@Lushlala, Yes it was indeed a blessing in disguise. I doubt they mail it back, I think they keep them when it's unclaimed, lol. Why charge a fee to get your parcel, right? They are greedy! It's implemented nationwide though, and a legit rule. And they are soo inconsistent, I asked how much was the fee to renew the postal ID. They said it costs $10.25. Then I saw in the news that it only costs $8.50. I have a feeling they deliberately increased it again. At least I heard the main customs office has hidden cameras to catch thieving employees.
This is beyond a joke, Sidney! It's small comfort to know that the main office is doing something to tackle the corruption by the bent officers. But for them to brazenly over-charge you is shocking! Maybe you should go back and tell them you saw it on the news that it was a lesser fee, and asked for your change back. If they won't give it back, maybe then you should report them anonymously to the highest authority LOL
@Lushlala, Yeah, at least they are trying to catch the thieves, some were actually caught already, because the thieving employees taught that the CCTV wasn't functioning that time. I didn't push through with renewing my ID because I got suspicious, so no harm done. I used to apply for it in the local city hall, they said they have no more representatives over there, but we'll see if she's actually telling the truth.
I once planned on buying some electronics from abroad and having them shipped internationally but thankfully I did some research first and found out that using certain shipping services would necessitate me having to pay for large amounts of taxes once my product arrives. I even read of someone completely abandoning their purchase just because the duties would have been too high that it was more practical for them to just count the purchase as a loss instead of having to spend even more.
I got hit with a duty scam once but never an actual duty. I ordered an item from Amazon which was promptly delivered by Fedex because of where I ordered it from but a few days later the attempted scam began. I was contacted by phone, by someone who knew my name and address, and told an error had been made with my shipment and that I had in fact underpaid. Of course they wanted to collect. They claimed I owed $54 in duties and sent me a package full of legal documents along with a form letter and demand for the $54. I couldn't reach anyone on the phone about it so I became suspicious and then I noticed the address they wanted the money order or credit card slip sent wasn't one in which Amazon even operates. Why would anyone send American duties to a foreign country? They wouldn't and after a few more fake letters they gave up. Beware even the most legitimate feeling surprises, there are clever crooks out there who know the systems much better than you.
@sidney, I'm glad that the government is actually trying to fight this corruption and hope that more are caught and made an example of LOL Maybe it'll deter them from these nasty practices. I appreciate life's hard and they're probably on very low salaries, but it's no excuse! Wow, @BigBigFan, what a nasty experience you had! BUT kudos to you for sniffing it out and not biting! It's a shame because some people will almost certainly fall it and lose their hard earnt money.
The most I've ever had to pay in duties was once when I basically nearly paid double of what my order was worth because there were a lot of shoes, and some were leather and other materials so the duties were through the roof! We bought a bunch at the same time because of the sales that were going on, but the reduction through the sale was pretty much cancelled out by the duties! After that I've been careful not to order too many things at once, and be wary of the materials when ordering online.
@Lushlala, Unfortunately, the government is only fighting the stealing, the storage fees and the high taxes are something we must put with. Come to think of it, tax isn't necessary, all governments just want to earn money from people.
Aren't all government greedy and always looking to grab more and more money from its people LOL Well, some are worse than others, but on the whole, they are all after milking us dry! Sadly, we all have to suck it up!
@Lushlala, I read that people in the US receive their package straight to their homes, even the international ones, so at least the US government spares their people of tax. And I think our rule is blatantly corrupt, because we still have to pay a "storage fee". At least in your case, you claim them, and if it's cheap then you don't pay anything extra.
Oh yes. Yes I have and I had such a hard time with it, in fact, I still do. I really have been trying to cut down as the stress really gets to me, due to family pressure on certain circumstances, but after all, I'm a person who loves duties and doesn't have such a big problem with it, I love taking responsibility and being independent when it comes to chores and duties to achieving whatever I want to achieve.
In Botswana and the UK, if the item is sent via courier, it's delivered to your door. Likewise, if you receive a slip in the mail, this is where you have to take the slip, some form of ID and money to collect said parcel.
@radzi, The OP meant was the tax on overseas purchases online. @Lushlala, Well US residents are lucky aren't they? I'm actually trying to get the sellers to send my item as a regular looking mail if it's just small and can fit in an envelope, but they can't remove the customs declaration, so it will still not be delivered to my home.
That's an idea, @sidney. It's annoying though that a lot of retailers don't want to be seen to be getting involved in aiding people to "beat the system". In fact, they make it glaringly obvious in their terms and conditions that you may be subject to your country's customs duties, something they don't want to be a part of...grrr! I guess it's be easier if it was a lone seller, someone who was starting out and relying heavily on every single sale they make.
Aww @radzi, there's really no need to beat yourself up! I know it can be a little embarrassing, but we all make mistakes and misread things all the time.
@radzi, It's ok, you should have read the other replies first before you replied so that you can get an idea. @Lushlala, The small independent sellers are the ones that can accommodate your requests, the big ones are bound by routine. To save on "storage fees", I asked them to hold 2 items that I won since I plan to buy more and then just ship it when I tell them to. But since they are a big store with lots of customers, they shipped my item INDIVIDUALLY and lied in the beginning that they will hold it until I say so. They have a so-called "shipping department" that takes care of the shipping. So with one-man sellers, my item stays with them for as long I like until I tell them to ship it. However, the customs sticker I think is mandatory, and our post office recognizes that anything other than a mail envelope is a parcel. The item that I want to buy can pass of as a common greeting card, (a cellphone flex cable) but they seem to can't make it look like a regular mail.
I did. A friend was making a custom controller for me, and we misunderstood international shipping duties, so after he insured it for $250 or so, I got a $100 in taxed and other fees. :/ Not amazing, let me tell you..
I know. I'm embarrassed. Just to answer on the topic though, I've never been hit by large duties because I've never been through a customs place since I've never even been out of my country.
You're very lucky, @radzi! Customs fees are a right royal nightmare. The minute you oder stuff from abroad, they'll hit you in the pocket. It's like this the world over, too. There must be an agreement across the borders. @sidney...it may be an idea for me to also consider asking sellers to hang on to my stuff until I'm ready for it to be sent. But I'd have to trust them implicitly LOL
