Hi Guys
Here is my story. I tried to purchase a set of BILSTEIN DAMPTRONIC From Farnbacher Loles Motorsports. Guess what? They wanna charge me an extra fee $715 for "Customs Duties and Business Tax". What the hell is that? I've buy thousand parts from US and never been charged this. They explain me because there is a guy sent them a custom bill about this. So I have to pay an extra fee of $715 because of his "bad experience"??
My worst experience dealing with supplier
Here is our email talk:
Hello Jerry,
As discussed earlier, the cost of the Bilsteins is approx $3000.
Shipping, which should put them to you by the 10th, is $440.
Customs Duties and Business Tax is estimated to be $715.
I am trying to work out whether we have to prepay customs or whether it can be billed it to you the recipient on pick up.
Before we proceed, given the to fees, are you still interested? If so I will finalize the customs/duties details and email an invoice and details concerning a wire transfer.
Thank you,
Robin Fennimore
Parts Manager
Farnbacher Loles Motorsports
45A Miry Brook Road
Danbury, CT 06810
office: [phone removed]
fax: [phone removed]
www.farnbacherloles.com
My reply:
Hi Robin
I know from the Cayman Club that the special is price $2975. Is that correct? Shipping cost $440. So the total price I should pay is $2975+$440=$3415. As for the "Customs Duties and Business Tax is estimated to be $715". I don't understand what is that for. I had bought many auto parts from US but never been charged that. Please check it .
Thanks,
Then their conclusion
Jerry,
I again just spoke to a Fed-ex representative.
Here's what she said.
The parcel would cost $440 to ship.
Duties and taxes are not a service of or function of Fed-ex and that the website site reference is just there for an estimate,. However she did indicate that Duties and customs could in fact run as high as the $715 calculated on their site.
What I do not want to occur is to have soom customs bill show up here, which has happened on the past, for duties and custom fees, without establishing clearly up front what they are likely to be an who is going to pay for them.
If you find the potentail exposure to such fees objectionable, then I am afraid this transaction will not be possible.
Robin Fennimore
Parts Manager
Farnbacher Loles Motorsports
45A Miry Brook Road
Danbury, CT 06810
office: [phone removed]
fax: [phone removed]
www.farnbacherloles.com
I read this email exchange and I come to a completely different conclusion.
What I read is that F-L doesn't know if there is going to be a customs and duties charge sending a suspension to Taiwan. According to the Fed-Ex rep they spoke to there could be. What F-L doesn't want to have happen is that they send you the suspension and your government sends them a bill for customs and duties and they get stuck with paying it.
If you can get F-L something in writing that is legally binding that shows there either are not such fees sending these parts to your country or that you will accept all such charges if there are, then I would think they could do the deal. F-L (Robin) has asked that this needs to be clearly defined BEFORE they ship you any suspension. I think that is both reasonable and fair.
Just because you've ordered parts before doesn't mean that the same rules apply in this case. Is the carrier the same? Is the classification of the part the same? Has your country changed any fees or duty schedules, etc. etc. I know I bought a hardtop from Japan via a Japanese company for a Japanese car I used to own and I absolutely had to have a customs agent to get it into the US and I had to pay the associated fees for doing so. Until that was arranged I could not buy the item from the vendor in Japan. In my case the shipping company could also act as my customs agent.
Instead of posting negatives about F-L's here in our forum perhaps a better approach would be to do some research on whether or not such fees are required and supply the results of your research to Robin at F-L. If they are required then you need to pay for them, if they aren't then you could help your cause by supplying Robin at F-L the info about why they aren't required as perhaps her FedEx person is mistaken. That's all I see Robin asking for, some clarity around this point.
Our Thanks to Jerry
Well, nobody enjoys receiving negative press, but in this instance we have to thank Jerry, sincerely.
First: Had Jerry not requested that we alter our invoice and represent a lower sales price in order for him to avoid excessive fees, we might not have been prompted to investigate the impact of customs and duties on this exchange. (a request that was denied)
Second: Had Jerry not persisted in debating the impact of customs and duties, we might not have realized the need to establish a relationship with an international shipper who could better service our international customers and afford us and them definitive answers to customs and duties information. An effort which now has our immediate focus.
Third: Had Jerry not initiated this post, we would not have had the opportunity to demonstrate the fact that we will in EVERY instance:
·
Strive to be as responsive as humanly possible.
·
Tell our customers the plain truth and avoid misleading information.
·
Afford every customer an honest and thorough understanding of any and ALL fees pertaining to their purchase.
·
Avoid surprises that would adversely affect our clients buying experience.
Lastly, you all can thank Jerry for relieving one more set of Bilstein PASM compatible shocks for YOU to purchase & enjoy.
For those interested in viewing the Fed-ex document from which his information was quoted, a copy will inserted below, shortly.
…A special thanks to K-MAN for his intervening commentary.
If this is the way you do business and the way you treat your customer. I have nothing to say. Maybe your business is too great for you to self-reflection. Buyer pay the Tax is common sense. Its needless to say. You don't know that means you don't have enough experience dealing with buyers oversea. For my understand from the mail. You intend to charge me the tax I have to pay to my government in case if you get the bill. Because you afraid me or my government will send you the bill. This excuse is really derisible and ridiculous to me. Keep your damptronic and sell to the person who can stand with your squib and arrogant. You are not the only one who sells damptronic. And, your "special price" is not special at all.
Yup. After reading the exchange, I came away
more
comfortable, not less, with the prospect of doing business with you guys.
Unrelated: when are you guys going to campaign a Cayman, hmm?
Duties
Eager to learn more about duties and customs, I have spent several hours with UPS & Fed-ex to more fully understand and better advise the international customer.
The facts:
1. UPS & Fed-ex are only able to
estimate
duties and taxes. They vary depending on Customs Interpretation (and thus classification of the item) and exchange rates (to a much lesser extent) among other things.
2. The Estimated VAT (Value added tax) for Bilsteins to Taiwan by both companies is
IN FACT
approx $197.
3. The Estimated duties by both companies is
IN FACT
approx. $516
4. Had we not been vigilant in examining the exposure to duties and VAT fees, either we or Jerry would have had a
VERY
unpleasant surprise. And rather than a disparaging comment about our level of service and keen attention to detail, Jerry would no doubt have slandered us for not having fully disclosed the shipping fees, after suffering a $700 bill at customs.
To all parties interested in shipping internationally, I urge you fully examine the impact of these fees on your purchases and understand clearly whether the shipper or receiver has/will be designated as liable for these fees.
Admittedly, international shipping has been a learning process, but doing things the
RIGHT
way has and will continue to be our commitment.
A copy of UPS's estimate confirming this information is provided for everyones information:
