As primarily a buyer I will always ask the seller if they will under-declare
when sending the item here to Australia.
If they say no, no harm nor foul. And if they clearly state they will not do
so, I either don't purchase from them or factor in what it will cost me when I
make a bid or purchase.
When I do sell, I know some countries charge a customs duty so I will always
ask my buyer if they prefer it under-declared.
This is of course not possible should they want the item fully insured.
I understand that it's not the legal thing to do, but from where I sit, I
really see no harm in it.
I have to echo the observations of others where the items that seem to have
been opened and checked by customs here were the ones with a declaration on
them. My biggest concern with high value items is it will go "missing" in the
mail.
I once tried to find out how they determined the necessity of customs.
In Australia, I was told even if the parcel was marked a gift, if it were
opened they would still try to determine whether a charge applied.
It basically came down to a very subjective process where the person who was
doing the checking would determine if and what value should be assigned...most
likely someone who knew nothing about what was actually in the parcel.
I once had an issue where I sent some posters out of the country to be
linenbacked.
The value of the backing was what was declared on the parcel.
I had to argue for an hour with a woman at customs that the posters were
already my property, and had already been in the country...why should I have to
pay for their value again?
I don't see any problem with a seller NOT wanting to under-declare. It is your
choice.
But I also see no problem with a seller who is ok with under declaring.
Each to their own...
Vesna
> Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2008 21:33:55 +0100> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re:
> [MOPO] Under-Declaration of Value on International Shipments> To:
> MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU> > I can't speak for another nations, but I
> don't know of a legal way to > get around it with movie posters sent to the
> UK. The fact that you will > never get in any trouble for doing so is, I
> suspect, not material for you.> > I believe Alan, that you clearly state in
> your actions that you must > declare full value. In that case people
> shouldn't ask you not to do > so. Many sellers (I'm speaking of Ebay sellers
> in general, not just > posters) however, under-declare as a matter of course,
> as most of their > customers prefer this. It's an interesting side note that
> the only two > packages I've ever had lost in the post have both been
> declared to full > value...> > Tom> > Alan Adler wrote:> > You are correct,
> Zeev -> >> > I don't sleep well if I think I am breaking some international
> customs > > law!> > Just feel bad when folks ask me to under-declare value -
> because it > > seems like it is something that is often done.> > But I don't
> want to do it.> > Just wondered what others experience with this practice
> might be -> >> > Thanks to all in advance.> >> > Alan Adler> >> >> > On Oct
> 14, 2008, at 12:41 PM, lobby card invasion wrote:> >> >> Ron, Wim, and
> others. You are missing the point. Alan Adler is not > >> asking you for
> "tricks" to outsmart various Customs. My > >> understanding is that he
> doesn't think its right, and doesn't want to > >> do it. Sometimes he looses
> some business.> >> What he wants to know is, is there a way to be completely
> honest and > >> yet not miss those "problematic" sales?> >> That's my
> understanding.> >> Zeev> >>> >>> >> ----- Original Message ----- From:
> "MotionPictureArt.com" > >> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> >> To:
> <MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU>> >> Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 1:31 PM>
> >> Subject: Re: [MOPO] Under-Declaration of Value on International > >>
> Shipments> >>> >>> >>> Hi Alan, Wim and all others,> >>> I'm also from the
> Netherlands and have noticed that usually rolled > >>> posters in tubes slip
> by customs if mailed through the regular > >>> postal service.> >>> They
> probably figure that stuff inside tubes can not have a very > >>> high value.
