Quick Questions Regarding Customs Insanity
So...I recently bought a $1,200 watch. The seller is in Argentina (BA) and I am in Southern California. The item was shipped no problem, got to customs, I paid the duties, and then nothing. The shipper is DHL, working with a customs specialist sales rep i learned that customs was requesting documentation. First from the seller - he supplied everything they asked. Then from me - typical POP. I sent them my eBay receipt (denied), I sent them my credit card recipet (denied), I sent them my bank statement with the purchase highlighted as a line item (denied). No explanation, no recourse, welcome to the machine.
During this entire ordeal - great communication with the seller, and we have both been very compliant and communicative with DHL, customs, and each other. I really do want the watch, and I've bought internationally many times with no issues, but it looks like the faceless beauracracy wins this time.
The item is now headed back to the seller. I am not sure what comes next. Do I wait for it to get back to the seller before filing an INR? Is there a "didn't get through customs" ebay return option? Its a relatively large sum of money so I'd prefer to not have it in limbo for much longer, it has been over a month that this farce has been playing out with the a-holes at customs already.
Any advice from people who have gone through similar situations would be greatly appreciated. The seller and I are on very good terms - so that isn't an issue.
Many thanks!
vladede0
OP7 months agoFirst - thank you for responding to my post, I appreciate all of the suggestions and information shared.
I want to clarify a couple of things, as well as provide one additional piece of information that I think may be applicable.
1. I paid the duties - and customs had no problem accepting my payment. The fact that they then rejecting the proof of purchase of the same price they calculated the duty payment on is absolutely mystifying. Shouldnt that entire process come BEFORE they request and cash the customs payment? Seems very dishonest.
2. I got a good deal on the watch, but I did NOT get a crazy good deal. The final price was well within reasonable parameters for the item.
3. I did find one thing that may be at the root of this issue. When the seller first contacted me saying that customs was requesting paperwork on the watch - they said that it was only seller information that they wanted and that they would take care of it. At the end of that note however, they said that they "tried to save me some money". It was written as an afterthought and I wasn't paying as much attention as I probably should have. I just paid the customs payment when it was requested of me and moved on. The amount customs requested seemed to align with the price.
4. When customs requested POP from me through DHL, however, I reread the preceding notes to catch up, and reached out to the seller to clarify what they had meant by that statement. The response was that it was irrelevant, because they had filed new paperwork using the exact final sale price, and to disregard what they had previously said. Customs now head the right information, according to them.
Now...to be absolutely clear - I never asked anyone, anywhere to alter the price I paid for this item in ANY way, and I have all of my eBay chats to back up this statement. The paperwork I filed through DHL for customs was based on the exact, real cost of the watch - and I sent them every piece of proof that was available. I was charged a customs fee that seemed to match the price.
I am wondering however, if the sellers' initial, misguided, attempt to save me money (likely by knocking a few hundred bucks off the price) might have poisoned the well with customs and dooming this entire shipment. Even if they reversed course mid-way through, and all of the paperwork from my end was 100% legitimate and accurate (and I can only assume matched what the seller filed), maybe it caused a red flag? But then, why go through this entire song and dance, asking me for more and more proof? Why bother if it is a mandatory rejection or something similar?
Again, someone with more experience with these matters might have a more informed opinion than my utter guesswork at this point. I apologize in advance for making this relatively small post about a small thing into a novella.
Oh, here is the item link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/358109303575
lacemaker3
·7 months ago@vladede0
It is not usual for USCBP to require documentation from the buyer/recipient, however, the recipient is considered to be the importer of record for the item. So it is ultimately your responsibility.
Since they asked for, and rejected, your proof of purchase (POP), it sounds as though they suspected that the declared value of the watch was under-valued. What kind of watch was it, and did you get a really good deal?
It might help if we could see the listing, so could you share a link or an item number?
Or it might have been because the seller did not know how to fill out the customs declaration form for a high-end watch. See the last link below for more info. Can you see the customs declaration that the seller provided through DHL? What information did the seller provide there?
Since the value was below $2,500, the shipment would usually be eligible for informal customs entry, when the recipient (or their agent) has to go to the customs office in person and present documentation, including the invoice or proof of purchase. From what you describe, that could have been what was done, but your shipment twas rejected.
https://www.help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1077?language=en_US
According to this link, filling out the customs declaration for a used watch can be very complicated, and determining the correct HST classification to use very difficult, even before the de minimis exemption (for items valued less than $800) was ended. The components of the watch need to be listed and valued separately.
eBay policy says that the eBay Money Back Guarantee is voided if the buyer does not pay the import charges. That is not exactly the situation here, but eBay does not cover your exact situation in the policy.
https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy?id=4210 (do a [cttrl]-F search on the page for "import")
FYI, your seller may not get the package back, because they may have to pay more for return shipping than the original shipping cost, and they still have to pay for DHL's services in processing the informal customs entry, even though it ultimately was rejected. In cases where the buyer refused to pay the import fees, the seller has to pay those as well or the package won't be returned.
fm2000
·7 months agoKeep all communication with the seller through eBay, it protects both buyer and seller. For $1200, that protection is vital for everyone involved.
Since he sent it to you directly, he is on the hook for refunding you. When the expected delivery date eBay gave you passes, file an INR. It was probably an honest mistake on his part, and eBay will protect you with the MBG.
fullers_uk
·7 months agoHmm dificult one this, I would probably go with an INR, its down to the seller to supply the export paperwork, if you go outside the ebay system and direct with the seller you may lose some of your protections.