Import/Customs Duties Headache...Question

symbolofmylife

symbolofmylife

New member
Hi Guys!

A while ago I ordered some things (shirts) online, from UK, totaling about R900.
So the package arrived and the import duties on it that I needed to settle was R560.49.
All good, yet steep.

Anyway one of the items was packaged way oversized so I returned the one item. Still no problems.

So today I get a notification that the exchanged item is ready for collection, and the total import duties payable is R560.49. WHAT??

In my opinion I've already paid for this, correct?
At most I'd have to cover the import on the one item, which is fine I guess.

Post office not much help AT ALL. "Phone customs". Ring...ring...ring....ring....

But basically I'm now having to pay the import duties twice on one order to release one item of lesser value than the original order, on which the duties have already been paid !?

What do you guys think?
 
Well how do I approach this? There's no way I'm paying in R500+ ons an item with a value of R150

Sent from my BlackBerry 9300
 
symbolofmylife said:
Well how do I approach this? There's no way I'm paying in R500+ ons an item with a value of R150

Sent from my BlackBerry 9300
Click to expand...

Arguing with the post office is like punching a brick wall, you'll bloody your hands and break them and the wall will remain. I gave up having things "posted" to SA from other countries because the so called import tax is ridiculous.
 
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symbolofmylife said:
Well how do I approach this? There's no way I'm paying in R500+ ons an item with a value of R150

Sent from my BlackBerry 9300
Click to expand...

Perhaps approach SARS directly, the post office only does what it is told OR contact a forwarding agent, they should be able to advise you. Good luck!
 
I've imported quite a few games and books lately, bought off ebay, and I've never been charged more than R45 by customs. Some items only take a couple of days to arrive from the UK which is awesome :). The post office/customs have never let me down so far.

As for clothes the import tax is around 45% plus you have to pay 14% VAT. So I stay away from importing clothes.
 
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Fivel said:
Perhaps approach SARS directly, the post office only does what it is told OR contact a forwarding agent, they should be able to advise you. Good luck!
Click to expand...

I will attempt that today.

I have contacted the retailer already also informing of this issue. Should I not be able to get this sorted I'll suggest the item to be returned to sender and request a refund, which they are fine with.

But something else that I was thinking about: This was an exchange of one item. With the duty tax now being the same as when I collected the entire order. So I am thinking the seller attached the original order invoice to the parcel, although it only contains the one item. Hence, the exact same tax duty that I've to pay.
 
Way back then I bought a GTX260 in London and had to bring it into the country. The Card cost me R2600, but the import tax on it was R1150 :/
 
Symbol
The scenario in which the Original invoice was attached to this parcel is more than likely the reason for you being billed the exact same amount by customs
I have dealt with them in the past and although they can be incredibly difficult to deal with, they have never overcharged me for items that are imported
I would suggest confirming with the seller first off if the original invoice for the full amount was attached to this package or not

And lol Mappy, you got taken for a ride dude, there is NO import tax on computer equipment
as in None
 
Xero said:
Symbol
The scenario in which the Original invoice was attached to this parcel is more than likely the reason for you being billed the exact same amount by customs.

I would suggest confirming with the seller first off if the original invoice for the full amount was attached to this package or not.
Click to expand...

Info Requested. But should it be the full invoice, what then?
 
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