Overseas transactions...US Customs

D

Deadon

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am curious about others experiences with customs when purchasing from friends, other people on this forum, that live in different countries. I am only concerned with customs/duty issues, not good or bad seller issues. I put this here because most of the buyers and sellers will be on this forum.

Mike
 
typically put very low value on the shipment and declare it "used pool cue" and as "gift".

downside of this is the value declared is the value insured ... so in case of mishap, one may be S.O.L.

knock on wood as I have one shipment on the way out and one coming in.
 
Jazz said:
typically put very low value on the shipment and declare it "used pool cue" and as "gift".

downside of this is the value declared is the value insured ... so in case of mishap, one may be S.O.L.

knock on wood as I have one shipment on the way out and one coming in.
Click to expand...

I have sent many items to people Off Shore from America. The Problem with Declaring a Low Value on the Gift is how can you say an item is worth say 20 Dollars US, and Insure it for 200 Dollars US.

I sold some Harley Davidson Parts to a Guy in Asia who wanted a Low Value put on the Items because his Government would CHARGE HIM A DUTY FEE if I place the True Value on the items.

I considered where the items was going, and the level of corruption in that county, and told the buyer to deal with the duty, or I would not do the deal.

My fear was the Parts would be Ripped Off by some corrupt Custom Inspector on the buyers End, and I would have to REFUND THE BUYER out of my pocket because of the Under Insurance.

The Buyer wanted the Parts to the point of paying his Duty FEE at his end...

We did the deal.
 
When the buyer asks for the value to be declared low, they are effectively asking for the item to be shipped without insurance. In my view they are free to make the request provided they accept responsibility should the package be lost or damaged, and insurance cannot be claimed.
 
Deadon said:
I am curious about others experiences with customs when purchasing from friends, other people on this forum, that live in different countries. I am only concerned with customs/duty issues, not good or bad seller issues. I put this here because most of the buyers and sellers will be on this forum.

Mike
Click to expand...

As a business, I would not recommend under declaring any goods shipped to another country. There are a lot of issues and problems associated with this practise. If you are shipping only a few items a month, it may be okay; but if you have a business, I would not recommend it.

If the buyer has a business, he can do his own brokage when he receives the goods.

Just my 2 cents.

Richard
 
Foreign Sales/Buys

Hello. I have bought Qs from the Philippines and sold to Tiawan. On the purchases from the Philippines, the seller/shipper insured/listed them for about 1/2 of my purchase price. Plus the Qs were loaded with real ivory from ferrule to butt cap. I was concerned about a customs problem with the ivory coming into the US since the ban on ivory. I know some countries are permitted some ivory export as elephants are not killed to obtain the ivory. They have arrived here faster than some Qs I have bought from the west coast. :rolleyes: No customs problems that I know of. It is interesting to note that the finish on those Philippine Qs is the best of any Q I have owned or seen on any other Q, even the big name Qs. The kind of finish u can really "look into." :cool:

The Q shipped to Tiawan was a Peter Oman which I insured/shipped for full value. Once again, no problems with customs. I have shipped other itmes of lesser value to Sweeden and Europeon countries and in those cases, I did under delcare the value since they were private purchases and I knew the buyers. Again, no problems.

Perhaps I have been fortunate, but I have not had any problems. I wish u good luck.;)

Charlie
 
I know that when shipping items into the US from other countries, wether or not you have issues with customs tends to be a matter of luck, and at least in my case, which shipping company you use.
I sent my cue from Japan to the US to have the LBM ferrules replace with ivory. My cue got hung up in Alaska for having ivory ferrules, and a monitor lizard wrap. The ferruels were not ivory, and the wrap was a pressed pigskin, but the customs officials wouldn't budge. I was lucky to have the cue shipped back to me instead having it confiscated.
Everytime I've shipped with FedEx, I've had some kind of trouble with customs or duties, however when shipping with EMS, I've never had that kind of problem. Of course, both times with FedEx, I've been honest about the value of the contents, and the times with EMS, I undervalued the total value of the contents, so that may have made the difference.
dave
 
Ems Is A Good Option! But Once It Leaves Ems Hands. All Bets Are Off. Ems Can Only Walk The Cue Or Item Through Customs, After That Anything Could Go Sideways. It Is Still Crap Shoot! $$good Luck$$
 
Italy fees

Hi, I use to buy pool cues and other billiard items from USA or philippines and usually I take the risk to declaire less value. Of course is a risk because a 500 $ cue is insured for maybe only 80 $ but I have to take the risk. With 500 $ insured I will pay something about 120 $ more for duties (fees) when I recived the package. So will be hard to sell it at a good price.
Andy.
 
Shipping Pool Cues Through Alaska

From what I've heard, there is a customs agent in Alaska at the FedEx facility that just loves to confiscate cues with ivory in them. The best bet is if you're sending a cue overseas through FedEx, don't put anything on the package that lists it as a pool cue, especially if there's ivory in it. From what I've heard this guy likes to keep the confiscated items at his house too. And though the items have been recovered it was not an easy process as I understand.
 
I have dealt with this gentleman in Alaska over cues coming in from the Philippines also. He is probably playing with my cue at his home as i write this. A friend also had his high end cue from there confiscated. So now i only use USPS>>>>>>..............mike
 
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