Thai Customs Rant

[robblok]

4 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

No, it's not pure speculation, I did not say that was what did happen, I answered a question about how it could be done without the OP travelling to China.  I gave a couple of examples of how.   I asked why the vendor would illegally state a low valuation when there's absolutely no benefit to him to do so.   Perhaps you could explain why a vendor would do that?   Remember, it's illegal.

 

"What about the other examples apart from importing a dog?    Only picking what fits your agenda isn't a proper discussion".

The thread is about duty and penalties on items imported by courier companies, that's all I'm commenting on because I have no experience of any other dealings with Customs. It has nothing to do with any agenda except my agenda to comment relevantly on the OP!    Those flying off on tangents with no evidence are the ones who are turning the thread  into a "not proper discussion".

Of course there is an incentive for vendors to do so. People who buy want it valued wrong to play the system. This gives them more clients then honest sellers as it would mean a lot of tax for the receiver. So there is an incentive that is more sales. However if you see it you can tell them not to do it or buy somewhere else. Its still the buyer who is responsible.

[Liverpool Lou]

9 minutes ago, mokwit said:

15 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

That's the buyer's lookout as that practice is illegal, that's why I do not believe that claim of yours.

Ok, got it, we're all lying because our experience is different from yours. The website in question is kind of likea Lazarda with lots of different sellers having their own product page. I could back it up with evidence but you are not the kind of person I want to do that with.

I did not say anyone was lying, those are your words.   I did say, correctly, that, so far, no one has been able to back up their claims of Customs or couriers, in the context of the OP. overcharging duty as is being claimed.

 

"The website in question is kind of likea Lazarda with lots of different sellers having their own product page. I could back it up with evidence".

If you're referring to that slightly-misspelled website, then I doubt it unless you can back it up.  It's funny that you won't produce evidence of your serious accusation that would be so easy to do just because you don't want to!

[mokwit]

3 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

No, it's not pure speculation, I did not say that was what did happen, I answered a question about how it could be done without the OP travelling to China.  I gave a couple of examples of how.   I asked why the vendor would illegally state a low valuation when there's absolutely no benefit to him to do so.   Perhaps you could explain why a vendor would do that?   Remember, it's illegal.

I have given you an example of mislabeling without my knowledge/traveling to China. I could photograph the package with the contents described as "cosmetic powder" when it was Nagiri, but then I am probably lying and really did order cosmetic powder. This mislabeling has happened on more than one occasion without me asking.

[Liverpool Lou]

2 minutes ago, robblok said:

Of course there is an incentive for vendors to do so. People who buy want it valued wrong to play the system. This gives them more clients then honest sellers as it would mean a lot of tax for the receiver. So there is an incentive that is more sales. However if you see it you can tell them not to do it or buy somewhere else. Its still the buyer who is responsible.

I'd love to see an example of that illegal activity being stated specifically on a vendor's website that did not need the buyer's collusion.  Maybe you have an example of one, I'm happy to eat my words if you lot are also!

[mokwit]

Just now, Liverpool Lou said:

I did not say anyone was lying, those are your words.   I did say, correctly, that, so far, no one has been able to back up their claims of Customs or couriers, in the context of the OP. overcharging duty as is being claimed.

 

"The website in question is kind of likea Lazarda with lots of different sellers having their own product page. I could back it up with evidence".

If you're referring to that slightly-misspelled website, then I doubt it unless you can back it up.  It's funny that you won't produce evidence of your serious accusation that would be so easy to do just because you don't want to!

I said it was kind of like Lazada so that people might guess which one it is, although I should have speciified that it is not Shopeee and is in China and is linked with Lazada.

 

There seems no point in continuing with you.

[robblok]

Just now, Liverpool Lou said:

I'd love to see an example of that illegal activity being stated specifically on a vendor's website that did not need the buyer's collusion.  Maybe you have an example of one, I'm happy to eat my words if you lot are also!

I have no examples, you asked if there was an incentive for sellers to do so. I just told you what the incentive could be. I have asked a seller to put a lower value on a fishing reel. That was done for me. But no it was not on the website or anything like that but the seller was willing to do so because I was the one at risk and it gave him more chance to sell. 

