My main W2 is as a Licensed Custom Broker for a US courier company, not FX, UPS, DHL, but a neutral one. We received numerous shipments from our clients, and we process them through customs, and facilitate the final delivery agent. The following is a typical day for me, so, TLDR.
My part is troubleshot any anomalies, and expedite the clearance, as well as handling regular, non-courier business. The clearance process for courier shipment is automatic and simple, provided it follows the proper requirements, <$800 value. This past Thursday, we received a courier shipment from our client in India, everything cleared except 12 shipments that were addressed to the same person, that had an aggregate value of $3300, which falls way above the maximum allotted value of $800 per day.
I we immediately contacted our client asking them for copies of commercial invoices as well as contact details for receiver. I also ask them if they (our client) will pay for the duty and clearance. He bought numerous precious stones from eBay India. Our client comes back the next day with the commercial invoices but no further contact details for US buyer, nor they indicate if they are to accept duties and customs clearance. We couldn't find any valid contact info for buyer online.
We again asked them on the contact details and if they are to pay, to which they responded us to communicate with our company's sales rep on this matter, what does he know anyway. We do, and he is baffled as to how he should now. I mentioned the shipping incoterms are FOB, & CF for most of them. I have to communicate with US Buyer to get a Power of Attorney & see if they will accept the charges. This went on for 7 days back and forth, until finally, the courier company said they will pay for charges, and provided us with revised commercial invoice. As I prepared the entries, I noticed how they use HTS codes that where duty free, sure enough, no duties were paid on $3300 worth of goods.
The shipments cleared and were delivered within 10 days of arrival in the US, next day after clearance since it was indeed a local delivery by the USPS. As far as eBay goes, I have no idea what the buyer expected delivery date was, but under normal situations, it would have been 3 days after arrival in the US. In the in-between, we were getting bothered to provide delay reasons for lack of clearance.
Just a regular day for me at the J O B.
