Aussie importers beware

[Phil]

 I received this information last week from TNT, as I do some importing for my work.
Seems as if the recent bleating by some of the large retailers ie. Harvey Norman have resulted in a directive to the Australian Customs service to pay more attention to low value consignments for GST. If you are unlucky enough to have this happen to you, can can expect some hassles in regard to providing Customs with proof of purchase costs etc. & delays in receiving orders.  It does not just relate to TNT shipments, but all import methods.

Phil




Customs Intervention on Low Value Goods into Australia
(Goods with a value of less than AUD$1000)

Dear valued customer,

Please see below important information regarding changes relevant to businesses dealing in International Trade.

As you may be aware, Australia has one of the highest Low Value thresholds globally and as such the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service has advised that there will be an increased intervention in the profiling of Low Value Consignments that come into Australia. This will result in an increase in the number of low value goods experiencing delayed delivery.

TNT will attempt to assist the smooth delivery of our customers Low Value shipments by providing the Australian Customs Authorities with the required documentation electronically.

Where the Australian Border and Customs Protection Service do not accept the provided documentation, then the receiver /shipper will need to supply Commercial Documentation or "Evidence of Monies Price Paid (EMPP)". This is categorised as:
•     Commercial Documents
•     Commercial Tax Invoices
•     Contracts of Sale
•     Purchase Orders
•     Illustrative Descriptive Material (IDM) may also be required
•     Third party financial institution transaction record
•     Where no transfer of funds an email between shipper / receiver confirming     
      transition and values.

The provision of correct, complete and legible paperwork and sufficient consignment labelling, will assist in clearing Low Value consignments in the first instance.

TNT has been advised that whilst customs have seconded additional staff to address this activity, they are still experiencing delays in clearing goods.
 

Sincerely,



Ross Gluer
General Manager International


International Shipping Made Easy With TNT 
 


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[MonkeyMagic]

G'day mate

Unfortuntely it pretty much only applies to TNT.
They have their own customs officers (they call it 'quarantine' clearing), and this has been the same case for years now.

It's not for every package, but certain classes and many of them are random.
I stopped using TNT for this very reason ages ago.

Around 1998 I imported 2 LCD screens for my car. The TNT customs officer had no clue wat they were and classed them as 'plasma televisions' anyway I was hit for about $120 - this is just a TNT fee.

EMS, UPS and FeDeX don't have this problem under $1000 and anything that's regulated by AusPost.

If the shipper marks it as 'spare parts' or similar you really never have a problem under $1000 value. And if the value is worth more, and the shipper marks it as less than $1000, still not using TNT I've never had an issue.

Overall, it is not the easiest thing to import in Australia, but it mostly applies to vehicles and goods for re-sale. eBikes are classed as bicycles in Australia and are not subject to duty. Only GST for values over $1000.

Hey Phil, what were you importing mate?

Cheers

[Andrew]

i'm in the UK, I got stung by TNT with my first GM kit from China.  I've since had a kit and partrs delivered by EMS and no charges. 

I feel as if TNT just chance it. they sent me a letter 3 weeks after I had received the parcel saying I owed them £30.00GBP  due to their handling fees and clearance fees from customs.


Andrew 

 

[Bikemad]

I was recently blackmailed by Parcelforce after I purchased several items from HobbyKing in Hong Kong. The goods, which were clearly labelled "Hobby Parts $42.33", were subsequently held to ransom:

You have been sent a parcel from overseas, delivery of this parcel to you is subject to payment of Customs charges
Parclforce Worldwide are unable to enter into disputes regarding Customs charges. Parcels, on which customs charges have not been paid, cannot be delivered and will be returned to sender after the time stated above (20 days).

I had to pay £17.51 (£9.51 VAT plus £8.00 handling fee) before they would release my property!!

According to Google, 1 US$ = 0.62605647 British pounds, which would make the value of the goods I purchased approximately £26.44.
As I purchased the goods prior to the recent VAT increase, I should have been charged £4.63 VAT (17.5%) or £5.29 if calculated at the new 20% VAT rate.

I don't object to paying the correct amount of tax/duty on imported goods, but I do object to being ripped off by a delivery company who have decided to act on my behalf to pay the wrong amount of VAT without my knowledge or consent, and then prevent my goods from being delivered until an unreasonable ransom figure has been paid.

Had the goods been held at a local delivery office, I would have been able to pop in with just the VAT amount and then request that they hand over my property, as from what I've read elsewhere online regarding a similar case, the Clearance fee charge was instantly waived when a customer confronting them was about to call the Police.

Alan
 

[Andrew]

Alan, I also was recently done over by parcelforce/post office. When my DNP freewheel arrived from the states the P/O held onto it asking for payment. it had a value on the box of  $30 USD, which is what I paid for it. The post office charged me nearly a £8.00 handling fee when I picked it up and to add insult to injury the P/O sorting depot short changed me by a pound and I had to ask for the extra change back!

getting stuff from the US is the worst especially if over the golden £18.00 mark.

[DirtyGinge]

yup, ive been done everytime in the UK for customs charges, anything over £70 gets a 30 % markup...dang

still cheaper than buying local thought...DNP epoch sent from calafornia ) ( thanks andrew, works a treat)

[Phil]

Hey Monkey,
We import loads of various components for manufacturing ultralight aircraft & hangliders. Generally we use a customs clearance agent for large sea & air freight, but the small items come in with DHL, TNT & Post. The courier companies are obliged to do proper customs clearances & this is usually where you get slugged. Post is a completely different story. The customs people decide what gets pulled up & what goes straight to receiver. The volume is just too big for them to check everything, so it's some get pulled up & made to do a formal customs entry & GST paid, others just arrive at the door. They are much less likely to pull up a private import, but any business name gets more attention.  Because of the strong Aussie dollar, more people are shopping online overseas, and the large Chain stores don't like it. I think that's why customs are under pressure to look harder at shipments under $1000.00

Phil

[Andrew]

yup, ive been done everytime in the UK for customs charges, anything over £70 gets a 30 % markup...dang

still cheaper than buying local thought...DNP epoch sent from calafornia ) ( thanks andrew, works a treat)

It's nice to see how they've injected it with grease to kkep it quiet. It's not quite as smooth as a shimano freewheel while in use, but any how, since putting on my second pie it is always on the smallest cog

[frank]

As soon as I saw the company name TNT, that was enough.

It would seem that they don't need a gun to rob us any more just enough BS to hoodwink us, and a letter head and rubber stamps to make it all seem legal, and this is where all the best con artist end up, not in jail, but working in legal department trying to wrangle a dollar out of honest people.
My kit was well under $1000aud, didnt incure any other cost, only 1 payment to GM.

I orderd my kit from GM, not a problem with aussie customs, my kit was roughly $200 cheaper and that was with postal via EMS, which gets tracked by australia post when it hits our shore, even says when its in customes, all up it traveled one and a half weeks, I thought that was good enough comming from GM in china.