International Buyers Stay Away From Ebay Usa!

[colex]

I'll not buy more pens through ebay USA, few days ago on all transactions/purchases from the USA ebay applies the so-called "Import charges" for taxes and duties even if not due!

 

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/ZJ7Ht5f.jpg

 

 

 

In Italy, the law provides that if the value of the object is not more than 45 euro, there're not duties and VAT! Instead, ebay at checkout apply fee calculated on the value of object even on shipping fee!
This is my last transaction on ebay... I contacted the customer care without they solving the problem: they saying that will be a new shipping policy from USA now on both the buyer and seller... In the meantime the seller has canceled the transaction to avoid the risk of being banned from ebay! ...And I lose the little Waterman 52V with "flex" nib... Sorry for the outburst!

 

 

 

P.s.: If anyone have a Waterman 52V to sell me, I evaluate offers!

 

Edited August 13, 2013 by colex

[rochester21]

I noticed this "import charges" since a few months ago, they only applied to certain categories of objects. If they do the same to fountain pens, it`s a tragedy.

 

It`s a way for Ebay/USPS to scam foreign customers, because i never paid any import tax of any kind, and shipping 2 pens doesn`t cost more than 15 dollars.

 

Also, i noticed that the shipping and "import" fees present in the "global shipping program" are usually huge(don`t know how they make them up), you end up paying more for the shipping than for the item you just bought.

 

Example: on a 15 dollar broken cellphone, ebay charges at least 35 dollars for standard shipping and another 25 dollars or so for those import fees. It`s insane !

 

And they say that the US supports free trade. YEAH RIGHT

Edited August 13, 2013 by rochester21

[hari317]

It is upto the seller to opt for this program. Not compulsory. so I think a blanket ban of US ebay may be uncalled for

[Inkysloth]

I am really confused by this.

 

Import duties are charged by the country the item is being imported to, not where it's bought from. So how can Ebay USA charge an import duty fee?

 

For example, I bought T-shirts from Threadless in the USA, I had to pay the import duty for them at a UK Post Office, and this money went to the UK Revenue & Customs. If Threadless had charged the import duty at their end, how would I know it would actually go to UK Revenue & Customs?

[rochester21]

I am really confused by this.

 

If Threadless had charged the import duty at their end, how would I know it would actually go to UK Revenue & Customs?

 

That`s the whole point, you`il never know.

Edited August 13, 2013 by rochester21

[cbaytan]

Turkish customs charges for items whenever is needed in the customs office.Logically *If * ebay has no official aggreement with Turkish government for duties etc, this is a rip off attempt, Would cause me I wouldn't buy anything from US, that simple. Wondering if ebay having financial difficulties or what?

Edited August 13, 2013 by cbaytan

[colex]

Ebay has contracted out the delivery and customs clearance to a company called Pitney Bowes ...

It is 'insane and foolish", so they kill exchanges for mostly low value & used items, between the USA and the rest of the world!
They do not know that there are people who also live in times of crisis with small revenue items which do not use more!?!

 

[Paul80]

These charges are starting to make it not worth buying lower priced items from America, as under £40 or so pounds there is a very good chance the item will just sail though the postal system and not get any duty added but with sellers signing up for this, import duties are added regardless of the amount of the actual sale. I now actively avoid US sellers that use this system unless I am buying a High Value item which would probably attract duty this end, although even with high value items duty is not always asked for this end.

 

I just wish it was left to the buyer to pay any duty due as its supposed to be.

 

Paul

[colex]

Fortunately, in Italy we have "some" manufacturer of fountain pens with which to arrange!

[colex]

These charges are starting to make it not worth buying lower priced items from America, as under £40 or so pounds there is a very good chance the item will just sail though the postal system and not get any duty added but with sellers signing up for this, import duties are added regardless of the amount of the actual sale. I now actively avoid US sellers that use this system unless I am buying a High Value item which would probably attract duty this end, although even with high value items duty is not always asked for this end.

 

I just wish it was left to the buyer to pay any duty due as its supposed to be.

 

Paul

 

 

[enricof]

Absolutely crazy, end destination taxes collected in advance...

 

Guess this will effectively ends my Ebay shopping from USA (well, more money to spend on FPN classifieds...).

[colex]

Fortunately, not all USA sellers have accepted this new crazy policy ... But, as usual, ebay will force them!

[hari317]

I am really confused by this.

 

Import duties are charged by the country the item is being imported to, not where it's bought from. So how can Ebay USA charge an import duty fee?

