Recent Frustration Shipping to the USA

b.loree

b.loree

Administrator
Staff member
The following is intended to provide information on my recent experience shipping a helmet and some chin scale pieces to 2 forum members in the US. The helmet was a restoration project and the scales are going to be used to complete chin scales missing some pieces. First a brief History of mailing/shipping to the US from CN. Prior to the present changes in US tariffs, anything judged as "antique" ie. over 100 years was exempt from US duties. There was no such policy on the CN side.There was also a generous value exemption of $800/or less for goods crossing the US border. These US policies no longer exist. Some members when discussing the shipping issues have stated that there is an HF Tariff code..an HTC Number (9706.10) which could be used to exempt a pkg. from duties. They also recommended this description...."Old headgear, more than 100 years old". I used both this code and description when mailing my 2 packages (pkgs) via UPS. I also stated country of origin as Germany and made in the 1890's. I was told to do so by my UPS clerk who was accepting my pkgs. Unfortunately, this code and description is no longer of any use. Both of my customers had to pay additional fees upon delivery. In the case of the 4 scale pieces valued by me at $25 he had to pay $29.75 in fees. The helmet was over $40. My chin scale customer naturally was a bit shocked by this and asked for an explanation. Consequently, I returned to the UPS store and and asked the simple question..Why? Part of the answer as stated above is the fact that the $800 exemption and code 9706.10 are no longer valid/accepted. I was also told that everything is now subject to "fees" even documents. We all heard that a US court has declared the recent US tariffs as illegal. However, the clerk informed me that new reasons for charges have been invented in order to keep collecting cash. This includes....customs checking to see if your item has been reported as "stolen" etc.
Some may ask...why did you switch from CN Post to UPS? My reason is that to use CNP, I have to download an app. take a photo of the pkg./ and pay any fees up front at my post office. I downloaded the app but it has problems and I have no intention of paying fees up front. So Dear Collectors this is the latest shipping news at least in my experience.
 
If you just put old hat value $10 and old badges $10 instead of giving a detailed description would that have worked? Rob
 
I have two packages coming from Canada in the next couple weeks from auction houses, they only charged me shipping, will see what happens

James
 
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Use the Zonos App which integrates with Canada Post. But you still need to prepay. Also people mix up Duty and Tax. Duty are tariffs while tax is a sales tax which doesn’t matter if the item is 1000 years old, you’re taxed on the value of the item - not what was necessarily paid on the item. Some states do not have these taxes so it will vary state to state.

Also you can ask 10 UPS agents the same question and get 10 different answers!

Bottom line it’s gotten a lot more complicated and Americans will have to pay more to get their items.
 
Yes Doug, more complicated and like I said I have the Zonos app and I have used it twice (with one screw up) but I am not prepaying. Apparently the US company running that app is having problems according to UPS. I also don't see a State tax resulting in a $29.75 fee, when the 4 pieces of "scale" was valued at $25. However, life goes on and unfortunately, our US friends are going to face higher costs! 😐 Last...Rob supposedly for the HTC code to work I had to state approx. year of manufacture and country of origin. So 1890 and Germany was put on the form.
 
That's crazy, one of the things I don't miss about living in England, Being interrogated whenever you go to the Post office. Used to drive me MAD!
 
b.loree said:
Yes Doug, more complicated and like I said I have the Zonos app and I have used it twice (with one screw up) but I am not prepaying. Apparently the US company running that app is having problems according to UPS. I also don't see a State tax resulting in a $29.75 fee, when the 4 pieces of "scale" was valued at $25. However, life goes on and unfortunately, our US friends are going to face higher costs! 😐 Last...Rob supposedly for the HTC code to work I had to state approx. year of manufacture and country of origin. So 1890 and Germany was put on the form.
Click to expand...

Yeah Zonos you have to prepay. UPS charges exorbitant fees as well for processing. It’s basically gotten to the point where shipping to the US has become a major pain in the ass.

Funny enough I had 3 helmets arrive from Germany about a month ago by UPS and Canada Customs flagged them for inspection for “cultural heritage identity”. They wanted all my correspondence with the seller, his export papers and highly detailed description of the items.

I’ve had that happen once before with them but on goods that were Canadian but never German. My guess is they were checking if the items were correctly exported out of Germany. I had already paid about $180 in tax and fees (which were only $10 with UPS). Anyway long story short I sent them everything they asked for and items were released the next day.

So maybe it’s getting complicated everywhere now lol.
 
I had the easiest shipment recently with a helmet coming from Australia into the EU. I must say I was a bit nervous since it was sent as a gift with a value of 25 dollars (needless to say that wasn't the real value) but after it finally arrived in the country it was released by customs after one day with 0 euro to pay.
 
Unfortunately, it is our American friends that are paying the price at least that is what seems to be happening with my customers. I did buy 3 helmets out of Michigan last fall and did have to pay the CN duties. To my dismay the seller wrote down the actual price so he cost me $ as a result. However, I will make sure that he does not do that again. :)
 
Hello.
The last two packages sent to me from the United States to Belgium were declared as "antiques over 100 years old," customs code 9706, and they both arrived with customs codes—as indicated by the US Postal Service—corresponding to modern hats. The VAT applied is therefore 21% instead of 6%, which makes a big difference...
Best regards,
timp_be
 
This is definitely a new thing for USA collectors to deal with. is it ideal not really, but just about every other country has been paying for decades if not ever.

