Avoiding Customs

[Muddyfunster]

Just spent $1000 on a couple of posters coming from outside Europe. I want to avoid getting hit by customs fees so I've asked the seller to understate the posters as only valued at $75. I know his packaging is great and they come signed for anyway.

What do people think. Is it worth the risk, if they go missing?

[50s]

What risk do you mean? Theft from within the postal system of the high valued $1000 uninsured package, or risk of getting small amount ($75) back if it came to an insurance claim?

In Oz, customs applies for imported goods (including the postage) over $1000 so I wouldn't request it marked way down to $75 but maybe leave it up at say $800, so it is insured for close to the real amount. I haven't had a problem with high value marked posters disappearing.

As you have 2 posters, you could request the seller ship in separate packages and declare for $500 each (assuming that is now under your customs limit).

[CSM]

I think he might also be concerned about incurring crazy customs fees and in that respect it is completely "hit or miss" depending on who reviews the package.

Insuring packages almost always gets me dinged with taxes, handling, conversion - you name it!  And to top it off, when a package gets stuck in customs usually it gets opened by the "unclean" who have no concept of paper preservation...

[Ari]

they have VAT (value added tax) in the UK, like we have GST in Australia, but we only are meant to pay it (as Steve says) over $1,000, and its "only" 10%.

[Muddyfunster]

Anything over £150 gets hit in the UK and anything that should be VATable gets hit. Whenever I buy anything from Star Wars Shop and it arrives in the UK I always get a letter from UPS for customs fees and their administration fees. It's a bit of a con. That's why I never use UPS.

[CSM]

UPS/FedEx (really any of the private courier services) always screw me for high fees to Canada.  I always request USPS out of the US when possible and (*knock on wood*) can get packages through without fees and without them being opened. 

I think I've only paid fees for one package from Oz but it was insured, registered and wrapped in gold.

[marklawd]

In the UK 20% VAT plus Post Office "handling charges" are added to any taxable item with a declared value of GBP18 (USD29) or more. Customs duty is applied on items with a declared value of GBP135 (USD220) or more.

Mark

[Posteroid]

When I send posters from Germany to customers all around the world, the insurance and the cutoms declaration are two different things. The German postal service does not care what I write on the customs declaration. So I could insure a poster for 1000€ and I write on the declaration that it is worth 10$ (the insured sum is not visible on the package). If the package gets lost in the mail, the postal service would reimburse me (or the respective buyer of the poster) for 1000€.
This is not illegal in Germany, but it could be in other countries. Check with the sellers of the items and ask if they can do it.

Armin

[paul waines]

Muddy and Mark,  I wish it was up to £135, I don't think you guy's have been hit as many times as me or you would know more about the charges...

They are:- If it's a gift you are aloud up to £35. If it's goods £18. After that you are hit with a customs charge, which is 10%, you then pay V.A.T. at 20%, and then theres their handling charge which starts at £8, and goes up depending on the value of the items. My last handling fee was £13.50 for a £350 poster.  Total payable on the £350 poster was an extra £72.87.

The guy at the sorting office said Do not get it insured as they always check those. If there is no insurance it will go through fine.

All the times I have not declared the full price, it's come through with no problems. Every time I have declared the full price, always hit with a big bill...

It's a personal choice, you don't pay your money and you take's your chance.  

This is why I have stopped buying from over sea's. you have to get a real Bargain to make it worth while, but by the time it gets here it's not such a bargain. I have picked a couple of pieces up from Europe, but the U.S.... forget it.

[110x75]

Down here (at least in my city), every package coming from foreign countries, weighting more than 500 grams gets stuck in customs. You receive a notification and must go to customs office to open the package there, with some employee looking. If the content is ok, the fee you must pay is 50% of the value declared in the customs form (yes, fifthy fucking percent), so that`s why I always ask foreign sellers to mark lower prices in the form. I forgot to do that sometimes, and ended up paying way more than expected: 

[marklawd]

This advice is from the Royal Mail website

All mail that enter the United Kingdom may be examined by customs, but normally letters, postcards and packets containing only documents or similar forms of correspondence are excluded.

If you are receiving a package from overseas (unless it’s from another EU Country), please be aware that it may incur customs charges. Any package assessed by HM Revenue and customs as being liable for customs charges will also incur a Royal Mail handling fee of £8.

Any goods imported into the UK over the value of £18 are liable to import VAT. Gifts between private individuals over the value of £40 are also liable for VAT. Goods and gifts over these values may also be liable for customs duty. You no longer have to pay customs duty for goods up to the value of £135, however you will still be required to pay import VAT and excise duty where applicable.

