avoiding custom fees: EU users?

[palabras]

Hi, guys!

I'd like to know which kind of tricks you have used to buy things from US and avoid the ugly custom fees that should be paid. (don't know why they all talk about free worldwide market...)

thanks!

 

[Socke]

For the authorities who might read this:

I don't smuggle!

And for palabras, do you realy expect usefull smuggling tricks in a public forum? And do you think the authorieties are stupid enough not to fix a hole after they read about it on the internet?

 

[palabras]

For the authorities who might read this:

I don't smuggle!

And for palabras, do you realy expect usefull smuggling tricks in a public forum? And do you think the authorieties are stupid enough not to fix a hole after they read about it on the internet?

I found some tricks in this forum, and don't think authorities read here🙄

 

[Socke]

I found some tricks in this forum, and don't think authorities read here🙄

They do!

http://cryptome.sabotage.org/klein-decl.htm

From here to RFF I have no AT&T routers but do you think they snoop at only one provider?

Edit:

add to that the financial transactions SWIFT reports to the US athorities and then you can only hope that european authorities don't cooperate with the US.

 

[mac_wt]

I have never paid import duties/customs fees on small parcels (lenscaps, filters, lenshoods,...) form the US.
I have paid a lot of Euros for parcels that were send by companies, marked as commercial goods, carried by parcel services (DHL, TNT, FedEx, UPS,...) and with values over 100 USD/Euros.
I don't think there is a good way to avoid paying, except greatly underestimating the value of the goods (this might get you in trouble in the case you have to file an insurance claim) and lying about their nature (and this can get you in trouble with customs, or even with higher authorities if you're religious).
I must say that I'm intrigued by some ebay auctions from Hong Kong sellers, who claim that they guarantee you won't pay any fees.

Wim

 

[Dougg]

I suspect it's fairly common for sellers to understate the value of the item on the customs form, either self-motivated as a favor to the buyer, or at the request of the buyer. I recall seeing several eBay auctions, for instance, where the seller stated clearly that they would not do that, so don't ask. They must previously have been asked...

In one recent example I bought a ~$160 item from south asia and the seller put down $23 as the value, on his own initiative. As a US resident that didn't help me in any way, but as earlier mentioned might be a problem in recovering from loss or damage enroute.

 

[P C Headland]

If you are having it shipped, the best way to avoid (not evade) fees I found when still in NL was to have it sent via USPS (i.e. the postal service). Only very occassionally would I end up having to pay a donation. Anything that comes via DHL or the equivalent will get taxed.

If you bring it in yourself, you have a certain limit under which you do not have to pay duty/vat.

To minimise the fees, make sure you enter via a low tax EU country 🙂