Penalty charge from customs

[lomi]

I have just receive my dvd orders from amazon, the  box contains 5 dvd titles and cost about $135.  Before I went to post office to claim my order, I knew the customs will hold and charge me with a penalty because I read some members of this forum about their experiences with ordering "too much".  After the customs official computed the penalty charge, he said that i need to pay P2,400 to get my worthy dvds (this is too much! I could buy 2 dvd with this fine!).  But after much talk and negotiations, he accepts my offer to give him 1000 pesos in exchange with the fine.

Here's my question:
Is there any quota from ordering dvds?  A lot of my friends telling me that it is ok to order as many as you can but not to exceed $500.
How do they compute for the penalty charge?

[dvdfan]

I am not sure on the penalty charge. But I think taxes are 10% + 10% VAT.

From what I compute in your purchase you averaged 1,550 / DVD title. That is slightly higher than the local price of DVDs here.

I do not like to order from the USA anymore as the cost is the same and without the hassle of dealing with customs officials.

[viper]

Lomi, I presume that you selected worldmail as your shipping option. If the original customs fee was P2,400, then it would be much cheaper to have the merchandise shipped via DHL (International Priority). For a 5 DVD purchase, the shipping cost difference is around $17 an at an exchange rate of P50 : $1, the difference is less than P1000. Mabilis pa dumating (door to door), you can track pa the shipment.

In fact, I have a pending shipment from Amazon. To my surprise when I checked the account status, I forgot to put back the priority shipping option kaya it was shipped via worldmail (deutch post). Hindi ko na nahabol kaya I have 7-26 days to wait for the shipment. I just hope the customs charge is not too much when I receive the postal advice that the shipment arrives.  

[lomi]

thanks dvdfan and viper for the reply!

Yes, I have selected worldmail as my shipping option, this is my 4th order from amazon and i tought that it will saved me some money coz int'l priority shipping cost is very expensive.  Well I'm wrong, i should have selected int'l priority (less hassles, mabilis pa!).  Sayang, kung nauna ko sanang nalaman dito sa PinoyDVD yung mga testimonials nila tungkol sa worldmail and customs, di na siguro ako nag-worldmail (sigh, its too late to change my shipping options kasi na-ship na).  But on the other hand, buti na lang may PinoyDVD, para babalain ang mga kapwa Pinoy dvd enthusiast natin tungkol sa customs kapag bumibili sila sa internet ng dvd.  PinoyDVD is the best!!!

My first 3 orders from amazon contains more than 5 dvd titles per order and some are mixed with some audio cds, all are shipped on int'l shipping with no problems.  This is my first time to order 5 dvd titles thru worldmail (wrong move pala!).  if you are wondering why i buy dvds on amazon, it is because i buy anime dvd, taga kasi magbenta ang shops dito sa pinas ng anime dvd.

[green_archer]

Shipping via international priority is not an assurance that you will be saved from customs charges. I received an order last December with about 7 discs from Amazon sent via international priority (DHL) with a value of about  142.00 dollars. I was charged by DHL with a 1700.00 customs charge! It's a good thing that customs officials can be bribed but DHL people cannot! The weird thing is that I used to ship via international priority before and I wasn't charged for anything. Last December was the first time I was charged. The DHL people also cannot explain this. In the end I have to pay up or else DHL would not have released my dvds. Before, without the taxes and even with the more expensive international priority shipping, an average dvd I purchased from Amazon would total about 1000-1200 bucks, but last December, my average purchase amounted to 1550.00 per discs. Now  I just buy from my friendly importer which average about 1450-1500.00 per disc. Basically just the same with no hassle for anything anymore.

[benny]

green_archer is right; shipping via Priority is not an assurance you won't pay customs fees.  For one package (valued at $60) I received via Priority, I was charged about 1,200 pesos for customs fees/taxes by the DHL delivery guy. He even had the receipt printed out already, so I had no choice but to pay.  

[viper]

Benny, was your $60 item composed of DVDs (or CDs/VHS)? I am very much surprised by this info thus I reviewed my amazon purchases for this year to dig deeper into this customs charges. Last month I made a purchase worth $118.43 comprising 4 DVDs and 3 VHSs. The shipping cost amounted to $56.85 via DHL priority. Like previous purchases, the delivery was made without any extra charges (unlike when UPS delivers my packages like star trek ccgs, there are customs charges)

I am really at a loss why DHL does not charge me customs fees even when my purchases exceeded $100. Although I had the packages delivered to my office, I doubt if the shipping address is the reason why no customs fees are levied. Our messengers never mentioned paying any duties nor the company charges me for any customs fees advanced. Unless, of course, DHL considers my former office as a 'good' client that they forego customs charges but this is highly irregular.

