Yeah, I'm guessing that was customs fee. It's not postage due--if you were that much short, the post office wouldn't take your package, let alone send the doll out of the country. Maybe she's never had a customs fee so high before, and that's why she misunderstood?
She said something along the lines of not having had to pay more then $40 for customs in the past, so yeah...maybe it was just higher then she anticipated? I feel better about this now because what can I do about customs fees in other countries? Not a dang thing...so I feel bad she had to pay that much, but thankfully she wasn't mad at me about it.
Like everyone else has said, it's got to be customs! COD means that they pay for their entire purchase at the point of delivery ^^;.
I hardly ever find sellers with things I want in my country, so I mostly buy from the US. There are high customs charges for receiving packages internationally, which is why I only deal with sellers who are willing to mark items as low valued gifts.
Yeah, I've pretty much reached the conclusion that the buyer mistook delivery fees for customs fees. I don't feel so bad now because I can't really be responsible for those types of fees.
I always mark my international packages as gifts. I've never sent something as expensive as this overseas though so declaring the real value has never been as issue until now. This time I had to because I got it insured...there's no way around declaring the value (how can I insurance it for $300 yet only claim it's worth $50 or something on the customs slip?). I would never ship something worth that much without insurance, it covers my own butt just as much as the buyer's. It's great for you that you can find sellers who claim low values, but I never would for something expensive like this as a matter of principle. ^^;
Yeah, I would be nervous for those amounts too. That's why most of my BJD's were bought from within Canada.
My most expensive one wasn't (the $400 kiss), and I still had it marked as a low valued gift..it made me nervous, but I had it sent by EMS as a precaution. For something that valuable, I'll splurge on shipping if I don't have insurance ^^;.
Anyway, I know it's at my own risk. I'd just suck it up if something happened to the package ^^;.
The Netherlands? Yeah, that would be a customs fee. But I've never had to pay such a high amount! Usually when I buy from pullipstyle -and I'm located in Belgium- I have to pay about 15 USD cash due to customs, never up to 84 USD though. But it's customs, no doubt, when I had to pay it the first time, I was told that that was due to 'something or other' and when I went to look it up it came down to paying customs. I can't remember what exactly he told me, it was three years ago when that happened. I've no idea why such a huge sum though...
I think the amount was so high because the declared value on the package was $300. If they are charging a percentage or something of the value then that would explain the high charge. Eh, anyway, it's over now, the buyer isn't mad at me and she loves the doll so it's all okay. :P
Comments 24
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
I hardly ever find sellers with things I want in my country, so I mostly buy from the US. There are high customs charges for receiving packages internationally, which is why I only deal with sellers who are willing to mark items as low valued gifts.
Reply
I always mark my international packages as gifts. I've never sent something as expensive as this overseas though so declaring the real value has never been as issue until now. This time I had to because I got it insured...there's no way around declaring the value (how can I insurance it for $300 yet only claim it's worth $50 or something on the customs slip?). I would never ship something worth that much without insurance, it covers my own butt just as much as the buyer's. It's great for you that you can find sellers who claim low values, but I never would for something expensive like this as a matter of principle. ^^;
Reply
My most expensive one wasn't (the $400 kiss), and I still had it marked as a low valued gift..it made me nervous, but I had it sent by EMS as a precaution. For something that valuable, I'll splurge on shipping if I don't have insurance ^^;.
Anyway, I know it's at my own risk. I'd just suck it up if something happened to the package ^^;.
Reply
Reply
But it's customs, no doubt, when I had to pay it the first time, I was told that that was due to 'something or other' and when I went to look it up it came down to paying customs. I can't remember what exactly he told me, it was three years ago when that happened.
I've no idea why such a huge sum though...
Reply
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
Reply
Leave a comment