Imported stuff and customs

[slofox]

Query for those who have dealt with customs re imported goods...

I recently bought an espresso machine form Australia. Cost was $AU399. Which is over the $NZ400 threshold for GST etc. It may be that customs will need the brib...err...payment before I get my hooks into the goodies. So:

I presume customs will be in touch if they require money.

1) Are they likely to fart around for a couple of weeks before they do anything or can I be assured that they will exercise some degree of alacrity?

2) Do I wait for them to contact me or should I chase them up?

Answers appreciated. Tx.

[Phantom Limb]

You may get lucky.
I imported close to $4000 in parts for a race engine from the UK this year. The package was clearely labled with an invoice in the packing slip sleeve. It arrived at my door 5 days after ordering and I was asked to pay no duties at all. :cool:

[slofox]

You may get lucky.
I imported close to $4000 in parts for a race engine from the UK this year. The package was clearely labled with an invoice in the packing slip sleeve. It arrived at my door 5 days after ordering and I was asked to pay no duties at all. :cool:

Which is why I am a little reluctant to chase them up. Might draw attention to the import...

[GSF]

Which is why I am a little reluctant to chase them up. Might draw attention to the import...

I worked in a shop where from time to time we would import stuff with a value over the GST threshold, what usually happened was it sat there for ages in holding until a letter arrived from Customs with all the details required to get said item released.

But yes, it would usually take a week or so (from when the item first arrived in country).

And as Phantom Limb said, sometimes we paid no GST on really spendy stuff, and sometimes we got clipped for small things. It always seemed quite random to me.

[imdying]

I presume customs will be in touch if they require money.They will. It's under the threshold for needing an importer number so it'll be painless.

1) Are they likely to fart around for a couple of weeks before they do anything or can I be assured that they will exercise some degree of alacrity?They haven't got the space to store your shit forever, they'll want rid of it as soon as they can.

2) Do I wait for them to contact me or should I chase them up?Just wait, they may not even stop it as it's borderline and they can't stop everything. Christmas is busy for them.

[Gremlin]

1) Are they likely to fart around for a couple of weeks before they do anything or can I be assured that they will exercise some degree of alacrity?

2) Do I wait for them to contact me or should I chase them up?

It varies.

Sometimes they ring you up and you can provide a credit card over the phone and it's done and dusted and on it's way again. Other times, they hold it, expect you to know via osmosis, and maybe send you a letter a little while later.

Depends how long it has been. Take the regular shipping length, add no more than a week and then you should probably be chasing. Also depends how quickly you need it I guess.

[Bassmatt]

I worked in a shop where from time to time we would import stuff with a value over the GST threshold, what usually happened was it sat there for ages in holding until a letter arrived from Customs with all the details required to get said item released.

But yes, it would usually take a week or so (from when the item first arrived in country).

And as Phantom Limb said, sometimes we paid no GST on really spendy stuff, and sometimes we got clipped for small things. It always seemed quite random to me.

IME they don't take too long to get in touch. Expect a letter with the details on how much to pay and how. It will have a NZPost number to call, be warned they will charge a fee over and above the customs fees and gst.
I dealt directly with customs who were surprisingly helpful and efficient and didn't charge anything extra.

[imdying]

Yeah, make sure to include a cell number in your delivery address, otherwise the hold up become NZ Post.

[PeeJay]

Query for those who have dealt with customs re imported goods...

I recently bought an espresso machine form Australia. Cost was $AU399. Which is over the $NZ400 threshold for GST etc. It may be that customs will need the brib...err...payment before I get my hooks into the goodies. So:

I presume customs will be in touch if they require money.

1) Are they likely to fart around for a couple of weeks before they do anything or can I be assured that they will exercise some degree of alacrity?

2) Do I wait for them to contact me or should I chase them up?

Answers appreciated. Tx.
If you have tracking no's etc get onto the freight/courier companies website or ring them and find out where it is.
If its in customs the freight company should be able to tell you whether or not it is being held, ie gst
If its not being held, great, its on its way to you.
If it is being held, ask them if they have the notice Number, if they have they can tell you how much the bill is.
No worries if they dont have it, rather than wait for the letter (2-3 days )give customs a ring.
They will ask for the notice number but if you ask the nice person nicely they will get it for you.
As an irregular importer they will probably do the paperwork for you, (for free) save you organising and paying brokerage
Credit card over the phone and you are away.
Easy Peasy

[Road kill]

IME they don't take too long to get in touch. Expect a letter with the details on how much to pay and how. It will have a NZPost number to call, be warned they will charge a fee over and above the customs fees and gst.
I dealt directly with customs who were surprisingly helpful and efficient and didn't charge anything extra.

