BEWARE - shipping items home from overseas diving destinations can result in unforeseen costs

[Sam Miller III]

My wife and my tribe of traveling friends traveled to and dove areas many years ago before the current crest of the dive travel wave began forming,,,

At that time air travel was certainly more relaxed and weight restrictions were also relaxed

Prior to departure I always obtained a "banana carton" from the local grocery, filled it with bubble wrap and plastic peanuts and brought it with us as luggage.

During our visit to some strange exotic dive location my wife shopped and spent hard eared Yankee dollars with wild abandon purchasing local items of art.

The day before departure we carefully wrapped the purchases in bubble wrap, placed them on a bed of plastic peanuts and securely taped the box shut along with our home address in huge letters on the box.

The box accompanied us on the trip home as luggage - not once did we pay a import tax or fee on the purchases

Now with all the items collected world wide along with the SCUBA bells and diving memorabilia our home resembles a dive museum - but to Mrs. Miller and me the represent golden memories from past adventures

Sam Miller, 111

 

[Marie13]

@Sam Miller III

Did you declare your purchases to Customs?

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Marie13
Did you declare your purchases to Customs?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I 'll take the 5th...…..

but what do you think ?

SDM

 

[Marie13]

@Marie13
Did you declare your purchases to Customs?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I 'll take the 5th...…..

but what do you think ?

SDM

Tsk tsk tsk

Scofflaw!

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Marie13

Is that frozen windy Chicago slang for heck no ?

SDM

 

[Lorenzoid]

My wife and I bought our Santi drysuits in Europe, where the same suits were less expensive than in the US. Rather than shipping them home, we took them with us as checked baggage. On leaving Europe, we got a refund of the VAT we had paid. Nice! When we arrived in the US, we duly declared our purchases on the Customs form. We were directed into the Customs office, where an agent asked what we had purchased. After describing it, she spent a few minutes looking at her computer and came up with a number, which I believe was something on the order of $50. I don't think I saw another traveler in the Customs office--it was eerily quiet. The Customs agent ran our credit card and after a few tries told us to just forget about it, as their payment system was apparently not working. "You mean we don't have to pay anything"? The Customs agent confirmed that we were good to go and added, "Thank you for doing the right thing." Since there is no way for them to know what items in your possession you purchased abroad, declaring them to Customs is basically on the honor system. We felt the duty that was charged was quite reasonable in relation to the cost of the items.

More on topic, we have purchased other stuff in Europe and had it shipped back. If I recall, the shipping was reasonable because it was by boat--it took months and months to reach us--and I don't recall the duty being exorbitant either.

Maybe Australian duties are especially onerous?

 

[Ardy]

Don’t even think about it.

Marie - just want to thank you for your professional input to this post. I wonder if it should not be put up as a 'sticky' because there are many like me who have no idea what they are letting themselves in for!

 

[Marie13]

Marie - just want to thank you for your professional input to this post. I wonder if it should not be put up as a 'sticky' because there are many like me who have no idea what they are letting themselves in for!

You’re welcome. I enjoy educating people on this. Many people just have no idea what is involved in importing something. Regardless of your country of residence, you have to pay duties, customs clearance fees to the broker, freight charges, handling fees of various types, perhaps delivery to your residence. It’s all going to be much more expensive than you counted on, I can almost guarantee it.

So, unless you have a lot of cash to spare, don’t buy whatever it is overseas unless it can fit in your suitcase. Take pictures if it’s too big.

 

[Russjstewart]

I believe down here in Oz you not only get to pay GST at 10% on any goods over the threshold, but also on the cost of importing the goods, including shipping and customs agents fees. Stories going around about a boat owner who motored a large boat in from overseas. Customs stung him for GST on the cost of the boat and on the diesel used to get it too Australia. Could be an urban myth, but then again maybe not

 

[Wookie]

Marie - just want to thank you for your professional input to this post. I wonder if it should not be put up as a 'sticky' because there are many like me who have no idea what they are letting themselves in for!

If you report and suggest to the staff, they will consider it.