Asking doll companies to mark the value of your package down..?

i know that i already replyed here, i don't remember what i said, but i changed my mind after hearing of some "customs facts" from my fellow Italian doll owners. Some users of our forums had to pay more than 100% the value of the package. If they didn't asked to mark it down, this would have been far more than everybody would be ok with paying.

 

In these situations, is it right for ANYONE, in any case, to be angry with the company?
No, I don't think so. If you have asked the company to mark down a package, and something goes wrong, it's your own fault and you have to accept the consequences of it.

Is it really proper to expect the company to put themselves out for you by marking the package down?
I think it's entirely up to the company what kind of policy they have around this issue. If they are willing to mark down, then fine, it's their loss if they get caught, but I think one as a customer should accept if a company refuses to do it. After all, it's illegal, and I have full understanding for those companies that don't do it. If I had a company, I probably wouldn't mark the packages down for my customers. Even if they happen to loose a couple of customers because of that, in the end, I think it's worth it when it comes to all the fines and trouble caused if they get caught.

Why, in instances of the package being marked down by request, do people blame the resulting customs chaos on the company?
It's a good question actually, so I leave this for others to answer.

 

I think the main point of shipping is safety. I wouldn't ask to mark it as 'Gift' because i guess it would make me seem like a cheapskate, not that the dolls are cheap anyway. xD

 

Illegal, dishonest and just plain dumb. Now ask me how I really feel!

 

I was just searching forums about taxes and customs before ordering doll and bumped into this thread.
Question about taxing and intentional downing of value is bothering me too, but in a different way. I do not understand why people are angry if price is lowered.
We try not to buy from companies who do not lower package values, since I'm not really fond of paying customs just for fun, since its no fun at all. ( we have 20 euro limit now in Czech Rep. and many of our pachages (mostly cosmetics and RC models are over this limit).
And about dolls - I'm abit worried, since I found out that almost all all doll-selling companies do not lower value, or, if they do, dont take any responsibility for it, which is pretty weird from our privious experience from buying rather expencive RC models.

 

It's strange, but I'd be happy to pay up for the customs fees and whatnot, because that would just be another hurdle to cross until me and my doll were united, but as other countries could charge exorbitant custom fees, I can see why they would do it.

I'd be more worried if the companies did it without me asking and something happened. And if they offered to resend me the lost package, what would happen if they still marked it down?
I dunno :S

 

If company does it without asking, its wrong, I suppose.

 

I don't ask companies to mark the values lower, 'cause the packages still does go stuck to customs duty. And, only thing I really do respect and ask for, is that my doll and it's stuff does come safely in a clean and intact package.

 

the only way I would be angry is if the doll company had done it of their own accord. Whether or not I would have to pay taxes or not. the possible risk of being included in something illegal like that turns my stomach.

 

The reason it can be an issue is if something happens to the package. The insurance is only going to cover the amount listed if the doll should get lost or damaged in transit. Also, occasionally dolls do get caught in customs and it creates huge headaches when the customs officials realize the packages have been marked down (which does sometimes happen).

I can understand people not wanting to pay huge customs fees, but it is taking a risk. I would rather people ask if they want a package marked down than have the company automatically mark all of them down.

 

I would never ask a company to make down a package. I'd be annoyed if I had to pay a customs fee, especially if it was really large. I would never blame a company for me having to pay customs charges because most companies work really hard to make thier customers happy. It's part of having an expensive hobby where much of the things come from overseas. It happens.

Edit:
I would rather have to pay a customs fee on my doll then have to pay to replace them if something happened en-route.

 

In these situations, is it right for ANYONE, in any case, to be angry with the company?
If the company marked something down by themselves, and then something happened to the doll, then yes. Perfectly acceptable.

But if you asked them, then either which way they do things, you have no right to be angry.

Is it really proper to expect the company to put themselves out for you by marking the package down?
Of course it's not. I wouldn't do it. You're already spending the money on a very expensive doll, eat the taxes too, please.

Why, in instances of the package being marked down by request, do people blame the resulting customs chaos on the company?
Because people like to blame not themselves.

 

Raisallie,agreed.

If ask for yourself to low the price, blame yourself -__-

 

Personally, I'm not fond of companies marking down the value of the doll. If anything went wrong you wouldn't be covered by full insurance.

