Question Scuba Gaskets order - duty payment required???

[Zef]

Gifts worth up to $100 do not require payment of duties.

To qualify, the shipping form has to show the contents and value, the purpose should be entered as "gift", It has to be from a private person to a private person (sender can't be a merchant), and the package should be marked with "unsolicited gift".

Enjoy your spontaneous gift giving.

Sender, in this case, is not defined as the originator of the gift as a concept, but from who the gift is physically shipped from....you can't send someone a gift via a merchant (e.g., purchase something as a gift and have the merchant ship it directly to the recipient...even if the gift recipient is yourself or a member of your address) to score the duty free benefit.

-Z

 

[jaws2Guy]

Has anybody in the US ever ordered from Scuba Gaskets before?

I made an order a few days ago, they shipped it via DHL Express yesterday and gave me a tracking number.

I just received two identical texts from DHL reading: "Import duty payment required for delivery..... Returned in 5 days if not paid".

It doesn't look like a scam, cause it's on the original text string and with the same tracking number as what I received yesterday when it was shipped. Do I really need to pay the import tax a week after I placed the order??? Does anyone have first hand experience with this?

TYIA!

I bought a regulator out of Canada recently for about $130.00. Just received an invoice from UPS for $10 for taxes. Thank you Mr. President.

 

[lowwall]

To U.S. fellows, just recieved an email form SG, and it say at the end:

A note for all US friends and customers: Since 29th of August 2025 all parcels coming from EU to USA are subjected to custom clearance. Only available shipping option for US orders is via DHL (flat rate 31 euro make the most of it and order all you need).

They currently have no choice except international courier. The national postal carriers manage international customs clearance via internal agreements under the framework of the Universal Postal Convention. Trump ordered the new tariffs without taking any of this into account. The result is that the postal carriers from most developed nations, including all of the members of the Association of European Postal Services have stopped accepting commercial packages to the US until the necessary agreements are put into place.

 

[Scubagaskets]

I sold my scubagaskets regulator set just because I knew getting parts was going to be a PITA.

Why do you have this opinion about been hard to get spare parts from us. We have all in stock and we ship globally.

 

[Scubagaskets]

My recent Aliexpress shipments have come through without that nonsense. Sounds like a ScubaGaskets and/or DHL problem to me.

Thank you for comparing us with AliExpress platform but we are not that big unfortunately. We even tried to include our products in AliExpress in order to utilize their US wherehouse but unfortunately they cooperate with very few counties except China.Cyprus is not one of them. You told us that you will do your best in order to spoil scubagaskets name in US since you feel that is our responsibility to pay your taxes, but for your information we are doing our best to serve all of our customers in 92 countries so far keeping in mind the specific conditions in each country. Sorry but we can not accept your accusations about misleading our customers we never did and we are not going to start now.

 

[rhwestfall]

It is what it is with the ignorance and absurdity of our US leadership....

I just bought a Hajka oven. It is the only product like it (there is a somewhat similar one available in the US that isn't nearly as good with some quirks that eliminate from my selection). The manufacturer is a small cottage business in Sweeden (European sourced parts). It is a very small niche product, so it isn't like they could set up a distributor here. Getting it to the US ran the total to 150% of the actual price....

Around $75 in fees to get a (under) $200 item is simply absurd. I don't blame the seller...

Similarly, don't crap on SG...

 

[Scuba-74]

You told us that you will do your best in order to spoil scubagaskets name in US since you feel that is our responsibility to pay your taxes

I'm fairly certain you are referring to me, since I am the original poster and I was the one who emailed with you. Now, here is the text of my email to you (there were a few more, but this is the one I believe you are referring to). Kindly show where is the promise to "spoil scubagaskets name", or the request to "pay your taxes". And if you can't, kindly refrain from libel, and go back to making subpar products that don't fit their advertised purpose.

"If you, as a business, want to pass this additional cost on to the customer - it’s your call, a lot of businesses do that, but you should be upfront with the customer about it - by adding it to the order before the order is placed. I would not have placed that order had I known about that cost. I’m not subscribed to your social media or newsletters - why should I be? This is the first time ever I’m getting hit with something like this a week after placing an order online. Rest assured that I won’t be returning and neither will the people I know."

 

[Scubagaskets]

I'm fairly certain you are referring to me, since I am the original poster and I was the one who emailed with you. Now, here is the text of my email to you (there were a few more, but this is the one I believe you are referring to). Kindly show where is the promise to "spoil scubagaskets name", or the request to "pay your taxes". And if you can't, kindly refrain from libel, and go back to making subpar products that don't fit their advertised purpose.

"If you, as a business, want to pass this additional cost on to the customer - it’s your call, a lot of businesses do that, but you should be upfront with the customer about it - by adding it to the order before the order is placed. I would not have placed that order had I known about that cost. I’m not subscribed to your social media or newsletters - why should I be? This is the first time ever I’m getting hit with something like this a week after placing an order online. Rest assured that I won’t be returning and neither will the people I know

 

[noserider]

I'm fairly certain you are referring to me, since I am the original poster and I was the one who emailed with you. Now, here is the text of my email to you (there were a few more, but this is the one I believe you are referring to). Kindly show where is the promise to "spoil scubagaskets name", or the request to "pay your taxes". And if you can't, kindly refrain from libel, and go back to making subpar products that don't fit their advertised purpose.

"If you, as a business, want to pass this additional cost on to the customer - it’s your call, a lot of businesses do that, but you should be upfront with the customer about it - by adding it to the order before the order is placed. I would not have placed that order had I known about that cost. I’m not subscribed to your social media or newsletters - why should I be? This is the first time ever I’m getting hit with something like this a week after placing an order online. Rest assured that I won’t be returning and neither will the people I know."

Sorry mate, this is a classic buyer error dressed up as supplier negligence — a timeless piece. It seems you missed a rather public change in legislation, yet somehow the supplier is to blame. Tell me, would you expect a business in the US to keep abreast of every minor legal nuance in Cyprus? Most of them would struggle to locate Cyprus on a map, let alone its statute book.

 

[tursiops]

you feel that is our responsibility to pay your taxes

BS.
What I ask of you is full disclosure of costs on your website, before an order is finalized.