Terrible Experience with Shipping and Customs from Europe to the US

[Gus]

They tried to charge me 400 euros for an order a little bit less than 200 dollars. There was a pipe in it, a Rattrays morta, which was on sale. What shipping method do you use for the small orders? The tins are 50 grams?

I always buy three 2 oz tins or their equivalent by weight if it is in bulk. The cheapest shipping method. It usually takes about 1 month, but it always comes. I always buy 3 or 4 a month, when one comes, I buy another, and I never had any problems. I speak of smoking pipes

 

[cachimbero]

I always buy three 2 oz tins or their equivalent by weight if it is in bulk. The cheapest shipping method. It usually takes about 1 month, but it always comes. I always buy 3 or 4 a month, when one comes, I buy another, and I never had any problems. I speak of smoking pipes

Thank you!

 

[JOHN72]

Siempre compro tres latas de 2 oz o su equivalente por peso si es a granel. El método de envío más económico. Suele tardar alrededor de 1 mes, pero siempre llega. Siempre compro 3 o 4 al mes, cuando llega uno, compro otro, y nunca tuve ningún problema. Hablo de pipas de fumar

I always receive them without problems, but I don't order like this.

I order three tins per shipment, I get about 38 USD with shipping, never more than 3 tins

With this you ensure a few things:

that your orders arrive or are not inspected by customs.

If an order is lost, you don't lose too much of your money.

If the Customs inspects it and puts you the duties and taxes, the amount will be small, that is to say, that they can put you about 20 USD of taxes in one of your shipments?..you pay it and that's it, it is not so much.

But an order of 400 USD if customs stops it, they will put you some tariffs for about 200 USD, calculating by high and roughly.

In Spain it is illegal for stores (tobacconists) to sell tobacco online, but it is not illegal to buy it and bring it from other countries, you just have to pay the taxes, if you stop it to Customs, if not, then you get it without them.

I'll give you another example, I bought a boat kit for a model in a store in the USA, I was stopped by customs, it cost about 300USD, I do not remember exactly, and they made me pay VAT + postal fees for tramitation, almost 104 euros.

It happens with everything, not only with tobacco. Customs is random, sometimes they pass the shipments and sometimes they stop and inspect them.

Thanks you very much Gus.................

 

[JOHN72]

I never buy more than 8 ounces. With SP I never have problems. The problem is the ineffective ness of the post office in my area............Job precarious ness as usual.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

I always buy three 2 oz tins or their equivalent by weight if it is in bulk. The cheapest shipping method. It usually takes about 1 month, but it always comes. I always buy 3 or 4 a month, when one comes, I buy another, and I never had any problems. I speak of smoking pipes

I have sad things to tell You fellows whos residency is on the EU continent, starting from 1 July 2021 all inbound merchandise from outside the EU union ,regardless of the value ,is becoming a subject to added import taxes ,this is said to be Europe wide agreement in the battle against the growing number of online orders from China

 

[Gus]

I have sad things to tell You fellows whos residency is on the EU continent, starting from 1 July 2021 all inbound merchandise from outside the EU union ,regardless of the value ,is becoming a subject to added import taxes ,this is said to be Europe wide agreement in the battle against the growing number of online orders from China

thanks, it will be a question of ordering 2 instead of 3, but I will not stop buying.

pipe smoking is economical, the expensive thing is to buy pipes.

take into account, for example:

1 tin 56 gr 14 USD or 14 euros ...for example
we put 4 gr per pipe... we will make about 14 pipes...
will cost us each smoke, assuming that you always use 4 gr pipes of capacity....1 USD or 1 euro...for about two hours of smoking and enjoyment.

a cigarette smoker in Spain, if he smokes Marlboro, it costs 5 euros a box and usually smokes more than one or two a day, about 150 euros per month

a smoker of two pipes or three a day will spend about 60/90 euros per month on his tobacco.

not to mention a Habanos cigar smoker.

The expensive thing is to buy pipes, not tobacco. At this time it is acceptable, moreover, taxes are necessary, at least in Spain, to maintain public services, better to charge them on tobacco, alcohol or gambling and not cut education, health, etc..

 

[paulfg]

I have sad things to tell You fellows whos residency is on the EU continent, starting from 1 July 2021 all inbound merchandise from outside the EU union ,regardless of the value ,is becoming a subject to added import taxes ,this is said to be Europe wide agreement in the battle against the growing number of online orders from China

the change as far as i understand it is,at the moment any order under 22 Euros including postal cost is tax free.
This goes on 1st July meaning taxed from the first cent.
Not really much of a change as most orders the postal cost amounts to nearly 22 Euros .
IE 16 euros minimum for a package from the UK,so really only will add about 5 euros to an order.
Yes a lot if the order is only 20 Euros but above that you would have paid anyway.

not that I agree with it though

EU July 2021 ending €22 import VAT exemption; new Import OSS return - Avalara

From 1 July 2021 and all EU imports will be subject to VAT. Sellers and facilitating marketplaces can collect import VAT on import consignments valued upto €150. Or they may use the new Special Arrangements and have postal operators collect the import VAT.

www.avalara.com

 

[Duke of Erinmore]

I have sad things to tell You fellows whos residency is on the EU continent, starting from 1 July 2021 all inbound merchandise from outside the EU union ,regardless of the value ,is becoming a subject to added import taxes ,this is said to be Europe wide agreement in the battle against the growing number of online orders from China

I'm bloody aware of that. That's why right now me and a couple of fellow German smokers are - let's put it this way - premium customers at smokingpipes et al...

