How to reduce customs on videogames

[ancestral-knowledge]

Hello everyone !

I just wanted to share this information/story with everyone. Maybe someone here can profit off it too. I am pretty sure many of you already know about it but i thought it could not hurt anyone.

A couple of months ago i ordered a package with lots of goodies from rancor. The package was worth about 250 EUR. There were XBOX360 games in sealed condition, artbooks and superplay DVDs in there. I paid in advance of course and one day i got a notification in my letterbox that a package arrived for me from Japan but i had to fetch it at customs. I had one week to get it or it would be sent back to Japan. This is the standard procedure in Germany and many european countries i think. Normally you pay 19% of the price on the invoice in GER and you have to confirm that you have a related payment through a printed paypal confirmation or a transaction confirmation from a bank. 19% of 250 EUR would be 47.5 EUR. So i went there with my paypal confirmation and had to open the package and pay customs i thought...

But there was no invoice in the package so noone could determine how much the items were worth. They asked me if i had made a payment through paypal or any other service to obtain these items. I lied saying no and added that this was a private shipment of old games from my japanese friend (sorry rancor >:D ). The officer there asked me several times that there has to be an invoice somewhere and i had to name a price for the items. I repeated that it was private hence no invoice and that these were old used video games. The officer than said that these items have to have a value. Since all the things had kanji packaging he wasn't able to determine the value and after a heated conversation for over 5 minutes i lied again: "I think if sum up everything you would get like 50 US $ for it." The officer then nodded and charged 19% of 50 US $ = 9.5 US $ from me.

This event gave me an idea. I ordered video games from Japan and everytime i asked the seller or shop not to include the invoice or just sent it seperately in a letter or a .pdf because a letter doesn't get fished out by the customs. So 2 packages arrived. One was worth about 450 EUR and the other was worth 350 EUR. I performed the same maneuver like with the shipment from rancor and said that they were worth like 60 or 70 US $ and that these were private shipments. I would always give them a rather random number the items were supposed to be worth so they could just charge me but since they had no idea what was in there they just could not determine how much it was really worth it especially when the whole packaging was in kanji and there was no japanese price tag in YEN.

This has saved me many EUR and seems to work pretty good on videogames. I would not try it with packaged consoles or a plasma TV. Some shops will sent the invoice seperately, some won't.

Sincerly

a.-k.

[Aliquantic]

Don't they declare the value of the shipment on the actual packaging? There should be a customs form somewhere with a declared value, filled in by the company so they're held accountable in case of "creative accounting" like you describe. I'm not really sure how you managed to get away with it... by not having a customs declaration in the first place I guess, and nobody complained about that and just shipped the goods regardless?

[Jockel]

For private orders I like to send two payments, show just one receipt. Easy.

[burgerkingdiamond]

nice dude. Stick it to the man!

[Skykid]

There are simpler methods, but Germany is Europe's most butt-rapingly hardcore country for custom taxing, so whatever works man.

[rancor]

Don't they declare the value of the shipment on the actual packaging? There should be a customs form somewhere with a declared value, filled in by the company so they're held accountable in case of "creative accounting" like you describe. I'm not really sure how you managed to get away with it... by not having a customs declaration in the first place I guess, and nobody complained about that and just shipped the goods regardless?

yeah - I stick the customs forms on, but unless the package is insured I always claim some ridiculously low value. I've not seen any ill effects of this after sending literally hundreds of packages over the last few years. I think on that one I sent to a-k I put $50. If insurance is involved I always ask the buyer what they would like me to write, since if the package is damaged in transit the amount written is the maximum amount they can claim.

[gum_drops]

Man, Germany is rough with the customs it sounds like : /. What if something is sent as a birthday gift, ie wrapped with a card, do you still have to declare a value and pay on it?

I take stuff like that for granted in the states as I have never been hit with any fees on imports. That has included several orders well over $1000.00, 19% of the total would not have been fun.

[GaijinPunch]

I've sent all over Europe for like 10 years now: Germany is indeed, the biggest cock asses when it comes to customs. I will quote another German user, so it makes it okay. "They are nazis". Brutal mother fuckers. Seems the Swedes are pretty much the most lax, probably due to all that hot pussy (and Sven) readily available. Not too much issue w/ the UK either.

[Stormwatch]

You think you have it bad? Here in Brazil, anything over $50 (including shipping) gets a 60% import tariff.

[Skykid]

You think you have it bad? Here in Brazil, anything over $50 (including shipping) gets a 60% import tariff.

The difference is it's easily avoidable if you have a nice seller - the only probs with Brazil post is that they have a habit of losing/misplacing stuff.

German customs are ruthless. They tax everything and in many cases request receipts and invoices before they'll release the package.

[Drachenherz]

And right after German customs come swiss customs...

boy o boy, how I HATE Customs... taxes isn't even the worst that make my blood boil, it's around 10 %... And you'll be taxed if the worth of the package is higher than around 60 EUR... But what really, really REALLY pisses me off:

- Postage is added to the worth of the package (!)
- Customs charges you for the "service" of handling your package with about 25 EUR... So, if you pay around 6 EUR Taxes, you pay Frigging 25 EUR for the service they "provide" you with... It drives me mad regularly...
- If the parcel is sent by mail, swiss post will not give you the parcel unless you pay the taxes AND the "service"-fee...
- If your parcel is caught in customs (and it WILL be processed in 99% of the cases...), it takes about 2-5 Days additional waiting for your goods...

Seriously, it makes me fume every frigging time the postman collects the "service" fee...

[ancestral-knowledge]

The thread is not about who has it the worst. It's about how to reduce customs.