My own personal experiences are that I have been sending items to Germany and Austria to family members since I've had money to do it.

I remember when my cousins started having children and even before that I would send items for my mother and father to my aunts and uncles who had stayed in Europe.

Believe me I heard it first-hand every time we would visit how they would have to pay at the post office to get items even if they were marked as gifts. (hint Germans are very thrifty) Takes one to know one as they say. :LOL::ROFLMAO:

Of course, my parents would never lie on the forms so you can imagine how much they would have to pay on Levi's jeans which were the gifts of choice for the young folks back in the day.

For me I've got to the point where I just consider it part of the Hobby.

It really is hit or miss lately, and I can't make any sense of it. I also believe it has to do with who is handling the shipment at any given time.

I can tell you here in the USA some of the clerks at the post office act as if it's a heartache just to breathe, they are so lazy. Sad state of affairs, what happened to having pride in oneself and having a good work ethic.

Oh well times they are a changing GOD BLESS AMERICA :LOL::ROFLMAO:
 
You never know how much you’ll have to pay when importing something from outside Europe; one time it’s 150 euros, the next it’s 70 euros for the same weight—I’m talking about the US here. I think they just pull the figures out of a hat—or whatever suits them at the moment. But don't get me started on England—that’s the most expensive of the lot. Never again with England; those post offices are nothing but thieves.
All in all, you never want to pay too much, but a hobby simply costs money, and sometimes you do overpay; however, over time you forget the frustration of the shipping costs—much like with auctions, which sometimes charge 24% to 33%.
 
There are lots of good Canadian dealer sites I use quite often. There is a lot of shenanigans happening both with the mail and with agencies like FedEX whom try to document what the perceived costs for import tariffs truly are. It is an ever evolving thing... I am sure that they are not happy doing it; it is confusing to everyone. There really doesn't seem to be consistentcy. One instance, could just be a simple form and it gets waived through, the other time, they might hold your items in transit, demanding a detailed inventory with date of manufacture, manufacturer, materials affidavit, a declaration of material composition. Quite the headache. That's the world for us Americans at the moment. It is hurting us the most. Several dealers and sellers have simply told me that they weren't wanting to be hassled with shipping to the USA. Unfortunate......
 
HD two shipments from Canadian auction companies in the last 2 weeks, one UPS and other Canadian post,both arrived within a week and no custom or tariiff fees, lucky
 
timp_be said:
Hello.
The last two packages sent to me from the United States to Belgium were declared as "antiques over 100 years old," customs code 9706, and they both arrived with customs codes—as indicated by the US Postal Service—corresponding to modern hats. The VAT applied is therefore 21% instead of 6%, which makes a big difference...
Best regards,
timp_be
Click to expand...

It's unfortunate that whoever sent you these things used the Wrong Code!

The correct code to use is 9705.00.0090

I also write: 110+ Year Old Used, Damaged, Hat (or Helmet). (I sometimes write "hat", and other times I write "helmet). Sometimes I also include the word "Incomplete" in the description, if there is a part missing on the helmet.

It has been my understanding in the past when I have sold helmets to fellow forum member customers who live in Belgium or France, that they did not have to pay any money to receive the helmets. The same can be said about helmets and other items I have mailed to Germany. I am not certain, however the results of a few helmets I have mailed to the Netherlands, to Coert, and to Michiel, whether or not they had to pay any import customs tax on those helmets or not that I sold them.

Best Wishes,

Alan
 
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gino1 said:
You never know how much you’ll have to pay when importing something from outside Europe; one time it’s 150 euros, the next it’s 70 euros for the same weight—I’m talking about the US here. I think they just pull the figures out of a hat—or whatever suits them at the moment. But don't get me started on England—that’s the most expensive of the lot. Never again with England; those post offices are nothing but thieves.
All in all, you never want to pay too much, but a hobby simply costs money, and sometimes you do overpay; however, over time you forget the frustration of the shipping costs—much like with auctions, which sometimes charge 24% to 33%.
Click to expand...

When I sold you a couple of helmets last year, did you have to pay anything when you received them? It was my understanding that you didn't have to pay any fee when you received them. Maybe my understanding about this was incorrect?

Best Wishes,

Alan
 
b.loree said:
Unfortunately, it is our American friends that are paying the price at least that is what seems to be happening with my customers. I did buy 3 helmets out of Michigan last fall and did have to pay the CN duties. To my dismay the seller wrote down the actual price so he cost me $ as a result. However, I will make sure that he does not do that again. :)
Click to expand...

That's very unfortunate the person wrote the actual sale price of the 3 helmets on the customs form.

Normally when I sell a helmet and mail it to a destination outside of the U.S., I put a value of $75 on the helmet, unless the customer specifies a higher value, and then I put the value that they request me to put on the customs form. I also make certain to write "Damaged, Incomplete, Used/Worn" in the description area on the customs form. My friendly local postal clerks have never had a problem transcribing what I have written on the customs form, onto the official paperwork that they place on the package.

I have been fortunate to have never lost a package or had an item damaged in shipment. I have mailed numerous items to various countries in Europe since the 1990's. I have also mailed numerous items from the Czech Republic, while I was living there for almost a year, and never had a problem with any lost or damaged item I sent.

Best Wishes,

Alan
 
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