Buying jackets on Japanese auction sites

[handymike]

Or you could just put in on eBay at a $5 starting bid with a $2300 reserve, and see what happens

 

[Jonanah]

I won a series of auctions on Buyee and ended up with an order that exceeds $800 — it was about $900 before paying for shipping. It is now being held by customs in Tennessee.

How do I get this MID code issue resolved? How much should I expect to have to pay customs? Am I screwed? I don’t know how they determine/declare the value of goods sold at auction — I’m scared I will be hit with a huge bill.

 

[Will Zach]

Ask here on reddit. Seems to be a brand new thing from the new administration:

https://www.reddit.com/r/CustomsBroker/comments/1iswcub

 

[Jon Crow]

Never had a issue buying from Japan

 

[Will Zach]

Never had a issue buying from Japan

This reddit thread is one day old. It seems to be a thing.

 

[Jonanah]

Ask here on reddit. Seems to be a brand new thing from the new administration:

https://www.reddit.com/r/CustomsBroker/comments/1iswcub

Thank you! Looks like this is the answer, from the thread:

Worn clothing, that qualifies to be classified under 6309, per 19 CFR 102.21, has origin of country in which the good was last collected and packaged for shipment. 19 CFR 102.23, which is the rule that you correctly draw from to discuss the MID requirements for textiles, also says that the MID is of the "entity performing the origin-conferring operations". This means that the MID should be the MID for the company that collecting and packaging these worn textiles for shipping.

This would suggest they just needs Buyee's MID. I guess I need to get in touch with Buyee about this? Do they have a history of successfully intervening with these issues? I wish I spoke Japanese lol.

Also, of much more importance to me than shipping delays is getting hit with large fees. I have been finding conflicting information online regarding import fees for worn clothing. None of the items I purchased are new except maybe one, the rest are all used.

The most common figure I saw was that worn clothing, at least for "personal use," is not subject to fees when the total value is under $2000 or somewhere around there -- it is simply that packages valuing over $800 are subject to additional scrutiny. Is this true? And how do they calculate the value, is it just the purchase price of the items? That's what I would assume.

Thank you all for your help, I'm so scared I'll get a bill from customs for hundreds of dollars!

 

[Will Zach]

Thank you! Looks like this is the answer, from the thread:


This would suggest they just needs Buyee's MID. I guess I need to get in touch with Buyee about this? Do they have a history of successfully intervening with these issues? I wish I spoke Japanese lol.

Also, of much more importance to me than shipping delays is getting hit with large fees. I have been finding conflicting information online regarding import fees for worn clothing. None of the items I purchased are new except maybe one, the rest are all used.

The most common figure I saw was that worn clothing, at least for "personal use," is not subject to fees when the total value is under $2000 or somewhere around there -- it is simply that packages valuing over $800 are subject to additional scrutiny. Is this true? And how do they calculate the value, is it just the purchase price of the items? That's what I would assume.

Thank you all for your help, I'm so scared I'll get a bill from customs for hundreds of dollars!

US Customs duty is 3 or 4% on goods over $800. Or at least used to be. Even if some new tariffs are applicable, it won't be "hundreds of dollars" in your case. It may cause a delay. They ask for address or MID. I'd find out Buyee address and give it to them.

 

[cbez]

In my experience it has been based on the tariff of the individual item, for example leather jackets have a certain harmonization code and rate. I've never had multiple items. it isn't a huge fee but it is annoying, fedex etc usually charges more for the paperwork as well.

Lesson: try not to go over 800

 

[Jonanah]

In my experience it has been based on the tariff of the individual item, for example leather jackets have a certain harmonization code and rate. I've never had multiple items. it isn't a huge fee but it is annoying, fedex etc usually charges more for the paperwork as well.

Lesson: try not to go over 800

I see, thank you for the insight. I messed up haha. I’ve tried looking it up and it seems the rate will be around 7%, does that sound right?

 

[Bkcmart]

I won a series of auctions on Buyee and ended up with an order that exceeds $800 — it was about $900 before paying for shipping. It is now being held by customs in Tennessee.

How do I get this MID code issue resolved? How much should I expect to have to pay customs? Am I screwed? I don’t know how they determine/declare the value of goods sold at auction — I’m scared I will be hit with a huge bill.

Always avoid FedEx if you can.

DHL, EMS, and even UPS are all better.