That's pretty much how I've found them.

Contact within a week of arrival and then payment by credit card.

In the early days it would be 50/50 if I had to pay duty but once I became a regular I got to pay everytime.

[Digitdion]

As to getting charged for gst etc etc, I have found it to be random. But becoming more likely to get stung. My experience is with bits for the bike. No Duty just the gst factor. If I have been stung for gst I have had a letter arrive rather promptly advising me of this. Then it's a case of calling an 0800 number and paying by Credit card. Then they release the item.

One time I purchased online a down puffer jacket. Got it for $95 US dollars. My mate in the states sent it over but being a paranoid Yank put the declared value at $450 US dollars from memory. I got a letter wanting something like over $200 NZ dollars for duty and Gst. I got on to them and sent them a copy of the invoice showing the correct purchase price and they released it straight away.

So for me, I have found they are always conduct business in a timely manor.

[F5 Dave]

weren't you pleading poverty a little while ago about buying disc rotors? Now a nigh on $500 coffee machine? Sheesh, get your priorities right man.

[slofox]

weren't you pleading poverty a little while ago about buying disc rotors? Now a nigh on $500 coffee machine? Sheesh, get your priorities right man.

I decided that an intractable visa bill was better than a life without espresso...:whistle:

An' anyway, I didn't get the $900 machine did I?

EDIT: Besides, I use the espresso machine more often than the brakes...

[SILVER SUZI]

So on a serious note.................... are you any good at making coffee or are you thinking that this gadget will do it all for you ? :wings:
You"ll have lots of us Jaffa's coming to see you now, you know there's nothing we like more than a nice Latté!! :facepalm:

[slofox]

So on a serious note.................... are you any good at making coffee or are you thinking that this gadget will do it all for you ? :wings:
You"ll have lots of us Jaffa's coming to see you now, you know there's nothing we like more than a nice Latté!! :facepalm:

The machine will not do the job for me. I'll have to see how my skills (or lack thereof) stack up...

It's a Gaggia Classic if anyone is interested. Very basic, no fancy shit. But capable of making excellent espresso if you do it right.
Oh and I never do anything with milk.

[Robert Taylor]

As to getting charged for gst etc etc, I have found it to be random. But becoming more likely to get stung. My experience is with bits for the bike. No Duty just the gst factor. If I have been stung for gst I have had a letter arrive rather promptly advising me of this. Then it's a case of calling an 0800 number and paying by Credit card. Then they release the item.

One time I purchased online a down puffer jacket. Got it for $95 US dollars. My mate in the states sent it over but being a paranoid Yank put the declared value at $450 US dollars from memory. I got a letter wanting something like over $200 NZ dollars for duty and Gst. I got on to them and sent them a copy of the invoice showing the correct purchase price and they released it straight away.

So for me, I have found they are always conduct business in a timely manor.

What do you mean ''to get stung''????? From the country of depatch its tax exempt so to pay tax on entry is fair enough. In case you hadnt noticed Governments need revenue streams to fund all the services that we take for granted......

[Digitdion]

Put it this way Robert. If John Key forgot to charge you gst( so to speak), and you would not be liable to pay it back( what they forgot to charge) what would you do? It's the system. It screws( again a figure of speech) a lot of people, and a lot of people benefit.

Getting stung is a figure of speech. Why don't we keep the thread on topic. There is plenty of other threads about the merits of gst collection when buying stuff from overseas.

But for the record I do buy plenty of stuff oversea's for the bike. But I still intend getting my bike up to you at the end of summer to work your magic.

[Digitdion]

What do you mean ''to get stung''????? From the country of depatch its tax exempt so to pay tax on entry is fair enough. In case you hadnt noticed Governments need revenue streams to fund all the services that we take for granted......

Forgot to mention. These days we get hit (again a figure of speech) for tax every witch way. Do you like the pun? So some stuff falling thru the cracks is not going to make that much of a difference.

Two question for you.......

1) do you really think that if everyone had paid Gst on there bike bits from oversea's that everyone would have jobs and the countries economy would be pumping?
2) and if everyone got hit for Gst on there bike bits from oversea's that everyone would simply pay over inflated prices at the local shop that when the service is quite often crap?

