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eBay Circumvention of Customs Fees?

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  • #16
    I must confess I obliged the "Gift" request once or twice for international buyers but the difference here is I'm just one person, whereas you represent a business. This is the key. If I'm caught listing an auctioned item as a gift I'm only placing myself at risk. If you're caught doing the same thing you are placing the store (your meal ticket) at risk of legal and financial penalties. Maybe you could explain to the buyer that you'd personally like to save him money in shipping but you have to protect your store -- and your situation makes it likely you would be caught.

    In the future I'd definitely follow the advice already offered to specify in listings with international shipping that you cannot and will not violate the law.

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    • #17
      Quoth Applerod View Post

      In the future I'd definitely follow the advice already offered to specify in listings with international shipping that you cannot and will not violate the law.
      Definitely. I didn't even see something as silly as this coming. If this turns into a huge mess, I'm probably going to second chance offer it to someone who bid, or I will sell it on the side to a client in Italy who runs a gaming group and is willing to pay customs fees -_- I am just trying to think of the best CSR customer friendly way of telling him that I will not under any circumstances break federal law for him. You know, without going "God damnit I fucking told you it's not a gift now stfu"

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      • #18
        Try,

        "Dear sir, thank you for your email. I regret that <company> cannot falsify customs information."

        Or more personal,

        "I'm sorry, I can't do that. My boss would flay me a live if he caught me doing that."
        "I can tell her you're all tied up in the projection room." Sunset Boulevard.

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        • #19
          We sell to a lot of overseas customers. Most of them are resellers who import enough stuff to know how to do it right.

          We are very willing to word invoices in any way the reseller suggests to help the package go smoothly through customs with the lowest possible duty, up to a point.

          And that point would be lying. We simply won't do it.
          The best karma is letting a jerk bash himself senseless on the wall of your polite indifference.

          The stupid is strong with this one.

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          • #20
            I have been thinking about selling my old baseball cards on Ebay for a while now. But knowing how Ebay is, it is not worth the risk. Ebay is making it worse for sellers.
            Under The Moon Paranormal Research
            San Joaquin Valley Paranormal Research

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            • #21
              Quoth powerboy View Post
              I have been thinking about selling my old baseball cards on Ebay for a while now. But knowing how Ebay is, it is not worth the risk. Ebay is making it worse for sellers.
              It doesn't really seem to be all that terrible, actually. I dislike not being able to leave a shithead negative feedback though... I guess I can still attempt to file a dispute. Personally, I'm going to start selling some painted miniatures (GW/PP mostly) under my personal account since the store seems to sell unpainted very well.

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              • #22
                I've no idea how the seller - E Bay interactions work but if you can't leave feedback can you at least report him?
                He is trying to get you to break the law after all (and it also means you get your side of the story in first in case he kicks up a fuss)
                Lady, people aren't chocolates. D'you know what they are mostly? Bastards. Bastard-coated bastards with bastard filling. Dr Cox - Scrubs

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                • #23
                  I think you used to be able to report buyers for pulling that, not sure about now.
                  "I am quite confident that I do exist."
                  "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

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                  • #24
                    If this person leaves a negative rating because you would not do something illegal, he can be kicked off of eBay. That is technically extortion. If he attempts to do so, you can report it, get your fees back, and have this jerkwad forever banned from eBay.
                    You can report a buyer here.
                    As for what to say, "Saving you $50 is not worth a fine, possible jail time, and a record." works for me.
                    Good luck!
                    "I don't have to take this abuse from you, I've got hundreds of people dying to abuse me."
                    "Free at last from my vegetable prison!"
                    X-Strike Studios: Video game movies done RIGHT!

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                    • #25
                      Reporting the buyer for feedback extortion might only work if the buyer has mentioned feedback when requesting the OP to falsify the customs form ("Mark the customs form as a 'gift' so I don't have to pay additional duties, or I'll leave you negative feedback.")

                      If he has not mentioned feedback, ebay may not consider it feedback extortion and might take no action.

                      This might be a better place to report. If you click the arrow next to "Some examples", one of the examples will be precisely the situation the OP is in.