> Folded posters get picked out more often simply because > >>> the package is
> larger.> >>> Customs also (almost) always checks packages shipped via UPS/DHL
> or > >>> any other express service.> >>> Customs charges almost 30% of the
> total value of the package plus > >>> the shipping. This can be very
> expensive.> >>>> >>> You can ask sellers to mark the packages as a gift with
> a low value, > >>> but if they don't want to do this it's fine too. I usually
> calculate > >>> in the extra 30%.> >>> Only with expensive orders I check
> with the seller first.> >>>> >>> There are indeed a few ways that usually
> trick customs.> >>> Marking the package as a gift with a low value or just
> any other > >>> description with a low value (almost) always works.> >>> One
> seller I know marks the packages as Commercial Samples > >>> (something like
> this can be found on the shipping or customs forms) > >>> with the full
> value.> >>> Describing the items as "Used Posters", "Printed Matter",
> "Paper", > >>> "Advertisement Material", "Second Hand Goods" or any other
> term not > >>> implying a high value also often works.> >>>> >>> Why is there
> this value added tax?> >>> According to some sources (including customs) it's
> just a trick to > >>> keep business and thus money in your own region.> >>>
> In other words: stick to where you come from and keep that economy > >>>
> alive. ;-)> >>> Within Europe there is free trade, but when I get an order
> from the > >>> US, Canada or Australia I'll have to pay 30% extra.> >>>> >>>
> Ron> >>>> >>>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "bqjansen" <[EMAIL
> PROTECTED]>> >>> To: <MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU>> >>> Sent: Tuesday,
> October 14, 2008 6:43 PM> >>> Subject: Re: [MOPO] Under-Declaration of Value
> on International > >>> Shipments> >>>> >>>> >>>> Hi Alan,> >>>> As an
> international buyer I like to say this. It is indeed a lot of > >>>> bother.
> The problem is that it is a VAlue Added Tax. This means > >>>> that the value
> you put on it is considered to be the value of the > >>>> parcel. That is not
> per se the market value of collectible. So > >>>> this is your first problem,
> what is the value of the poster? > >>>> ISuppose I buy a Touch Of Evil poster
> for a $100 (unfortunately > >>>> that hasn't happen so far) is it's value
> then $100?> >>>> Secondly in Holland they use this crazy system that books,
> paper > >>>> etc has a VAT of 6%, while most other stuff is 19%. You can't >
> >>>> imagine how much a hassle it is to get your point across as a > >>>>
> buyer that this paper, old paper at that and that the "value" is > >>>> in
> the eye of the collector. Customs services are alas a bastion > >>>> of
> bureaucracy.> >>>>> >>>> This is only money of course and is a thing you
> can/have to > >>>> consider as a buyer.> >>>>> >>>> There's a third point.
> The moment a package has a value on it, > >>>> mysteriously this set customs
> in action. I haven't investigated > >>>> this scientifically, but I am
> convinced that High value packages > >>>> are tampered with, looked in etc,
> by customs (sometimes with > >>>> devasting effects on old paper) far more
> often than packages that > >>>> don't have a high value on. If something is
> damaged and I am > >>>> pretty sure that has happened to me twice, thyere;'s
> nothing you > >>>> can do.> >>>>> >>>>> >>>> Wim> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>
> Mopo-Mailing-Mavins -> >>>>>> >>>>> Just blew another sale because I would
> not under-declare value of > >>>>> parcel for an international shipment.>
> >>>>>> >>>>> Anybody care to speak to this issue?> >>>>>> >>>>> International
> buyers continually ask me to not place true value on > >>>>> contents of
> their shipments so they can avoid customs.> >>>>>> >>>>> It is always a deal
> breaker for me.> >>>>>> >>>>> Is this not against International Postal Law or
> something like that?> >>>>>> >>>>> And for those in the know -> >>>>>> >>>>>
> Why the heck is there an import duty on something like a movie > >>>>>
> poster, anyway?> >>>>>> >>>>> Also, there are evidently some trick words -
> like magic - that > >>>>> you can write on the outside of certain Intl.
> packages or on > >>>>> their customs forms -> >>>>>> >>>>> and voila, they
> evidently slip through customs more readily.> >>>>>> >>>>> Anybody got the
> answers on this end of the operation?> >>>>>> >>>>> Alan> >>>>>> >>>>> Visit
> the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com> >>>>>
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