[bogan]

Forgot to mention. These days we get hit (again a figure of speech) for tax every witch way. Do you like the pun? So some stuff falling thru the cracks is not going to make that much of a difference.

Two question for you.......

1) do you really think that if everyone had paid Gst on there bike bits from oversea's that everyone would have jobs and the countries economy would be pumping?
2) and if everyone got hit for Gst on there bike bits from oversea's that everyone would simply pay over inflated prices at the local shop that when the service is quite often crap?

Before we get too worked up, I think his main exception was with the implied expectation. Getting stung implies you don't expect to pay, or feel you shouldn't have to pay. In reality its more like an unexpected win, ie, 'I was stoked they forgot to charge me tax this time'. You should always purchase with the expectation of paying import tax and duties, then be happy if you don't have to, that'd giving the locals an even playing field.

[Digitdion]

Before we get too worked up, I think his main exception was with the implied expectation. Getting stung implies you don't expect to pay, or feel you shouldn't have to pay. In reality its more like an unexpected win, ie, 'I was stoked they forgot to charge me tax this time'. You should always purchase with the expectation of paying import tax and duties, then be happy if you don't have to, that'd giving the locals an even playing field.

When looking to make a purchase I always figure into the purchase the cost of GST. The rest is up to ' the system'.

I do not buy into the even playing field thing. It's so much more complicated than that in this day and age. We live in a world market now. I work in Tourism. Live in Queenstown. People from all over the world come here. Queenstown is competing with any other destination in the world to attract punters. Do I complain that people want to go to Thailand for a holiday because its dirt cheap?

[Robert Taylor]

Before we get too worked up, I think his main exception was with the implied expectation. Getting stung implies you don't expect to pay, or feel you shouldn't have to pay. In reality its more like an unexpected win, ie, 'I was stoked they forgot to charge me tax this time'. You should always purchase with the expectation of paying import tax and duties, then be happy if you don't have to, that'd giving the locals an even playing field.

Thanks, youve clarified this much better than what I would have been able to. Certainly, it is obvious that with so much stuff now coming in from overseas ( privately ) it has displaced a not insignificant amount of ( failed to collect )tax revenue. How much difference that makes is of course hard to quantify. But then if any Government feels that the overall tax take is not performing so well ( and this example could well exacerbate such an issue ) then Governments will do what they do and find other ways to accrue tax revenue. The last Government was a master at it with stealth taxes.
Everyone of course wants to have their cake and eat it too.
Certainly also of course there are many bike shops with poor service ( not only bike shops ) and high prices ( but that subject is complex ) That there are way too many bike shops is a given

[slofox]

Still have had no contact from Customs - or anyone else for that matter.

So I went back to the seller...had the following reply this morning:

"Our central supplier in Brisbane is where our goods are normally shipped off from.
But today when I rang about your order I found out that they had sold out of local stock and had it sent from overseas instead.

Terribly sorry about this. No idea they would do this and not notify us first. Anyway it is currently still clearing customs in the UK.

So estimated delivery is about a week or so away."

Of the four things I have brought in from overseas recently, two of them have been thus.

I reckon if you are going to sell online and say you have one in stock to sell, then you should fucking HAVE IT IN STOCK!

Be mid fucking January before it gets here I bet.

Should have gone to my local shop, eh!

[imdying]

What's the hurry man! I think having to wait isn't so much an issue, more that you have to chase it up yourself... I mean, if you wanted to have to fuck about doing things like that, you could have just got it from somewhere in NZ!

[Digitdion]

Still have had no contact from Customs - or anyone else for that matter.

So I went back to the seller...had the following reply this morning:

"Our central supplier in Brisbane is where our goods are normally shipped off from.
But today when I rang about your order I found out that they had sold out of local stock and had it sent from overseas instead.

Terribly sorry about this. No idea they would do this and not notify us first. Anyway it is currently still clearing customs in the UK.

So estimated delivery is about a week or so away."

Of the four things I have brought in from overseas recently, two of them have been thus.

I reckon if you are going to sell online and say you have one in stock to sell, then you should fucking HAVE IT IN STOCK!

Be mid fucking January before it gets here I bet.

Should have gone to my local shop, eh!

Got to take the good with the bad.

[Gremlin]

I reckon if you are going to sell online and say you have one in stock to sell, then you should fucking HAVE IT IN STOCK!
I have several tech suppliers where often the last part is a phantom part and never exists... Don't ask me where they all go, but there must be a massive warehouse filled with goodies somewhere!

