Automatically calculated Import charges and Global Shipping

[kellebotond]

I do not know if you ever faced this problem, but eBay forces sellers to use there Global Shipping Program. This means cheaper shipping cost for the seller as far as I know.

But this means for buyers that automatically calculated Import charges are added automatically to the item price and you have to pay them if you are outside the US. So be sure to check this when bidding for an item.

More and more sellers are using this. Now some UK sellers started to use this as well (so if you are in the US it applies to you as well sometimes). And it can be 20-50% of the item price!

Does someone have experience with this? How can this be avoided?

[BobD]

Yes, I have seen this on several items eBay is selling. I simply do not bid on such item. I guess the best solution is to contact the seller and ask him to mail it directly to you. Even if he will not do it he will realize that some buyers do not like this system of shipping goods.

[kellebotond]

But I guess the seller has to change the shipping settings before you buy it. I'm not sure if he can alter anything after the bidding is over.

My problem is that they do not even calculate accurately the charges. Anyway, how would they know how much import tax do I have to pay in Hungary?

http://pages.ebay.ca/shipping/globalshi ... rogramfees

[David DeTenyo]

I don't bid on these items either.
I think it is best to contact your country's custom office and ask, I believe Ebay will charge the same. For Belgium it is A LOT, that's why I always ask a sller or company to paste an invoice on the outside of the parcel, declare 20 EURO and mark it as gift. But even that doesn't works sometimes. I get a letter in the mail asking for a PayPal or credit card invoice.

Perhaps sellers think it is easier and more affordable for buyers to use this new method?

[JohnM]

When I first read this I thought that maybe they were just estimating the custom taxes but according to the link Botond provided ...

Customs service. Based on information provided by your Seller and obtained during the processing of your order, Pitney Bowes will manage the exportation and, through third party customs brokers, the importation clearance of GSP Items that you have purchased including, as applicable, remitting your payment of import charges to applicable customs and tax authorities, preparing required documentation, making necessary filings, and providing customs authorities with information needed to clear the shipment through customs.

… It looks like they actually charge the fees and I guess the idea is that you will get the item quicker.

I just tried to see if I could enact the Global Shipping program through ebay on something that I might sell, but I did not see that option.

I guess the best bet is to avoid these auctions or ask the seller to sell it outside of the program.

[kellebotond]

I guess the best bet is to avoid these auctions or ask the seller to sell it outside of the program.

For example airigami is using this program at his current auctions. And I do not think he can change any settings when there are bids on the item.

It would be great to buy this coin fan for example for 26 dollars:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/201028178310?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT

But additional Import charges: $12.91 + Shipping: $25.12

It is a lot more that way. And the same is true for many other items:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/201027703260?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT

Import charges: $36.42 here.

I do not know what this calculation is based on.

[JohnM]

Let me know what you want and I will buy it and ship it to avoid the fees.

[JohnM]

I just checked the shipping on the card fan to me and it is $10.30 which is a lot. $6.00 would cover it so this seller is high on his shipping fees to begin with.

[kellebotond]

Thanks John,

But right now I'm saving for the next batch of BNIP items.

But I had faced this problem few times in the past. Thank you for your offer I might ask for your help in the future with this. And of course if you would like to buy something from a europian seller and face the same problem I could do the same for you.

Botond

[David DeTenyo]

Some items have been sold by airigami and they were sold for far less then I thought they would be, for example Match Sticks for 34 USD and Ghostwriter for 19,99, both BNIP.
I think however that the 'calculated charges' scared some potential international buyers.

Not a good idea to use this option if you want to sell something worldwide in my opinion. I understand why sellers want to use the best shipping method (with full tracking) because PayPal/Ebay almost forces you to use it (buyer protection), but the 'import charges' is just ridiculous. Most items can be packed in flat boxes or even bubble envelopes reinforced with a few pieces of cardboard and there won't be custom taxes because these items slip through the customs offices. Bellow 40 EURO there aren't any custom taxes anyway in most European countries!

