import charges

[family_gj_aj_dd]

Hello All,  Have noticed lately there are import charges on international purchases. Payable in the currency of the country you are buying from.  This is in addition to the Global shipping program charges.  

Australia does not have import charges for items under 1000$.  Have been having to pay these charges for items under

200$.  Thought it was the GST  under the guise of Import Charges.  But this works out far more than the 10% GST Australia now has on international purchases. 

Vouchers/ coupons are also not available for the length of time stated. Had one that was supposed to be available until the 8th of July.

It disappeared today, the 6th July.  

[davewil1964]

As has been alreadfy explained in this thread (did you read it?) the import charges signify that the GSP is being used. The seller is not charging it. It is quite possible that the sellers wouldn't post overseas otherwise.

[lyndal1838]

Sellers do not levy import charges.....it is the shipping services who do it.

If an ordinary mail service is used there are no import charges....it is just the GST and is levied by ebay and forwarded to the ATO.

If the GSP is being used they charge fees for collecting the GST and they are lumped togethr as import charges..

[bonbia8]

I don't buy cds from overseas anymore but I keep downloading from websites.i get free cds but I would rather buy them.

[wylywyld]

Can someone explain why I have to pay $7.93 import charge for a second hand $14.95 book - sent from USA to Australia ??? I understand the need for import charges but 50% of the book value seems excessive.

[padi*0409]

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@wylywyld wrote:

Can someone explain why I have to pay $7.93 import charge for a second hand $14.95 book - sent from USA to Australia ??? I understand the need for import charges but 50% of the book value seems excessive.

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It's because the seller is using Pitney Bowes's GSP to send the item they remit the import duties to the ATO and that includes their fees as well as the 10% on imports.

[lyndal1838]

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@wylywyld wrote:

Can someone explain why I have to pay $7.93 import charge for a second hand $14.95 book - sent from USA to Australia ??? I understand the need for import charges but 50% of the book value seems excessive.

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I find it odd that you object to paying charges of approximately 50% of the item value to import the book into Australia but you don't mind paying three times that amount in postage.

It is all the cost of buying from overseas and paying the fees associated with that transaction.

[4channel]

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@wylywyld wrote:

Can someone explain why I have to pay $7.93 import charge for a second hand $14.95 book - sent from USA to Australia ??? I understand the need for import charges but 50% of the book value seems excessive.

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Hi, I agree! Yes, it's disgusting seeing a 50% of the item value as an import charge and this is one of the very reasons people avoid the Pitney Bowes GSP. Many sellers have no idea that their items are going via GSP when sent overseas. A great deal of those sellers send stuff overseas as well but if they haven't got their overseas shipping costs set up / configured then their shipping can default to GSP.

I can recall a couple of not so distant in the past cases of this happened to me. One seller was rhe "Sure I send overseas, I'll work out the pricing" type. He (from memory was a he) had no idea that the items would go via GSP. The other, a guy that had been around for a long time, had no idea what GSP was.

 I nearly always do well when asking sellers if they can please re-list the auction with USPS as the method of post. Not only do I save on shipping costs but I avoid that nasty import charges stinger. I hope you don't have to endure this again.

Cheers

[hurricanekick2theface]

turnbull screwed us all, amazon cut us off from the amazon-us which has way MORE options, it took years to get amazon in australia when india/uk and other countries got it, we finally have it and its overpriced with little options

ebays response was we won't be like amazon and cut you off........but we'll add that 10%gst on all the stuff you buy, this includes EVERY online store globally not just ebay, this country sucks, over priced with little shopping options and poor technology

[countessalmirena]

@hurricanekick2theface,

You may not have realised that the last post in this thread was last year. (16-10-2020, 11:58 AM)

You may also not have realised that it wasn't eBay who decided to add GST on eBay purchases from overseas sellers. It's Australian legislation. I've broken down some of the points in this reply (another thread).

We may not like it as buyers, and there are certainly issues that we could agree are unfair... but there it is. eBay no doubt would love to do away with it, but they are required, as an electronic distribution platform (EDP), to collect the GST on the total price (item plus shipping) and remit it to the ATO - even when the seller who listed the item is a hobby seller or the item is only a few dollars, etc., etc.

[eye_of_harmony]

Thank you for this. It seems Pitney Bowes is a monopoly and can charge whatever it likes. I just purchased a ceramic piece and the import charges amount to more than 25% of the value of the item (and that’s before postage costs). There is no explanation or breakdown given. There is no transparency. If I try to write to customer service at eBay for help I get nowhere. Can’t even send an email to someone. I just get shut down before I can even begin. Is there an ombudsman for this sort of thing? Very frustrated. I feel robbed!