 

For example, I bought T-shirts from Threadless in the USA, I had to pay the import duty for them at a UK Post Office, and this money went to the UK Revenue & Customs. If Threadless had charged the import duty at their end, how would I know it would actually go to UK Revenue & Customs?

 

I sell some items on ebay.com, each time I am offered this option, let me explain what it is.

 

Ebay will (over)estimate the customs fees and take it from buyer. They will then, in turn, pay the customs clearing house with who they have a partnership in the destination country. This customs clearing house partner in the destination country will then complete all formalities of customs clearance and pay the monies due to the government. Ebay and their customs clearing house/agent partner will then settle funds periodically on a flat rate or overrate basis most probably.

 

That is why the fees are so ridiculous. ebay is selling this concept to sellers on ebay.com saying that they will have no hassles of filling customs forms etc, all that will be handled by ebay or their agents. the seller only ships to a central location in the US. Since ebay is responsible for international shipping also, in this case, it insulates the sellers from non receipt of item cases etc esp in foreign transactions.

 

the plus side, the sellers who would earlier vehemently never ship out of the USA in the past, are also offering foreign shipping through this service.

 

Alternative solution? engage the services of a third party mail forwarding agent in the US, works out cheaper in the long run.

 

HTH

Edited August 13, 2013 by hari317

[Silvermink]

I saw a similar thing on Amazon.com recently, though they later refunded the difference between what they charged and what the actual fees were.

[colex]

For sellers who want to sell their items abroad, this policy is the perfect storm!

Edited August 13, 2013 by colex

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

I've noticed this as well, and am appalled.

 

On one transaction just under USD100, I noticed the costs of things other than the item added about 35% to the cost of the Item - not the usual 15 - 20%. I bought it anyway, but did some follow-up.

 

The Seller said the eB@y site uses the Global Shipping as the default, and the Seller needs to opt-out. So for Buy It Now (or auctions with no bids) the Seller could relist an Item with other shipping options. That's one work-around, and includes informing the Seller that you'd like to do business, but someone else is charging the Buyer for things that are likely not wanted/needed.

 

For higher value Items, it is not uncommon to engage the services of a Customs Broker cum Courier, but I'd like to choose which one. The Global Shipping passes the Item through many hands, with the primary means being the snailmail postal systems of sender & recipient countries - not a Courier. I found the shipping was far far slower than Priority or Expedited Post, and light years longer than couriers such as FedEx UPS etc. (More transfers = more bottlenecks.)

 

Even though the Broker is required to render the taxes & duties collected to the recipient's government, the service fee collected remains in the USA. Quite frankly, if I'm to [needlessly] pay someone for clearing a parcel through Customs and collecting taxes & duties, I'd rather it be someone in my country of residence.

 

My tuppence worth.

 

As I like to think there are at least two sides to the coin, I would like to hear from Members who are stateside eB@y Sellers, and learn if they derive any benefit from the GSP.

 

Bye,

S1

[hari317]

Even though the Broker is required to render the taxes & duties collected to the recipient's government, the service fee collected remains in the USA. Quite frankly, if I'm to [needlessly] pay someone for clearing a parcel through Customs and collecting taxes & duties, I'd rather it be someone in my country of residence.

 

 

surely the broker in the destination country gets some fees for his labour? and this fees will be paid by ebay and friends from the service fee collected?

[colex]

The result of all this is that I never buy anything more from the USA!

In recent years, acting in an almost absolute monopoly in online sales, they strangled and increased rates for both sellers and buyers devising a new system to rob...

[Paul80]

The item I bought was a Parker 51 Vacumatic for £24 duty would have been £4.80 plus £8 fee's so £12.80 which is about what I was charged $14.37 plus postage of $12.73 which then made the pen not quite the bargain I first thought it was until after I hit the bid now button. especially as at the sale price of £24 it would not have incurred any duties if sent through the normal post.

 

Mind you having said all that I have just bought a pen from another US seller for £150 and they where not on the GSP so I will probably have to pay the duties this end, but I accept that and there is still the slim chance that it will slip through without duty as well. Hope this one cancels out the other one.

 

Paul

[colex]

The main problem, which has not yet emerged in the discussion, is that I cannot know the final price & the method of calculation of this "reloading" arbitrarily decided by eb@y because in the beginning the object starts with a price of $ 0.99 and then, in the last seconds of the auction, will decide the final price ... It does not seem at all correct!