Customs and releases

[Hailwood]

Just wanted to share an experience..it has nothing to do with importing vs local buying so please no need for the "you are hurting our local economy" type postings.....I purchased an after market muffler for the Buell WHICH YOU CANT BUY IN NZ (hence the internet purchase) and had it sent.

I received a letter yesterday from NZ Post saying it was being held by NZ Customs pending Customs release. The letter went on giving me 3 options:

1/ Contact NZ Post who would arrange clearance for me
2/ Get a Customs Broker to do same
3/ Contact Customs to get information needed on obtaining a release.

I took option 1 and called NZ Post. Big mistake!!! The person on the end of the phone told me that all imports over NZD400 were subject to a customs release. I asked her when this changed and she said it has been like that for ages. I asked her what ages meant and she didnt know. I asked if it was every package and she said yes. I asked her why saddle bags I bought costing $1200 had not had any issues...she stammered and had no answer. I asked her what was needed and how much it would cost....I need an invoice and it is $85 + GST plus customs fees. I said to her that all the paperwork was attached to the parcel and asked her if that would be ok...she got quite abrupt and said.."I will put you through to customs " and then cut me off. Top service from NZ Post as per normal.

I got hold of Customs this morning who advised I needed to pay a fee and that they would email me the amount required...email arrived within 5 minutes and all sorted. parcel now on ist way to me via courier.

My advice is this...if you are importing something and get this letter from NZ Post..have nothing to do with them and talk to Customs directly...saved $85 + GST and a fair better level of service..especially when I was delaing with Customs at Aukcland Int Airport mail centre who must be absolutely snowed under with mail right now...............

[Kiwibaconator]

The basics are:

GST applies to everything, but customs don't bother collecting if the amount would be less than $50. With the old 12.5% GST $400 was the magic mark. Now it's 15% but they've kept the same $400 threshold.
Your $1200 saddlebags got through because customs don't have the resources to check everything. In short you were lucky that time.

I don't know when these rules started, but it's well over a decade ago.

NZ Post are just one of several customs brokers, they all charge clearance fees. There may be a lower $ limit for not having to use a broker, but I'm not sure what they are.

[fastoyz]

why did you need a broker for just 1 part? its usually just pay the gst and they send it out. only time i got the broker letter was when i had about a dozen parts for 3 different model bikes and they mentioned commercial or some crap

[Laava]

Just wanted to share an experience..it has nothing to do with importing vs local buying so please no need for the "you are hurting our local economy" type postings.....I purchased an after market muffler for the Buell WHICH YOU CANT BUY IN NZ (hence the internet purchase) and had it sent.

I received a letter yesterday from NZ Post saying it was being held by NZ Customs pending Customs release. The letter went on giving me 3 options:

1/ Contact NZ Post who would arrange clearance for me
2/ Get a Customs Broker to do same
3/ Contact Customs to get information needed on obtaining a release.

I took option 1 and called NZ Post. Big mistake!!! The person on the end of the phone told me that all imports over NZD400 were subject to a customs release. I asked her when this changed and she said it has been like that for ages. I asked her what ages meant and she didnt know. I asked if it was every package and she said yes. I asked her why saddle bags I bought costing $1200 had not had any issues...she stammered and had no answer. I asked her what was needed and how much it would cost....I need an invoice and it is $85 + GST plus customs fees. I said to her that all the paperwork was attached to the parcel and asked her if that would be ok...she got quite abrupt and said.."I will put you through to customs " and then cut me off. Top service from NZ Post as per normal.

I got hold of Customs this morning who advised I needed to pay a fee and that they would email me the amount required...email arrived within 5 minutes and all sorted. parcel now on ist way to me via courier.

My advice is this...if you are importing something and get this letter from NZ Post..have nothing to do with them and talk to Customs directly...saved $85 + GST and a fair better level of service..especially when I was delaing with Customs at Aukcland Int Airport mail centre who must be absolutely snowed under with mail right now...............

So if NZ post were going to charge you 85+GST and you saved 85+GST by going straight thru to customs, how much did you have to pay customs?

[Hailwood]

So if NZ post were going to charge you 85+GST and you saved 85+GST by going straight thru to customs, how much did you have to pay customs?

