I recently sold a riding jacket and helmet on ebay and the buyer is from Romania. She sent me the following message with her payment: "Please DON'T INSERT into the package the invoice with the purchase amount, because the custom fees here in Romania are around 50% for non European packages (19% VAT and 30% for sporting goods that are not from European Union). And if you must write a value in the mailing papers, please write something below $50 for the entire package." Is this common practice or is she asking me to do something risky? Also, for those of you that have experience with international sales are there any additional precautions I should take to cover my ass? She's paying via paypal and I plan to use registered USPS priority mail. I also just noticed that her paypal shipping address is unconfirmed... should I be worried?
The customs part is most likely true. We did and alteration for a customer from Canada and they were charged $90 for customs fees until she showed them her original purchase receipt (in Canada), along with the invoice indicating a service performed. It's shady of them to ask you to provide a value different from what they paid, and there is an electronic trail. As far as the unconfirmed addy, that's a different issue.
It's against the law to lie about value on a customs form and you can be prosecuted but other than that sounds fine.
I told her that lying on the forms is a no go. I didn't feel good about it in the first place but finding out that it's actually illegal sealed the deal for me. Now she is asking that I be truthful on all of the forms but to not include an invoice in the box. Is there anything illegal about not including an invoice? Sorry for all of the questions... I've never had to deal w/ a buyer from another country before.
No problem. The hoops are generally why I don't do international stuff. We've done a few Canadian transactions, but even the folks there will have stuff shipped to friends that are close to the border and then just go get it from them.
That was going to be my recommendation. Actual amount on the form, but no invoice. That way, you didn't lie and she can always deal with it on her end by saying the suit already belonged to her and you are just shipping it back or something. I think she can make a good case that the value on the form is just for insurance purposes.
I recently conducted a foreign transaction (France) does paypal charge additional fees for foreign transactions?
I figured that's what was going on but I just wanted to be sure everything is legit on my end. There's a place on the customs form to indicate whether the item is a gift, merchandise, etc. I'm assuming when I check merchandise that it will nullify any argument she could make... I'm glad I got the information I needed before the hooligans showed up.
It is a simple matter for foreign nationals to ask you to violate the law. It could save them a few pennies, and it's not their ass that will sit in jail or pay the fines. The Customs Declaration form asks for the valuation of all package contents. That is not at all "vague" or open to some arcane interpretation. Failure to complete that form accurately is a violation of US Customs laws by the sender as well as the recipient. I tell all my non-US buyers very plainly: "Product valuation and invoice WILL be included in every shipment. Please DO NOT request that we break the law." Nonetheless, about 75% ask us to leave out the invoice, understate the value, or ship to some embassy, mission, military outpost or church group so that they can smuggle their BMW parts into their country. It makes me want to puke. Very simply, it is not in my interest to take that risk so some scumball in East Kyrgystan can save some rubles.
yes it is, not to mention the euro is better than the dollar so they are not exactly paying what we would for it, i tell people i have to mark the value less the shipping, it may not be a big deal to some but if caught customs can intercept all your outgoing mail and not send it besides a fine, i doubt it would happen, but i ship a ton of stuff outside the usa and dont need any problems
