Declaring packages as "GIFTS" or declaring below sale price

[splitimageview]

The uSA is evil, everyone knows that. Why, most of the politicians and the New York Times tell us that every day, so it must be true (eavesdropping on sweet friendly terrorists and monitoring their bank wires, not to mention illegal wars against modern day Hitlers.) Oh and don't forget we use an insane amount of energy causing global warming which hurts poor polar bears.

 

[M. Valdemar]

Huh? Morality is absolute. You said so. Even if it's a "safety issue", you're breaking the law.

But you DO have a choice to not send foreign governments money in the form of excess customs duties. You don't have to blindly obey some obscure questionably "moral" concept.

I'm not a socialist and I hate NPR.

I drive the average speed of all the traffic on the road because driving 55 when everyone else is going 70 makes me the safety hazzard.

I'd rather not send my money to any foreign government, but I have no choice but to pay my taxes and buy gasoline.

These issues are contentious because some of the people here have no respect for opinions that are to the right of NPR. But you knew that when you started this thread. Do I have to to be an amoral socialist to post here? Probably...

 

[splitimageview]

Ever filed a claim? If so how did it go?

http://www.dsiinsurance.com/

They insure parcels. Nothing is keyed to the customs form, and nothing is written on the package.

You can insure for $10,000, and declare the value on he customs form for a penny.

OK, now that problem is a non-issue.

Next?

 

[dadsm3]

I was taught that morality was absolute. So if I think you are evil enough I guess I can track you down and kill you and that would be moral? No? I didn't think so.

"thou shalt not steal"..."though shalt not kill"... Good ideas. Ignore them if you wish. I choose not to.


Your Government routinely tracks down and kills persons it feels are "evil". It probably killed a few dozen today on your behalf. So if this is done in your name by proxy by a larger group, it is acceptable?


Now let's look at a scenario. I sell a $1500 item to someone in a country with a VAT, and I place a nominal gift value on the item. The item is lost or stolen in transit. Had the item been insured for the full value, nobody is out any money. If I lie to save them money, should they let me keep the payment for the item they didn't receive?

You can insure the package with an independent company such as DSI for any amount. They don't care what you write on the customs form. There are many such companies. The USPS doesn't even care what you put on the customs form. Postal clerks in NYC INSTRUCT YOU to mark a low value to help your buyer. (many do).

If the package is lost, you give the buyer back what he paid you. It's a non-issue, the deal is between you and the buyer, not governments. VAT has nothing to do with it.

You crossed the line here in your first comment. Balance ignored.

 

[Anupam]

What's with all the spurious US bashing and absurd talk of morality over what is such a subjective and trivial issue. It depends on the person. Don't like the conditions of a sale? Move on - don't get the blood pressure all worked up.

No. I am not American. There are a lot of reasons to criticize the US, but US only sales and declared value on RFF classified sales are way down on the priority list, IMO.

 

[shotput8]

It is not the biggest moral issue of the day, but I don't do it.

I won't turn you in for doing it, but I don't do it.

My obligation to the buyer is to accurately describe the item, pack it carefully, and sent it in a timely manner.

One has to set their own moral code. Where does one set the limit? It can become a slippery slope before you know it.

I once sent a $500 lens to a Scandinavian country. I couldn't buy insurance. If the item was lost, I would return the money to the buyer.

I once sold a Revox tape recorder. I carefully tested the item and then carefully shipped it to the buyer. I received an email from the buyer saying the recorder was bad. I had them ship it back to me. When I received it, I took it apart a found some problems had occurred during shipping. Revox had put too short screws into one circuit board. It came loose and damage some other non-replaceable parts. I returned the buyer's payment plus shipping.

You have to set your own moral code.

Why is this issue so important to you?

 

[dexdog]

You don't evade any taxes. The United States does not collect ANY taxes or customs duty on packages you ship out of the country.

They could care less. Declaring a high value on packages simply helps the foreign government to which you ship levy high fees on the buyer.