I just hope that I will not be charged on the latest priority shipment I ordered but to be delivered in another office address

Otherwise, I may have to cut down on my amazoning ways.

or

I will have my succeeding orders delivered to my old office for subsequent pick up just like before. Baka hindi pa ubos ang suwerte!  

or

I will limit my orders to under $120 to avoid extra charges (but Benny's item was $60 and he got charges )

Anyway, I'll ask our Liaison Officer for Customs what is really the basis in law. I'll keep you posted.

[benny]

viper --- my package contained 3 dvd titles only (though one was Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Collection 95-98 - double discs, so there were actually 4 discs )

As DVDgurl has mentioned in another thread, your address can be a factor - Makati addresses seem less prone to customs fees, so maybe in your case, office addresses are less prone too.  

I guess I was just unlucky  

[saling-pusa]

Why not check the legal rate of custom charges, para may guidelines..? Looks like the testimonials are too personal and payment of fees depends on the whims and caprice of custom officials. Offering bribe should never be encouraged!

[GENDEMMIT]

Yeah, I totally agree.  But discouraging it and getting things done in the real world are two different things.  This is the Philippines, after all, and like it or not, here, LAGAY is king.  And not until we actually see some REALLY big fish get taken down for bribery, nothing will change.

[MyUSmailbox.com]

DO you guys want to avoid the customs Headache? Then, we are your solution! Just order any DVD you like in the US, then ship it to your USA address (that we will provide) and we will take care of the rest - forward to Manila by Air or Sea, clear through customs and ready for pick-up in our Makati store or deliver to your house or office (if applicable).

Costs? Depending on weight and package size but based on previous shipping transactions with our DVD-buyer/clients, it's about $2.50 by Sea (45-60 days) or $5.00 (7 days) by Air per Piece. No need to maximize the minimum weight since we charge on a Pro-Rata basis.

For more info, visit us online at www.MyUSmailbox.com or better yet, call us up and we would fax you the forms and explain in detail our e-commerce services at 893-6655 / 6688.

Best,
Randy

[Komikero]

Sounds like a very interesing service, Randy! And I wouldn't mind using it. I do have a question though. Online retailers like Amazon usually deliver to street addresses and not to mailboxes. Have you gotten around this problem?

[MyUSmailbox.com]

Hi Komikero,

We provide a real postal street address (our US offices). What makes the address unique to the subscriber is its personal account number that goes with the postal address. We process an average of 10,000 mails & packagesa day for more than 20+ countries which include a lot of Amazon parcels.

[viper]

Just had my UsMailBox activated. And placed an order at Amazon selecting standard shipping (3-7 business days) to be delivered to the US address. Total amount is less than $100. I'll see how long does it take to be delivered.

I still have a pending order from Amazon which was placed last April 30. I have mistakenly placed worldmail as the shipping option hence I am still waiting for the advice from our very efficient post office.

Maybe its better to forget na lang the order and be surprised when the postal advice arrives charging me custom fees  

[groucho]

Viper,

Hi! Just got registered with pinoydvd today and am still basically just learning the ropes.  Came across this thread and got particularly intrigued.

Pero bitin!  The last post is dated 5/22/01.  Just when the story was getting very interesting, no other replies were submitted.

Mahirap abangan ang susunod na kabanata.  Anong nangyari sa order mo through myusmailbox?  Dumating ba?  How much did you have to pay?  Was myusmailbox as good as it is thought to be?

[Krazyfu_tangerine]

My order from amazon arrived 2 days ago, and i had to go to the post office to pick it up, my package cost $90, the lady in the customs dept. didn't even look at the slip, she just said 20pesos. gave her the 20 and im on my way. i have ordered 3 times already this way since "99" and its always the same thing 20 pesos pls. and im on my way.

[viper]

I am really interested to know which post office branch this is.  

[viper]

I really want to know which post office branch this is. Is it Ortigas?