[ckai]

Still have had no contact from Customs - or anyone else for that matter.

So I went back to the seller...had the following reply this morning:

"Our central supplier in Brisbane is where our goods are normally shipped off from.
But today when I rang about your order I found out that they had sold out of local stock and had it sent from overseas instead.

Terribly sorry about this. No idea they would do this and not notify us first. Anyway it is currently still clearing customs in the UK.

So estimated delivery is about a week or so away."

Of the four things I have brought in from overseas recently, two of them have been thus.

I reckon if you are going to sell online and say you have one in stock to sell, then you should fucking HAVE IT IN STOCK!

Be mid fucking January before it gets here I bet.

Should have gone to my local shop, eh!


What's the hurry man! I think having to wait isn't so much an issue, more that you have to chase it up yourself... I mean, if you wanted to have to fuck about doing things like that, you could have just got it from somewhere in NZ!

Withdrawals??? ;)

[slofox]

What's the hurry man! I think having to wait isn't so much an issue, more that you have to chase it up yourself... I mean, if you wanted to have to fuck about doing things like that, you could have just got it from somewhere in NZ!

I hate waiting. And yes I probably should have used a local source - as I said in the last line of my last post.


Got to take the good with the bad.

Yep.


I have several tech suppliers where often the last part is a phantom part and never exists... Don't ask me where they all go, but there must be a massive warehouse filled with goodies somewhere!

So that's where it went.

Anyway, I still think that you should be sure you have an item before you offer it for sale. Just a thought.

[slofox]

Withdrawals??? ;)

Ummmmmmmmmm. Technically no - the old machine does put out some dark fluid. Which fires up the synapses each morning. But it also needs nursing along to get it to happen. Can't just leave it on to produce a cup of coffee - have to turn it on and off so that the pressure doesn't get out of all the warps and distortions of over ten years of grinding out a form of espresso. It has done pretty well for an el cheapo.

I'd hate to have to drink instant coffee at Christmas time.

[ckai]

I'd hate to have to drink instant coffee at Christmas time.

God forbid!! :gob:

I know when Brooke didn't have her flash fandangle italian semi-commercial beast running for months, I never heard the end to the "fuck this instant shit". And that was even the pricey instant shit! Bloody addicts :)

[slofox]

God forbid!! :gob:

I know when Brooke didn't have her flash fandangle italian semi-commercial beast running for months, I never heard the end to the "fuck this instant shit". And that was even the pricey instant shit! Bloody addicts :)

:eek5::wacko::angry::nya::brick::crazy::eek5::pinc h::cry::bye:

[GTRMAN]

:eek5::wacko::angry::nya::brick::crazy::eek5::pinc h::cry::bye:


This is what you want :)

http://www.therocket.co.nz/domestic/models/r58/

[arcane12]

I was looking into the import side of things recently. I was interested to find that it's not a specific value (400) but the fact they don't charge if the tax value is under 60. Which means if it comes under 0% import (bike parts, some eletronics) then if the GST portion is under 60 no charge. If it's something like clothing then it's an extra 10% on top of GST.

So 400 is only right for some goods.

On the topic of buying online - I tried to buy a Givi screen from Cycletreads over 2 months ago - it was listed as 'in stock' but they must have meant in stock at thier supplier overseas. After more than 2 months of waiting (and the occasional email to say still waiting on supplier delivery) I cancelled my order. Last ETA was end of January.

Last thing... mmmnn, coffee... I get reasonable drip coffee here at work, and I am aware of an expesso machine elsewhere on the site (special access only :P ). At home I usually settle for instant, but at least it freeze dried. Much nicer than regular instant IMO.

[imdying]

No point making it hard on yourself having to do math and shit, just use the calculator:

http://www.importduty.co.nz/

[slofox]

This is what you want :)

http://www.therocket.co.nz/domestic/models/r58/

That would be nice. But the budget is limited...

[jasonu]

A box containing 2 sets of new VMX repro plastics with a declared value of $350USD I sent to NZ last week copped a $100 fee from NZ customs. It is the first time anything I have sent to NZ has been charged. I have sent numerous bigger and more valuable items in the past with no fee.

[imdying]

Yup, the new customs computer system is making is easier for them to handle everything they pick up. They still have more work than they can handle though, so some stuff still comes through untaxed.

[slofox]

Yup, the new customs computer system is making is easier for them to handle everything they pick up. They still have more work than they can handle though, so some stuff still comes through untaxed.

