posted on December 10, 2000 04:08:26 PM new
Don't ask me to lie on the damn Customs form that your item only cost 1.49, or it's a gift, or sample.
Bid if you want, but be prepared to pay the duty.
I was just asked, yet again. Trouble is, he bid first, paid for the item, then asked me to lie. I wouldn't have agreed to anyway, but it's doubly underhanded to ask after the bidder wins the auction.
I'm just waiting for the day when I get negged for not being willing to lie.
posted on December 10, 2000 04:14:20 PM new
I look at it as---there is no harm in asking---as there is no harm in saying 'NO'!!---
and Yes---Americans ask just as much as others
posted on December 10, 2000 05:11:03 PM new
I had the opposite problem this week. I purchased a widget for US$8.50. At this amount there is no tax entering Canada. The Seller falsified the customs form by putting a value of US$20.00. I ended up paying US$ 6.50 in sales tax on a $8.50 item thanks to the false value entered by the American seller.
posted on December 10, 2000 05:13:26 PM new
I live in England and always ask. If you don't want to don't do it - no problem, but I will always ask. I resent having to pay sometimes the same amount in tax, fees and other sundry payments as the item itself cost. I adopt poor old Teddy bears, not stock for reselling. The argument for import tax is surely to protect jobs and incomes in the home country. How does taxing a 90 year old Teddy bear protect English jobs?
May I also point out that this is not a poor, honest Americans against the World thing. I have been asked twice by Americans who had no ides on import tax if I could write a letter to your customs declaring that an item I had sent was a gift and not merchandise. On both occasions this was after they had received their item, together with the bill at the door. Always searching for Heffalumps
posted on December 10, 2000 05:22:39 PM new
Since eBay is a global community, there are no foreign bidders. The correct term you want to use is Non-U.S.
I don't live in the U.S., so if a bidder from Boston bids on one of my items, he/she is foreign to me.
edited for UBB
[ edited by preacher4u on Dec 10, 2000 05:24 PM ]
posted on December 11, 2000 02:56:14 AM new
Sellers,
If a buyer asks you to say it is a gift, and you do not wish to, here is an alternative that may help.
Make sure the parcel is addressed correctly. If the parcel has multiple items, that are being shipped to a number of people, make sure ALL their names are on the box. EACH person gets a "duty free" limit, so by having multiple addressees for multiple items, the duty free value of the parcel can multiply.
This advice was given to me by the Customs Office, after I had to pay a HUGE amount to get our Christmas presents from the U.S. one year.
The value of the parcel INCLUDES the postage if it is NOT a gift, and excludes postage if it is a gift (at least in the U.K.)
