Thread: Customs Broker / Gouging!

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  1. #38
    Made it out to Ezeiza today accompanied by a girlfriend fluent in spanish. I would have been lost without her as she handled all of the interactions. A lot of hurry up and wait, shuttled back and forth to multiple offices, a ton of paperwork, but finally out after forking over $175p, and with my two Fedex boxes. A big hassle over a total of nine, count 'em 9, microcassettes. The process was made more hairy by my expired tourist visa and two "ultima prorrogas", but the girlfriend finessed it for me. Charming little devil.

    I hired a driver recommended by "Silver Star" given SS was busy to get out to Ezeiza and back. More money, but not that much more, and worth it. Helluva nice Peugeot and the guy couldn't have been more accomodating.

    A completely blown afternoon but all's well that ends well.

    Dogg

  2. #37
    Administrator


    Posts: 2556

    Venues: 398
    Hey Dogg,

    I've dealt with nearly identical situations before (CDs, not tapes).

    Here's a repost of how DHL automatically handles these situations.

    However, I've also know people to go to the Custom's impound warehouse at EZE to personally negotiate the ransom for the release of their package, generally getting off lighter than originally demanded. For example, there is NO import tariff on used books, but you'll have to have them open the package, watch them examine the contents, and then you'll need to demonstrate that the books are in fact used, ostensibly by examining their physical condition.

    Thanks,

    Jackson.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jackson  [View Original Post]
    I've had my USA mail (including credit cards) forwarded to me herein BA via DHL every month for the past 6 years.

    I can track the envelope en route, including seeing when it's cleared Customs, and it gets delivered to my doorman who texts me on delivery and has it waiting for me at the building's front desk.

    Twice in the past 6 years, when somebody sent me a DVD / CD or a book, Customs has held the envelope, in which case DHL instead delivered a standard Customs invoice which essentially states that I can come to the Custom's impound depot at EZE and argue the applicability of any import taxes, or I can just give the DHL courier $135 pesos to pay Customs to settle the entire matter. I leave the funds with my doorman, he gives it to the DHL courier the next day, and the following day my envelope is delivered, unopened.

    The first time I did this, I observed on the invoice that $50 pesos of the $135 pesos was a DHL fee for the service, the remaining $85 pesos apparently being Custom's default import tax on unopened packages displaying outward evidence of a hard object inside, either a DVD / CD, or a book, etc. As generally reluctant as I am to succumb to such nuisance fees, it's still cheaper than making a trip to EZE to argue otherwise.

    I've also used DHL to send envelopes to the USA on several occasions, their rates being generally half of what FedX wants for the same service. Interestingly, the DHL agents always insist on examining the contents of my outgoing envelopes, not for security reasons, but because (as an agent told me one day after my repeated questioning) the Argentine Government requires it to prevent individuals from sending currency out of the country via third party shippers.

    Thanks,

    Jackson

  3. The Following User Says Thank You to Jackson For This Post:


  4. #36
    Quote Originally Posted by Doggboy  [View Original Post]
    Thanks for the input. I've been told I might be able to avoid a customs broker, but I won't know unless I trek out to Ezeiza tomorrow with one of my gatos to translate. A day of fucking and trying to avoid getting "fucked".
    Let me know if you would like to go in and back with me to EZE tomorrow. Will make a deal for you since it will be R / T.

    I do need to be in the city tomorrow by 3PM or so.

    Fred.

    www.silverstarcar.com

  5. #35
    Quote Originally Posted by Jabone  [View Original Post]
    I would try calling Fedex in the states (or other origin country). Part of Fedex service is customs clearance. I have had UPS Argentina try to bill for customs until I got the USA office involved. I know a customs attorney in BA who is well connected but it might not be worth it. PM for details.
    Thanks for the input. I've been told I might be able to avoid a customs broker, but I won't know unless I trek out to Ezeiza tomorrow with one of my gatos to translate. A day of fucking and trying to avoid getting "fucked".

  6. #34
    Quote Originally Posted by Seaman  [View Original Post]
    Look in the yellow pages for a "despachante de aduana". Good luck, and let us know what your experiences are.
    I would try calling Fedex in the states (or other origin country). Part of Fedex service is customs clearance. I have had UPS Argentina try to bill for customs until I got the USA office involved. I know a customs attorney in BA who is well connected but it might not be worth it. PM for details.