Be nice if that happened with my coffee machine - if it ever gets here of course...:angry:

[far queue]

I ordered some new pipes from the UK late on the 18th for £310 plus postage, and I got an email at 3.38pm today to say they're sitting at AK ready to be sent on as soon I pay the GST. I can't believe how fast they got here with the xmas rush on. The fees were $106.65 for GST, $17.25 admin fee, $38.08 Customs Import Transaction Fee - so that's $161.88 all up. I expected to be charged both duty and GST so got off lightly. So, all up that's 2 pipes landed in 3 days for $875 - I'm well pleased :D

So 3 days to travel the 1st 18,187 km, I wonder how long the next 1000 km will take?

[slofox]

Holy fucking shit. What a saga. I reckon I might never buy anything on the net ever again...

This coffee machine deal should have been simple and straight forward. But it has not been so.

Turned out the item was out of stock in Oz so was sent from the UK instead. Bit of a fuck-up but not too serious really.

Then yesterday, in the mail, I got a "Gift Voucher" from Amazon UK. I had no idea WTF it was all about but harboured a deep dark suspicion that it might involve the espresso machine. So I emailed Amazon and asked them what it was about. They replied pretty smartly and confirmed my suspicions. "Oh that was the espresso machine - we couldn't deliver it to you. Oh and we can't send it again either so we are offering you a gift voucher instead..."

Well, I don't want a fucking gift voucher do I? I want me friggin' espresso machine!

Now there is a way of placing a new order for the original item so I went down that path. BUT. Amazon wanted to charge me some more money. Having paid in full for my item, I decided that they could shove that idea up their arse. And did not complete the order.

Got in touch with the original seller in Oz. To give him his due, he got right on to it and worked really hard to sort it. Upshot of it all is that this morning I reordered the item as per Amazon's procedures with the original seller covering the extra costs. He even chucked in express delivery for me.

So sometime in the next week to ten days the item might arrive. I fucking hope!

Oh and just to rub in a little salt, I would have got a much cheaper deal if I had gone direct to Amazon in the first place...:facepalm:

Ain't hindsight a wunnerful thing?

[Geeen]

Someone needs to shout Mr Fox a coffee:drinknsin, maybe on the next ride? I hear Raglan has some forgetful Cafes........

[slofox]

S'OK - it finally arrived today. Only five weeks since ordering.

I watched it fly across the world last week (thanks to tracking numbers - wunnerful things, them). It cleared through customs with no charge and landed in d'Auckland on Friday. I picked it up myself this morning from Fliways - didn't want to wait for the courier. Besides after the last attempt I didn't trust them not to send it back to the UK...:angry:

Course, I had to set it up and test it. First attempt was very average so I went in to Espresso Road for a non-pressurised basket. Next cup was better but not perfect. So lowered the pressue setting on the OPV (recommended for this machine) and tested it again. At which point I had to stop testing because all the coffee was causing enough tremor that I could hardly walk any more.

Try again tomorrow.

[ckai]

S'OK - it finally arrived today. Only five weeks since ordering.

I watched it fly across the world last week (thanks to tracking numbers - wunnerful things, them). It cleared through customs with no charge and landed in d'Auckland on Friday. I picked it up myself this morning from Fliways - didn't want to wait for the courier. Besides after the last attempt I didn't trust them not to send it back to the UK...:angry:

Course, I had to set it up and test it. First attempt was very average so I went in to espresso Road for a non-pressurised basket. Next cup was better but not perfect. So lowered the pressue setting on the OPV (recommended for this machine) and tested it again. At which point I had to stop testing because all the coffee was causing enough tremor that I could hardly walk any more.

Try again tomorrow.

Mate, you needed to buy one of these suckers (http://www.alturacoffee.co.nz/shop/Domestic+Equipment/Rancilio+Silvia+v3.html) if you wanted good coffee. What a shambles! If it's any consolation, you may not have been able to get it from Amazon. I've never been able to get anything shipped to NZ from them yet. It seems there's only a few things that they will send off.

[slofox]

Mate, you needed to buy one of these suckers (http://www.alturacoffee.co.nz/shop/Domestic+Equipment/Rancilio+Silvia+v3.html) if you wanted good coffee. What a shambles! If it's any consolation, you may not have been able to get it from Amazon. I've never been able to get anything shipped to NZ from them yet. It seems there's only a few things that they will send off.

Well I looked at the Silvia but couldn't quite stretch that far. The classic is doing a pretty good job though, now that I am getting it tweaked.