Don’t worry about the bill. Import duty is most likely anywhere between 4-15 %

 

[Jon Crow]

I've never imported more than 2 jackets from buyee Japan, never been more than 15 euros each import fees

 

[cbez]

I see, thank you for the insight. I messed up haha. I’ve tried looking it up and it seems the rate will be around 7%, does that sound right?

4203.10.40 - Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, of leather or of composition leather: Other, coats and jackets.
6% tariff.

This is if they used the correct code. I've had them incorrectly label things as women's clothing, textile jackets etc

 

[Bkcmart]

4203.10.40 - Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, of leather or of composition leather: Other, coats and jackets.
6% tariff.

This is if they used the correct code. I've had them incorrectly label things as women's clothing, textile jackets etc

I’ve had FromJapan use the wrong code before.

They use a computer generated code based on key words of the order page.

I ordered a leather jacket that should have been 6%

they used the HTC for wool suits and I paid 17%

Expensive lesson, email them before shipping and request them to use the HTC code you want.

 

[Pliksoff]

Always avoid FedEx if you can.

DHL, EMS, and even UPS are all better.

Don’t worry about the bill. Import duty is most likely anywhere between 4-15 %

Seconding this. In my experience, FedEx and DHL have been pretty aggressive about import fees. DHL is speedy but they've once hit me with a 16% charge on a $770 jacket.

I personally always stick to EMS for any packages approaching or exceeding the $800 threshold. I've never incurred any additional fees from them when importing clothing from Japan (knock on wood).

 

[Jon Crow]

Seconding this. In my experience, FedEx and DHL have been pretty aggressive about import fees. DHL is speedy but they've once hit me with a 16% charge on a $770 jacket.

I personally always stick to EMS for any packages approaching or exceeding the $800 threshold. I've never incurred any additional fees from them when importing clothing from Japan (knock on wood).

Always EMS for me and I've bought a few things from buyee Japan

 

[Cyber Lip]

I've never had to pay customs on anything. I've bought from overseas. A few Japanese jackets, freewheelers and rainbow country and they were just delivered without the US gov asking for $$. All delivered in various ways...DHL, EMS. Even bought a 7K Rolex once from a dealer in the UK, which was held up by customs, but was then just delivered by DHL, no duty, tax, or anything.

 

[Jonanah]

After having to fill out a form answering strange questions about a pair of boots in the shipment, and explaining that all of the clothes were secondhand, they held my package about a week and then sent it to me and haven’t asked for any money. I guess that means I’m home free?

 

[Cyber Lip]

As others have said here, avoid FedEx. I used them during covid a few times because other carriers either weren't delivering or were a lot more expensive. But I'd be waiting on my package and I'd get weird calls from them. They'd call to ask specific questions about what the contents were made of. For example one call was about a poster. Wanted to know what it was made of. I said are you kidding? It's paper. They said what kind of paper? LOL. I said I don't know, regular poster paper, with an image printed on it. They'd say OK, then call back the next day and ask what kind of ink? I shit you not! Once it was a CD and they asked what was on the "DVD", I said it's not a DVD it's a CD and it's MUSIC!! Once it was toys. What kind of toys, and what kind of plastic are they made of (plastic toys was what was written on the customs form). I don't know, toy plastic? The next day another call...Was glue used? I said I don't think so, I said they're posable action figures. They did this with every single package. Just the most ridiculous inane phone calls from the dumbest most clueless morons. And they're the only ones that did that. No weird calls from DHL or EMS ever

 

[Jonanah]

As others have said here, avoid FedEx. I used them during covid a few times because other carriers either weren't delivering or were a lot more expensive. But I'd be waiting on my package and I'd get weird calls from them. They'd call to ask specific questions about what the contents were made of. For example one call was about a poster. Wanted to know what it was made of. I said are you kidding? It's paper. They said what kind of paper? LOL. I said I don't know, regular poster paper, with an image printed on it. They'd say OK, then call back the next day and ask what kind of ink? I shit you not! Once it was a CD and they asked what was on the "DVD", I said it's not a DVD it's a CD and it's MUSIC!! Once it was toys. What kind of toys, and what kind of plastic are they made of (plastic toys was what was written on the customs form). I don't know, toy plastic? The next day another call...Was glue used? I said I don't think so, I said they're posable action figures. They did this with every single package. Just the most ridiculous inane phone calls from the dumbest most clueless morons. And they're the only ones that did that. No weird calls from DHL or EMS ever

I had no idea fedex was so kafkaesque! That is wild