Blad stuck in Australian Customs Dept.

gregmacc · Dec 30, 2009

Hi all ... Not sure that this is the correct forum but here goes. The camera was shipped from the U.S.A. on the 17th of December. I've been checking the tracking info every day since with no new updates until yesterday (30th Dec). It's lobbed in Australian Customs. Has anyone had experience with this before? The camera was purchased 2nd hand from the USA for $1700USD. At the time I totally overlooked the issue of import tax. So what is the process? Does every single postal item coming into Australia go through Customs? How do they know what is in parcels? Is the seller obligated by law to declare the content's value on the parcel? How would Customs contact me regarding tax payable? Surely not by snail mail. ... Would they contact me at all?
I'm anxious about the prospect of not having the camera this side of March ... not to mention having to cough up another considerable amount of hard earned cash.
Thanks

Q.G. · Dec 30, 2009

I have had stuff stuck in our country's customs for long times (weeks, not months) too.
When that happens, i just have to wait until they release it.

Over here, you usually have to pay something if that happens.
If not taxes and duties, at the very least handling costs. Those are not billed by the customs department, but by the carrier who had to nurse the package through customs.

How they will know what is in a parcel?
If not declared on the outside of the parcel, and if it is too anyway, they will just open it and have a look themselves.

Tony Egan · Dec 30, 2009

If the seller was honest and declared the amount (>$1,000) it will be stuck in customs and you will receive a letter with instructions. GST of 10% will be applied to the value of goods plus shipping and there is also a service charge on top of that. You will need to provide proof of purchase/invoice. If it was ebay they want to see the winning confirmation which includes price. There used to be a large customs warehouse in Sydney where you could go and do all this in person but it has closed down and after making all the payments the package is now sent to your local post office. Bad time of year, but I would guess next week you might get the notification and you'll need to fill in the forms and fax/scan them back and pay the tax. Last time as I recall I got hold of an email address for one of the customs officers and at least had a human being I could follow up and annoy! The process may be a bit different from SA?

Patience! I would bet on late January (subject to all the Christmas parcels being cleared!)

Venchka · Dec 30, 2009

Coming from the USA the shipper had to declare the nature of the contents and a value. You may get a bill from a Customs Expediter, private company who makes money billing folks like you for doing little more than billing you. Some people call it a racket. Nothing you can do about it.

gregmacc · Dec 30, 2009

Thanks Q.G. ... So do they open every single undeclared parcel or is it a random thing?

gregmacc · Dec 30, 2009

Cheers Tony ... Patience? ... This is a beautiful 500CM, lens, back and prism package we're talking about here. My first MF camera. I've been researching this purchase for months. I'm like a five year old waiting for Christmas ... ridiculous really ...

gregmacc · Dec 30, 2009

Thanks Venchka ... I just wonder about the justification for import tax on an overseas purchase of a second hand camera ...

Venchka · Dec 30, 2009

There are no undeclared parcels leaving the USA.

Tony Egan · Dec 30, 2009

p.s. I recall on one occasion the seller used UPS and they handled the tax via credit card payment over the phone and delivered to the door the next day. If it was shipped by US Postal Service my above advice should be correct.

I have never asked any international seller to understate value for customs but this bloke I know (wink) once bought a new view camera from a country to the north valued at around $2,000 and the seller declared it as "camera parts" valued at $150! It sailed through tax free but this bloke would not have wanted to be at the wrong end of a customs investigation if it had been sampled and they demanded to see the paperwork.

Ian David · Dec 30, 2009

Hi Greg. Tony is right. You will have to pay GST of 10% on the AUS$ total of the goods plus shipping, plus about $50 handling charge.
Customs will send you a letter, you will send some forms back, then you will get an email notifying you what you have to pay. You will pay the required sum and the goods will then be released for delivery. The whole process will probably take about 2 weeks.
It is likely that they will open the parcel. It may occur to you to understate the purchase price, but I wouldn't recommend it as the ACS have a poor sense of humour
Ian

Tony Egan · Dec 30, 2009

gregmacc said:
Cheers Tony ... Patience? ... This is a beautiful 500CM, lens, back and prism package we're talking about here. My first MF camera. I've been researching this purchase for months. I'm like a five year old waiting for Christmas ... ridiculous really ...

I feel your pain. I went through this with a Hasselblad Xpan a few years ago.

Ian David · Dec 30, 2009

gregmacc said:
Thanks Venchka ... I just wonder about the justification for import tax on an overseas purchase of a second hand camera ...

It is just the way it is - GST payable on anything over AUS$1000, new or second-hand. Luckily, there is no customs/import duty as well on most photo gear.

If you are ever in doubt about what you are up for when importing stuff, the full customs tariff is reproduced in a large PDF file on the ACS website.

Congrats on the Blad - think how excited you will be when you finally get it!

Ian

Q.G. · Dec 30, 2009

gregmacc said:
Thanks Q.G. ... So do they open every single undeclared parcel or is it a random thing?

Over here, it definitely is more of a random thing.
They will look at some of the parcels, see what the declaration says is in it. Or just decide to have a closer look at a random package.

What is annoying over here, is that there is a value below which no duties and taxes are due.
Yet when they decide that you parcel 'needs' investigating, they will levy duties and taxes. The decision to do that will also involve the carrier, who than will bill you for handling costs.
You then have to claim to have the taxes and duties returned, which will however not lead to a refund of the handling costs (which then more often than not are higher than the duties and taxes levied), but instead only incur more costs.