  7. The Following User Says Thank You to Jabone For This Post:


  8. #33
    Quote Originally Posted by Doggboy  [View Original Post]
    I've been informed today by Fedex that I must hire a customs broker to get a shipment out of customs. A first for me with Fedex. All because of some microcassettes that were sent along with documents in this shipment. That has never been an issue in the past as I always paid Fedex at the door.

    If anyone has a broker they can recommend, PM me. Much appreciated!
    Look in the yellow pages for a "despachante de aduana". Good luck, and let us know what your experiences are.

  9. #32

    Broker needed

    I've been informed today by Fedex that I must hire a customs broker to get a shipment out of customs. A first for me with Fedex. All because of some microcassettes that were sent along with documents in this shipment. That has never been an issue in the past as I always paid Fedex at the door.

    If anyone has a broker they can recommend, PM me. Much appreciated!

  10. #31
    As I posted on this thread a while back, when they get you over a barrel here, you will get fucked. I okayed my shipment today from the US, used Fedex for this shipment rather than DHL, as my experiences with DHL have been consistently bad. I fully expect problems, but if I lose a couple of travel books, not that big a deal. Since I don't bet on sports anymore, apparently this shipment situation has taken it's place.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jbrlovers
    I have heard all kinds of stories about AR customs. At the airport. But for the most part I can't complain. But last year I had someone bring with them about $3,000 US worth of machinery parts to be used or a job we were doing. For the most part these items were not available in AR hence the need to bring them in from the US. The individual had all the required documentation including the original supplier invoices. I was told the tax would be 45% on the invoiced value. This is want I was charge on a previous time when I was the carrier. Because of this I told him to bring an extra $1,500 for custom charges. And $1,000 for me (I was running low and still had a few weeks to go)

    Well customs posted their own value on the parts (like they would know) And the hit for 100% tax plus a fine. Fine for what? He declared it all. He called me at the AR office and told me they wanted $3,500 and every time he questioned something the # went up. I met him at the airport with the my company's agent. We told him we had $2,500 in cash. So if it was going to be more we would have to use a credit card. He came back 2 hours later and said they had reached an agreement. Guess what the total cost was. That's right $2,500 exactly. I still wonder how much my own agent got out of the deal.

  11. #30

    Cool An extra bite in the ass from our friends in Customs

    I have heard all kinds of stories about AR customs at the airport. But for the most part I can't complain. But last year I had someone bring with them about $3,000 US worth of machinery parts to be used or a job we were doing. For the most part these items were not available in AR hence the need to bring them in from the US. The individual had all the required documentation including the original supplier invoices. I was told the tax would be 45% on the invoiced value. This is want I was charge on a previous time when I was the carrier. Because of this I told him to bring an extra $1,500 for custom charges. And $1,000 for me (I was running low and still had a few weeks to go)

    Well customs posted their own value on the parts (like they would know) And the hit for 100% tax plus a fine. Fine for what? He declared it all. He called me at the AR office and told me they wanted $3,500 and every time he questioned something the # went up. I met him at the airport with the my company's agent. We told him we had $2,500 in cash. So if it was going to be more we would have to use a credit card. He came back 2 hours later and said they had reached an agreement. Guess what the total cost was. That's right $2,500 exactly. I still wonder how much my own agent got out of the deal.

    Quote Originally Posted by Dickhead
    A friend of mine from the states mailed me some textbooks and declared their value as $100 US. They were new books and that was probably quite close to their cost in the open market, maybe a bit high. Probably I could have bought them for $85. She sent them via the US Postal Service. I got charged a customs duty of 50% of the $100 declared value. Shit. OK, fair enough I guess.

    Now what really pissed me off was I was also charged 50% of the $46 Express Mail postage. What the FUCK? That does not seem kosher. Also and under the general heading of bend over, I was charged 17 pesos by the Argentinean postal service for? I have no idea but allegedly related to the foreign origin of the package.

    This contrasts quite unfavorably with the exact same situation in May where the exact same person sent me textbooks through the exact same channel and no customs duties were charged. I thought about rejecting the shipment and telling them to go %$#&*& themselves but it was a new edition of the text so I thought it might be important. Turns out it was not and I could well have survived without it.

