At Least I'm Not Dead. (official Blog Update)

[Sphinxter]

You're doing pretty good actually, us customs usually steals my shit.

 

[cbp]

Remember this thread????
http://forum.openhandhelds.org/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=51

It's been discussed... and it's been totally ignored by the Pandora team.
Even if it was with regards to Canada shipping, it still applies for US when UPS is involved.

 

[punkysfan]

That is why you use USPS International Express Mail for international shipping. By far its the best.

This is a good suggestion as they are cheaper than fed ex

I would also recommend this company I personally have not used them but when talking to my boss/partner this morning
who is an import/exporter and described your problem to him he recommend this company
www.clearedanddelivered.com
though he did say they were slightly more expensive than others but he's never had a problem with them and that was worth the extra money

here is a websites i thought you would find helpful
help.cbp.gov/cgi-bin/customs.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php
look under catagory imports keyword temporary

I'm just glad I could help

 

[Monk]

What is it that UPS are demanding $4000 tax for? And couldn't you have marked the box with "gift"?

 

[WizardStan]

What is it tha tUPS are demanding $4000 tax for? And couldn't you have marked the box with "gift"?
Don't even joke. That's a guaranteed path to further delays and cavity searches.

 

[Monk]

What is it tha tUPS are demanding $4000 tax for? And couldn't you have marked the box with "gift"? ;"]
Don't even joke. That's a guaranteed path to further delays and cavity searches.

[/quote]Yikes! Penalty for humour is EXTREME!

 

[WizardStan]

Don't even joke. That's a guaranteed path to further delays and cavity searches.

Yikes! Penalty for humour is EXTREME!

Don't mess with US customs. It's not pleasant.
*sits down very gently*

 

[trooper]

What is it tha tUPS are demanding $4000 tax for? And couldn't you have marked the box with "gift"? ;"]
Don't even joke. That's a guaranteed path to further delays and cavity searches.

Yikes! Penalty for humour is EXTREME! ;"]

Don't mess with US customs. It's not pleasant.
*sits down very gently*[/quote]Piles ?.[/quote]Trooper

 

[1adam12]

Craig et al,
Please tell us exactly what the tax bill said, who it was from, etc. I need to figure out if you're being charged an import tariff or some other form of tax from UPS. I'll also need to know what's being imported, where it's coming from, where the other parts for assembly are coming from, and how they're getting to your assembly plant.

But all that aside, my suspicion is that you'll need to file a temporary import bond, which is a deposit you make to US Customs (usually for twice the value of the goods) promising to re-export the goods after they are modified here in the USA. I suspect you'll need to claim your right to file a bond under Subheading 9813.00.05 of the Harmonized Customs Regulations, which pertains to goods being repaired or further manufactured in the USA. Your best next step is probably to contact the port director at whichever port your unfinished goods are being delivered. He has the responsibility to administer the bond, but your shipper and your contract assembly plant might also be able to help. Be aware that you may have to hire a customs broker to help you do this, and that, alas, cannot be me.

Adam

 

[fireball87]

What is it tha tUPS are demanding $4000 tax for? And couldn't you have marked the box with "gift"? ;"]
Don't even joke. That's a guaranteed path to further delays and cavity searches.

[/quote]Yikes! Penalty for humour is EXTREME! ;"]
[/quote]If it makes you feel better I spit my drink on my MBP. I swear (over) half the (Chinese) crap I buy off the net is shipped as a "gift". I'm just imagining the sending of thousands of parts back and forth as gifts. What can I say, my uncle at this manufacturing facility is just worth it all, and he really loves getting thousands of identical pandy kits. The fact that he likes sending me thousands of fully constructed and packed pandys as gifts is completely unrelated. And the fact that we give thousands of foreign friends similar looking boxes is completely legit...

 

[WhiteBat]

random links i found, probably wont help but i was bored.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATA_Carnet
http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources...toms/terms.html
http://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/shipping/..._clearance.html
http://www.ups.com/bussol
http://www.ups.com/bussol?loc=en_GB&WT.svl=PriNav

http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/index_en.htm
http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/commo...es/index_en.htm

http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/tax...n/l31033_en.htm

http://www.cbp.gov/
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/forms/

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalW...B_BASICG_IMPEXP

 

[Nation.A.List]

According to the cbp.gov website for 'temporary importation'
"If the merchandise is being imported as cargo, the importer may either hire a broker to clear the goods through Customs, or the importer may go to the port of entry to clear the shipment. In that case, the importer should make arrangements in advance to secure a Customs bond in the amount of twice the amount of duties, taxes, etc., that would be owed on the importation. For help in determining the amount of duties that would be owed, please contact an import specialist at the port where your goods will be entering the country."
So you need to shell out TWICE the value as a bond in order to avoid paying the tax and/or duty. I hope the kitty is well funded. And this all should be done in advance!

 

[PhonicUK]

I had a chat with my father about the Blog post, he's come across this situation a time or two before and had the following suggestion.

To set up a registered branch of the OpenPandora organization inside the US, specifically in the state of Delaware - which allegedly has the easiest rules for US->UK imports/exports.

Also since packages would also be sent within the same organization, this would possibly change some of the applicable taxes.

He did emphasis however that this educated guesswork, and that you should really be seeing a lawyer&|solicitor. As well as changing courier.

