posted on December 27, 2005 10:40:48 AM new
I wasn't going to be able to get to the post office today because of a meeting at work, so my father volunteered to take my packages for me.
I had an "M" bag to send. One of the boxes in side was larger than the other and I didn't know which custom form to put on it, so I filled out both the little green one and the larger white one, so they could choose which one they needed for the box.
(I wrote this all down in a note that I sent along with it, so they would know why I had the two custom forms).
They hadn't told me I would need one for the outside of the bag. So the clerk told my father "Oh, I need them both."
So now my "M" bag is going to England with a custom form that is $13.00 less than what it should be. Reads $42.00 and should be $55.00.
The two custom forms inside the bag add up to the $55.00 total.
I tried to get the "M" bag back, but it was already gone.
posted on December 27, 2005 06:54:50 PM new
Hmmm, that's a interesting problem. I believe the worst that may happen would be that they would return the M Bag. I'm sure this is not the first time that customs has had this happen so they may see what is wrong and just go ahead and process the packages anyway and "let it slide" since there is a customs form for each package although maybee not in the correct places. It's one of those that you will have to wait and see. Did you ask the post master at your post office what he thought? You might want to give him a call tomorrow morning and get his input on the subject.
posted on December 27, 2005 07:16:55 PM new
To all who are scratching their head's and saying "What the hell is a M Bag?" Basically it's a cheap way to send either via surface or airmail MEDIA MAIL to a single addressee overseas. It's a sack you put your media in, being either printed, recorded media, disc, etc... Just like Media Mail in the US. You pay a flat fee up to 11 pounds (different rates for different countries) and then a additional amount for each pound over 11 up to 66 pounds (some countries are less). It is MUCH cheaper then parcel post so it is very cost effective to use and it is also nice because you can send it airmail or ISAL International Suface Air Lift.
I did a little research on this in the International Mail Manual (IMM) Issue 31.
First, I didn't read your question correctly the first time. I see you had filled out two customs forms, one for each box in the M Bag?? Is this correct, you filled out a seperate customs form for each box in the bag?? If so, that was the first mistake. With M Bag's a single PS Form 2976 (green customs form) is attached to the PS Tag 158 (M Bag Addressee Tag). All items in the bag would be listed on the single customs form. I just write mixed printed media and number of pieces on mine and the total value.
This is straight out of the IMM manual page 87, regulation 264.3 . CUSTOMS FORMS REQUIRED: "M Bags that contain potentially dutiable printed matter or any category of printed matter that is combined with allowable merchandise items (see 261.22) must be accompanied by a fully completed PS Form 2976, Customs - CN22 (Old C1) and Senders Declaration, which is to be affixed to the PS Tag 158, M Bag Addressee Tag."
I think in the long run when it get's to the customs agent they will realize what happened and just add the two together for the total of your shipment which is $55.00.
posted on December 28, 2005 01:05:49 AM new
M-bags are one of the big secrets of cheap international shipping. Amazon use them big time for their international media mail - in fact most of the DVDs I buy from Amazon come in huge M-bags. For the most part if the shipment was books or reading matter then it'll probably get through duty+tax free as many OECD countries no longer levy tax on books and periodicals.
posted on December 28, 2005 12:16:11 PM new
They were books.
I had put custom forms on the individual packages because the post office told me I had to do that (which I don't), but didn't tell me I needed one on the outside. (Which I do).
When I wrote my buyer, she knew more about the "M" bag than my post office. She also said that the ones she got only had a custom form on the outside not on the inside but that there shouldn't be any problems with it going through customs.
agitprop, you are correct that it is one of the secrets of the post office. It was a buyer from Germany who told me about it. It took forever to find it on the USPS web site and I had taken the printout in to the post office to make sure I understood exactly what I needed to do, and the clerks in front had never heard of it. There was a supervisor who did know about it, (but evidentally not about custom forms).
I'm the only person at the substation I use that has ever asked for a "M" bag.
posted on December 28, 2005 01:13:24 PM new
Don't feel bad. I am also the only M Bag user at my local post office and had to inform them what they were and how to handle the paperwork. I just love telling them how to do their job.
