Bella

Please excuse my possible naivety but is there a difference between customs & quarantine?

I have just been stung for a $400 bill for quarantine charges in Melbourne for our shipment. We were told by the agents over here that our container was of no interest to the man from quarantine so he did not want to see anything in it. But perhaps there is a standard cost? If so, should this have been made clear in the contract from our UK shippers, GB Liners? There is mention made of Customs & the fact this is included in our cost, but no mention of quarantine charges.

Has anyone else been stung for unexpected costs related to shipping once arrived in Oz?


Any answers gratefully received.
Bella

HiddenPaw

Customs is responsible for collection of taxes, import duty, etc of stuff you are bringing into Oz, and that you aren't bringinginanything illegal. Quarantine is responsible for ensuring all goods brought into the county do not contravene quarantine laws - i.e you are not bringing in stuff that may endanger the Oz ecosystem.

You can get stung for quatrantine charges if you bring in dirty garden/soil contaminated stuff - e.g. lawn mowers, camping gear, bikes, that need cleaning. You will also get charged if they need to fumigate furniture - e.g. certain wooden or cane items.

banjo

that's really interestesting as we had a guy in fromg GB Liners on Friday to quote and we specifically asked if there could be any other charges at the other end. He said a 'no' that any additional charges would be their problem. He knows we are taking things like bikes, lawnmowers, fishing equipment etc, hoover etc. Maybe worth contacting GB Liners and querying them on it..... :cconfused:

Pollyana

I was told by my shippers that although Customs charges were included in the bill from the UK shippers, they couldn't tell me how much Quarantine charges would be, because it is up to the AQIS to decide what they think needs treating/destroying. Hence the bill has to be paid be me this end before the goods are released.

HiddenPaw

I hope the menagerie of animals gets thru OK Pol. Any news on the rabbit yet?

Pollyana

Thanks HiddenPaw, I'll tell him you were asking after him! He is having a paws repaired this week, then the new waistcoat tarted up, and should be arriving in time for the wedding in January!!
I shall have to ring AQIS about him.....!!!

dmf

We used GB Liners and we received a bill this end from Movements International for $300ish (can't remember exactly) - something to do with customs fee - can't remember sorry but our container was on time, straight through all the checks - no problems.

Dawn

Bella

Thanks a bunch all, this is v helpful.

Bella

HiddenPaw

Ah, a manicure!! I'm sure he'll look very handsome...we want to see photos of course!

Pollyana

I'll see what I can do, HiddenPaw. His long-term-companion (!) is also on her way over, my precious panda is having fur repair treatment somewhere near Oxford, and sent me a nice letter last week saying she is convalescing and should be out in January too - they have both been with me since I was about 6 months old!! I'll get the Bloke to do a photo when they get here!!

Further to the shipping query - I've had 2 consignments come out as air-freight. I've had to go out to the airport to collect them, which means, getting the paperwork from the importers (near the airport), sign a Customs form, answer a few questions for AQIS about the contents, pay an inspection fee (about $50 for a smallish box), then collect the box itself and take it to AQIS to inspect. If they find anything they want to look at in more detail, they will bill you further (in my case they didn't). Then you can just take the box home.

Ceri

On the same subject.. I am currently holding a bill. I ordered some software from the states for the office. The unit was $199.95 (it was valued at $279.68 AU)

I have been stung for $27.96 GST
And $50.44 for other charges... I just love the way the customs slap on "other charges" without a breakdown of what I'm being charged for. If this is for just opening an A4 box - I'm in the wrong job.. where's my box cutters?

cheers

HiddenPaw

I got stung for a parcel of cycling clothes and cycling apparel from the UK - 25% import duty plus GST (they even charge GST on the UK postage!!). Anyway, I did my homework and looked up the import duty rates on the internet - they'd charged me a flat rate of 25% on the whole parcel, yet some of the items weren't subject to import duty and footwear should have only been charged at 10%. When I phoned Cusotms and gave them the reference number - they said my parcel had been lodged by them as 'ladies suits' - they were most embarassed at the fact that someone obviously hadn't been ar£ed to key in the whole lot and calculate it properly so they'd just done it all at 25%. I got a cheque in the post.

Might be worth you querying it with them?

Bella

Banjo,

I'd go back to GB Liners & ask again. Ask what quarantine charges will be at the other end. If they say there won't be any ask for it in writing. We have nothing in our contract about a one-off quarantine charge yet our agents this side say there is a one-off charge and people coming from UK often query this beacuse they're not told about it from their UK shippers. I don't know who is pulling a fast one but someone is. I'm going to pursue this with GB Liners but it's all hassle.