Mark

[50s]

Geez, that sux in the UK. In oz, anything coming into australia less than $1000 we pay nothing extra for ie no vat or customs. There is talk about lowering the limit, but it is considered not worth the cost to the government in administrating that.

[bondposters.com]

Yeah, I've also been stung after receiving packages from the Star Wars Shop.

I see some here have had packages opened by customs - WOW! I'd hate that!

What I tend to do these days if I buy from the US:
If an item costs less than £100 ($160), I have it shipped to the UK.
If an item costs more than £100, I have it shipped to a friend in the US or Canada - I pick up the items when I next see them.
Having great friends you can trust is invaluable, especially in this hobby.

Reason for the £100 mark, by the way, is because over the years I have found under this value I usually don't get hit.
Not sure if any others in the UK have had similar experiences.

Oh yeah, regarding values on packages:
I find a lot of sellers put lower values on posters anyway, without me even bringing it up.

[paul waines]

Looks like things have changed slightly, heres what is on the royal mail site:-



Receiving mail from abroad
All mail that enter the United Kingdom may be examined by customs, but normally letters, postcards and packets containing only documents or similar forms of correspondence are excluded.

If you are receiving a package from overseas (unless it’s from another EU Country), please be aware that it may incur customs charges. Any package assessed by HM Revenue and customs as being liable for customs charges will also incur a Royal Mail handling fee of £8.

Any goods imported into the UK over the value of £18 are liable to import VAT. Gifts between private individuals over the value of £40 are also liable for VAT. Goods and gifts over these values may also be liable for customs duty. You no longer have to pay customs duty for goods up to the value of £135, however you will still be required to pay import VAT and excise duty where applicable.

Please note that these limits do not apply to alcohol and tobacco goods where both excise duty and import VAT may be charged. It is not permitted to send alcohol and tobacco products into the UK from another EU country unless prior arrangements have been made to account for the excise duty.

For more details please read the Royal Mail guide to receiving goods from overseas. You can also check the HM Revenue & Customs guide to Shopping (new window) on the Internet.




Is it me or does some of that contradict it's self...

[ddilts399]

When I print postage I cannot claim something at $5 and then insure for more, the two values have to be the same. If something is not insured, I will not mark as gift for customs, but I make everything worth $5.

[theartofmovieposters]

Is there a limit in the US regarding customs and declarations?...as Steve said previously, in Oz anything less than 1k they generally don't care about.

[ddilts399]

Good luck figuring it out, I have never been hit with anything.

Postal Service, Couriers and Freight
There are three ways goods can be sent to you from abroad. In order to avoid costly problems, you and the seller of your goods should agree on which will be used the international postal service, a courier service, or freight carriers.

International Postal Service: Merchandise shipped through the international postal service is forwarded upon its arrival in the United States to one of U.S. Customs and Border Protection International Mail Branches for clearance. If the item is less than $2,000 in value and is not subject to a quota or is not a restricted or prohibited item, a CBP official will usually prepare the paperwork for importing it, assess the proper duty, and release it for delivery. This procedure is generally referred to as a mail entry.

Packages whose declared value is under $200 ($100 if being sent as a gift to someone other than the purchaser) will generally be cleared without any additional paperwork prepared by CBP. However, CBP always reserves the right to require a formal entry for any importation and generally exercises this option if there is something unusual about the importation, or if important documents such as an invoice or bill of sale do not accompany the item.

If any duty is owed, CBP will charge a processing fee for clearing your package. Duty and the processing fee are usually paid at your local post office, where your package is forwarded.

    Hint: To speed a package through CBP examination at a port's International Mail Branch, the seller should affix a completed CN 22 or CN 23 (U.S. Customs and Border Protection Declaration Form) to the outside of the package. This form may be obtained at local post offices worldwide.

    Plus: Pretty economical.

    Pitfalls: If the item's value is more than $2,000, it may be held at the mail facility until you can arrange for a formal entry. This may require either hiring a customs broker to clear your goods or you may file the paperwork yourself.

    Lost packages are hard to find. Since most packages sent through the mail do not have tracking numbers unless they are insured or you've paid to have a tracking number, it can be impossible to trace a "lost" package. If a package is lost a "tracer" should be initiated by the sender of the package.

Courier Shipping: Goods shipped by courier, express, or other commercial service usually are expedited through CBP by a customs broker hired by that commercial service and then delivered seamlessly to your door. Customs brokers are not CBP employees. There are a number of different charges associated with these services, including shipping and handling, the fees charged by the service for clearing the merchandise through CBP, as well as any Customs duty and processing fees that may be owed on your importation.

    Pluses: Get seamless delivery. All you have to do is sign for the package when it arrives. In most cases delivery is quick and reliable. When there's a problem, there is a tracking number that can help resolve the matter.

