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Air/Sea Shipment Customs charges

Air/Sea Shipment Customs charges

Old Aug 30th 2008, 5:36 am
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del
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Default Air/Sea Shipment Customs charges

Our Air shipment turned up about 6 weeks ago, and we got a bill for $300 to destroy one pair of trainers and one pair of slippers - both sets of shoes had been cleaned before being packed. Customs wanted over $500 to steam clean these items... steam cleaning a pair of slippers! Yeah right, that'll be worth it, won't it?

This week our sea shipment turned up and Customs are at it again - $575 + GST to steam clean 2 bikes (which were cleaned before also) and $275 + GST to destroy a 12" high Father Christmas model. So, over $900 just for the privilege of getting our furniture delivered, and we're not gonna contest because we just want our stuff delivered and don't want it sitting in storage if we were to dispute these charges.

Are we being shafted here? I feel Customs are taking advantage of us as no doubt they know we just want to get our furniture delivered ASAP. Are they exploiting immigrants - why $575 for a 10 minute steam clean anyway? And $300 to "destroy" a doll??? Wouldn't be so bad if they were "real world" charges.

I'm miffed that we've had to pay almost $1300 in total just to get our stuff delivered to us. Is this some sort of stealth tax? Anyone experienced this, or has anyone not been charged once their air/sea shipments have come in?

We're finding Aus expensive enough as it is - this just takes the biscuit.

Del
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Old Aug 30th 2008, 8:26 am
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Default Re: Air/Sea Shipment Customs charges

Originally Posted by del
Anyone experienced this, or has anyone not been charged once their air/sea shipments have come in?
We weren't charged anything on our air shipment and also not charged anything on our sea shipment, which included bikes, shoes, and garden tools. AQIS did open boxes and inspect them but no charges.

So, either you were unlucky or you didn't clean your stuff well enough before you packed it.

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Old Aug 30th 2008, 9:38 am
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Default Re: Air/Sea Shipment Customs charges

Gina, thanks for the reply, and glad that you didn't get charged anything - there goes my conspiracy theory! Still, the cost of cleaning/"destroying" is way over the top, and I thought we had cleaned everything satisfactorily. Ho hum.
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Old Aug 30th 2008, 11:04 pm
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Default Re: Air/Sea Shipment Customs charges

I have just sent off our stuff to be shipped.

My cleaning:
bike= wipe down bike with damp soapy cloth; go through treads on tyres with pointy stick removing every last trace of debris, remove and discard mudguards; 2nd wipe down and leave to dry. Deflate tyres.

golf clubs= thorough clean as above

Shoes= if boxes still present keep them. Rinse well under hot tap, pointy stick in tread of soles removing every last trace of any contamination, then clean with toothbrush and disinfectant, leave to dry on radiator for a couple of days. If boxes still present put them back in original box.

Now....if I get charged for cleaning I will KNOW they are taking the piss.
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Old Aug 31st 2008, 10:28 am
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Default Re: Air/Sea Shipment Customs charges

I was charged for fumigating the container as it contained wooden items. It was about $90, but that was years ago. I also made sure there was no trace of contamination in bike treads etc. This time I just shipped a few boxes which I don't think were even opened (unlike every package I get sent from overseas).
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Old Aug 31st 2008, 1:17 pm
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Default Re: Air/Sea Shipment Customs charges

i was just charged $199 for my airfreight - apparently made up of a handling fee for lifting it off the plane, and a fee for putting it through the xray machine. I was not impressed.

wouldn't recommend excess baggage for sending airfreight - their quoted air freight delivery time of 5 -14 days ended up being 21 days from the day they collected it in the UK until I received it in adelaide. it didn't leave the UK for 14 days (and only then cos I rang them asking when to expect delivery and discovered it hadn't gone anywhere yet!). The cases had also been opened by someone as a receipt for the above $199 was inside - in doing so they managed to make a big hole in a new woollen top by trapping it in the zip of the case. they are however denying all responsibility.
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