Declared value

[+Belfrypotters]

I just mailed my birthday mission, so this is a question I probably should have asked before filling out the customs form, but better late than never. Do you put the honest value of the parcel contents on the slip? Previously I underestimated the value, thinking either the recipient or I might get stuck paying duty. Then a mission was late, and the parcel was insured, but presumably insurance would only cover the stated value. So this time I put down the honest value of the items, more or less, and now I'm worried about duty fees again.

Which is best - underestimate, overestimate, or true estimate?

[+Tethys C]

I just mailed my birthday mission, so this is a question I probably should have asked before filling out the customs form, but better late than never. Do you put the honest value of the parcel contents on the slip? Previously I underestimated the value, thinking either the recipient or I might get stuck paying duty. Then a mission was late, and the parcel was insured, but presumably insurance would only cover the stated value. So this time I put down the honest value of the items, more or less, and now I'm worried about duty fees again.

Which is best - underestimate, overestimate, or true estimate?

 

$5 - $10 per coin in the package is fine as a value (unless you're shipping many!!)

List items as 'game tokens' - sometimes I think they get interested when they see the word 'coin' as part of the contents.

[+GeocoinGuy]

That's a tough call.. especially on a mission package.

 

When I sell coins through my webstore, customs forms are not usually required on 'large envelopes', depending on which post office you go through. I'm talking about the size#000 bubble mailers here.

 

When talking parcels - I usually contact the buyer and ask their preference. I sent 30 coins from the US to UK and declared USD$30 as the value per their request, while marking the package as 'gift'.

 

So it's just depends - and as I said.. missions are a tough call.

[+Team JSAM]

Mark it as a gift and put down 5.50. Don't go over 6.00.

[+GeoLobo]

I always use Game Token and 25.00 on every coin i send overseas

[+die_anita]

I always use Game Token and 25.00 on every coin i send overseas

 

Oh, don't do that! If you're shipping more than one coin it will cost the recipient a lot of customs and postal fee

 

I always declare 5-8$ per coin and never more than 15$ for all items together. As a coin is nothing with "real" value customs can only rely on metal value which is quite deep. So you won't get in any trouble with this kind of declaration.

[+The Klever Boys]

I always use Game Token and 25.00 on every coin i send overseas

 

25 dollars for each coin Why?

[+LadyBee4T]

I label it as novelty token and usually put $5 for one or two coins. The most I have ever put is $20 and that was for 10 coins I think. I never use a decimal point and cents in it. Some other countires have misread that one. I found out in one of the missions where he was going to be charged an ungodly amount of duty for a couple of coins and chocolate all be cause the customs thought it was like $2000 rather than $20 or somethin along that line. He literally opened the box in front of the agent to show that it wasn't worth that much. I have never been told by anyone that they were charged duty that way.

[+UFgatorgirl]

are there certain countries that charge duty taxes? which ones are they. i don't want to make someone pay to get a package.

 

can we pay the fee before we ship it?

[+Team JSAM]

 

can we pay the fee before we ship it?

 

No, your best bet is to keep the amount under 6.00, that way they pay little to nothing.

[+Bhob]

I learned part of this lesson the hard way

 

Several years ago, I sent something to someone in Britian

When I filled out the customs form, for "value", I put what I thought the thing in the parcel was worth

As it happened, I put down what I thought was the true value (a lot)

My thinking was that if it went missing, I could claim that amount as what it was worth

Well, it turns out that there is a substantial percentage "duty" (tax) for things coming into Britian

And the person could not get the parcel without paying that duty

They were somewhat upset that I did not put a nominal (low) value

We worked it out by each paying an equal amount of the duty

 

My advise would be that you not take any chances

A realistic value (larger) may be helpful if you need to make an insurance claim

But a smaller one may be prefrerd, in order to avoid excessive tax/duty/etc

Don't make any assumptions

Ask the person that you are sending to what they would like for you to do

They are probably more familiar with the rules in their place than you are

And if things go a little wrong, at least they were aleated up front

[+GeocoinGuy]

<snip>Ask the person that you are sending to what they would like for you to do

They are probably more familiar with the rules in their place than you are </snip>

 

Wish I had said that

[Tooeygeotrashed]

In the UK we are not only charged VAT on goods that exceed a certain value (I think the amount is somewhere in the region of £18 - even if marked as a gift) this includes shipping fees - so if your stated value is below that, but exceeds that amount when the postage is added the recipient not only gets taxed on the whole amount but the post office add another £8 handling charge on top, so the tax may not be that much, but add the £8 handling charge and the time delay it causes for delivery and you could end up with a very unhappy customer. I once purchased four coins, I'm talking a few years ago - they ended up costing me approximately $20 per coin - and that was when we were getting a much better exchange rate.

 

Of course rules and regulations vary - so what Bhob says is the best advice.

[+Team Olsson]

In Norway we must pay tax if value is over 200 NOK about 28 UDS

I always add about 2 USD each coin i send and mark it as gift and game token.

[+Smort78]

In Norway we must pay tax if value is over 200 NOK about 28 UDS

I always add about 2 USD each coin i send and mark it as gift and game token.

Not tax but 25% VAT (just to be picky )

And sama as in UK, we have to pay VAT of the shipping cost also.

And a $28 handling fee...

 

If the package is marked as a gift the limit is 1000 NOK

[+Belfrypotters]

Uh-oh, not much good news here, but thanks for all your advice. Next time I'll know better. The post office clerk told me duty was only paid on "things above $500 or something like that, but I'm not exactly sure". It seems to vary by country, so now I wish I'd underestimated the value of the gift just to be on the safe side. I'll send the recipient an email so they know to send me the bill for any duty, tax, service fee, shipping fee, handling charge, decimal point fee, etc., etc.

[+ThirstyMick]

Uh-oh, not much good news here, but thanks for all your advice. Next time I'll know better. The post office clerk told me duty was only paid on "things above $500 or something like that, but I'm not exactly sure". It seems to vary by country, so now I wish I'd underestimated the value of the gift just to be on the safe side. I'll send the recipient an email so they know to send me the bill for any duty, tax, service fee, shipping fee, handling charge, decimal point fee, etc., etc.

 

I've had the clerk tell me "oh this package is small enough that you don't need this" and crumple up and throw away my customs form

 

I hope nobody has had any troubles over my packages on the couple of times this has happened

 

I agree though I always underestimate the cost, but I don't usually use insurance so if it goes missing it's my responsibility anyway. If you use insurance, probably ask the person you're mailing to what they prefer, with missions, tough call...

[+Tha Saint]

I mailed coins out overseas for the 1st time yesterday. I mailed 2 packages to 2 seperate countries. On each of the customs forms I marked "gift" value - $10 and description - 1 coin.

As I walked out of the post office I thought that I may have made a mistake by the descrition of "1 Coin". I hope they dont run across any curious handlers.....

[avroair]

$1.00 since they are either trades or 'gifts' ~ I also put trading tokens on the form.