[Liverpool Lou]

3 minutes ago, mokwit said:

I have given you an example of mislabeling without my knowledge/traveling to China. I could photograph the package with the contents described as "cosmetic powder" when it was Nagiri, but then I am probably lying and really did order cosmetic powder. This mislabeling has happened on more than one occasion without me asking.

Not talking about your cosmetic powder mis-labelling, I'm commenting on the OP and alleged jacked-up duty charges by couriers.

[Liverpool Lou]

3 minutes ago, mokwit said:

I said it was kind of like Lazada so that people might guess which one it is, although I should have speciified that it is not Shopeee and is in China and is linked with Lazada.

 

There seems no point in continuing with you.

"There seems no point in continuing with you".

Not if you can't back up anything that you claim, you're right, there is no point.  Thank God.

[ronster]

3 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Amazing how someone brings up an alleged example that, it turns out, happened six years ago as though it is relevant today.  Having said that, what were the CIF charges from HoF, they are added to the value for the duty/VAT charge calculation.     Bear in mind that duty/VAT is not calculated on the price you paid, it's charged on the value, there can be a difference, as the OP found out.   

 

Sorry, you wouldn't find me dead in a pair of trainers so can't show you a receipt but then I'm not complaining about alleged import charges, am I?

Do you work for DHL or something with the phrases of alleged etc you are using ? Yeah people have nothing better to do than sit making up fairytales about DHL !! ????

Plus you must have ended up in the wrong page , because if you look up the topic heading it’s about ranting about charges. Or are you the one in a million that swears polar bears are black if the others say it’s white  ! ????

[ColtenSloan]

I recently ordered a package of supplements from the US. Of course the company ships with DHL. 

It arrived to Thailand in about 5 days. 

BUT, now my package has been sitting in customs since Sunday morning. Probably going to be another week. As because it's supplements and protein powder, it needs to be approved by the Thai FDA before release. Which should not be a problem as it's a months supply which is ok in their guidelines.. 

I can only imagine what sort of extra cost I am going to be asked to pay upon release. Whenever this happens. 

I'm hoping soon. But each day I keep getting a tracking update that it's pending customs inspection. DHL says their waiting for FDA to process approval. 

What a sh*t show. 

 

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, ronster said:

6 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Amazing how someone brings up an alleged example that, it turns out, happened six years ago as though it is relevant today.  Having said that, what were the CIF charges from HoF, they are added to the value for the duty/VAT charge calculation.     Bear in mind that duty/VAT is not calculated on the price you paid, it's charged on the value, there can be a difference, as the OP found out.   

 

Sorry, you wouldn't find me dead in a pair of trainers so can't show you a receipt but then I'm not complaining about alleged import charges, am I?

Expand  

Do you work for DHL or something with the phrases of alleged etc you are using ? Yeah people have nothing better to do than sit making up fairytales about DHL !! ????

Plus you must have ended up in the wrong page , because if you look up the topic heading it’s about ranting about charges. Or are you the one in a million that swears polar bears are black if the others say it’s white  !

None of your business who I work for, if, indeed, I work for anyone.   

 

I use the word "alleged" because, so far, not one poster who claims to have been ripped off by a courier company in the context of the OP (and the OP hasn't, either), has shown any evidence of it.  I'm not "on the wrong page" because all I have been commenting on are courier company/Customs Dept. charges and responding to the OP.

 

Many Thaivisa posters are well known for their unjustified, Thai-bashing, "we all know...",  "they're a law unto themselves...", "they charge whatever they can get away with" kind of remarks which become very tedious.   You may well be right, I wouldn't be surprised if many of the reports are just fairy tales as none of them, so far, have been backed up.   On the other hand, my assertions that all courier companies that act as agents for Customs Dept make charges that are official charges. clearly detailed on delivery receipts and challengeable if wrong, cannot be disputed because that is exactly what happens.   

 

You're asking if I would swear that black is white, suggesting that I would do that just for the hell of it,  and you'd be justified with that remark if there is anything that that I have posted that you can point out as incorrect or made up.   As I posted before, if anyone has any evidence that supports their stories and debunks mine (in the context of the OP), let's see it, I'll happily eat my words.

 

By the way, polar bears are black, look it up, or are you that one in a million who can't use Google to check his facts before hitting the keyboard?   https://www.wwf.org.uk/learn/fascinating-facts/polar-bears

[G Rex]

8 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

 

Sorry, you wouldn't find me dead in a pair of trainers

 

 

 

10 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

"How could he have done it himself?"