    Live and learn. Now the Argentinean government has 237 pesos that I would otherwise have "pumped into the economy" by pumping a couple of hookers.

  12. #29

    Books, importation of

    Quote Originally Posted by Moore
    Doggboy,

    It seems like SteveC did have to "clear" arriving books with some type of official before taking possesion. The books didn't go directly to his door without inspection like document packs do.

    Maybe the process is just a lot easier in Mar Del Plata than in BsAs. If you're that far away in provincia, they probably let you clear the item locally in some little office. It's hard to believe they'd make someone from several hundred miles away go to Ezeiza for a package.
    After the postman delivers the note to my door, I go to the main post office of the city, where they have a separate customs office. These customs guys open the parcel, see the books and say OK, take 'em away. Must have done this 7/8 times now. On the other hand, they're pretty hot on anything else. I sold a camera on ebay once and it was returned by the buyer and I still had to pay tax on my own goods. I did negotiate him down to half of what he originally demanded, another reminder of where I live.

  13. #28
    Senior Member


    Posts: 213

    To DH

    I ship items via USPS to overseas. I usually mark "Gift" on a little green sticker, a Custom Label Form, and then check "Value" as -0-.

    See what happens if your friend mails a package this way.

    Strad.

    Quote Originally Posted by Dickhead
    A friend of mine from the states mailed me some textbooks and declared their value as $100 US. They were new books and that was probably quite close to their cost in the open market, maybe a bit high. Probably I could have bought them for $85. She sent them via the US Postal Service. I got charged a customs duty of 50% of the $100 declared value. Shit. OK, fair enough I guess.

    Now what really pissed me off was I was also charged 50% of the $46 Express Mail postage. What the FUCK? That does not seem kosher. Also and under the general heading of bend over, I was charged 17 pesos by the Argentinean postal service for ???? I have no idea but allegedly related to the foreign origin of the package.

    This contrasts quite unfavorably with the exact same situation in May where the exact same person sent me textbooks through the exact same channel and no customs duties were charged. I thought about rejecting the shipment and telling them to go %$#&*& themselves but it was a new edition of the text so I thought it might be important. Turns out it was not and I could well have survived without it.

    Live and learn. Now the Argentinean government has 237 pesos that I would otherwise have "pumped into the economy" by pumping a couple of hookers.

  14. #27
    Thanks for the additional input. It looks like a crapshoot to me. I think I'll have them sent in the package that does NOT include my tax return.

  15. #26
    A friend of mine from the states mailed me some textbooks and declared their value as $100 US. They were new books and that was probably quite close to their cost in the open market, maybe a bit high. Probably I could have bought them for $85. She sent them via the US Postal Service. I got charged a customs duty of 50% of the $100 declared value. Shit. OK, fair enough I guess.

    Now what really pissed me off was I was also charged 50% of the $46 Express Mail postage. What the FUCK? That does not seem kosher. Also and under the general heading of bend over, I was charged 17 pesos by the Argentinean postal service for? I have no idea but allegedly related to the foreign origin of the package.

    This contrasts quite unfavorably with the exact same situation in May where the exact same person sent me textbooks through the exact same channel and no customs duties were charged. I thought about rejecting the shipment and telling them to go %$#&*& themselves but it was a new edition of the text so I thought it might be important. Turns out it was not and I could well have survived without it.

    Live and learn. Now the Argentinean government has 237 pesos that I would otherwise have "pumped into the economy" by pumping a couple of hookers.

  16. #25
    Senior Member


    Posts: 1043
    Doggboy,

    It seems like SteveC did have to "clear" arriving books with some type of official before taking possesion. The books didn't go directly to his door without inspection like document packs do.

    Maybe the process is just a lot easier in Mar Del Plata than in BsAs. If you're that far away in provincia, they probably let you clear the item locally in some little office. It's hard to believe they'd make someone from several hundred miles away go to Ezeiza for a package.

  17. #24
    Thanks for the feedback SteveC. I'll try my luck with it. The books are not packaged singly, and loose in a bigger package with letters, etc. I think I'll be ok, but as you note, don't count your chickens.

    Quote Originally Posted by SteveC
    Here in Mar del Plata I've imported books on several occasions, through Amazon and other sources. Always had to open the parcel at the PO when I went to collect it, show them the contents, and walked away without paying a penny. Should be the same anywhere, but this is Argentina after all.

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