Tariffs via UPS

[thm_w]

I'm trying to figure this out myself. I have a package coming from Germany valued at $1000 USD (Roetest vacuum tube tester, can't wait!).  It says "Duties or taxes are due on this package." in the tracking info.  However there is no way to pay it when logged into myUPS. I called and was told the import duties are $46.71.  However they then attempted to transfer me to another dept, who had me on hold forever so I eventually hung up.  I wonder if they will just deliver and send me the bill??

Normally there should be a link on the tracking page that says "pay duties": https://support.spaceshipapp.com/en/how-to-do-online-duty-tax-with-ups

If not they will try to collect on delivery (credit card), if you aren't there then it will likely get left at the local UPS store. In general UPS and DHL want the payment upfront, Fedex bills you later.

[pac1085]

Thanks, I guess we'll see what happens.  Maybe it's too soon for the button to show up because it's definitely not there.  Perhaps its too early, it's not scheduled for delivery until Tuesday.

[phil from seattle]

I'm trying to figure this out myself. I have a package coming from Germany valued at $1000 USD (Roetest vacuum tube tester, can't wait!).  It says "Duties or taxes are due on this package." in the tracking info.  However there is no way to pay it when logged into myUPS. I called and was told the import duties are $46.71.  However they then attempted to transfer me to another dept, who had me on hold forever so I eventually hung up.  I wonder if they will just deliver and send me the bill??

There seems to be a lot of confusion among the carriers so my experience may be random but I used paypal and they (UPS) dinged my Paypal account directly.  I'm not sure how they had the right to do that but I prefer paying out of Paypal account so alls well that ends well.  $14 processing fee is pretty annoying.

[pac1085]

The package came today.  When the delivery driver showed up they said I had to write them a personal check for $46.71.  There was never any option to pay online and they don’t take credit cards.   Driver had to wait for a few mins while I went in and dug up a check book. Haven’t written one in years.  I also did not receive any sort of breakdown on what the fees were.

Btw, the declared value was 746 euro.

[thm_w]

The package came today.  When the delivery driver showed up they said I had to write them a personal check for $46.71.  There was never any option to pay online and they don’t take credit cards.   Driver had to wait for a few mins while I went in and dug up a check book. Haven’t written one in years.  I also did not receive any sort of breakdown on what the fees were.

Btw, the declared value was 746 euro.

That is interesting must be regional, couriers only accept cards here, as no one uses checks and writing a fake check is simple.

[pac1085]

Yeah… I am in western New York.  I was surprised…

[phil from seattle]

The package came today.  When the delivery driver showed up they said I had to write them a personal check for $46.71.  There was never any option to pay online and they don’t take credit cards.   Driver had to wait for a few mins while I went in and dug up a check book. Haven’t written one in years.  I also did not receive any sort of breakdown on what the fees were.

Btw, the declared value was 746 euro.

Too bad you weren't able to get it a little cheaper as you could have snuck under the de minimis exception.  746 EUR = about 850 USD.  Of course, after May 2, it's all moot. Or not?  Who knows with this blowhard idiot...

The international delivery companies are going to have to get their shit together on this. Paying by check is ridiculous. I bet the drivers absolutely hate that. It should be all electronic.

[Fflint]

I got a package from China via UPS. Then a week later got a bill in the mail from UPS for the Tariff + disbursement fee.

On a $102.37 package (including shipping) there were 4 charges.  Three were tariffs (10%, 25% and 3.5%) plus a $14 disbursement fee. 

Any suggestions on how to avoid the $14 disbursement fee in the future?

Emigrate to some other country.

You think the exact same thing isn't going to happen here?
If you order with UPS shipping without DPP they are going to charge you similar fees, except our VAT is higher. And then they apply VAT to the shipping and processing fee as well.
The only way is regulation, governments need to force companies that they have to charge a fair, flat fee for import processing. It's all automated anyway. And every company has to charge the same amount.

Well in the EU there is VOSS (VAT one stop shop) where a seller can register in EU and for buyers it is pretty much the same thing as buying locally. When I buy on Aliexpress it is showing me the prices that include my Polish VAT (23% ouch...)

I remember the time before this was in place, it worked exactly as described. Big shipping companies like dpd, ups, FedEx would gouge you €10+ for "filling the paperwork" for you. But you still had to get in touch with customs and supply them with proof of value and/or a description of what is it you're shipping if you didn't want your package sitting for 3 weeks in the back of the queue. If you emailed them on the day they got your package they would release it in one or two days.

The "handling" is a lot cheaper if your package is shipped by the post office (€2.5 or so).

As for people who think EU has "tarrifs" for stuff imported from the US. I used to buy lots of stuff from the US when shipping wasn't as horribly expensive as it is now. And every single thing I looked up had a tariff of 0%. I bought electronics, tools, hand tools, gun parts, ammo reloading supplies. The only thing I was hit with a 3% tariff was some agricultural pesticide I was buying at the time.

VAT applies to everything here, not just imported stuff. The way it is constructed it is mostly charged to end users. Do I like paying 23% on top of everything ? Hell no? But it is responsible for over 50% of the entire country's budget and I'm fine with my 12.5% income tax rate (most people pay more).

I wonder what the actual total cost of implementation of such complex tax as VAT is. For consumers it is simple. They pay the rate. But for businesses it is anything but simple (although a lot simpler now than some time ago).