Why is there import charges on secondhand items?

[stelpher]

My recent overseas item browsing show many items now attract huge import tax fees. This even applies to second hand clothes (jeans /jacket) coming from the US. A secondhand jacket listed at  US$23 attracts a $9.22 import tax levy. Thats ridiculous!

[tazzieterror]

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@daveysgame wrote:

All the items I have brought from the U.S. the import charges have not been listed and they have been seperate from the shipping.
There are too many overly greedy people these days that charge ridiculous amounts for their service.
...

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Regardless of what people think they or others should be paying/charging to import something, with GSP items the applicable fees are clearly shown in the listing prior to purchase, so those claiming ignorance of their existance haven't looked at the listing properly.

[4channel]

"Gramps" lol.  OK squire, facts as they may be, hidden or not hidden dooesn't make it right. I was correct when I said that it was a lot of dosh!

Back in the time when the King desired another man's wife, the law said he could take her. He wrote the law by the way. That doesn't make it right. In the USA the Federal Reserve is a privately run organization that prints money and sells it to the US govt, thus putting the country further into debt. The law allows this. Still doesn't make it right!

https://www.facts-are-facts.com/news/the-federal-reserve-is-privately-owned

You, yourself tazzieterror are an experienced eBayer and it's unlikely you'd get caught and stung like this as you know what to look for. Unfortunately as we can see here and in other threads with the accounts by others,  they don't know what to look out for,

[11dustyattic]

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@daveysgame wrote:

All the items I have brought from the U.S. the import charges have not been listed and they have been seperate from the shipping.
There are too many overly greedy people these days that charge ridiculous amounts for their service.
If 700 is import fees only and not including shipping then it is ludicrous, if it includes shipping then it might be justifiable depending on the items size. GST is a minimal amount and doesn't come close to justifying a 700 fee.
I don't know a lot about the Global shipping program but what I do know is when I have had it it has taken too long.

What really annoys me is when something should cost 50-70 for shipping and they list shipping at 300, I looked at a radio not long ago it was valued at maybe 40, shipping would be 50-70 but it was listed with shipping about 360

I am losing interest in ebay international due to the ridiculous expense on some things both in shipping and if you get high import charges, especially on second hand items.

I will look for the reading you suggested but I doubt it will convince me that some things are justifiable.

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I think you'll find it's our customs responsible for the insane import charges. Below is just one example of how people get stung. I'm quoting a comment from December 2018

"I importred 4x alloy road wheels from Hong Kong for use on my own vehicle at a cost of USD1350 plus USD 450 for freight. Australian customs through TNT have charged me AUD 2779.43 in Duty and Taxes. This is more than I paid for the goods in the first place. I disputed the charges twice through TNT and they were no help whatsoever telling me I just had to pay or the consignment would be returned.
The Charges consisted of “Dumping Duty”? of $ 1116.12, and “Countervailing Duty”? of $1009.64 the remainder are charges I expected.
I have paid the invoice from customs now, however I still believe it’s a mistake and as the items were purchased for personal use and not for commercial gain, that I am due a refund or at the very least what and why these charges apply to a private individual.
Any thoughts? Also no one at TNT has been able to explain to me what “Countervailing Duty” means!"

On the same site, I found other comments from people who copped fees similar to yours, percentage wise, for ni apparent reason. Import tax should generally be about 5% + 10% gst (of the Australian dollar value), however it seems it's not as straightforward as it once was.

Difficult for any buyer to estimate but we can't expect a

sellers to do that on our behalf. I would suggest using one of their calculators or phoning customs prior to purchase 

[11dustyattic]

One thing the guy in the above example never allowed for though was the exchange rate, he quoted what he paid in USD, then what he was charged in AUD. Not really comparing apples with apples

[11dustyattic]

standard fees are added on also on top of the 15% which will obviously escalate the overall percentage

[tazzieterror]

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@4channel wrote:

"Gramps" lol.  OK squire, facts as they may be, hidden or not hidden dooesn't make it right.

...

Unfortunately as we can see here and in other threads with the accounts by others,  they don't know what to look out for,

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Right and wrong doesn't come into it—the import charge is advertised right there on the page under the postage cost!

Not knowing what to look out for doesn't come into it—the import charge is advertised right there on the page under the postage cost!

How much more prominent does it need to be?

You're defending a buyer who claimed "...there was no warning for these charges. The first I heard of them was after I had purchased the item."

Spoiler

[diverdan05]

This is just another money grab by eBay. The following is listed under 'Import Charges'; "This amount includes applicable customs duties, taxes, brokerage and other fees. This amount is subject to change until you make payment."

Second hand items have already had applicable taxes applied when they were new.

I have purchased items direct from US manufacturers and not been charged these 'Import Charges' and this was for new items.

[davewil1964]

You fail to comprehend the facts.

The ATO require eBay to collect  GST on ALL foreign purchases. The GSP also includes GST and processing fees pertaining thereto. Which is Pitney Bowes, not eBay.

Maybe do some research and come back when you have some relevant information to support your assertions.

The GSP threads would be a first point, especially the one that outlines the facts...

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@diverdan05 wrote:

This is just another money grab by eBay. The following is listed under 'Import Charges'; "This amount includes applicable customs duties, taxes, brokerage and other fees. This amount is subject to change until you make payment."

Second hand items have already had applicable taxes applied when they were new.

I have purchased items direct from US manufacturers and not been charged these 'Import Charges' and this was for new items.

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you are probably quoting from a listing that uses the Global Shipping Program (GSP).

The ‘Import Charges’ do include the Federal Government’s GST on the item and the shipping amounts, as well as GST on the fees charged by Pitney Bowes (who run the GSP).  eBay DO NOT keep the GST collected on low value imports, they forward it to the ATO.

For the purposes of administering the GST on low-value imports the legislation treats eBay as the supplier (Electronic Delivery Platform), and since there is more than A$75,000 in transactions delivered annually to Australia the GST applies to all items transacted through eBay . . . including second hand items . . . just as GST is charged on second hand items sold to Australians by Australian businesses registered for GST.

Second hand items have already had applicable taxes applied when they were new

This statement of yours is misleading as ‘applicable taxes’ were not paid to Australian Tax Office when the items bought from overseas are involved, AND, as I wrote above, GST is charged on second hand items bought from Australian Businesses registered for GST even though GST was payable when those items were new (for items made after July 2000).

As far as new items you have bought from US businesses . . . GST is not payable on any item bought directly from a business or manufacturer who is overseas who do not do more than A$75,000 business with Australians with an Australian delivery address.

You might not like what I have posted here, but I am just posting facts and not personal opinions or statements of outrage.  If you want to know what I personally think about all this GST and GSP stuff then just ask me.

Someone who will sympathise with you will be along sooner or later, but they won’t post information that explains what is going on as I have, they will post what I call a “there, there” post.

[repentatleisure1952]

🤣🤣🤣