What if something is sent as a birthday gift, ie wrapped with a card, do you still have to declare a value and pay on it? [...]

status 2010 in germany:

Case A:
You are a tourist and want to take items in your luggage with you:
- 430€/Person is maximum you are allowed to take with you. Items have to be for PERSONAL use.
If you break the limit up to 700 EUR they can charge you 17,5%. If you even break the 700 EUR mark.... dunno what happens... so better you save those receipts to have proof.

Case B:
Sending among the EU.
- no charges.

Case C:
Getting/ ordering crap from the rest of the world:
The total amount you pay is custom taxes plus import taxes. Custom taxes (every country has got it's own code) are zero when the value is under 150 EUR. These are complicated to calculate and there are formulas. However the import taxes are at 19% and are only zero when under 22 EUR (lol). Ususally this includes shipping so it's even worse. The sender has to declare whats in the package on a form (normally a sticker on the outer shelf of the package). The package arrives then at Germany there it is sorted out and processed in some offices. If everything is okay (letters, books (NOT MANGAS THOUGH!), a small air-bubbled envelope (saturn games anyone?)) you get your package directly to your door which never happens for a package of japanese imported video games. The processing offices have no invoice of the goods declared and that's why they need you. The package then gets transfered to a local customs office and you are prompted to deliver the missing invoide/paypal transaction/evidence that you bought these and only these. After that you have to pay the taxes and you are able to leave the office with your package. This is the crucial step because they are often not able to determine the value of japanese video games.

So basically, what you want is an invoice of under 150 EUR so you have no custom taxes. To reduce the import taxes (19%) you want an invoice as low as possible but not too low. And the declaration of the goods has to be something like "used videogames". I like 45 EUR as an amount. If you declare it like that i have the experience that they will be happy they can charge something out of you so they won't suspect you. Pay the amount in a seperate office and leave happily. Don't be a fool though. These people know how to google/ebay and every idiot can look up that 3 absolutely new PS3s are not worth 45 EUR. Same goes for worldwide known brands for perfumes and clothing for example.

To answer your question: german customs don't have the concept of a present.

PS: For alcohol, cigarettes and such there are always totally different regulations. Don't use this information on any of these...

Sincerly a.-k.

[GaijinPunch]

The thread is not about who has it the worst. It's about how to reduce customs.

What all the kids are doing

[omenaa]

And right after German customs come swiss customs...

boy o boy, how I HATE Customs... taxes isn't even the worst that make my blood boil, it's around 10 %... And you'll be taxed if the worth of the package is higher than around 60 EUR... But what really, really REALLY pisses me off:

over here its 45€ and they are going to lower it next year to around 25€ :I

[system11]

Not too much issue w/ the UK either.

Oh there is. $30 -> $6 taxes + $20 customs fee.

You just don't hear about it as much because we've been raped for such a long amount of time few people complain about it anymore. That's why everyone here has the cold, dead eyes of a career hooker.

[RGC]

Yup, my partner and I just had to cough up ~£40 to receive a christmas present from our friends in Japan. £27.00 import VAT + £13.00 parcelforce clearance fee. Total value of the goods sent = £70.00, very clearly labelled as gifts, but that makes no difference as VAT still applies over £40.00. They were very thoughful gifts: books, soaps, a few second-hand megadrive games, some kids clothes, etc, but to pay that amount to receive them is beyond a joke. My friend had already paid over fifty pounds his end to send them.

[MX7]

What I don't like about UK customs is how varied they can be with charges. When I lived in Nottingham, I got hit with fees about half the time. It was a bit of a lottery. In NW London where I live now, they really don't care at all. Two packages from America arrived today, both of which I should pay tax on, not a word.

[GaijinPunch]

Not too much issue w/ the UK either.

Oh there is. $30 -> $6 taxes + $20 customs fee.

You just don't hear about it as much because we've been raped for such a long amount of time few people complain about it anymore. That's why everyone here has the cold, dead eyes of a career hooker.

Okay, bad wording on my part. There's much less fuss over the value on the package as compared to Germany. Basically they will hold any suspect package up (which is all packages) and have the buyer come up w/ a receipt...even if it's a gift.

This is what I imagine the situation to be like.

EDIT: Too racial hat-tips in one thread. I'm out-doing myself.

[Khan]

Not too much issue w/ the UK either.

Oh there is. $30 -> $6 taxes + $20 customs fee.

You just don't hear about it as much because we've been raped for such a long amount of time few people complain about it anymore. That's why everyone here has the cold, dead eyes of a career hooker.

Yep

Got sent an atomiswave package from Johnny5 a while back and they took about £60 out of my pocket in customs and excise duty I think it was marked at $350 on the declaration form. As a buyer as long as the seller agrees to this then your fine because if the item comes to your house broken or damaged the max you can claim for is whatever is declared on the customs form! you have been warned!!!!

Its a good idea to pack your shit tight as a seller so it wont ever come to that.

[Vyxx]

Wow, I thought 13% was bad.

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

Fuck the German customs indeed. Not only do they base their right to take your money on a ridiculous justification (protecting the local market? Yeah, I'll simply buy a copy of Ketsui360 produced in Germany. Can't see any other reason for taking custom taxes expect to get money), they also keep your packages forever before finally deciding to tell you about it. It took them over two months to let me know they had Ketsui lying around, at a point in time when I had simply bought a copy at a store in Munich. This happened in at least 5 cases; I'm actually surprised now when it doesn't happen. Lazy fuckers.

[GaijinPunch]

Occupy Frankfurt International Post Office