EBay Seller Posting Incorrect Location & Possible Import Charges

ve

I have a bit of an issue here guys and wonder can you give me some advice. I ordered an iphone on eBay last week from a UK seller. I asked the seller in an email one day after purchase to provide me with courier information and perhaps a tracking number (if available). They got back to me and said "they had just sent the item", with no further information.

Yesterday I sent another email, asking for that courier info and tracking information and got a reply from the seller within a matter of hours with an apology. They said they just realised that their location information on the eBay listing was incorrect and that they were in fact located in the United States. They also stated in the email that they could not change the location status, as it was "technically not allowed at this stage". They provided me with a tracking number for my shipment and I just saw that my phone is indeed sitting with Irish customs in Portlaois since paddy's day. It hasn't moved yet. The seller attached in his email to me a forged receipt (from Apple) for a refurbished iPhone with a cost of $125. The seller stated that this receipt is of course not for the phone that is being sent, but just as a decoy for customs to attempt to minimise import charges (which he said he would pay, along with his apologies). He then suggests I send this receipt to our customs office. I got back to him and said "No bloody way" I am doing that and that he has 2 options.

1) I receive the phone (I paid €410 for it), and pay the import charges, which I guess would be about €200 quid if it ever gets released (I don't know if or how long that would take). Then forward him on my bill and expect full payment

2) Tell customs I don't want it and send it back, and request the seller gives me a full refund.

What I know about the seller: The seller did create an eBay account in the US, several years ago. He moved to the UK, changed his location info on eBay. Then he moved back to the US, never changed the location info back to US. He has over 200 transactions on eBay (many of them sales) and a 100% positive feedback rating. Many happy customers in the past and in recent times, specifically who bought iphones. I do believe he is genuine and sincere, and he understands that I probably wouldn't have engaged in this transaction if I had know the true location of the goods (he said this in his email).

However I am in a right pickle here. I don't know when customs will release it, or if they will. I also don't know what kind of charges to expect? and I would really appreciate if any of you could enlighten me as to what I can expect or what I should do.

Many Thanks

jor el

The amount of VAT to be paid will depend on the value and description he put on the box. If he said it was an iPhone and put a value of 50 euro on it, then customs are unlikely to believe this, and instead open the box and value it themselves. Going with the cost of 400euro here, they'll add the VAT and excise duty to this value and not the dollar value quoted.

Customs will either release the package with a bill to be collected by the postman, or they'll send you an invoice for the amount and release it once payment is received. I think that given the value on this, they'll probably invoice you for it. Normally takes about 1-2 weeks for customs to release/bill so I'd expect something by the end of next week.

If you decide not to pay for it, then I think they'll return it to sender. What you should do in this case is start a Paypal dispute and escalate to a claim. State that the seller has the incorrect location in the listing and you are unwilling to pay import duty on something that should have been from the UK.

ve

After sending some well worded emails to the seller, I have got reply. He sounds like he is panicing because he doesn't want his 100% positive feedback rating tarnished in any way. He keeps telling me that he never lied about his location, and it was when he included Ireland & UK in the shipping destinations, the origin was accidentally changed. Still doesn't matter a crap to me how it happened.

So he said he will absolutely cover any import charges incurred and will refund me immediately upon receipt and that he is very sorry. So at the moment it is my intention to wait and hear from customs, pay the charges, and send him a copy of my receipt for full refund.

My only issue: What if he ignores the customs receipt and I never hear from him?

ve

jor el wrote: »

Normally takes about 1-2 weeks for customs to release/bill so I'd expect something by the end of next week.

Would I be asking for trouble if I gave them a ring with my tracking info, and try and reach an agreement over the phone.

rubadub

Post up the link to the item or ebay number so we can have a look to see if it is a genuine mistake. Even if it is I would not trust him to pay the fees, if you send it back and he doesnt refund you do have a comeback, since there is no recorded delivery signed by you. By refund make sure he means postage too. Also if you do pay duty it can include the postage costs too.

You could PM me the details if you do not want them on the forum, or at least tell us if the listing was in $ or £.

ve

if you send it back and he doesnt refund you do have a comeback, since there is no recorded delivery signed by you

You make a good point. Although if I do pay the customs bill, and accept the item for delivery, etc, have we not already made an agreement that he will refund the charges. I know he can do whatever he likes, but my god the negative feedback I will leave him if he does.....they will have a movie based on it by next Christmas.

eringobragh

I got a camera at christmas and the seller put a low customs value on it and customs wrote to me looking for the receipt to apply VAT so i emailed the seller and he drafted up an invoice which i faxed to customs who promptly delivered me a VAT free camera 2 days later.

an yes I CAN sleep at night

ve

eringobragh wrote: »

i emailed the seller and he drafted up an invoice which i faxed to customs who promptly delivered me a VAT free camera 2 days later.

I received mail from customs to say that the item is above €22 and therefore subject to import duties, VAT, postal fee of €5, etc. They want me to send them a receipt (paypal or other). They said the item description is a MP3 player.

All I can do is send them my paypal receipt. If I was to do anything else, surely they could detect fraudulent behavior. If the value of the receipt is £305 (sterling, according to xe.com approx €392), how much would expect I will be charged to have it released?

louis346789

I would send the customs the copy of the ebay transaction and proof of the full payment. Pay what they ask.

Send the receipt to the seller and get him to credit you the amount on paypal or issue refund.

Let him know that you will not leave feedback until its resolved. He will not want to lose his 100 feedback for the sake of a few hundred dollars.

In the meantime open an offical ebay dispute about the transaction. you have 30 days from end of sale , this will keep him under pressure to finalise on your terms and yet in the short term not affect his ebay standing.

ted1

for electronics goods its 14% duty then 21%Vat

so say item cost 90 + 10 shipping +10 handling. they go
110*1.14= 125.4 *1.21 =151.73 so you'll have to pay them 51.73

ve

louis346789 wrote: »

I would send the customs the copy of the ebay transaction and proof of the full payment. Pay what they ask.

Send the receipt to the seller and get him to credit you the amount on paypal or issue refund.

Let him know that you will not leave feedback until its resolved. He will not want to lose his 100 feedback for the sake of a few hundred dollars.

I just emailed them the Paypal receipt (this is what they asked for). I then requested them to email me back an invoice for charges, which I will pay the postal worker upon delivery. Are invoices/receipts always offered for these payments?. I would expect they are, but I know people that have literally put cash in the postman's hand and off he went.

louis346789 wrote: »

n the meantime open an offical ebay dispute about the transaction. you have 30 days from end of sale , this will keep him under pressure to finalise on your terms and yet in the short term not affect his ebay standing.

I think I will hold out on doing this just yet. Yes I do think his 100% feedback track record is important to him. He does "seem" sincerely greatful that I am willing to cooperate. But not until I actually have the phone working 100% in my hands with the import costs refunded to me, he will be able to keep his 100% track record.

I feel as though the ball is in my court. But the the worst can happen as I see it...I pay the import charges, and the phone does not work and he disappears. Then where do I stand?. In that case I would use every mechanism available to me to get my money back. Otherwise I'm the cost of import down, with a working phone, and he still gets negative feedback. If that case I would mail him and say he has 24 hours to apply a refund or I will be leaving the negative feedback (in my best mafia boss tone). The best outcome is that I receive a working phone and he pays up. I will give him great feedback if the latter transpires.

ve

Just another quick question, when I do send the seller the bill for import charges, how long will it take my refund show up on Paypal or my credit card from the time he makes the refund?

I just want to know so I don't end up in a "the cheque is the post" scenario.