 

[diazamet]

According to the cbp.gov website for 'temporary importation'
"If the merchandise is being imported as cargo, the importer may either hire a broker to clear the goods through Customs, or the importer may go to the port of entry to clear the shipment. In that case, the importer should make arrangements in advance to secure a Customs bond in the amount of twice the amount of duties, taxes, etc., that would be owed on the importation. For help in determining the amount of duties that would be owed, please contact an import specialist at the port where your goods will be entering the country."
So you need to shell out TWICE the value as a bond in order to avoid paying the tax and/or duty. I hope the kitty is well funded. And this all should be done in advance!

The text you quote says 'twice the amount of duties, taxes, etc', so unless the import tax in the US is 100% then the cost should be significantly less that twice the value of the goods.

 

[Monk]

What is it tha tUPS are demanding $4000 tax for? And couldn't you have marked the box with "gift"? ;"]
Don't even joke. That's a guaranteed path to further delays and cavity searches.

Yikes! Penalty for humour is EXTREME! ;"] [/quote]If it makes you feel better I spit my drink on my MBP.

LOL. I think it was both the thought that WizardStan wants to perform cavity searches just for joking on the forum PLUS the thought "if just the joke risks a cavity search, what the HECK are customs like if you actually try putting "Gift" on a consignment that large???".[/quote]

crap I buy off the net is shipped as a "gift".

Whenever you're feeling low, or your opinion of mankind has sunk, it's refreshing to realise we can always just contemplate the extreme generosity of the Chinese to fell merrier!

 

[WizardStan]

What is it tha tUPS are demanding $4000 tax for? And couldn't you have marked the box with "gift"?
Don't even joke. That's a guaranteed path to further delays and cavity searches.Yikes! Penalty for humour is EXTREME!
If it makes you feel better I spit my drink on my MBP.

LOL. I think it was both the thought that WizardStan wants to perform cavity searches just for joking on the forum PLUS the thought "if just the joke risks a cavity search, what the HECK are customs like if you actually try putting "Gift" on a consignment that large???".It's just below writing "Da Bomb!" on your backpack and walking into an airport.

 

[Monk]

What is it tha tUPS are demanding $4000 tax for? And couldn't you have marked the box with "gift"? ;"]
Don't even joke. That's a guaranteed path to further delays and cavity searches.Yikes! Penalty for humour is EXTREME! ;"]
If it makes you feel better I spit my drink on my MBP.

LOL. I think it was ... the thought that WizardStan wants to perform cavity searches just for joking on the forum ...It's just below writing "Da Bomb!" on your backpack and walking into an airport.

A joke on this forum is one step down from a "terrorist joke" in an airport? [/quote]I have continued to chase amusement :"] [/quote]Though I have to say, we had walkie-talkies confiscated from us in IIRC a South African airport a while back (no other airport had any problem with them, and we'd used them to keep track of each other in America and France without difficulty). My walking stick has raised eyebrows from tiem to time at airports too (it's... a wooden stick"]. [/quote]More on topic (slightly) I am starting to wonder hust how all this will affectt the assertion that the Pandora is not made in the USA (IIRC FCC testing was said to only be required for products made in the USA... which Pandora increasingly sounds like).

 

[skeezix]

Don't use UPS. They suck IMHO.

ie: Everyone I know who ever ebays or the like (and I know guys who do it every day) stay away from UPS..

Information may be incorrect, but AFAIK..
i) From my experience, they'll leave expensive packages at your door. They don't require signatures, and they won't just hold 'em at their depot.. they just drop them off. (FedEx for instance will keep it at their shop if you don't sign for it, so you can go pick it up.) I had a $700 item dropped off one day and it was out in the sun baking all day on my step. I had another item get left in the snow at the side of the steps once. Seriously!

ii) They have their own brokers, and you _Always_ _always_ get nicked for brokerage fees and all sorts of crap. I use FedEx and label everything 'scrap' or whatever, and they're cool

Possibly with UPS and FedEx etc you can set up your own brokerage ID or whatever, so they will bill things there and maybe oyu can write it off or something. I don't know

So I can't really help but to say .. I've never ever had a good experience with UPS compared to FedEx or local-post or others. UPS is fine, but they're _always_ more expensive imho. (And in my day, I shipped a _lot_

jeff

 

[Macguyver]

I'm not sure if UPS works the same way, but with Fedex you are able to assign your own customs broker to your account.

Then when the goods arrive, the shipping company is beholden to contact your personal customs broker to coordinate your shipments through customs. They are experts on this process. The customs broker will call you and discuss the shipment and what's happening (or you can set them up with instructions beforehand).

Almost guarantees that the shipments arrive without any customs nonsense and their fees are usually reasonable.

However in most cases paperwork DOES need to be drawn up correctly beforehand or none of this will work correctly. The customs broker can also help with that.

Another suggestion is to use a freight forwarding company since they usually have their own customs brokers. Freight forwarders are usually more expensive than UPS or Fedex, however.

I agree that in business life this kind of stuff is boring and tedious, especially if you do it yourself. Hence the customs broker! They will make your life much easier, for relatively little cost. And you will probably save time by avoiding delayed shipments.

Any reason you're not using Fedex? Or were they the company that bent the circuit boards?

Macguyver

 

[Loonie]

I had a $700 item dropped off one day and it was out in the sun baking all day on my step. I had another item get left in the snow at the side of the steps once. Seriously!

Yeah, the replacement LCD panel for my laptop was just left on my doorstep. Lucky it was still there when my girlfriend arrived home. Thanks, UPS!