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Online purchasing from outside the US

2 years ago

I live in the US. About 15 years ago I bought a painting from France and it got held up at customs, I had to get a broker and pay a bit. It all worked out but was a PITA. I recently bought some dough knives from the UK, low value items, without any problems.

There are a couple of items I'd like to buy from a company in Switzerland. The shipping is expensive but I'm okay with that to get the quality I want. They do note that local VAT and any customs clearance costs will be added to the shipping charges. The value of the items is under $500. The Google seems to indicate that goods valued below $800 are not subject to duty??

Do you have any experience ordering from abroad? I just want to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

Featured Answer

jojoco

2 years ago

I've ordered wellington boots from England and "cowhide" clogs (also from England) with little delay and just a slight increase in shipping vs. stateside. I also ordered a handmade wicker basket (laundry size) from an Etsy shop that was sent from Bosnia. It took at least two months from order date to receive it, and the funny thing was that the basket was wrapped in a perfect basket shape, complete with the hollowed out area. It arrived with customs stickers and paperwork on it. In that case, shipping almost doubled the price.

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Comments (8)

Mimou-GW
Original Author
2 years ago
Thanks, Jojoco. That is a beautiful basket! You didn't have to pay extra charges for duty to collect your orders so maybe I'll go ahead and order.
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Olychick
2 years ago
I don't have a lot of experience with overseas orders, but on Sunday, Dec 19, I ordered a tuxedo for my grandson from a place in Britain. It was not for Christmas, just that he wanted a new one, so there was no rush. When I ordered, I got a message that I could be charged duty...I paid through paypal, and felt a little uneasy about the duty message. But, much to my surprise, the tux arrived on Tuesday Dec 21!! No duty, but it was under $200.
Mimou-GW thanked Olychick
Allison0704
2 years ago
I have ordered a lot from overseas. Examples: large clothing orders from a UK company and many Etsy items. The most interesting wrapped packages have come from Uzbekistan. I even had kitchen furniture grade cabinetry made in England, which was stuck in Customs for awhile. I've never had an item disappear and no VAT charges (kitchen price included those). When traveling, I have purchased items to ship back to the States, which most stores handle and I've never had a VAT charge.
Mimou-GW thanked Allison0704
maire_cate
2 years ago
I've never paid VAT and some items arrive quickly and others get held up in Customs. I have no idea why but maybe this helps.

This is from US Customs -

https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/internet-purchases
Mimou-GW thanked maire_cate
Fun2BHere
2 years ago
I've only ordered small low-value items, but I've never had any problem. In fact, one purchase from France in December, 2021 arrived in 5 calendar days which included a weekend, much faster than anything I ordered stateside.
Mimou-GW thanked Fun2BHere
Gooster
2 years ago
I've purchased clothing and shoes from several makers that are not widely available in the US. I've also purchased cookware/kitchen from etsy and mainstream sellers (including via Amazon in France and Germany). The only issue was with some damage to an Amazon shipment, which they promptly made OK.
Mimou-GW thanked Gooster
Tina Marie
2 years ago
I've ordered a good bit of items from overseas, but nothing really pricey, so no VAT.
Mimou-GW thanked Tina Marie

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