    Pitfalls: Many people have found the various charges and fees levied to be higher then they expected, and sometimes exceed the cost of their purchase(s).

    Buyers often have the misunderstanding that when the purchase price includes shipping and handling, all the costs associated with clearing the package through CBP are covered by the seller. They don't realize that brokers fees and CBP duties may be an additional charge that the buyer is responsible for.

Freight Shipping: Merchandise shipped by freight can arrive in the United States at an air, sea or land port. If your goods are being shipped by freight, you should ask the seller to instruct the freight company to forward them to your doorstep, which may entail the shipper's use of a customs broker to clear your goods. Alternatively, ask that the goods be forwarded to a port of entry near where you live so that you can clear or "enter" them yourself (advisable only if the shipment is under $2000 in value. See Formal Entry below.)

    Pluses: Can be economical, particularly, if you're prepared to handle the logistics of clearing the goods through Customs yourself.

    Also, the best way to handle large bulky purchases.

    Pitfall: If the freight company has not been instructed to forward your goods, they could end up sitting on the dock at the port where they first entered the country. If this is the case....



Importing Process
Paying Duty: The importer is ultimately responsible for paying any duty owed on an import. Determining duty can be very complicated, and while shipping services will often give an estimate for what the duty rate on an item might be, only CBP can make a final determination about what is owed. You should not be misled into thinking your purchase price includes duty because the seller cannot say with absolute certainty what the duty will be. As a rule, a purchase price that includes shipping and handling does not include duty or any costs associated with clearing the goods through CBP. First time importers are often surprised by bills they receive for duty, U.S. Customs and Border Protection merchandise processing fee, and something referred to as "customs fees," which are actually charges for the services of the broker who cleared your goods through CBP.

How you pay duty depends on how your goods were shipped. If your goods were shipped through the International Postal Service, you will need to pay the mail carrier and/or go to your local post office to pay any duty and processing fees owed when your package arrives at that post office. If your goods were sent by a courier service, that service will either bill you for the duty they paid on your behalf or require payment on delivery.

If your goods were sent by freight, there are two possible scenarios for paying duty.

    If no arrangements were made to forward the goods to your door, you will need to either clear them through CBP yourself, in which case you will pay duty directly to CBP at the port where your goods arrived. Alternatively, you will need to arrange for a broker to clear your goods. If you hire a broker, they will bill you for their services and any duty they paid on your behalf.
    If arrangements were made to forward your goods to you, you will be billed for any duty owed, and for the services of the broker who cleared them through CBP.

Reminder: U.S. Customs and Border Protection holds the importer - YOU - liable for the payment of duty not the seller.


The Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) provides duty rates for virtually every item that exists. The HTS is a reference manual that is the size of an unabridged dictionary.

Experts spend years learning how to properly classify an item in order to determine its correct duty rate. For instance, you might want to know the rate of duty of a wool suit. A classification specialist will need to know, does it have darts? Did the wool come from Israel or another country that qualifies for duty-free treatment for certain of its products, where was the suit assembled, does it have any synthetic fibers in the lining....

The U.S. International Trade Commission - Tariff Database link, located to your right under "on the web" will take you to an interactive data base that will enable you to get an approximate idea of the duty rate for a particular product. Please be aware that the duty rate you request is only as good as the information you provide. The actual duty rate of the item you import may not be what you think it should be as a result of your research. CBP makes the final determination of what the correct rate of duty is, not the importer. For very specific duty information on a particular item you may request a Binding Ruling. You may also receive guidance by calling your local CBP port.

[theartofmovieposters]

FARK ME!  And I thought we were weird down here!

Thanks for the reply Dale.

[Silhouette]

FARK ME!  And I thought we were weird down here!

I thought so too but I've read many posts by the people in here and Oz Customs rules are very VERY lenient in comparison.

As to avoiding the question of avoiding Customs - get a black mark against you from Customs and you are pretty much marked for life. Personally I'd split the shipment, it might cost a bit more freight but you risk:

1. Unclaimable real value loss should it go missing or get damaged.
2. Rather hefty Customs charges if they discover the real value (and I'd bet a pinch of salt to a pound of dog poop that they have seen false declarations on posters before.
3. Large fines and possible charges.
4. Possible forfeiture of the shipment (dependent on the local laws of course).
5. Your name on the Customs database, so the next time you return from overseas you might get to enjoy 'special attention' and any future imports will ALWAYS be looked at.

On the other hand you might get away with it...and you've saved yourself a few bucks along the way.

[theartofmovieposters]

I'll be declaring at full value as I want to send it insured...the buyer in the US was just asking as the $ value on the sale is steep.
I have no idea on this end, so was hoping someone in the US might be able to chime in.