R
ruben
Guest
Sorry, it is not about langerie, but about the US state of Georgia, in whose capital, Atlanta, "the world largest seller of used photo gear" is located: Keh.
I have been their client for long long ago, a decade at least. However one day I got an email that was not within my logics taste and then I stopped to deal with them for good. No body is perfect.
But lately I have returned, specially since the issue in conflict, their mail charges, changed for good. Not for good but for excellency.
Since then I have performed two purchases. The first in April, it was a $70 magnifying hood for my TLR.
The last one was of a totally different character, a Zuiko lens labelled as bargain, due $215. Here the issues of packaging, papers, value declaration, and way of shipment - all were of importance.
For 200 bucks I was ready to pay a trackable service or insured one, to cover me for the money, and of course I was ready to pay some 20% customs charges over the article plus the mailing.
In a similar situation with any other seller I would need to detail time and again that I need an Invoice, that the packaging should resist Israeli mail soccer team, that the invoice should be sticked outside the package, and to write at the invoice just the price of the item, without the price of the mailing, since my fellows here are not consecuent regarding the question if mailing should be part of the tax, or not.
Not the case with Keh. No need to say a word and the most intelligent service is obvious.
First, they advised me to use the usps first class mail despite I told them I was ready for a more expensive mailing with tracking or insurance. My contact, Tim Smith, promised that in case the lens doesn't arrive, or arrives damaged, Keh will refund the whole amount.
They mailed the box at Sep 29, and it arrived to my hands today, Oct 7th. - Do you copy ? USPS First Class Mail package -10 days from US seller to my hands in Israel !
Then when I saw the box, I felt they forgot to include the lens. With a master touch of anti-cutoms-wisdom they sent a small item within a big box.
No need to say the invoice was included outside, shouting "everything is OK". No need to say the detailed price didn't included shipment price, which in case had I opted for a more expensive way - it would increase the tax as well, had they included it in the invoice, like most of unexperienced eBay sellers do.
Finally the second anti-customs-wisdom touch, even more masterfull than the former, was to fill the invoice with relative small English letters
I do not know if you know it, but my boss for example, that barely can read English, each time he has to read any single word he gets a small headache. Most of the folks at the customs and mail in Israel, are in the same situation. So why bothering with a box of no weight and external sticked invoice with such small letters ?
Any item over $50 sent through mail must pay customs. No more mercy, no my family abroad sent me a cake, no it is only a few dollars. Nothing ! The Israeli customs high authorities must cover their big dirty deals with the mob taicoons by furiously attacking the small packages, and this is taking place since a year ago, more or less.
But my Keh package passed through absolutely legally, without being noticed.
As for the lens itself - Should I repeat what everybody knows ? (sorry lately I am too much repeating Leonard Cohen unintentionally.)
Cheers.
Ruben
I have been their client for long long ago, a decade at least. However one day I got an email that was not within my logics taste and then I stopped to deal with them for good. No body is perfect.
But lately I have returned, specially since the issue in conflict, their mail charges, changed for good. Not for good but for excellency.
Since then I have performed two purchases. The first in April, it was a $70 magnifying hood for my TLR.
The last one was of a totally different character, a Zuiko lens labelled as bargain, due $215. Here the issues of packaging, papers, value declaration, and way of shipment - all were of importance.
For 200 bucks I was ready to pay a trackable service or insured one, to cover me for the money, and of course I was ready to pay some 20% customs charges over the article plus the mailing.
In a similar situation with any other seller I would need to detail time and again that I need an Invoice, that the packaging should resist Israeli mail soccer team, that the invoice should be sticked outside the package, and to write at the invoice just the price of the item, without the price of the mailing, since my fellows here are not consecuent regarding the question if mailing should be part of the tax, or not.
Not the case with Keh. No need to say a word and the most intelligent service is obvious.
First, they advised me to use the usps first class mail despite I told them I was ready for a more expensive mailing with tracking or insurance. My contact, Tim Smith, promised that in case the lens doesn't arrive, or arrives damaged, Keh will refund the whole amount.
They mailed the box at Sep 29, and it arrived to my hands today, Oct 7th. - Do you copy ? USPS First Class Mail package -10 days from US seller to my hands in Israel !
Then when I saw the box, I felt they forgot to include the lens. With a master touch of anti-cutoms-wisdom they sent a small item within a big box.
No need to say the invoice was included outside, shouting "everything is OK". No need to say the detailed price didn't included shipment price, which in case had I opted for a more expensive way - it would increase the tax as well, had they included it in the invoice, like most of unexperienced eBay sellers do.
Finally the second anti-customs-wisdom touch, even more masterfull than the former, was to fill the invoice with relative small English letters
I do not know if you know it, but my boss for example, that barely can read English, each time he has to read any single word he gets a small headache. Most of the folks at the customs and mail in Israel, are in the same situation. So why bothering with a box of no weight and external sticked invoice with such small letters ?
Any item over $50 sent through mail must pay customs. No more mercy, no my family abroad sent me a cake, no it is only a few dollars. Nothing ! The Israeli customs high authorities must cover their big dirty deals with the mob taicoons by furiously attacking the small packages, and this is taking place since a year ago, more or less.
But my Keh package passed through absolutely legally, without being noticed.
As for the lens itself - Should I repeat what everybody knows ? (sorry lately I am too much repeating Leonard Cohen unintentionally.)
Cheers.
Ruben
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