Buyer overseas charged extra postage paid Australia Post

[myrivercottage]

I posted parcel to Uk paid what Australia Post calculated to send it. Buyer says UK Royal Mail hit him with charge 21 pounds as I had undercharged. But I couldnt because you cannot post anything here with out going into a post office for identification for a start and paying before posting .Has anyone else come across this and why has it happened? MRC

[howie696]

It might be customs duty, and not your problem

[lyndal1838]

What was the value on the Customs Declaration?    The UK has a very low threshold.....about the equivalent of AU$50 I think.

If that is the problem it is not your problem.  The buyer is responsible for all Customs charges in their country.

[2005derrin]

I'm looking to buy an iyem from the US (I'm in Australia) and have found out that ebay has enlisted the "services of a company that allegedly provides documentation etc. for the item to clear customs.

This service costs me an extra $10 or more. What's more the seller didn't even know about this.

He quoted $15, I see $27.

The company is Pitney Bowes and this is a scam... in my opinion

[ajarnjenny]

No, not a scam as such, but far too expensive for us to pay unless you are ordering something very heavy.

Any time something goes through another party, there has to be markup on it.

I can see how it may be ok for UK buyers, who do have to pay customs for small value items, but we don't, so I cannot see any advantage for us to buy things through GSP.

Most US sellers, though, are sure that it gives them more protection than sending by USPS.

[myrivercottage]

Hi Lyndal, that must be it then I put value $100 did not know about the $50 thing but needed to put value at $100 incase it got lost. I did tick the box "gift" and thought that would be ok and why would there be duty on second hand items. How can I add something to his feedback he has left me, it is positive but still makes me look like i did the wrong thing on postage. Thanks MRC

[jensmanchester-australia · Accepted solution]

It will definitely be the customs charge which ebay would have warned the buyer about before making the purchase.

A follow up comment clarifying that it is a customs charge and not undercharged postage would be the way to go.

If you haven't had contact with the buyer you could also email them and explain that the postage paid was correct but the extra charge was for customs and government duties.

[donnashuggy]

Put in your future listings something like:

International Buyers Please Note: 

Customs is a government agency responsible for regulating shipments entering a country. All shipments being sent to and from a country must clear customs first. Merchandise exported into another country must clear customs and may incur a customs duty.

It is much lower than $50 now and it happens to me from time to time, the buyers are actually warned prior to purchase that they are liable, however many don't read it.

[lyndal1838]

You should never mark anything as a Gift if that is not the case.

I had to send a damaged item back to the UK some years ago and I put the AU$ value on it that I had paid...about $65 I think.   The seller never collected it from Customs and it was eventually returned to me via seamail...took about 6 months for the round trip  The seller issued the refund after teling me that it never arrived and it was only when it arrived back here that I found it was labelled as rejected by the addressee.

[myrivercottage]

Thank you for that very helpful information.  I do  want to put a follow up comment on his feedback but cannot work out how to do that can you tell me how please?

I am not going to sell out of Australia any more too much hassle (but 2 things I listed just within Australia were bid on from USA and then Korea so I do not know how they manage that).