Is it normal to pay double import duties on 1 item?

[jossthaifarang]

Hi, i purchased a pair of shoes on Ebay from UK to Thailand. When they arrived i paid import duties at the post office, got home and they were the wrong size.

 

So i packed them up and posted them back to be exchanged, paid postage back to UK and from UK back here, now they arrive back with a note from supplier that they have no value as i have paid for them already, but still customs wants to charge import duties again!

 

Is this correct? At present i have paid 5,550 Thb all up for a pair of shoes advertised at 1,580 Thb, if i pay the extra import the grand total ends up at 6,340 Thb.

Im sure that is not correct? Anyone experienced this?

[Gecko123]

There is a Thai customs website with useful information: http://www.customs.go.th

 

My understanding is that if the item is less than 30 dollars in value, there isn't normally a customs charge. You're probably thinking, "Hey, problem solved, just mark the customs declaration as valued at less than 30 dollars." Not so simple. Customs seems to be pretty sophisticated. If they open the package to check the contents, they can go on line and check the price of an item in seconds. Most (but not everytime ) they have caught my attempts to avoid customs charges.

 

I can't find my shoe size over here so I have had to order all my shoes from the US for the past 10 years. When you add up the cost of the shoes, the postage and those customs fees it can really bite. Trust me, I know exactly how you feel.

 

PS. Sorry, I didn't read your post as careful as I could have. Regarding the exchange/return problem, if you have all of the receipts for the original purchase, the return and the repaying of the customs fees, you should be able to appeal this to the customs office directly. FYI, the post office just collects the customs duties, and they are going to be completely unable to help you get this resolved.

 

 

[harrry]

Not sure you can appeal.  You could have applied previously for a permit to do this but I think it is too late now.