Import Duty For Bike Parts - Negotiable..?

[Thanh-BKK]

Hello.

I have received a shipment of parts from Singapore, namely a (second hand but never used, i.e. like new) tank, one set of hand levers new and in unopened package and a pair of horns which were used for a short time and are like new.

I paid 115 Singapore-Dollars for these parts, equals 2,718 Baht. Including shipping cost it was 160 Singapore-Dollars, equals 3,774 Baht.

Now i have gotten a note that i can pick up this package at Bangna post office (i live in Bangna) but i have to pay import duty of 1,500 Baht and VAT of 455 Baht!! That is based on am "assessed value" of 5,000 Baht.

Now i do not have any form of receipt since i bought the parts from a private person in Singapore and paid by PayPal online. Is there any way i can negotiate with those people to get that price down a bit? Anyonw here ever had to do with that kind of stuff?

This is the first time i have been hit with import duties, probably because the package is so large. The parts are for an old Thai-made RXZ by the way, not some fancy hi-so import bike. Despite being Thai-made there are almost no spare parts available for my bike because it is simply so old, year 1994.

Kind regards......

Thanh

[thaicbr]

Thanh... Do not collect them yourself get your partner to go in for you and get him to explain just used parts that a friend in Singapore has sent you. I would not mention paying for them. Maybe being Thai he can talk the price down. I would have thought about 500b all in. Worth a try. Allan

[Richard-BKK]

He Thanh,

Negotiating about the import duty you can forget, sometimes it is possible... but then you need to talk direct to the custom officer. As this package is already past customs and at the post office, you can only pay the duty they want...

[thaicbr]

Ummm not sure about that. A friend of mine had some personal stuff sent to him, they wanted about the same amount 1,500baht, he explained it was just stuff that his mum had sent shirts, books etc. Was asked to open the box and they reduced the amount to 500b. He was American/Thai.

If i am getting anything sent from Abroad i will always email the address in Thai(word format) so that they can print a label. Then 9-10 no duty

Edited August 29, 2009 by thaicbr

[mbox]

Hello.

I have received a shipment of parts from Singapore, namely a (second hand but never used, i.e. like new) tank, one set of hand levers new and in unopened package and a pair of horns which were used for a short time and are like new.

I paid 115 Singapore-Dollars for these parts, equals 2,718 Baht. Including shipping cost it was 160 Singapore-Dollars, equals 3,774 Baht.

Now i have gotten a note that i can pick up this package at Bangna post office (i live in Bangna) but i have to pay import duty of 1,500 Baht and VAT of 455 Baht!! That is based on am "assessed value" of 5,000 Baht.

Now i do not have any form of receipt since i bought the parts from a private person in Singapore and paid by PayPal online. Is there any way i can negotiate with those people to get that price down a bit? Anyonw here ever had to do with that kind of stuff?

This is the first time i have been hit with import duties, probably because the package is so large. The parts are for an old Thai-made RXZ by the way, not some fancy hi-so import bike. Despite being Thai-made there are almost no spare parts available for my bike because it is simply so old, year 1994.

Kind regards......

Thanh

Hi Thanh,

I know what you mean.I just received my "notification from int. postal items" inside the parcel bikepants & tankbag(both new)..asessed value 7000 thb(thats about right ) import duty 2100thb , vat 637 and another 20 thb (guess for the notification?) so total payment 2757 thb for this...i am not complaining over the total price really as i bought the stuff decently priced in the US ...but the import duty is a bit crazy..

i think next time my friend who comes in every couple of month will be getting some extra luggage :-)

mbox

[justcruisin]

I recently ordered some bike parts from Touratech Germany,the first parcel was delivered to my home address and no duty,the 2nd had to be picked up at the post office and 1000Bht payment needed,the import duty is 30% plus vat of 7%,I explained that based on the parts cost,duty should be about 660 Bht,I had the option of leaving the parts there and sending a letter to customs in Bkk to re-negotiate.

I collected the parts.(they had held the parcel at the post office for 3 weeks before they sent the notification to my home)

Khun Thanh If you can get a reciept from the seller maybe you can get the tax(extortion) reduced.

Good Luck

[imaneggspurt]

Ummm not sure about that. A friend of mine had some personal stuff sent to him, they wanted about the same amount 1,500baht, he explained it was just stuff that his mum had sent shirts, books etc. Was asked to open the box and they reduced the amount to 500b. He was American/Thai.

If i am getting anything sent from Abroad i will always email the address in Thai(word format) so that they can print a label. Then 9-10 no duty

Im afraid hes right, there is NO negotiations at the post office, its pay up or take it up with the customs office that decided the fees,.i have bits in all the time and the varition in fees is mind boggling,.sometimes nothing and sometimes 150 per cent on declared value,.good luck,......

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi.

No worries.... i just went there and picked it up, screw them. I don't buy large items (like this tank) often and it was the very first time that i have been hit with customs duty/taxes.... i bought (from Singapore, i.e. imported) plenty of parts before which partly did cost quite ait more than this tank so yeah, let them have it this time.

At least my bike looks good now

Kind regards......

Thanh

[imaneggspurt]

Hi.

No worries.... i just went there and picked it up, screw them. I don't buy large items (like this tank) often and it was the very first time that i have been hit with customs duty/taxes.... i bought (from Singapore, i.e. imported) plenty of parts before which partly did cost quite ait more than this tank so yeah, let them have it this time.

At least my bike looks good now

Kind regards......

Thanh

Frustrating though isnt it,. ,ive just today had a notification of a parcel from the states, declared at $50. taxes due,1560 baht !,......as i knew what was coming i had the sender mark down the price,,but im still amazed how they arrive at these figures without opening the box and knowing the values

[PeaceBlondie]

Fotos after you finish, please. Even Finnish fotos!

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi

@imanegsspurt

My package WAS opened by customs. However none of the smaller packages inside was - and the problem was that my friend included a whole bunch of extra things that i didn't "order", he mentioned he'd include some freebies that he had no longer a use for.... and those included among others a brand new foot peg set and a brand new gear shifter set, and those were just clear-wrapped and quite visible. I guess the customs guy saw those two (obviously brand new) and a whole bunch of other small-ish bundles plus one roughly in the shape of a tank - and estimated the whole package is full of new stuff. Well, i got it now and it's done and dusted.

@PB

Not sure if that is possible.... as i am REALLY jinxed this week! And VERY fed up now. Sometimes i just want to kill myself.

Tuesday: Caught a cold that had me down for most of the week.

Wednesday: My computer up in smoke. Had to swap the hard drive and re-install OS and all applications.

Friday: This customs issue

Today: My six-weeks-old phone, who's main job is "camera", died. Won't turn on. It's in repair now (in Europe i'd have gotten a new one on the spot, not here!)

So right now no decent camera available, only my other phones of which none takes really good quality photos. but i may borrow my boyfriend's to take a picture of the bike when i am done with it tomorrow (the tank is already on it but the side panel stickers not yet).

Best regards....

Thanh The Jinxed

Edited August 29, 2009 by Thanh-BKK