$132 to Customs for duty and other fees..that's ok

[DrunkenMistake]

Shit,
I have imported a full exhaust system $1000,
Full set of fairings $550,
An exhaust muffler $500
etc etc,
I have never been charged GST on any of it, its just the luck of the draw

[Kiwibaconator]

$132 to Customs for duty and other fees..that's ok

So how much was the GST?

[thecharmed01]

why did you need a broker for just 1 part? its usually just pay the gst and they send it out. only time i got the broker letter was when i had about a dozen parts for 3 different model bikes and they mentioned commercial or some crap

Was it addressed to a business?

If it's addressed to a residential premises, you are more likely to avoid being snagged.
But if it's addressed to a business address, they immediately assume it's a business purchase, hence the broker letter.
I've found that a few times.

Also, it really sucks when the sender puts a dodgy amount on it (and you have no idea they have done so) and you get pulled up on it
Was in that rather awkward position recently, bought a camera lens and got a call about paying GST, I said that's fine just let me know how much (still cost me half the price of buying in NZ) as I didn't have a calculator handy. They guy then demanded proof of my purchase price, I had to provide a receipt and when I asked why, they told me that they didn't believe it was a 300-odd dollar item.
I was mighty confused too as I paid about $600NZD but I did as they asked, sent the paypal receipt and paid the GST. Lens arrived within two days.
Had a bit of a giggle as I guess the company I bought off knew the $400 threshold and were trying to save me some hassle, but tut tut on their part

[ajturbo]

ooooo.. you got new parts for the buell....ooooo can i pop around and see PLEASE

[PeeJay]

Just wanted to share an experience..it has nothing to do with importing vs local buying so please no need for the "you are hurting our local economy" type postings.....I purchased an after market muffler for the Buell WHICH YOU CANT BUY IN NZ (hence the internet purchase) and had it sent.

I received a letter yesterday from NZ Post saying it was being held by NZ Customs pending Customs release. The letter went on giving me 3 options:

1/ Contact NZ Post who would arrange clearance for me
2/ Get a Customs Broker to do same
3/ Contact Customs to get information needed on obtaining a release.

I took option 1 and called NZ Post. Big mistake!!! The person on the end of the phone told me that all imports over NZD400 were subject to a customs release. I asked her when this changed and she said it has been like that for ages. I asked her what ages meant and she didnt know. I asked if it was every package and she said yes. I asked her why saddle bags I bought costing $1200 had not had any issues...she stammered and had no answer. I asked her what was needed and how much it would cost....I need an invoice and it is $85 + GST plus customs fees. I said to her that all the paperwork was attached to the parcel and asked her if that would be ok...she got quite abrupt and said.."I will put you through to customs " and then cut me off. Top service from NZ Post as per normal.

I got hold of Customs this morning who advised I needed to pay a fee and that they would email me the amount required...email arrived within 5 minutes and all sorted. parcel now on ist way to me via courier.

My advice is this...if you are importing something and get this letter from NZ Post..have nothing to do with them and talk to Customs directly...saved $85 + GST and a fair better level of service..especially when I was delaing with Customs at Aukcland Int Airport mail centre who must be absolutely snowed under with mail right now...............

Jeez mate all you had to do was say good morning, give her the notice number and credit card details, say thank you and it would have been done.
She would have sorted the invoice and everything.
Getting all technical and trying to show people up pisses them off and they become unhelpful.
I bet you didnt talk so tough to the customs person. If you did you would have been told to use a broker

Generally speaking customs allow you one freebie, where they do the brokers job for you.
Next time they will probably tell you to get a broker
Different delivery address may get you another freebie

[NordieBoy]

$132 to Customs for duty and other fees..that's ok

There's no duty on motorbike parts according to the customs website.

[BIG DOUG]

Nordie you are right,there is no duty on m/c parts but it didn't stop UPS trying to charge me duty on an oil pump had a massive argument with a women there and had to get her boss to come down and he still wanted to charge me duty.I had to remind them I worked(at the time) for a m/c parts importer so knew there was no duty and he decided to "let me off this time" makes you wonder though how many people have been charged duty when they didn't have to pay any.

[ajturbo]

ok Hailwood... go and get the "duty " back...

[bsasuper]

You will find that a running total is kept too, and this can looked back on to decide if they want to sting you for that BIG purchase.

[Laava]

There's no duty on motorbike parts according to the customs website.

Bastards have had more than a few dollars off me in the last few months!
edit, I have had a good look at the NZ Customs website and can find no reference to any motor vehicle parts at all. can you direct us?