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All Import Fees Included
I understand buyer is responsible for import fees and duties, but I purchased an item from a Japanese seller which explicitly stated "This item includes applicable import fees—you won't pay anything extra after checkout." Now either there's information deliberately withheld that I would still have to pay the carrier or that's just a straight up lie. I tried reaching out to eBay Customer Service but the helpful lady on the phone only told me the "buyer responsible" line. I've tried reaching out to the seller but have not heard back after a day, and the carrier (UPS) is holding the package for now. Can the seller really put that claim on the original item listing and I'm just forced to eat the additional cost? Worse, I look up an updated listing for the same item and now it says $110 for shipping (mine had free shipping) but it still says the thing about including applicable import fees. Thankfully I have screenshots of the listing before my purchase. Do I pay the fee and request a refund? What do I do?
comics-scifi-collectibles
Mentor7 months ago@anibazavalet0. You can only refuse a package that has tariffs due if the seller shipped from a different country than stated causing a surprise bill.
For example a sellers listing says they are shipping from the US but they actually ship from China. Then you do as @disneyshopper mentioned.
However if the listing has the correct ship from location then you are responsible for tariffs. If the seller is using Speedpak shipping then the tariff is prepaid before entry into the US. Only sellers in China and Japan can ship with Speedpak.
anibazavalet0
OP7 months agoI understand what you're saying about shipping from a different country, but because it shipped from the correct country that means I have to pay the import fees despite the listing saying they were included? The seller finally reached out to me and even preemptively reimbursed half the cost of the import fees. I apologized if I was rude or harsh, and am amiable to accepting this offer though disappointed that I'm still getting charged when I feel a mistake was made by either the seller or eBay. Is this a common issue with international buying? I just want to stress, if the listing says all import fees are included the buyer shouldn't have to pay anything else right?
comics-scifi-collectibles
Mentor7 months agoIncluded in the sale price just means that you are prepaying the import fees instead of paying the fees when they arrive in the US.
The tariffs that you would pay once the item reaches the US is INCLUDED in the item price. You pay the seller the tariffs $ ( included in the item price) and they use your money to pay the tariffs.
A seller can't be expected to pay the tariffs out of their own pocket.
There are only 4 countries that can pre charge the tariffs at checkout.
China and Japan ( if they use Speedpak shipping)
UK ( if they use the eBay Global Shipping Programme)
Canada ( if they use the eBay International Shipping Program)
This chart shows HOW tariffs are paid by the buyer>
https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/shipping-delivery/changing-delivery-address-method/international-purchases-shipping?id=4057&st=3 ( Note that Canada's eBay shipping program is new and not on the chart yet)
You can see eBay's explanation of the tariffs here>
https://pages.ebay.com/tariffs/
I have no idea how the seller can refund you part of the tariffs unless they were charging you more than needed to cover the tariff cost and are absorbing this cost out of their bottom line profits.
Again the seller MUST ship using Speedpak from Japan in order for the tariff to be prepaid by you.
anibazavalet0
OP7 months agoOkay, I think I understand now. I wasn't trying to say the seller should pay the tariffs, you're explanation of the tariffs being included in the item price is exactly what I thought that meant. Very annoying that even with a listing that says it's all included, I have to pay import fees because they used UPS.
comics-scifi-collectibles
Mentor7 months agoThey used UPS? !!! That means that YOU are going to most likely have tariffs due AND brokerage fees.
This is why I kept repeating Speedpak as the shipping method.
I have not heard of prepaid tariffs with UPS.
Did the listing have Speedpak and they changed the shipping method?
anibazavalet0
OP7 months agoI believe it only said expedited free shipping. So they mistakenly listed it as including import fees because they were going to use UPS instead of Speedpak?
comics-scifi-collectibles
Mentor7 months agoIt sounds like it. If I were you I'd ask the seller to cancel.
Tariffs are only prepaid with Speedpak
disneyshopper
Mentor7 months agoIf you pay the fee, ebay cannot force the seller to reimburse you. You can refuse to pay, and then UPS would return the package back to the seller and the seller would probably have to pay to get the package back. At which point you then file an Item Not Received case to get your refund from the seller.
anibazavalet0
OP7 months agoThe seller contacted me and preemptively refunded half the cost of the import fees, and I'm tempted to just accept this and move on. I'm just frustrated that my first international purchase had to involve this inconvenience. If the item is listed as including all import fees, the buyer shouldn't have to pay anything extra. Isn't that reasonable?