Charges on vintage watch from America

If you use FedEx, UPS, DHL then you are guaranteed to have to pay duty/import taxes. Those are the worst and automatically declare your item just so they can charge you a handling fee. If you are going to have any chance to avoid fees use USPS and declare a lower value and "watch for trade" as the description.

I think they do it as there is absolutely no downside form their point of view. And it is also a responsibility to comply with import regs.
Ive been charged for more in admin fees in the past than what i had paid for the actualy shipping and iys why i just dont bother buying anything of value outside of the EU.
Also had one bad experience where a courier was at my door asking for an admin fee with no paperwork whatsoever.

cant believe you have to pay vat and duty on secondhand items. but im behind the times i guess.

Anjobe wrote: »

Do you not think it more likely that the courier companies declare all items to avoid prosecution for smuggling? The handling fee does feel like gouging though.

If it's shipped USPS it still goes through Portlaoise, then gets handed to An Post how can that be considered smuggling? It's just the luck of the draw if it's gets flagged.

I have nothing against paying import fees but I don't believe the other companies should be allowed benefit from it. The have a steady revenue stream from everything that comes in through them. FedEx in the UK have started to keep some packages from their owners until the fees are paid first, in some instances they have even issued bills in advance of items arriving in to the country.

So I don't believe these companies should have a financial incentive to declare your goods.

HDMI wrote: »

If it's shipped USPS it still goes through Portlaoise, then gets handed to An Post how can that be considered smuggling? It's just the luck of the draw if it's gets flagged.

I have nothing against paying import fees but I don't believe the other companies should be allowed benefit from it. The have a steady revenue stream from everything that comes in through them. FedEx in the UK have started to keep some packages from their owners until the fees are paid first, in some instances they have even issued bills in advance of items arriving in to the country.

So I don't believe these companies should have a financial incentive to declare your goods.

USPS - the US Postal Service? I meant the private courier companies like Fedex, DHL, UPS etc, as you referenced in your original post. I would think private companies importing goods without declaring them to customs is very much smuggling. You can choose to do that yourself when bringing stuff you have bought in a different customs jurisdiction in through the airport, but I don't think you can expect a company who is being paid for delivery to take that risk on your behalf. I agree about the admin fee though, it should be covered by the shipping charge.

Re Fedex, after getting a delivery from the states once I got a nasty letter from some debt collectors to recover the customs charges (that I had already paid)!