than welcome ❤️Thank you very much!!
I appreciate your detailed and kind responses, without making assumptions or passing judgment.
Glad to see someone else has has similar experiences where they have involuntarily not been charged customs fees; and that they are unpredictable, and totally reliant upon multiple variables that aren't steadfast.
Prior to Covid SIP, many reputable Japanese resellers shipped via EMS. I sometimes paid no customs although the full value was always declared. In the fine print, these japanese resellers explained that they could not legally under declare value or mark as a gift. During Covid SIP and afterwards, resellers shipped via DHL. I would sometimes be required to pay 10% (in theory customs plus applicable state sales tax), with the 800 USD exemption outlined by @nicole0612, prior to the delivery of the package. This is my recollection, which may be imperfect, and of course only my personal experience
Note: when a response cautions not to do x,y,z, for example, ask for lower declared value, it may not be intended as any kind of judgment, but rather a general caution, written not just to the instant query but also to anyone reading the public thread. Most of those who answer, have answered the same questions many times before, and are trying to be as comprehensive as possible. It is disheartening (even if a particular comment is not directed at me personally) to read criticism of a post as judgmental or presuming. I am not directing this statement at any one poster in this thread, as I’ve found this issue recently on other threads, namely NY shopping thread and unpopular opinions.
Note: when a response cautions not to do x,y,z, for example, ask for lower declared value, it may not be intended as any kind of judgment, but rather a general caution, written not just to the instant query but also to anyone reading the public thread. Most of those who answer, have answered the same questions many times before, and are trying to be as comprehensive as possible. It is disheartening (even if a particular comment is not directed at me personally) to read criticism of a post as judgmental or presuming. I am not directing this statement at any one poster in this thread, as I’ve found this issue recently on other threads, namely NY shopping thread and unpopular opinions.
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