As I said, value, especially on an old, used camera, is purely subjective. If you paid $1000 for a brownie box camera, does that make it "worth" $1000?

"Honest" means it's worth $5, as in McKeown's for example.

PS: I live in NYC. I'm a PATRIOTIC American, but not a sheep who believes everything I'm told to do.

.

I see no reason to be complicit in anyone evading taxes that a country may impose.

 

[splitimageview]

Are Euro countries buying bullets now? If so good; peace through strength. 😉

 

[David Goldfarb]

Who wants to deal with some different company to insure a package? If I had to do that, I wouldn't bother to sell things on the internet. The post office and shipping companies offer insurance, so it's easiest to use their insurance, and that entails insuring for the same amount as on the customs declaration, to avoid having the insurance denied in case of damage or loss, and to avoid having the package delayed or returned in case of a customs exception.

If the buyer accepts the risk of loss or delay, I'll declare an item a gift, but otherwise, it's not worth my time.

 

[M. Valdemar]

I personally insure with DSI but never had a claim.

However, from extensive contact with other people who do use DSI, they are very good about honoring claims.

shotput8, I'm very honest in my personal dealings. You and I are talking about two different things.

I started this thread because more and more people state "they will not lower value" on customs forms, and I wonder why?

There are arguable reasons pro and con. It gets people all worked up.

 

[M. Valdemar]

DSI and a couple of others are FAR BETTER than the USPS insurance. Ever try to collect a USPS claim? I have. A nightmare.

Once you have set up a DSI account (about 5 minutes), it's a 10 second click to insure new packages.

Who wants to deal with some different company to insure a package? If I had to do that, I wouldn't bother to sell things on the internet. The post office and shipping companies offer insurance, so it's easiest to use their insurance, and that entails insuring for the same amount as on the customs declaration, to avoid having the insurance denied in case of damage or loss, and to avoid having the package delayed or returned in case of a customs exception.

If the buyer accepts the risk of loss or delay, I'll declare an item a gift, but otherwise, it's not worth my time.

 

[bmattock]

Read the newspapers. Many euro countries have troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Yeah, but they mostly wander around wearing hats with feathers in them and stuff.

 

[M. Valdemar]

Why? Isn't it true?

A Government can kill enemies or evil-doers, but the Mafia cannot? An individual cannot? At what point does an organization become big enough to be entitled to kill enemies?

Just a hypothetical question, that goes to morality. When should you follow your own morality and not morality that is dictated to you?

You crossed the line here in your first comment. Balance ignored.

 

[bmattock]

It gets people all worked up.

That's the best part.

 

[bmattock]

Why? Isn't it true?

A Government can kill enemies or evil-doers, but the Mafia cannot? An individual cannot? At what point does an organization become big enough to be entitled to kill enemies?

Just a hypothetical question, that goes to morality. When should you follow your own morality and not morality that is dictated to you?

I do everything the voices in my head tell me to. They like you, but they're not sure about your buddies.

 

[splitimageview]

Read the newspapers. Many euro countries have troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The newspapers are all criticizing Bush for not having enough support from other countries; one should get ones news from other more reliable sources than the papers. 😉

 

[bmattock]

Those are not euros, they're Brits, a world of difference.😉

Not to us Americans! 😀

 

[splitimageview]

Viva Sarkozy & Berlusconi 😉

 

[dexdog]

Originally Posted by M. Valdemar View Post
You don't evade any taxes. The United States does not collect ANY taxes or customs duty on packages you ship out of the country.

They could care less. Declaring a high value on packages simply helps the foreign government to which you ship levy high fees on the buyer.] QUOTE

I do not have a problem declaring a "high value" on an item if that is what the item sold for on eBay or other venue. Can't see why it should be my problem how the tax policies of other countries affect any taxes that buyer may have to pay

 

[Ororaro]

That's why we do it.

Hey, the new RFF clown is here!