US Custom form?

[pdcorlis]

Ah yes, the sting in the tail of the deal - I hate how shippers play this game.

[Jerry]

All of this strengthens my resolve to buy only from American kilt makers from now on.

[JerseyLawyer]

Ah yes, the sting in the tail of the deal - I hate how shippers play this game.

It's really not a game, and it's not their fault. You can order from Canada or the USA and pay no duty, but if you order from Europe, you're supposed to pay. Even if they send it Royal Mail, you're just hoping to get lucky and have no one at ICE notice that there is a duty due.

FexEx and other freight carriers, though, tack on their own fees for the work they theoretically do in customs arbitrage on your behalf.

Of course, you could try to negotiate DDP delivery (delivered duty paid - the maximum potential obligation of a seller under general principles of international trade) rather than the more common methods. You'd wind up paying one way or another, though, since the seller would doubtless pass those costs on.

[pdcorlis]

Agreed - Totally - I guess I should be more clear. In my opinion some shippers seem to play fast and loose with their handling of duties and associated charges. I would feel less so if I didn't see a wide range of fees, duties, and the like charged by companies for roughly the same delivery of product that is roughly the same value.

I have purchased four kilts from three Scottish kilt vendors. I have paid anywhere from $0 to $45 for Duties on these products. Seems to me that there is a bit too much wiggle room for companies charge what they like.

[JerseyLawyer]

Maybe we agree, and I'm just getting confused about terms. I'm a lawyer, we're persnickety like that.

When you say shipper, do you mean the carrier, like FedEx or UPS? Or the seller or consignor of the goods?

I guess I'm saying that whoever sells the product has little control over the carrier's fees and the duty, other than by selecting what carrier to use. If you mean that the carrier has a lot of wiggle room, I agree. After all, they have the whip hand - your goods are in their control, and they won't give them over until you cough up. So, they charge the highest duty they can (theoretically to protect themselves from liability from the government), and then charge you fees for their "service" in seeing things through customs.

Ultimately, the best course is probably to consider the cost of the duty in buying the goods. Of course, figuring out what that could be from Uncle Sam's contrived harmonized tariff schedule can take an expert, but at the very least, you can make an educated guess.