I suppose that for folks in countries with high customs taxes I can see the reason for the request but I'd rather have full insurance coverage. Plus here it's illegal to undervalue an object. Both the buyer & seller could get in trouble.

 

Most doll companies will lower the value, some even do it without the customer asking. I think it's only Volks that won't. Someone had a big issue with B&G marking down their package of 6 dolls to just $50 and B&G took 6 months to sort this out when the package went missing. On the other hand, others have said that when parcels from Luts have gone missing with the value lowered, the company has sucked it up and replaced the dolls.

Personally, I have not and will not ask a company to lower the value on my behalf and if they lower the value without my knowledge or consent I'd be pretty annoyed. I don't like paying VAT either, but I would rather get my doll into the country above board than go through the headache of trying to get a new doll off the company and get compensation from the post office if my doll goes missing or gets destroyed in the mail.

Also, for EU members worried about import taxes, there are European BJD dealers. As I understand it, there are no import taxes for goods bought within the EU. It might take slightly longer for you to get your doll...but if it means lower taxes or no taxes at all, I know which route I would take.

 

I would ask the company to mark the value down and yes, if something happend, it's my problem. I think it's damn obvious. I don't know if there are people who ask to mark the value down and then blame the company, but since people here really emphasize "if you ask for the lower value then it's your responsibility!", it seems that that yes, everyone who asks to lower the value is a moron who thinks they will get full refund if something happend D:

Most companies mark the value down without even being asked to, so I don't understand how asking for it is oh so bad either. The company CAN refuse.

I don't want to pay custom fees not because I would rather save the money on wigs and more dolly stuff, but because my country is a really stinky piece of ****. Politicians think only about taking our money and no, they don't give anything in return. Everything stinks here-- health service , police... I don't see ANY reason why I should give them 25$ of my doll's value

 

just to add there are taxes on things you buy in the EU, there are taxes thats the dealer should pay when importing, so its not that you wont get taxed, (unless they are fiddling it illegaly) its just wont wont get a suprise tax when it gets caught in customs,

not getting random suprise charges is always prefrable so you know how much you are paying upfront IMHO its just sad I can't find many european dealers for the dolls I want but thats a different topic

 

Chances package will be lost are really tiny, but chances you will pay 30-35% fee on customs are like 99%, I'd rather take risk (which I dont consider even a risk) of lowering value, then pay customs here whose 30-35% just for nothing.

I do not agree, customs fee has nothing to do with hobby, its just a way for country to control market and earn money for financing themselves (for customs). So no-no for them to get this money from me
After ordering huge number of things from China (cosmetics, RC-stuff, yarns, beads, other hobby related things) I've never encountered parcel loss yet. So for me its worth the "risk"
But everyone decides for themselves, so I dont promote lowering.

There are taxes inside EU, unfortunately. Every country has differend untaxed amount.

 

I always ask the company to mark the value down, also when I ask them I tell them that I know about the risk and if something is happening it's my problem. I use online shopping for many years now, and I always try to ask companies to write a lower value and until now I never had any problems. If it happens one day, well, bad luck - lost much money but not as much in total as if I always had to pay fees.
I really won't donate my country 24 % of the item value - most of the time this is about 130 or more Euro! (for Volks FCS dolls it would be more than 200 Euro!)
When I buy dolls I'm not avaricious with money, but I get greedy when I think that I spend money for nothing.
Ok, there are some EU shops, but they don't sell the dolls I like.

I would never blame the company if I ask them for writing a lower value, but I would be angry if a company writes values like 50 $ for some dolls without being asked.

 

vulpes, thanks for putting me right!

Exactly, it's not just BJD hobbyists that get these taxes, all imports over a certain amount are taxed...so who are we to declare we're above customs tax? Are we that special because we've paid a lot of money for a doll that we don't have to pay the same rates that other importers have to pay? I don't think so. There are a lot of features of this hobby that I dislike, and this 'up yourself' attitude that we shouldn't have to pay taxes when everyone else importing goods has to is irritating.

Customs and excise is very important for generating revenue and has been for hundreds of years. If your country doesn't use this revenue for public spending it's up to you to vote and change the system to make them spend the money in a useful, positive way.

Use your democratic right to a vote, don't sit back and commit fraud.