The dreaded C word CUSTOMS!!!!

The Philippines isn't much better on this one. :/ We don't even know what we get charged by. There is no rhyme or rhythm to how they charge customs. Sometimes, all you have to pay is $2-3 for handling fees. Other times, they would charge you as much as 100-150% of the package, especially when they find out how much the package really is. According to another member of my community, our customs office has a quota to fill and they try to milk as much money as they can from you just to fulfill it. I've heard people being charged as much as $300 for their dolls and that's just for customs!

 

customs is always a pain! I just ordered a doll body and when it got here I had to pay custom fees! I was soooo sad because I didn't have cash on me at the time and they only accepted cash or credit. I told them to wait until I find my credit card but they couldnt wait for me so I dashed like a mad person to find my card and just before the postman left I was able to get the body. It's crazy but sometimes we just get unlucky.

 

I ordered my Ivy from DDE in the States to here in the UK and the Customs charge came to about $130. I knew I'd get hit with Customs charges, so I'd factored that in when budgeting for her, but it still kinda stings to be hit with such a huge charge for such a little critter! They held the parcel up for over a week as well I think I'll try and order via an EU seller/dealer in future, where I can!

 

I'm currently waiting for 2 parcels of clothes/wigs and an SD partly strung body to the UK. I'm praying at least the body skips customs. I was reading on Facebook that there is a 1/3 chance of getting a parcel stuck in customs, whereas 10 years ago it was more around 1/9-1/10. I can understand them being a little more careful recently, but I can't help but feel it's beginning to be more about making money. :/

 

The most I have paid in customs were around 80€ for a MSD body and some clothing.
My last three packages were caught in customs, they seemed to have written my name down on kind of a red list, so I had to stop ordering dolls this year.
I hope to order my next doll this winter, so it would arrive in spring and hopefully everything will be calmed. I have noticed they tend to stop more packages during holidays (Christmas, summer vacations...)

 

I used to live in Turkey and never understood how customs really worked. A lot of my boxes would just pass even when they're marked the full value, which is over $1000 in more than one occasion, and then a package that's marked $50 that contains doll clothes and wigs would get stuck. :/

 

My deepest and heartfelt sympathies dear fellow customs charges loathers.

Am I correct in thinking that if a doll is sent from one EU country to another EU country, there are no customs charges to pay?

 

Yes, that's correct. If you send a doll, e.g. from France to Germany or from the U.K. to Germany, there's no customs fees. If it's a European country that's not in the EU, however, there are fees afaik.

 

I had it with two of my Group orders but it was around 30 euro that divided really wasn't much.
I bought dolls from companies three times I think. The first was from China and they always mark down by default, that passed through without problem. The second was from South Korea and I was so afraid I made them ship to Switzerland, I had asked them to mark it down but they wouldn't do it, it did get taxed but it was bearable. Then I bought two dolls from Leeke for my sister, and asked them to mark it down which they did and again passed through without problems.

I constantly ask my father for advice because he actually works in customs but he told me they just pick what to check at random. XD
At least he can suggest me what to declare or make them declare on the package.

 

Hello Khell. Thank you very much for confirming this. That is some (small) consolation!

I came across this website, which DoA members may find helpful:

http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation/

It only allows you a limited number of free calculations, though.

 

My mum just had to pay £85 in customs fees on her Narae. It was actually over valued as Bimong included face-up price despite her being blank. Boo

 

Ouch! Something else to worry about now. Over valued items. If the difference between what you should have paid and actually paid is considerable, it would be worth contacting Bimong and mentioning this, as this is a result of an error on their part. Send them photos of any customs charges related paperwork showing the amount paid. They might be the decent sort and refund you the overpayment amount.

 

The largest fee I've been hit with recently was £110 ($170), I was expecting it though but yeah either way I can't say it pleases me!

 

Currently waiting for my dolls in the making, I've already prepared myself for the fees (which will still be painful lol), but what I'm most afraid of is when they open the package. Hopefully they won't mess up the content ;_;

 

Customs is bad blood for me. Hahahaha! Even though my uncle is working for the customs here in my country, I really think they put unnecessary taxes / fees sometimes. I just hope every personnel inside the Customs office will be kind (thought this is just a very impossible wishful thinking for me)

 

A 1/3 chance? All my dolls so far got clouted by customs, and Milos's hair, eye putty and eyelashes... And yet Gabrys's hair and all the eyes from the US have slipped in easily. The worst part was my l'il Pipos guys, literally half the money I had to pay was in Parcelforce's handling fees, which some people argue is an illegal fee in the first place.

I even got a customs fee handed to me on my doorstep today because Milos came via UPS rather than Parcelforce and UPS appear to be weird. ...Maybe I should've just shut the door on them once I'd got the parcel.

 

I'm dreading customs, though I have the money set aside.

It's the delivery I'm worried about, as no one is home during the day and I don't drive so getting to the nearest parcel force office will be tricky...

 

Ugh customs.. I hate them so much! Dx
My boyfriend later picks up a package from Leekeworld and of course there will be customs paid, but only € 8-9.
But I'll get my DD Takane next week and custom charges should be around € 140.. it's like they're holding her ransom, it's very annoying.