US Customs discussion - airports, importing

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#46
chessmont said:
-I found that when someone has shipped to me via EMS, it sails through, no Customs charge (bags other than bIrkin, have no experience with that).

But, as others have said, if it is FedEx for example, you will get hit. I just bought a pre-owned Marc Jacobs for 850 USD, the seler marked the bag on the p/w as 500, I just got a bill from FedEx for 70, which means customs valued the bag at more than 500 with a duty charge of 9%. They valued it for about what I paid for it! Howdeydodat???? LOL They must have someone sitting around figuring out resale values ???? The box was not opened by appearances(though I have had labels slapped on boxes indicating they had been xrayed, near as I could tell as to what the label meant), and the shipping from Dubai to US took about 3 days. so it didn't linger long in Customs

So in the end I honestly don't know if they charged 9% or something else, as the box wasn't opened but the $ did not correspond to 9% of 500$

Sorry to be long-winded
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FEDEX paid CBP 9% on your behalf. FEDEX also charges a fee for "handling/clearing packages" through customs. That's why it was $70 not 9%.
 
#48
Interesting that FedEx billed you later after you had already had the package in your possession. When I bought a scarf from UK that was shipped to me via UPS, UPS wouldn't turn over the package until I wrote a check to UPS to reimburse them for the customs charge and clearinghouse fees. Just an FYI.
 
#49
lala28 said:
Interesting that FedEx billed you later after you had already had the package in your possession. When I bought a scarf from UK that was shipped to me via UPS, UPS wouldn't turn over the package until I wrote a check to UPS to reimburse them for the customs charge and clearinghouse fees. Just an FYI.
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Maybe it's because I have an account with FedEx and a CC on file - they just charged my cc... same as when I ship items, I get charged about once a week for all my transactions for the previous time period. I don't pay then and there at the counter.
 
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#50
I got my US Customs Duty bill from DHL - the Birkin is billed at 9%.

However, they charged me duty on the purse AND the shipping charges from FSH. Apparently in the waybill, FSH did not separate the two charges and bundled them together. Although 9% on 100 euros isn't much, I don't want to pay it so they've opened a case to take the duty off the shipping charges.

In case this is helpful to anyone else....
 
#52
And save all your paperwork for the CA Use Tax. Remember, they expect you to know you owe it and will not send you paperwork until you owe 'more' (penalties). You paid US duty, so the state will receive that paperwork. I paid when I got back from Europe and still a year later they sent me a letter saying I owed and of course it fell on me to prove I had already paid it. Very inconvenient.
Ask your tax preparer.
 
#53
Whenever I order clothes from the US I always get charged duty on the purchase price of the clothing plus shipping cost, i.e. the order total, rather than the cost of the items. I would've thought this is standard everywhere, no?
 
#54
According to the DHL rep, it isn't customary to charge customs on shipping - only the item. Shipping is a service, not a commodity so I would think that we shouldn't be charged it.

If you care about the principle of it (since 9% on 100-euros in my case is really negligible), you should dispute it.
 
#58
I'll let you all know what happens.

Here is the US harmonized schedule for duty - nowhere does it mention shipping as a commodity that you pay duty on: http://hts.usitc.gov/

The US Borders & Customs website does mention that you may have to pay a "clearing fee" in addition to the duty but this is different than having to pay duty on shipping.
 
#59
tustin said:
I'll let you all know what happens.

Here is the US harmonized schedule for duty - nowhere does it mention shipping as a commodity that you pay duty on: http://hts.usitc.gov/

The US Borders & Customs website does mention that you may have to pay a "clearing fee" in addition to the duty but this is different than having to pay duty on shipping.
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Maybe it has to do with the state it is shipped to? In NY, you are always charged sales tax on the shipping. Just a thought.
 
#60
Hi all, i am NOT an H newby, but sadly living far from a retail boutique has made aquiring my beloved H ever more challenging since the policy changes.... the nearest to me is Vegas and while they are lovely, requires a ten hour roundtrip drive plus overnight in hotel to pick up items.....so in lieu of driving to Vegas monthly, I'm giving serious thought to buying from abroad and shipping to the US. Please share your experiences, nuggets of wisdom, do's and dont's here.....as i cannot budget for duty, shipping, insurance etc.....premiums in shopping abroad with out some assistance....i would be so grateful to hear your thoughts, as would others on the forum from recent posts i've read.....especially in sourcing smaller B&K's and exotic cdc's...

QuelleFromage, you had offered some assistance here, please do share dear and kick us off:smile1:
 
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