International Shipping
 

Hey Folks,

So I bought something from Germany. Says it shipped March 12th, and was supposed to be delivered by the 4th. Nothing yet. Is there anything that I should know about international shipping that might be holding it up? Do I have to pay import duties or something (it's not very expensive - $60), and if so how do I do that?

Sometimes things get held up at the border for no particular reason. I've had cards go past the due dates a few times but they have always shown up.

As far as duty goes, I assume that is based on where you live? I'm in Canada and I just got stung the other day on 3 cards totalling $30.00 dollars. Import/duty fees were $13.86 :mad:
If sellers would just put $20.00 or less on the outside of the pkg, or no value at all, it doesn't get flagged but anything over that, it is a roll the dice situation if they are going to pick on you or not.
This is my 3rd time having to pay duty in the last couple of years.

Customs delays in all likelihood. A month is not unusual, depending on the method of shipping. I have bought a fair number of cards out of Europe and the time really varies.

If I have to pay import fees where/how do I do that? (I realize it might be different in the US than in Canada.)

I have never had to do that. Not on cards anyhow; on watches a couple of times and the carrier sent me a bill.

customs duties
 

If the packge is coming through the Postal Service, the Customs Service will attach a form to the package. Your local PO will collect the $, along with a small fee, and the PO will send it to the Customs Service.

Rick

I get a mail/slip notification to pick up my pkg at the P.O. instead of just finding my mail in my mail box. When I see/receive those, I know what is coming next.:mad:

My post office must be pretty lax, I've never seen such a form or had anyone try to collect from me?

Seller just added tracking information. It's been sitting in a post office in NY since the 17th. Guess I'll call them tomorrow and see what (if anything) I can do about that?

I believe that you only pay import tax on purchases over $800 in the US, in Canada we pay on everything.

PO
 

In my PO we only received 1 or 2 customs items per year out of 10's of thousands of packages, so it doesn't happen very often.

I believe that's correct.

Regarding shipping from Europe, I've purchased a good amount of items from central/eastern Europe and have had them take up to 4 months to get to me even though the delivery standards of the service the sellers used were ~2 weeks.

I am waiting now for a card from Germany that was shipped 34 days ago. The irony is that the seller switched from regular mail to using German registered international mail. His regular airmail items used to make it here in a week. This one is in Deutschepost limbo.

By contrast, I purchased a card from Japan that made it from Tokyo to Los Angeles' main post office in six days.

As a former photo seller with many non-American customers, I can say I never had any cases of dishonesty or scamming with foreign customers or sellers. In part, because I'd always check their feedback and what they sell/buy, and you can quickly identify a serious photo collector and knowledgeable seller. All my scamming and dishonesty cases have been with Americans, though that's largely a numbers game.

I think I had one case of duties, and that was on a large package. I also have friends in foreign countries who give me advice on what I can and cannot send them to avoid them paying duties. A small baseball card or even a photo would not "set off the trigger."

If it went German international registered mail, it may have went via DHL. They should be able to give you a tracker if so... I have shipped items that way from Germany in the past and Deutchepost always sent it via DHL...