                      If you click the arrow next to "Additional Information" there will be a link to report the buyer as well (3rd bullet point).
                      HOWEVER, it also states ebay will only review it if the listing makes clear whoever is responsible for paying the customs duties. If you didn't do that, try reporting for feedback extortion anyway and see what happens.
                      Knowledge is power. Power corrupts. Study hard. Be evil.

                      "I never said I wasn't a horrible person."--Me, almost daily

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                      • #26
                        Quoth Irving Patrick Freleigh View Post

                        HOWEVER, it also states ebay will only review it if the listing makes clear whoever is responsible for paying the customs duties. If you didn't do that, try reporting for feedback extortion anyway and see what happens.
                        That's fucking stupid. Why should I presume the buyer would request I break the law? I didn't even KNOW you could do that or someone would request it, so why would I put it in my auction until now? >-< Are they TRYING to fuck me over?

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                        • #27
                          OK. I have devised a way to do this right.

                          Worth can be relative. We originally listed the auctions for 27 and 24 dollars and he won both and I am combining shipping for him. Now, I am going to list the items for 51 dollars in combined worth, it's a 20 percent markup over each individual blister's retail price and it's what they were truly worth to us at the time. Is this ok, even though he bid it up?

                          I'm still not marking the stupid thing as a "gift". It's going to be "other" and "pewter miniatures"

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Quoth Pezzle View Post
                            That's fucking stupid. Why should I presume the buyer would request I break the law? I didn't even KNOW you could do that or someone would request it, so why would I put it in my auction until now? >-< Are they TRYING to fuck me over?
                            Well....yes. But remember ebay has decided buyers are more important to them than sellers are.

                            In the future when you create listings, you should put in something like "To international bidders: We fill out all customs forms truthfully and declare all items at the final purchase price. We will not undervalue items or mark customs forms as 'gift'. Any additional customs duties are the responsibility of the buyer."

                            Either that or just stop selling internationally.

                            OK. I have devised a way to do this right.

                            Worth can be relative. We originally listed the auctions for 27 and 24 dollars and he won both and I am combining shipping for him. Now, I am going to list the items for 51 dollars in combined worth, it's a 20 percent markup over each individual blister's retail price and it's what they were truly worth to us at the time. Is this ok, even though he bid it up?
                            The value you write on the form should be the amount the buyer paid, not any other value.

                            If the customs form shows $51 and they open the package and find your invoice for $70, you've still lied.

                            At this point I wouldn't even be worrying about the feedback this drip might leave you. If he decides to give you bad feedback after receiving the items, you can post back and we can tell you what to do from there.
                            Knowledge is power. Power corrupts. Study hard. Be evil.

                            "I never said I wasn't a horrible person."--Me, almost daily

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Yeah I'm going to put that in every future auction. We're so new to this eBay stuff that we didn't forsee anything like this happening. Having worked in retail, I should've presumed customers guilty until proven innocent.

                              Honestly he'd be my only negative feedback.

                              Edit: Holy crap I'm panicking. I was really tired trying to pack boxes this morning and I sent off a big international order only to realize now that I left the "additional items declaration" page in my sales binder! CRAP! That's technically falsifying what's inside the box! I don't know what to do, I want to put the proper form in the envelope but the package is already gone.

                              Curse you sleep depriving paper route of death.
                              Last edited by Pezzle; 07-01-2008, 10:48 PM.

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Quoth Pezzle View Post
                                Edit: Holy crap I'm panicking. I was really tired trying to pack boxes this morning and I sent off a big international order only to realize now that I left the "additional items declaration" page in my sales binder! CRAP! That's technically falsifying what's inside the box! I don't know what to do, I want to put the proper form in the envelope but the package is already gone.

                                Curse you sleep depriving paper route of death.
                                I think even the customs people realise that people are only human and that mistakes happen. Cover your ass the corporate way - make a note of the error somewhere official and investigate how the 'procedure' can be improved then write an SOP up for the procedure.
                                Lady, people aren't chocolates. D'you know what they are mostly? Bastards. Bastard-coated bastards with bastard filling. Dr Cox - Scrubs

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