By asking the vendor to state a false value would be one way.  By agreeing to the vendor's suggestion would be another.  No need to travel to China, for God's sake.  

I think you are trolling 

I am happy to send you a pair of trainers and maybe a bag of cement.   Pm me your details and we can finish the deal 

[G Rex]

I have my item now

i have recovered after my rant 

We can all move on from here… 

[ukrules]

On 9/7/2021 at 9:21 PM, Liverpool Lou said:

No, it's you who thinks that you're a law unto yourself, it's your purchase that contravened the law by having it's value wrongly quoted.   Don't rant at Customs or DHL.  Jesus...

 

By the way duty, VAT and the DHL charge is normal, nothing to do with your illegally undervalued item.

I blame the supplier, nothing to do with the recipient.

[Sydebolle]

19 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

That's incorrect, no all imported items are rated for duty and all items that are subject to duty are chargeable, regardless of the courier company, unless duty has been prepaid.   No courier company bringing items into Thailand has an exemption from collecting chargeable import duty/VAT from the customer!

All, not kidding ALL shipments handled by DHL got stucked at customs for sometimes exorbitant assessments; same content and/or non-dutiable stuff was handled smoothly by UPS, Fedex and EMS. Latter companies call to inform, that shipment ABC is assessed with X - agree or not - and then proceed. 

Anyway, everybody can handle such matters in their own way; I flatly refuse to deal with DHL ever again! But they quite obviously do no need my business as their delivery fleet and staff are overbuy with overtime and transit time to Pattaya took longer than the document pouch from Canada ???? 

 

[NightSky]

19 hours ago, thaitom said:

You have a friend ?

yes you're my friend remember

Edited September 10, 2021 by NightSky

[sirineou]

before we left the US early last may we shipped a bunch of things to Thailand. Mostly clothes, kitchen equipment, tools and a gas powered lawnmower .

We Used a company that aside from shipping whole containers, also allows people to share containers. We shipped about ten large boxes I think they were 24"x18"x18" they were $140 each box. . They had a truck that traveled up and down the east coast (we were in FL) and they had a particular day that they would be at your area. The said not to put certain things such as new designer handbags in, 

The shipment arrived three months later and delivered to our door in Khon Kaen. We did not have to do anything. 

In reference to this thread, The surprising thing  is, that none of the boxes were opened. They were exactly as I pack and wrapped them, with my hand writing undisturbed. 

 

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

ALL shipments handled by DHL got stucked at customs for sometimes exorbitant assessments

Got any shipping receipts or Customs bills that shows the "exorbitant assessments"?   Course you haven't.   Thanks for making my point for me.  

[Liverpool Lou]

12 hours ago, ukrules said:

On 9/7/2021 at 9:21 PM, Liverpool Lou said:

No, it's you who thinks that you're a law unto yourself, it's your purchase that contravened the law by having it's value wrongly quoted.   Don't rant at Customs or DHL.  Jesus...

 

By the way duty, VAT and the DHL charge is normal, nothing to do with your illegally undervalued item.

Expand  

I blame the supplier, nothing to do with the recipient.

Why?  What reason would there be for the vendor to unilaterally, illegally underestimate the value without the knowledge of the buyer, knowing that there could be repercussions for the seller?   That does not make any sense.

[VocalNeal]

12 hours ago, ukrules said:

I blame the supplier, nothing to do with the recipient.

The recipient knew the value of the item and maybe even the cost of shipping. 

Add those together and take 30% for import duty then add 7% would give the recipient the amount required. Then add say 200 Baht for DHL customs handling fee. 

 

All this should be factored in when buying from overseas. 

 

 

[robblok]

This looks a lot like something for a computer something for a laptop to connect to a bigger monitor and such. If I am right it should have 0% import charges and 7% vat.

 

Never mind its something for the car.. i looked at it and thought it was a docking station i was wrong re read.

 

 

Edited September 10, 2021 by robblok

[mokwit]

2 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Why?  What reason would there be for the vendor to unilaterally, illegally underestimate the value without the knowledge of the buyer, knowing that there could be repercussions for the seller?   That does not make any sense.

You are just going 'round in circles now.

