Customs Rant

[YellowDog]

I've bought a Back and Chest Protector from Revzilla.
It took 4 days to get to NZ.
Been held by Customs for a week pending them getting off their arses and doing an invoice.
They have not notified me, only found out by ringing NZ Post.
I have no issues paying the GST, just get pissed off with there additional charges, slothfullness and
the latest ...a "convenience charge" by Wespac of $2.30 total of $118.00

What a cosy little deal the Govt and Westpac have going.

24% worth of additional costs.

Revzilla do a flat rate of $35 US ( $48.00)

Clearly to avoid all the services on offer probably best next time to split the order to avoid the $400 threshold

Beer opened,rant over.

Yes, it is indeed a piss-take. I'm happy to pay GST too, but not the extras they load on, like it's an exception. Made that mistake once only in 2007. Now everything costs less than NZ$400 including shipping

[eldog]

Buying local would be workable if mark up wasn't so high.

Yes and a lot of things still go through intermediaries.
there is a lot of hidden costs as well as stocking, delivery etc etc we all forget about.

i still buy stuff from local merchants when it’s available.
but they seem to be stocking the cheaper brands not the more costly well built items.

it must be a real pita to be a spare parts seller, so little turn over.

[Jeeper]

Yes and a lot of things still go through intermediaries.
there is a lot of hidden costs as well as stocking, delivery etc etc we all forget about.

i still buy stuff from local merchants when it’s available.
but they seem to be stocking the cheaper brands not the more costly well built items.

That is true, I get Mopar original parts from US. Local shops charge a premium for them because it's a novelty thing. Jeep filters and stuff are all Mopar from factory. $10 from US for Mopar oil filter. Locally, $40+ for a Repco or Fram. I just buy in bulk and save on freight.

[SpankMe]

All this does not bode well for the brake kit I ordered which arrived in NZ 4 days ago. I guess I'll see it in a week or two You'd think customs could at least have a tracking page you could check to see what stage its at with an ETA. That way I could see if its actually progressing.

[Voltaire]

Shoulda brought a Honda

I had a brand new ryobi with a Subaru engine.... my Son borrowed it and I got a side valve B and S in exchange to fix.... the joys of parenting🙄

[Jeeper]

All this does not bode well for the brake kit I ordered which arrived in NZ 4 days ago. I guess I'll see it in a week or two You'd think customs could at least have a tracking page you could check to see what stage its at with an ETA. That way I could see if its actually progressing.

Most carriers have tracking available. What mode is it traveling.

[SpankMe]

Most carriers have tracking available. What mode is it traveling.

The tracking just says its arrived in NZ.

[george formby]

Dunno if I'm just lucky or have stumbled on summit. I have had 3 orders from Japan in the last couple of years, my most recent being an FMF pipe with bits and bobs. Not an insignificant parcel or price but the cheapest of the 3.
All have been well over the customs threshold in value, minimum $650, see above. All orders have been placed on a Thursday or Friday and have been delivered on the following Monday or Tuesday by NZ post. No customs cost..

I'm wondering if customs run a skeleton crew at weekends.....

Just a thought, I don't have many so you're all lucky I shared.

I filled in a customer survey from the pipe supplier and one of the questions was how much duty did I pay? Wonder where they are going with that?

[Kickaha]

I've bought a Back and Chest Protector from Revzilla.

Is there enough room under your leathers for them to fit?

I went up to local lawnmower shop before Xmas to buy a new ignition coil.

For the BMW, Ducati or Norton?

[Grumph]

I went up to local lawnmower shop before Xmas to buy a new ignition coil.

For the BMW, Ducati or Norton?

Dun't matter - would have been better than OE on all of them....

[Voltaire]

Is there enough room under your leathers for them to fit?

I can stop breathing for 4 laps.

For the BMW, Ducati or Norton?

They have flux capacitors

[Swoop]

Back and Chest protector are safety equipment not clothing so you shouldn't have to pay any duty?

There isn't any duty applicable on safety equipment. You will pay GST though.

And when its not available locally? The vast majority of the stuff I bring in can't be bought here.

Yup. Especially when the "official" importer of a product refuses to import one of their product lines, available in the rest of the world. I want to purchase items here in NZ. Another reason why I don't go along with whiney-arsed retailers bitching about internet sales.

[Voltaire]

Paid last Friday and still held at Customs..... several calls later....

Looks like I might be spectating at Pukekoke on the weekend

[Paulo]

useless bastards have had my rearsets held for 2 weeks now still waiting for them to send the fucking Letter by snail mail as that now how they do it now apparently
then I can pay them and they will release the parcel, been getting the run around big time.
fucking useless, it took no time getting them from the states and they are sitting in a pile in an Auckland warehouse while some fucker who couldn't even make it into the police force has a long lunch or something., we really are a third world country.

[Voltaire]

useless bastards have had my rearsets held for 2 weeks now still waiting for them to send the fucking Letter by snail mail as that now how they do it now apparently
then I can pay them and they will release the parcel, been getting the run around big time.
fucking useless, it took no time getting them from the states and they are sitting in a pile in an Auckland warehouse while some fucker who couldn't even make it into the police force has a long lunch or something., we really are a third world country.

Most excellent rant.
I got mine after many pleading calls and a trip out to the airport.
The letter arrived about 3 days later.
Letter....really....its 2018 not 1918.
Unfortunately you have to grin and bear it as there is no option.

Next time I do Revzilla I'll pay another $35 flat rate ( its a big box) just to avoid a: the charges and b: the Soviet Era service on offer.

Probably part of the cunning plan to get Public to say " yeah paying the GST at source would make it quicker"