Bought item from UK through GSP, and asked to pay customs fees (again) from Aramex agent

[tomsym]

Hi,

As the title says, I bought an item on Ebay.com.au being shipped from UK using their GSP program, under the promise that there would be no hidden fees. However, the item is now held in customs - awaiting further details from customer, and I have been contacted by smartclear.com.au (aramex customs broker), asking me to pay them brokerage fees (about 100 AUD) + extra GST and import duties not specified yet.

I have contacted Ebay, and they confirmed to me I don't have to pay any extra charges, but I am now getting worried. Has anyone encountered this situation before?

Cheers,

Thomas

[padi*0409]

If an item with postage and other fees is valued at over $1,000 then customs duty has to be paid before being cleared through customs.

What was the value of your item ?

What was the item number (RHS of the listing page) ?

[jellybirddesigns]

From what I understand (and I could be wrong), if the item is under AUD$1000, then duties etc are collected by Ebay at the time of purchase. If the value is over, then customs gets involved and duties are payable separately before the item can be processed for delivery.

Can you show us on the GSP wording where it indicates there are no "hidden fees"? Customs and duties are not hidden fees. 

What does your invoice show? If duties were collected, they will show on your invoice. Otherwise they are payable.

Customer service are useless - don't rely on them for proper information.

[papermoon.lady]

This is what eBay says about the GSP, so it appears that the OP is right:

https://www.ebay.com.au/help/buying/postage-delivery/changing-delivery-address-method/international-...

[tomsym]

Ebay is very clear regarding the GSP, with section regarding no hidden charges emphasised by me:

Buying from sellers using the Global Shipping Program

If your seller is sending the item through the Global Shipping Program, you'll see the GSP logo on the listing.

Benefits of the Global Shipping Program for buyers:

• You'll pay all postage, taxes, and import charges(including processing charges and any applicable GST or other import charges) up front, and you won't have to pay any extra charges when your item is delivered.
• Tracking is always included so you can track your item right to your door.
• International deliveries made through GSP include customs clearance so you don't need to handle any extra paperwork.

[tomsym]

It looks like after reaching to both Ebay, and the customs broker, my item has been released from custom without me having to pay any extra fees. Hope to see it arrive in a few days now.