 

[Gus]

now it's even worse

I sell yesterday two pipes on ebay....

I went to the shipping office....

Neither UPS, FEDEX nor TNT accept shipments of any tobacco products worldwide since last April. Nothing is nothing, no pipes, no brushes, nothing at all that has anything to do with tobacco.

You risk it being inspected and confiscated by customs or, at best, returned to sender.

There is also the option of not being inspected by customs.

It can only be sent by the postal service, for the moment, at least from Spain.

I have decided not to risk it, so I will go to Correos and communicate with the buyer.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I've got a package from Turkey hung up in a clearance delay just thirty miles from my house.

 

[JOHN72]

I have in the limbo, 550g of tobacco. In several packages. Somewhere in Spain. Since February and March...........It's matter of little time, this will be a disaster...........?

 

[BROBS]

thanks, it will be a question of ordering 2 instead of 3, but I will not stop buying.

pipe smoking is economical, the expensive thing is to buy pipes.

take into account, for example:

1 tin 56 gr 14 USD or 14 euros ...for example
we put 4 gr per pipe... we will make about 14 pipes...
will cost us each smoke, assuming that you always use 4 gr pipes of capacity....1 USD or 1 euro...for about two hours of smoking and enjoyment.

a cigarette smoker in Spain, if he smokes Marlboro, it costs 5 euros a box and usually smokes more than one or two a day, about 150 euros per month

a smoker of two pipes or three a day will spend about 60/90 euros per month on his tobacco.

not to mention a Habanos cigar smoker.

The expensive thing is to buy pipes, not tobacco. At this time it is acceptable, moreover, taxes are necessary, at least in Spain, to maintain public services, better to charge them on tobacco, alcohol or gambling and not cut education, health, etc..

Haha I love your attitude. Try explaining that last part to some idiots in this country.

 

[karam]

I have in the limbo, 550g of tobacco. In several packages. Somewhere in Spain. Since February and March...........It's matter of little time, this will be a disaster...........?

It's ageing, maybe it'll turn up. I just had a whole lead order held by Greek customs, I am not getting it.

 

[JOHN72]

It's ageing, maybe it'll turn up. I just had a whole lead order held by Greek customs, I am not getting it.

Today I got tobacco, In just 15 days.......................What's the usual thing when I place the order..........I'm very glad you received your tobacco.........

 

[karam]

Today I got tobacco, In just 15 days.......................What's the usual thing when I place the order..........I'm very glad you received your tobacco.........

I didn't and it looks like I am not going to. In fact it's funny, I said earlier in the post that labelling something as "agricultural product" would send red flags to US customs, turns out it DID send red flags to Greek customs as well.

Good that you received your tobacco at least. Unfortunately none of the US shops will send US tobacco here, there're not a lot of blends I would like to have from Cornel & Diehl, but there are some I really like.

 

[Gus]

Haha I love your attitude. Try explaining that last part to some idiots in this country.

@BROBS

I really think so, I don't understand your comment exactly, maybe it's the translator.

But I have always thought the same. Once a friend told me_:

- Fuck, I've been fined almost 2000 euros for the tax declaration of four years ago, what bastards....los of the Government.

I said to him: - And why is that?

- Because I didn't declare a job I did as a bricklayer in a house I built....

Me: - But did you know that you had to declare it?

- Yes, but I didn't do it this way, the tax return would be returned to me ....

Me: - The Government are not bastards, you are FOOLISH, for not declaring 1500 euros that you could have collected, and pay 300 or 400 of tax, you tried to "cheat them" and now they have caught you, you knew what you were exposed to, so, now, you have to pay with the interests of delay more than 2000...you are stupid, now do not complain.

I have always thought this way and I will continue to do so, in life there are things that are essential to live, others, such as tobacco or having a beer, are "small luxuries that we can give ourselves" but we can live without them, however, without education, a good health system or being able to buy milk for our children's breakfast, no, we could not live and that must always be protected...

 

[ben88]

I am quite thankful that Canada Post and Canada Customs, despite being government provided, have actually been relatively reliable for tobacco.

Now, pocket knives, forget it. But tobacco works!

There is a way to package pocket knives to avoid those troubles.