Thread: Customs Broker / Gouging!
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09-13-11 18:31 #38
Posts: 2470Made 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
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09-12-11 22:36 #37
Posts: 2556
Venues: 398Hey 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.
Originally Posted by Jackson [View Original Post]
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09-12-11 18:54 #36
Posts: 329Originally Posted by Doggboy [View Original Post]
I do need to be in the city tomorrow by 3PM or so.
Fred.
www.silverstarcar.com
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09-12-11 16:42 #35
Posts: 2470Originally Posted by Jabone [View Original Post]
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09-12-11 14:51 #34
Posts: 50Originally Posted by Seaman [View Original Post]
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09-12-11 14:24 #33
Posts: 168Originally Posted by Doggboy [View Original Post]
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09-12-11 12:52 #32
Posts: 2470Broker 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!
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09-06-06 14:37 #31
Posts: 2470As 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.
Originally Posted by Jbrlovers
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09-06-06 14:21 #30
Posts: 32An 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.
Originally Posted by Dickhead
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09-06-06 12:59 #29
Posts: 247Books, importation of
Originally Posted by Moore
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09-06-06 10:15 #28
Posts: 213To 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.
Originally Posted by Dickhead
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09-06-06 01:03 #27
Posts: 2470Thanks 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.
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09-06-06 00:16 #26
Posts: 3510A 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.
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09-05-06 20:01 #25
Posts: 1043Doggboy,
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.
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09-05-06 18:53 #24
Posts: 2470Thanks 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.
Originally Posted by SteveC