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

[Wookie]

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

Very common. Depends of course if the vessel will leave again within a certain time frame, but even within states in the USA, GST is different. Buy a boat in South Carolina, USA, flat rate of $500. Move it to Florida for more than 90 days, 6.25% of the sale price. Minus the $500.

 

[drl]

And cost isn’t the only issue. I know someone who shipped a beautiful wood sculpture home to the US from Bali. When it arrived US customs had drilled several holes right through it, presumably to ensure it wasn’t filled with contraband.
Ouch!

 

[Ardy]

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

Hi Wookie just sent a post to 'contact us' could not see any other method of contacting staff. Is this correct?

 

[Ardy]

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.

Hi Russ, I would have been delighted if I JUST had to pay 10% ie $125, in fact there was no fee of 10% GST! I thought about questioning it and had a second thought 'if I question it there could be a delay and storage costs would start.' Frankly I was totally over it and wanted to get it done and move on with my life.

The local Import customs agent Consol Alliance's contact person (Lizzie) was excellent and without her I would have been up for a lot more $$$ due to storage. I think she took pity on an old bloke who had no clue what he was getting into!

The shipping agent from Bali didn't send key paperwork and certificates so I think I wrote about 5 or 6 emails to them to try to get the paperwork done in the 3 days from turnout (unloaded and ready to collect). JUst lucky to get it done on the 3rd day and picked up the crate immediately on a 140km round trip.

Your statement " but also on the cost of importing the goods, including shipping and customs agents fees. " is where the crap hits the fan.

 

[Wookie]

Hi Wookie just sent a post to 'contact us' could not see any other method of contacting staff. Is this correct?

If you are on your phone, in any post you can go to Menu->report. On a PC, report is at the bottom of any post.

 

[Ardy]

If you are on your phone, in any post you can go to Menu->report. On a PC, report is at the bottom of any post.

Hi Wookie, I thought report was only for nasty people to report others who they think are nasty as well!

 

[Wookie]

Hi Wookie, I thought report was only for nasty people to report others who they think are nasty as well!

Reports are for anything you want the staff to specifically see. I will be guiding the conversation, and I see the report.

 

[Hoag]

Depends on the country and the status of our trade agreements with them. I can import $200 worth of rum from Cuba but only 2 liters from Canada duty free.

$200 of Cuban rum is cases at $3 a liter. Good rum, too. I can also spend $1700 for a bottle.

In fairness, given the cost of booze here in Canada, sometimes it seems that 2 liters of rum might come close to $200.

 

[Hoag]

I spent most of my career bouncing between assignments in Canada and in the USA. I had to be acutely aware of what the "cut-off" date was for high dollar items to be acquired in order to be considered a part of my "Household Goods and Effects" (HG&E). Anything after a specific date would mean that when I moved back to Canada, I would have to pay duty on it, but if I bought the same item prior to that date, it was admitted to Canada tax and duty free as part of my HG&E.

 

[Scared Silly]

FWIW, the killer is often the brokerage fees. For instance, many know NOT to ever ship anything to Canada from the US using UPS because of the brokerage fees. However, sending the same item via USPS and Post Canada you may still have customs to pay but not brokerage fees.

The other item is to FULLY research the items you are bringing/shipping back to your home country. Duty schedules are on line for the US. Also one can call and obtain information. What I have found is that if one has done their due diligence and has that information listed on the shipping manifest that it makes the transaction much easier. The last time for me was of all things my UW Camera setup. The dealer in Germany and I along a chat with Customs had all the needed paperwork in place right down to the duty schedules. There was no duty and no brokerage fees. YMMV