Club Obi Wan

Hey guys/gals,
I just got a letter in the mail from PBB informing me I owe them $21.18 for the jacket I just ordered! It appears to be some customs duty charge - I seem to remeber this coming up once before, but could someone explain what the heck this is, why this is the first time (out of 4 Wested orders) I have been billed, and consequences of not paying it? Im tempted to just bomb this thing into the garbage can.... :evil: :evil:

Thanks -
I J

It will be turned over to a collection agency, and you will be hounded for the amount. We had this happen here at work when a Canadian shipped videotapes back to our department, using an agency to handle the customs duty paperwork. We had never seen anything like this before, and like you are thinking, ignored it. Turns out it was a private firm that contracted to do work like this, and they turned it over to a collection agency. Once they realized that they were dealing with government agency (Tennessee State government), it was dropped, but that's how they operate. I'd suggest you pay the 22 bucks and forget it. It isn't worth the hassle. Regards. Michaelson

My first Wested got through without the fee, the second one didn't. It's not worth the hassle to ignore it. Just pay it and be happy you didn't get nailed the other times.
Janice

My first Wested I received back in November didn't have this fee. I just hope my second Wested, which should be done in a few days, doesn't have this fee. But, if it does, I will pay it. By the way, I ordered a set of bagpipes last year from a place in England and was not charged a duty or customs fee. Remember, Peter doesn't make the laws, he just follows them.

Never before have I ever seen a problem go away by ignoring it. That's the fastest way to get $20 to grow into $200... not paying.

BDJ, you play bagpipes? I'm impressed! I would love to hear it sometime. The first weekend of June here in Arlington, we have a huge Scottish Heritage Festival at the UTA football stadium. Might be something up your alley.

Thanks Michaelson, Renderking, Janice, band director, guess Ill just bite the bullet...

Fast response appreciated!

James

hmmmm, I guess I should pay my fee too.
I had it for a month now, thinking I'll just ignore it.
Since I already paid for shipping.... and when I recieved the statement,
I was like............?%*#*$)
Now that I've read this, oh well. There goes $20+

CJ

I think when I was down in London I remember Peter saying something about them using a new service for shipping in the future cos there was some problem with jackets not arriving in perfect condition, but this new service might cost a little more. Dont hold me to it but I do seem to remember something to that effect.

To be honest I dont really mind paying a few extra notes to be sure my jacket would be safe.

Ken

RE the 'FEE'
It would appear that US customs are scrutinising everything from abroad which is why some, not all or many are getting hit for import duty and clearance. That is out of my control. I only charge for the jacket and shipping not sales tax or customs duty.
The $20 fee although annoying is not as bad as Australia where the import duty is more than $100.
That company is the handling agents for airborne.com and pay the duty on your behalf in order to get the jacket delivered instead of being in limbo in customs.
I was told that under $250 there is nothing to pay. Maybe someone your side of the pond can check it out.
Regards to all. Keep posting
Cheers
Peter

Not sure about that, Peter. Everything I've received from your side of the water has come with a customs charge in my neck of the woods, and every item has been under $250. I really think it has to do with the area you live in. I've heard of folks in NYC who never paid a nickel toward customs charges, then in the very next post, someone IS charged. It used to be pretty random, but like I said, it's always been charged in our area, regardless of cost, especially from Europe, but with current events, I believe you hit the nail squarely on the head. I doubt ANYTHING gets through without a check now. Regards. Michaelson

All packages that come thru customs, with a declared value of
$200.00 american dollars or more are supposed to have a customs duty
charged to it. That is directly from the Customs website. The
usual duty is 6 percent of the declared value.

If you send something back for an alteration, then you are not
supposed to get hit with a duty charge. I recently sent a shearling
jacket to Scotland to have the body shortened, and it cost me
60 dollars american to have it done. When the package came
back, the company had put on the declarations documents that
the package had a total insured value of $1200.00 american, and
that the alterations were $60.00 only! This was all marked very
clearly, that the jacket had been sent back for alterations.

Well, customs hit me again for the jacket! I had to send all
the paperwork to the customs agency at JKF in New York to
fight it. I had already paid a duty on the jacket when I got it
the first time, and I should not have been hit for the alterations.
I recieved a letter from Customs that they were in error, and they
are going to refund my second duty hit.

ALL packages are now scanned when they come into the
country now. But it is still a @#$% shoot as to whether you will
be hit with a duty. ALL packages over a declared value of $200.00
american should be hit with approximately 6 percent duty fees.
That is again according to the Customs website.

The only items with a declared value of $200.00 or more that do
not get hit with the duty are GIFTS, or any items that are labeled
for use by the MILITARY.