I'm planning to write something about it on my website - it's just silly.

[Roberto B.]

Once I cancelled a purchase with this seller (airigami) because the shipping cost was crazy.......we end with good relationship but didn´t made the business.

[Rob Rand]

I wanted the Tricks. Co The Magic Show so badly that I did a final bid, went to sleep, and discovered when I woke up that I won this item for a very low price! I took all the extra costs for granted, but I won't do this too often of course!

[Jaime C.]

I don't bid on these items either.
I think it is best to contact your country's custom office and ask, I believe Ebay will charge the same. For Belgium it is A LOT, that's why I always ask a sller or company to paste an invoice on the outside of the parcel, declare 20 EURO and mark it as gift. But even that doesn't works sometimes. I get a letter in the mail asking for a PayPal or credit card invoice.

Perhaps sellers think it is easier and more affordable for buyers to use this new method?

Hi David. I've purchased some items from TMGS and my package is still on hold at the Swiss Custom in Zurich. They sent me a letter asking for the value of the items and the invoice. What worries me now is Rod declared a low value against the actual invoice. Will it be a problem because i'm going to send my Paypal invoice to the custom as requested?

[kellebotond]

You should do the following:
- Ask the seller to write a low value to the package (but not too low like 1 dollars - usually 25 dollars is ok). And you need to know how much did he write exactly!
- You copy the paypal invoice and simply change the real value you payed (for example 300 dollars) to the value written to the package (25 dollars). You can do it when you forward the email to them.

Now they cannot do anything, but accept the fact that this is the real value. (In fact if they open it, they would only find some old plastic "toys".)

Of course it only works if you know the value exactly.

I do not suggest anyone to do this, because it is of course against the low do deceive your country's costums officers. I'm just saying that this is a way to do it.

If you choose to be honest and to sent them the real invoice you won't have any problem. They would only charge you with import tax.

[Rob Rand]

This is weird. The only time I've had this, was when I had ordered a watch at Tokyoflash. The customs even called me and asked me to send an invoice of the seller. There was no problem, because the value on the package matched the value on the invoice.

With magic tricks I have never had this issues. But maybe in Switzerland they probably want to become more richer than they already are!

[kellebotond]

In Hungary they become very strict recently. Few years ago you could order anything for 50-100 dollars and no problem. Now you have to pay import tax for everything above 25 euros (shipping included!). So practically you cannot order anything. In the past year almost every second thing I ordered ended up at costums.

A package I'm waiting from the US is at them right now. I payed 200 dollars + 25 for shipping. Now I have to pay additional 75 dollars in order to get what I ordered (just because the seller insisted to write the actual purchase value on the package).

[David DeTenyo]

Hi David. I've purchased some items from TMGS and my package is still on hold at the Swiss Custom in Zurich. They sent me a letter asking for the value of the items and the invoice. What worries me now is Rod declared a low value against the actual invoice. Will it be a problem because i'm going to send my Paypal invoice to the custom as requested?

As Botond wrote, no worries, just send Paypal invoice. You could change the value as Botond suggests, but I never did that.

[Jaime C.]

hi Botond - tbh i want to send the real invoice but Rod he declared only 40.00 usd as a value of the items so it will not match with mine. maybe it will cause me more trouble. confuse

hi Rob - inspite of my frequent purchase outside of Switzerland i normally pay import tax but to received a letter from the custom is something new to me that makes me nervous. as soon as i receive this package i will slow down purchasing for the time being. standby my dream queen prediction

thanks David

[Jaime C.]

Yes, I have seen this on several items eBay is selling. I simply do not bid on such item. I guess the best solution is to contact the seller and ask him to mail it directly to you. Even if he will not do it he will realize that some buyers do not like this system of shipping goods.

It works, i contacted the seller directly and had a deal outside of eBay..finally i received the item yesterday and i saved some money.