I am currently having an issue with Thai customs and I wonder if anyone can tell me who is correct.

 

Last year I purchase two limited edition items in the UK (what they are is immaterial). They were only charged to my credit card and shipped to me last month. They already have the suppliers invoice and my credit card bill showing the matching date and amount. The price can be confirmed on several independent web sites as RRP (Recommended retail price).

 

However due to the limited availability of these items, scalpers are advertising identical items for roughly twice the price already on various sites.

 

Thai customs want to charge me duty on the price now being asked by the scalpers rather than the price I paid.

 

My question, should I pay duty on the proven price I paid or the current perceive value! These are collectors items and I have no intention of reselling them and it strikes me that customs are asking for duty on a perceived profit which I won't realise and (to me) they shouldn't be asking for, as most imports are marked up and resold in Thailand without customs asking for a share of the profit.

 

At the end of the day, they hold my shipment and I will probably have to suck it up and pay anyway. But I would like to know if people think I am right or not! (It makes me feel a bit better)

Edited August 28, 20223 yr by NVass

What have they said ?

 

In my experience, once you produce proof of the purchase and the amount (as you said you did) etc that is usually accepted.

 

That said, they have you over a barrel, pay it or lose it, or of course ask for it to be referred higher up or get a lawyer involved,which may prove costly.

 

 

Duties and taxes are usually based on C&E valuations of the items concerned - they have the final say.

So your problem is to communicate with those who are actually doing the valuations and show you care!