[Sydebolle]

3 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Got any shipping receipts or Customs bills that shows the "exorbitant assessments"?   Course you haven't.   Thanks for making my point for me.  

Of course I have all the receipts; need them for my company's accounts. What is your point; are you working for DHL or the customs or just having a bad day? ???? 

[TigerandDog]

It shouldn't matter what the value was. There is a FREE TRADE agreement between Thailand and China which means there should be NO customs duties of any description if the item was in fact shipped from China. I'm guessing that it wasn't.

[G Rex]

2 hours ago, TigerandDog said:

It shouldn't matter what the value was. There is a FREE TRADE agreement between Thailand and China which means there should be NO customs duties of any description if the item was in fact shipped from China. I'm guessing that it wasn't.

The unit was sent directly from Hong Kong.

[Liverpool Lou]

5 hours ago, mokwit said:

7 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Why?  What reason would there be for the vendor to unilaterally, illegally underestimate the value without the knowledge of the buyer, knowing that there could be repercussions for the seller?   That does not make any sense.

You are just going 'round in circles now.

Because there's nowhere else to go when what I am saying is correct!    

[Liverpool Lou]

5 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

8 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Got any shipping receipts or Customs bills that shows the "exorbitant assessments"?   Course you haven't.   Thanks for making my point for me.  

Of course I have all the receipts; need them for my company's accounts. What is your point; are you working for DHL or the customs or just having a bad day?

My point has been very clear all along, if you're claiming that DHL (or whoever) ripped you off on delivery/duty/VAT charges as per the OP with "exorbitant assessments" that were out of line with duty rates laid down in law, let's see the detailed receipts that the courier companies provide.   I do not believe the assertions of gouging that are being wildly thrown around by some posters but just one receipt justifying the allegations will prove me wrong.

 

"are you working for DHL or the customs or just having a bad day?"

Why should my having opinions about courier companies and their charges that are not the same as all the other posters' opinions and fairy tales mean that I'm having a bad day?  My days are pretty good and who I work for, if I work for anyone, is irrelevant and, more importantly, none of your business.  

Edited September 10, 2021 by Liverpool Lou

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, TigerandDog said:

It shouldn't matter what the value was. There is a FREE TRADE agreement between Thailand and China which means there should be NO customs duties of any description if the item was in fact shipped from China. I'm guessing that it wasn't.

Such nonsense.   I'm guessing that you don't understand what free trade agreements are and, specifically, what the China-Thailand FTA relates to.

Edited September 10, 2021 by Liverpool Lou

[Liverpool Lou]

On 9/9/2021 at 2:50 PM, mokwit said:

On 9/9/2021 at 2:42 PM, Liverpool Lou said:

No, it's not pure speculation, I did not say that was what did happen, I answered a question about how it could be done without the OP travelling to China.  I gave a couple of examples of how.   I asked why the vendor would illegally state a low valuation when there's absolutely no benefit to him to do so.   Perhaps you could explain why a vendor would do that?   Remember, it's illegal.

I have given you an example of mislabeling without my knowledge/traveling to China. I could photograph the package with the contents described as "cosmetic powder" when it was Nagiri, but then I am probably lying and really did order cosmetic powder. This mislabeling has happened on more than one occasion without me asking.

As I have already said, I am not interested in, nor am I commenting about your incorrectly labelled powder, I'm referring only to what was brought up in the OP and subsequent relevant comments about allegations of gouging of customers by courier companies allegedly charging incorrect import duty rates.  And I'm still waiting for just one gouged member to back it up.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 9/9/2021 at 7:14 PM, ColtenSloan said:

I recently ordered a package of supplements from the US. Of course the company ships with DHL. 

It arrived to Thailand in about 5 days. 

BUT, now my package has been sitting in customs since Sunday morning. Probably going to be another week. As because it's supplements and protein powder, it needs to be approved by the Thai FDA before release. Which should not be a problem as it's a months supply which is ok in their guidelines.. 

I can only imagine what sort of extra cost I am going to be asked to pay upon release.

Why should you be asked to pay extra for a FDA-approved import?  However, when it is released and if you are charged in excess of laid down import duty, which is what this thread is about, don't forget to post the detailed receipt provided to you by DHL on delivery.  A lot of posters would love to see it.