NO USUAL NOTICE OF TARIFFS FROM EBAY AT TIME OF PURCHASE
Summary: The discussion is about a complaint regarding eBay not providing the usual notice of tariffs at the time of purchase. lichtpriester initiates the conversation expressing concern over the lack of tariff notification. Several participants, including mudshark61369, lacemaker3, and greatstuff80, engage in the discussion, possibly sharing similar experiences or providing further insights, although their specific comments are not detailed. The conversation continues with input from others like janet9988 and peewi_88, highlighting this issue's significance among multiple users. The exchange also features interactions between bonanza125 and donizm68, indicating a possible solution or further inquiry into the problem. Overall, the thread underscores a shared dissatisfaction with eBay's current practice related to tariff notifications.
I saw a book offered for sale by a seller in Canada that I liked (I'm in the US) and did an internet search to see if US tariffs applied. I found in formation saying that books were exempt. I also saw no mention on the seller's site of possible tariffs or fees having to be paid by the buyer, so I bought the book. Also, at the time of purchase, the usual message from eBay saying that duty fees would apply didn't show up.
Three days before the projected delivery date, UPS sent me a message telling me that I owed $38.00 in fees if I paid them "now", over the internet, or $51.00 in fees if I paid on delivery. It seems that the internet information was wrong, or that tariff fees fluctuate or come and go. I suggested to the seller that he, like other sellers, have that warning to certain buyers that they may have to pay tariffs.
I also contacted eBay and spoke to two agents. The first told me that the usual "tariffs apply" warning that you see at the time of checkout didn't show up because of a glitch. The second agent (a supervisor) told me that she saw no glitch, but couldn't explain why the message didn't show up. Both agents told me that they had spoken with other buyers who experienced the same thing. Both agents also made it clear that even if a glitch was involved on eBay's end of things, eBay had no responsibility to cover the tariff, which is fine, I paid it.
Just warning buyers that if you buy from a seller in another country who says nothing about possible fees on his listings, or if the eBay warning/reminder about said fees doesn't show up when checking out, be prepared to pay them anyways. Also, don't rely on internet information, probably best to call your local US Customs office.
kibble-net
·4 months agoI'm old enough to remember when POTUS said that businesses will be paying the tariffs, not consumers, and Fox News agreed with him.
I guess they might have fibbed, eh?
bonanza125
·4 months ago@donizm68
Seller and Ebay have nothing to do with import fees. As a buyer you must look into what is being charged prior to purchase. My suggestion just buy within the US. Yes you are subject to import fees when purchasing anything International.
donizm68
·4 months agoYour entitled to your opinion, but it's not good business for eBay or the seller to not make it clearly obvious that a purchase "may be subject to tariffs". Many other foreign sellers make it very clear right up front, which is a good business practice. Lesson learned.
bonanza125
·4 months agoYou stated key words "Foreign sellers." United States sellers could have very little clue about the fees nor obligation to state anything. The government places that solely on the buyer. Now in my listings I state "International shipping will be extra." All extra expenses are the buyers responsibility which include extra shipping cost and fees. Majority of Intentional buyers know of these fees.
donizm68
·4 months agoI just got caught with a "duty fee" of $333! No mention of it on the sellers post, nor what there any reference or warning at checkout. Very bad business on eBay's part and on the Sellers part. After the fact I'm reading that there is absolutely nothing I can do and have no recourse.
peewi_88
·6 months agoI bought a little Monokuma toy from Japan for 13 dollars. Said nothing about tariffs. 45 dollars for a stuffed animal?! I hate this country.
janet9988
·8 months agoUPS also charges brokerage fees. Most buyers and sellers do not know this.
Stay away from UPS.
greatstuff80
·8 months agoI would not blame the seller. Sadly, with someone making constant changes, exceptions, threats to increase/change tariffs, etc. etc., it's not surprising so many are having trouble keeping track of it all. Customs is overwhelmed and sometimes just pass stuff through to help the flow whether it's supposed to be tariffed or not. Calling custom offices might not help either. They can't keep up with it all either. It creates a huge backlog of packages that get stuck coming or going. There have been complaints all over the place, from customs, from countries, from sellers and buyers who are trying their best to deal with it. It's an unnecessary disaster. 😟
lacemaker3
·8 months ago@lichtpriester
Books are supposed to be exempt from duty and tariffs, but it all depends on how the customs form is filled out, especially the HTS code that is used.
Last week, I looked at an art book from a seller in Canada. It was listed in the correct category for books, but the eBay International Shipping (eIS) said that there would be an import charge of over $35 (on top of more than $20 for international shipping). eIS must have been using a different HTS code, which resulted in duty being assessed.
A few weeks ago, an international seller from Germany who was selling stamps (also duty and tariff free) reported that his items were being delayed by 10-12 weeks. So packages with tariff-exempt declarations seem to be getting extra scrutiny from customs which may be causing delays. It's possible that eIS may be avoiding using tariff-exempt HTS codes to avoid the delays.
If you were assessed duty on a book that should have been exempt, you can apply to US Customs for a refund. This will only include the duty that was paid to US Customs, not any additional service fees that were paid to the carrier, so you should make the lower online payment, to keep your total cost as low as possible.
More information about getting a tariff refund here:
US Customs duty refunds
mudshark61369
·8 months ago@lichtpriester ,
As of Dec. 2025 the Book exemption from Tariffs/ Customs Fees are still in effect.
Canada to U.S.: Books and "informational materials" remain exempt from 2025 U.S. tariffs, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
You may want to use the link above to see if anything has changed.