[radzeykimosabi]

Hello guys,
Gusto ko rin ishare sa inyo ang mga experiences ko regarding this custom taxes/charges. First sa DHL, when i ordered 9 dvd's from amazon i paid almost P2000 for duty tax last month, nakakapagtaka kasi before pa wala naman akong binabayaran kahit na umabot ng 6 dvd's yung item ko, then all of a sudden wham!!!Sabi ng guy na laging nagdedeliver sa bahay sa tingin nya raw eh dahil sa accumulated value ng order na umabot ng $200 kaya suggest nya na limit my order below $100. Pero mukhang napaka inconsistent ng DHL regarding this taxes dahil mayron pa rin nagta-tax kahit below $100 at minsan wala nga. Smells fishy, baka may anomalya di ba? Tingin ko mas maganda pa sa FEDEX kaya lang di naman courier ng Amazon, sa maniwala kayo't hindi nung bumili ako ng receiver thru ebay, pinadala nung seller by fedex and when my package arrived at their facility tinawagan ko agad sabi may tax daw ako worth P7000, sabi ko cge COD na lang. And guess what my brother received the package for me at wala syang binayaran kahit Piso, siguro swerte lang ako, pero imposible since electronics ito at napakalaki pa ng box.

Kaya ngayon pag umorder ako ng DVD sa amazon standard shipping na lang or expedited  at P20 lang ang bayad regardless kahit na 10 pa. Dito bumabagsak sa Alabang Post Office sa dami nga ng mga packages ko kilala na ko ng clerk na babae di ko na kailangan magpakita ng ID, binabati pa ko sa pangalan ko.

Kung gusto nyong makalibre sa tax using standard shipping or expedited sa Amazon pwede nyo kong tawagan para ipagamit ko sa inyo yung add ko. Ipa care of nyo sa pangalan ko then sabay natin pick-up in sa post office, wag kayo mag-alala siguradong marereceive nyo yung order nyo PINOYDVD member yata tayo, yun eh kung gusto nyo lang at handa akong tumulong sa inyong mga KAPATID NA PINOYDVD member.

[xlr8]

I'd like to share my experience too!

I've been ordering online also but I never get the ax of customs tax whenever I get my package from the post-office. I always use the standard international shipping, that's why I only get to pay the P20.00 inspection fee for every package that arrives for me.

My dvd's from TAU Canada usually arrive in 7 to 10 days, just a few days later if they were shipped via DHL or Fedex. I'd rather wait for a few more days than pay the monstrous tax for a faster arrival of my dvd's.

[benny]

radzeykimosabi, salamat at ng offer ka. Matagal na akong naghahanap ng alternative sa Las Pinas post office ko since almost always nata-tax ako. Ok lang kung one dvd lang, walang tax. Pero yung past orders ko with 2 or more dvds, 90% of the time, nata-tax ako    OK lang ba if I'll take you up on your offer? As of now walang akong packages arriving to my address; may mga preorders lang pero Nov at Dec pa ang release. Siguro kung may "big" order ako, I'll ask you for the favor. What do you think?

xlr8, ikaw talaga - suwerte ka!   Mas mabilis yung packages mo at walang pang tax.

[xlr8]

radzeykimosabi, salamat at ng offer ka. Matagal na akong naghahanap ng alternative sa Las Pinas post office ko since almost always nata-tax ako. Ok lang kung one dvd lang, walang tax. Pero yung past orders ko with 2 or more dvds, 90% of the time, nata-tax ako    OK lang ba if I'll take you up on your offer? As of now walang akong packages arriving to my address; may mga preorders lang pero Nov at Dec pa ang release. Siguro kung may "big" order ako, I'll ask you for the favor. What do you think?

xlr8, ikaw talaga - suwerte ka!   Mas mabilis yung packages mo at walang pang tax.

Benny, I'll let you use my address too, if you want. Alam mo bang "sweetheart" na ang tawag sa akin ng manang na in-charge sa mga packages ko sa post office. Inggitin pa  kita, my TAU order shipped Sept 26 arrived Oct 2. hehe  

[benny]

xlr8, thanks! sana lang malapit ka nakatira   Anyway, ok pa rin yun kahit medyo malayo basta wala lang tax! Hahaha...

I'll send you a pm.

[radzeykimosabi]

radzeykimosabi, salamat at ng offer ka. Matagal na akong naghahanap ng alternative sa Las Pinas post office ko since almost always nata-tax ako. Ok lang kung one dvd lang, walang tax. Pero yung past orders ko with 2 or more dvds, 90% of the time, nata-tax ako    OK lang ba if I'll take you up on your offer? As of now walang akong packages arriving to my address; may mga preorders lang pero Nov at Dec pa ang release. Siguro kung may "big" order ako, I'll ask you for the favor. What do you think?

xlr8, ikaw talaga - suwerte ka!   Mas mabilis yung packages mo at walang pang tax.