So it may take weeks, and cost money to get a cheap bit of equipment from across the Big Pond, while i also can have a more expensive bit arrive from over there in a matter of days without extra costs.
Nothing we can do about that. Just hope that they do not delay things too long when they have decided that your parcel needs a closer look. And pay whatever it is they want us to pay.

What annoys me most is that (over here at least) they don't levy duties and taxes over the selling price or declared value, but add the shipping costs to it first, then duties, and calculate taxes over the total of selling price + shipping costs + duties.
I never understood why shipping costs should be considered to be part of the value of the thing shipped. So why do they add the shipping costs? Beats me...

Venchka · Dec 30, 2009

Re: Gouge & Screw Tax.

I buy used gear from a local shop. They add local sales tax to every item. The Tax Man always gets his share.

PhotoJim · Dec 30, 2009

Funny that it takes so long - Canada and Australia are two very similar countries but my items rarely spend more than a day in Customs here in Canada. In fact, vendors like KEH often offer overnight delivery at reasonable prices and I get packages the next day. I simply pay taxes (and duty, if applicable - camera gear doesn't seem to attract duty here) when the courier comes.

For less valuable stuff I get it shipped by mail. The customs handling charges are much less ($5 plus taxes).

If Australia Customs is habitually this slow, it would be worthwhile writing a polite letter about your concerns. If enough people do so, perhaps the Australian government will see what it can do to expedite the process.

I really don't mind paying my fair share of taxes - I don't want to live in an anarchical state so the system does have some overhead cost. I just want to be treated fairly and I want reasonably quick service. I really have few complaints about Canada Customs & Revenue Agency. (I might be alone. )

ChrisN · Dec 30, 2009

Customs is usually pretty quick, but we have this thing called Christmas ...

It's a shame you weren't aware of the $1k threshold and the process earlier. I would have asked the seller to ship in several separate parcels.

And congratulations on the new camera - I'm sure you'll love using it.

gregmacc · Dec 30, 2009

Chris ... The Aussie Customs web site states that separate parcels sent to the same address at around the same time will be taxed as one item ... And another thing ... Where do I stand with shipping insurance and/or the sellers warranty if the parcel is opened and accidentally damaged? ... Can of worms?

gregmacc · Dec 30, 2009

I'm happy to pay reasonable taxes and handling fees (I've already paid approx $60USD for U.S. Postal Service express mail. - Guaranteed to arrive by 24th December no less!) But Australian GST (Goods and Services Tax) on a second hand camera from a foreign country? ... Jeez ... I dunno ...

Q.G. · Dec 30, 2009

gregmacc said:
Where do I stand with shipping insurance and/or the sellers warranty if the parcel is opened and accidentally damaged? ... Can of worms?

Can of worms indeed. (I keep commenting from what i know about how customs works over here, but i don't think that they operate much differently in Australia).

When the content of a package is damaged by customs, they should (!) report that to you, and after assessing the damage (tricky, though the declared/estimated value, or sales price, will provide a starting point. The tricky bit is establishing the residual value) pay for it.

Should, because they can, and no doubt also will, leave it up to you to find out that the content has been damaged.
You then cannot know who did what to it, and are left to put in a claim for damage with the carrier.

gregmacc · Dec 30, 2009

Thanks Q.G. ... I'm just going to try not to think about it too much ... might go and shoot some film later today ...

Q.G. · Dec 30, 2009

"Too often we suffer most sorely
and thereby feel most poorly
from dreaded aches and pains."

Or:

"Qui craint de souffrir, il souffre déjà de ce qu'il craint"

hoffy · Dec 30, 2009

You're going to shoot film out in this (current Adelaide weather is boarderline on what I imagine hell is close to)!!!!!

Unfortunately they have you by the proverbials. At least you weren't like me. I managed to get a parcel stuck in customs (I had bought some car parts for a friend while I was in the US), due to the fact that I packaged them in boxes that once held perishable goods.

I hope its not too much longer Greg....

gregmacc · Dec 30, 2009

Ashley ... Cool change to arrive at about 8PM ... Wendy and I will be down at the beach waiting for the fireworks to start ...
All the best to you and yours.

Ross Chambers · Dec 31, 2009

The paperwork may look daunting, but you CAN do it, even a dimwit like me managed it, so don't get an agent involved.

Sometimes wooden products get Quarantine excited too, I was a little anxious when buying a 5x7 camera made in China, but it was OK

The word from officialdom follows:

=============================

when buying over the internet
• If you arrange for goods to be brought into Australia, you are regarded by Customs as the importer of those goods. This includes purchases made over the Internet, regardless of whether or not you intend to sell or distribute those goods, own a business and if the goods are for your personal use or a gift for someone else.
• Your imported goods may arrive in Australia either by airfreight, express courier, sea cargo or via the post office. The method of delivery will determine the Customs clearance formalities and charges.
• Customs advises people purchasing goods over the Internet to be aware that, when those goods arrive in Australia, they will be subject to Customs controls.
• Certain goods brought into Australia require an import permit. Customs might seize or detain such goods pending presentation of the permit. Alternatively, the goods might be a prohibited import and not allowed into the country under any circumstance.
*
All goods (except for tobacco products and alcoholic beverages) may be imported duty and tax free if their value is $1,000 or less.
Note: However, where there are multiple packages to the same addressee in Australia from a single consignor overseas that arrive at about the same time, then the value of all packages will be combined for duty and tax assessment purposes.

================

Regards - Ross

timk · Jan 2, 2010

yeah, for future reference, keep the value of the consignment below $1,000 if you can, also try and avoid shipping multiple packages in the same month if the combined value is over $1k.

Blad stuck in Australian Customs Dept.

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