You can look this up on the Customs website if you have any
questions about Customs, duty fees, declared values, declarations
and documentation.

Flathead

Well said. To paraphrase, there's what they say they'll do (per the website), then there's what they REALLY do, which is the proverbial '@#$% shoot'. Regards. Michaelson

If you don't pay it, it will show up on your credit rating as a black mark. I've gotten three Westeds and had to pay each time. Just keep it in mind when you buy one and allow the extra 20$. Cheers

Thanks for your time guys, and thanks for stopping by Peter -

Regards,
James

Well that clarifies it
I will have to sell the jackets for $199.
or shall I?
Cheers
Peter

The only items with a declared value of $200.00 or more that do
not get hit with the duty are GIFTS, or any items that are labeled
for use by the MILITARY.

Well that clarifies it
I will have to sell the jackets for $199.

Well, it's either that or send it to us as a gift

Or else we place our orders with a Lt. or Col. in front of our names

Best to all,

plynck

All in favor of the above mentioned ideas, raise your hands!! Regards. Michaelson

Or else we place our orders with a Lt. or Col. in front of our names

That's fine... cause my wife says I'm already in the Army...

Why else does she call me Major Payne Indyarce?

I'll second THAT one....not that the price wasn't the best out there already .....

Later!
Indydawg

Renderking Fisk wrote: Why else does she call me Major Payne Indyarce?

HA!lol....that's great, Fisk, I may use that one...

I wonder if prior service guys like me can get that military discount? Or not...

Indydawg wrote:not that the price wasn't the best out there already .....

I second that as well!

Peace,
Cliffhanger

The only way you would ever even get close to using the "I'm in the
military" route, is if you have your jacket sent to an official military
sight. If you don't have your address registered as a military facility,
and you claimed that you were, we can all visit you down at your
local jail, where they would take your wested away from you because
they would think you might hang yourself with it! It is a FEDERAL offence
to impersonate a military facility, and jail time would be no joke.

Now, if Peter, or anyone else could change the address of their factory
to a non-business owned address, you might be able to get away with your
second idea as a gift. But again, if the address of the sender is a business, and
you claim your package as a gift, you won't only be hit with the duty,
but you will also be hit with a summons, and a very large fee for trying
to scam the U.S. out of what it claims is its "fair share" of its money.

Either way, its not worth trying to get around paying the duty. Be
thankful its only 20 bucks! I had to pay almost 50 bucks when I got
my shearling jacket! I had to pay 45 dollars duty, and of course the post
office had to hit me for their 5 bucks.

Flathead

My hand is in the air! LOL!

Indiana Texas-girl wrote:BDJ, you play bagpipes? I'm impressed! I would love to hear it sometime. The first weekend of June here in Arlington, we have a huge Scottish Heritage Festival at the UTA football stadium. Might be something up your alley.

NO YOU WOULDN'T!!! The only thing that sounds worse than me playing the bagpipes is me playing the bagpipes loudly. Whenever I play for someone it has the same effect as the opening of the Ark (heads exploding, faces melting - not a very pretty sight). I originally started teaching myself on the chanter (a practice/learning tool) about three years ago. Then last year I decided that I would take lessons here at McLennan Community College. I spent $700 on a set of pipes from England and then never got around to taking the lessons. Right now, it is a very expensive decoration in my studio. I am determined to take those lessons this summer.

Band Director Jones wrote:

Indiana Texas-girl wrote:BDJ, you play bagpipes? I'm impressed! I would love to hear it sometime. The first weekend of June here in Arlington, we have a huge Scottish Heritage Festival at the UTA football stadium. Might be something up your alley.

NO YOU WOULDN'T!!! The only thing that sounds worse than me playing the bagpipes is me playing the bagpipes loudly. Whenever I play for someone it has the same effect as the opening of the Ark (heads exploding, faces melting - not a very pretty sight). I originally started teaching myself on the chanter (a practice/learning tool) about three years ago. Then last year I decided that I would take lessons here at McLennan Community College. I spent $700 on a set of pipes from England and then never got around to taking the lessons. Right now, it is a very expensive decoration in my studio. I am determined to take those lessons this summer.

OMG Does this board make me Laugh! What a great visual ... Piper inserts pipe thingie in mouth, starts to play, and the heads of the onlookers either melt or explode! "Marion, close your ears, whatever you do, DON'T LISTEN!"

On the other hand, bagpipes can be fun. There's nothing like having a piper pipe you to a medieval (recreated) battle or hearing a slightly sloshed piper play "The Theme to Gilligan's Island" at 2 am at Pennsic when you're also slightly sloshed yourself. The main Star Wars theme and "Stairway to Heaven" also sound remarkadely, well, interesting when played on the pipes as well...

Trebor