Okay Benny no problem basta inform mo lang ako pag may parating kang order. I'll give you my add and cel # by PM sabihin mo lang.

[viper]

Viper,

Hi! Just got registered with pinoydvd today and am still basically just learning the ropes.  Came across this thread and got particularly intrigued.

Pero bitin!  The last post is dated 5/22/01.  Just when the story was getting very interesting, no other replies were submitted.

Mahirap abangan ang susunod na kabanata.  Anong nangyari sa order mo through myusmailbox?  Dumating ba?  How much did you have to pay?  Was myusmailbox as good as it is thought to be?

Groucho,

Muchas dispensas for the very late reply. Ngayon ko lang nakita yung post  

Anyway, unless you have seen in other threads, I was able to receive my shipments via myUSmailbox promptly and with no taxes levied to date. Also, you might have noticed that levying of taxes is very inconsistent  since one postal office would  just charge storage fees of P20 (like XLR8)while others (i.e. postal office near BIR main in East Triangle) would never miss charging you an arm and a leg for DVD shipments as in Benny's.

My impression here is that the inconsistency is due to the absence (incompetence?) of customs reps in the post offices/courier service providers. In the post office near BIR, the customs rep is present and very efficient in determining which is taxable and which is not! While the post office of XLR8 may not have a customs rep at all! (maybe due to the fact that the only parcels/packages recevied by that office is XLR8's   )

For DHL, maybe the delivery address is a factor if you will be taxed or not. I am sure that being a courier service provider, there is a resident customs representative assigned to them. My international priority DVD shipments to my former office in Benpres Bldg, Ortigas Center was never taxed while Benny's DHL shipments delivered to his address (residential?) got taxed.

I had four shipments via myUSmailbox delivered to another former office address in Diliman and was never taxed. One pending shipment, though, valued at approx P8,000 is yet to be delivered to my residential address here in Tondo. I just hoped that I don't get taxed this time.
:-/

[brain1976]

I too would like to share an odd expereience with the post office. I ordered 5 DVDs from Amazon and had them sent by standard shipping. They seperated my order into two shipments of 2 DVDs and 3 DVDs. The first one that arrived was the last one they shipped (3 DVDs) and when I picked it up at the post office I got charged 1,600++! I played dumb that I didn't know about the whole tax thing they dropped it to 1,000 and they even gave me receipt. I then asked if they had another package there since I'm supposed to have two. They looked for it and it wasn't there. A week later I received a notice regarding a package I have to pick up and when I picked up this pakagae of 2 DVDs I was only charged the 20 pesos parcel fee. No tax. Same guy. Same post office? It's kinda weird.

[benny]

radzeykimosabi - Hey, thanks! I'll just contact you when the need arises. I really appreciate it. Bilib talaga ako dito sa pinoydvd - ang bait ng mga tao!  

[xlr8]

My impression here is that the inconsistency is due to the absence (incompetence?) of customs reps in the post offices/courier service providers. In the post office near BIR, the customs rep is present and very efficient in determining which is taxable and which is not! While the post office of XLR8 may not have a customs rep at all! (maybe due to the fact that the only parcels/packages recevied by that office is XLR8's   )

Groucho,

Tama ka at wala ngang taga-customs sa post office namin. Pero meron din ako doon nakikita na mga kahon galing sa barnes & noble at amazon. At mas malalaki pa ang mga kahon nila kaysa sa akin.  

[Kahon]

Parang pinag-iinitan ng Customs ang mga packages ng amazon.com na pinapadala through DHL (Priority International Courier: 2-4 business days).

My order was delivered today by DHL.  Amazon shipped it in 2 packages:

Package 1 contained a $30.00 DVD.  Customs charges me P 833 for it:  P 228 customs duties + P 355 compensating tax + P 250 import processing fee.

Package 2 contained a DVD costing $18.74.  Customs charges me a P 250 import processing fee.

Damn!  Dati wala naman yan ah!          

Grabe!  Shucks.  Maybe we should all shift to Expedited International Shipping: 5 - 9 business days.

[kings5504]

tsk tsk tsk... my package arrived yesterday and i was notified that i will have to pay 3k pesos for a package worth $200...  that's almost 30%!!!!  

like you, kahon, i guess i'm switching to expedited international shipping next time...  grrrrrr.....