posted on April 16, 2002 06:36:52 AM new
This morning I find an email from one of my regular customers. It seems he receive a huge customs bill and he wants me to pay for it. We let our international customers know up front that they are responsible to pay for their own taxes. They ask us to put down a really low value for their items. We put down our wholesale cost. I don't understand how this customs thing works but it really irks me that this customer execpts me to pay for it. Thanks for listening. Needed to vent!
posted on April 16, 2002 08:03:08 AM new
I would tell him too bad! That is ridiculous. I say in my auctions that I put in the amount they paid and that I won't lie and say gift. It is their responsibility.
Good luck
posted on April 16, 2002 08:21:07 AM new
What country and did you send via the postal service? If you sent via UPS or similar services, you created unnecessary expenses for the customer since they really hit em hard for their own extra high international shipping processing and handling fees.
posted on April 16, 2002 10:17:01 AM new
Yeah, I've never had this happen to me before, but I would respond that any taxes or tariffs that are charged by their own country are their own responsibility. They are welcome to ask their government to waive the fees, but a seller is not responsible for something another government does after the item is shipped. Who knows, maybe this person tries to do this with other sellers, and some inexperienced ones fall for it. I would obviously say no, and block this guy.
I have had people ask me to send marked as a gift, which I will not do either.
posted on April 16, 2002 10:30:39 AM new
The few times I've run into this, this is what I offer:
1) I will provide whatever documentation they need as to the actual value of the item. (I have had it happen that customs assesses duties on some mythical number far in excess of what the actual value was.)
2) Many items are exempt from customs charges (varies by country - for example, some countries don't charge a tariff on beading supplies but do on finished jewelry. I once provided an affidavit that the beads I sold were not permanently strung.) If there's a way to fit the item purchased into one of the exempt categories, I'll do it.
3)At the customer's request, I will use handwritten labels and non-distinctive packaging to make it less obvious that the package comes from a business, as opposed to family or friends.
4)I hate to admit it, but I have, from time to time, marked "gift" on the package. The closer I get to being a "real business," the more reluctant I am to do this.
And I try to be sympathetic, but up-front. "Look, I know tariffs bite but it's not me that's doing it to you....and it's not fair to ask me to lie." To the one guy who really objected (he was in England) I emailed him back and pointed out that his government was levying these tariffs in an effort to protect British jobs by removing an incentive to buy overseas. That seemed to do the trick.
I have never (knock wood) had a problem, mostly - I think - because I work things out in advance. Of course, I may be due....
[ edited by msincognito on Apr 16, 2002 10:32 AM ]
posted on April 16, 2002 04:28:08 PM new
I always try to include the EOA notice from eBay to show the customs, if they open it, what they paid for the item. This seems to help. If nothing is in the package to state what the value is then I think they think of one. Also it is not the value of the item, it's the amount paid by the winning bidder that customs should be using.
posted on April 16, 2002 09:47:26 PM new
I have seen several auctions where the TOS states (in a very prominent, professional, clear way) that customs forms won't be forged, etc. etc. If you ship internationally, I think it MUST be in your TOS since so many eBay buyers are new to purchasing overseas.
posted on April 17, 2002 07:24:25 AM new
Normally I do not have problems with my international customers. However I find that most people do not read our TOS and end up telling them no to their requests (putting gift on the form). Someone from our post office told us that sometimes customs will open a package and decide that it is worth more than the amount on the form.
