Sellers lie on customs forms

[erotwriter]

What does a buyer do when sellers lie about the value on customs forms and customs start to get suspicious?

Two sellers I bought from lied on the forms (I only found out once customs sent out the note), claiming the value is 0.100 and 1.00 (items, roughly $1.90-$4 per order) and customs charged me on $10 value per item.  In order to re-evaluate the value I had to show customs the order and was accused of getting the sellers to lie on the customs forms.  So I had to either pay the customs value on $10 or get into trouble.

I never ask for false values because I have no reason to since my orders are almost always of low value.  Makes me mad!

[postingid2017]

As a seller myself, I will not lower the value on any international order, even if the buyer requests me to do so.  Here in the USA, a seller could be fined (one of my fellow sellers was), so that is why I do not.  Your country's Custom Agents have no way of know if the seller misrepresented the value or if you requested the misrepresentation, which could be why you had to pay.  Whatever the issue is, you would need to appeal the decision in accordance with your Country's Customs Office.  Sorry that you had to deal with this.

[mg152]

I bought a $20 purse online. Never even took it out of the package. As I was gathering up stuff for charity, I grabbed the purse & noticed the customs form said $2.00. I was very angry but I’ve had the purse for a couple years so nothing I can do about it.

[sam9876]

There is no difference between a $2 declaration and a $20 declaration.

[mg152]

I know but it’s still wrong & illegal to lie on a customs form & I don’t like it.

It was more likely a $2 purse that I paid $20 for anyway. The pics looked good but that thing is ugly. 😂😂

I thought about listing it here but I didn’t want the negative FB for such an ugly handbag. 😀

[richard1rst]

I get international buyers who ask me to understate the value or, worse, mark it as a gift. I refuse to do it.

I have seen other postings on these boards from other sellers who, in effect, shrug and say sure why not.

You post is exactly “why not”. A seller at a minimum is committing 3 felonies: fraud, tax evasion and perjury. And, in your case, they wind up with a highly PO’d buyer. I see a negative feedback coming.

[chrysylys]

Remember that it may or may not be intentional.  Foreign sellers may not understand systems in other countries or may simply mistype the value.  2.0 and 20. may seem the same to them somehow.  And no matter what they declare, it's the resident of the country who owes the import duties.

All that said, I've had items from Asia that mistate the contents.  If US Customs asks, I'll tell them and show the seller information.  So far, I've never had that happen.

[sam9876]

I always declare a low value.

No cops have knocked on my door.

[the_fancy_fox]

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@sam9876 wrote:

I always declare a low value.

No cops have knocked on my door.

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If you are undervaluation the costs, it shows everything about your character Sam.

[green-night]

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@sam9876 wrote:

I always declare a low value.

No cops have knocked on my door.

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Same here. 

[sam9876]

It shows that I care about my customers.

[richard1rst]

Actually what is shows is that you are willing to lie, cheat and steal just to make a sale. I would not want to do business with someone with that attitude.

[green-night]

That's funny because the overwhelming majority of buyers are thrilled with sellers like this. 

[buyselljack2016]

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@green-night wrote:

That's funny because the overwhelming majority of buyers are thrilled with sellers like this. 

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Until they run into the issue the OP has.

[green-night]

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@buyselljack2016 wrote:

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@green-night wrote:

That's funny because the overwhelming majority of buyers are thrilled with sellers like this. 

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Until they run into the issue the OP has.

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Which is an unusual occurrence.    What is far more likely to happen is the opposite:   buyers who don't want to pay the custom fees and the package ends up unclaimed and the seller is on the receiving end on an INR.