Customs Duty issue on Blu-rays arriving from USA via USPS

[moviemaniac]

Anyone received blu-rays from friends or relatives sent from USA using USPS Priority Shipping? Did u have to pay customs duty? If not then how many blu-rays did you receive max in one parcel?

A friend of mine is planning to send me 21 blu-rays (Most of them BLACK FRIDAY Deals from Best Buy / Blockbuster / Amazon)..so will it be advisable to send all of them together as used blu-rays...since she anyways opened them all n watched most of them...or shud the parcel be split in to two to be sent on two separate days?

A little urgent...ur help and assistance wud be really appreciated friends

 

[goyal.sanchit]

I am not sure but IMO if the package is marked as "gift" and value is less than 5000 rs then you dont have to pay any duty.

 

[srinisundar]

Anyone received blu-rays from friends or relatives sent from USA using USPS Priority Shipping? Did u have to pay customs duty? If not then how many blu-rays did you receive max in one parcel?

A friend of mine is planning to send me 21 blu-rays (Most of them BLACK FRIDAY Deals from Best Buy / Blockbuster / Amazon)..so will it be advisable to send all of them together as used blu-rays...since she anyways opened them all n watched most of them...or shud the parcel be split in to two to be sent on two separate days?

A little urgent...ur help and assistance wud be really appreciated friends

Ask him to put by normal USPS shipping, not expedited( air) - Normal will take 3 weeks and it can escape customs, since it will come as an registered parcel.

Normaly expedited (air) will undergo customs with strict vigil and it will not escape customs duty.

Since you friend is going to send that, ask him to clealry make an note in an big paper and paste on one side that it was an "Gift" and send as Christmas present and mark the value less than 10K... Then it is your luck

 

[moviemaniac]

I am not sure but IMO if the package is marked as "gift" and value is less than 5000 rs then you dont have to pay any duty.

Okay well so if she mentions its below $ 100 (5k) it shud work? of course by mentioning as gift...thnx fr the input mate

 

[moviemaniac]

Ask him to put by normal USPS shipping, not expedited( air) - Normal will take 3 weeks and it can escape customs, since it will come as an registered parcel.

Normaly expedited (air) will undergo customs with strict vigil and it will not escape customs duty.

Since you friend is going to send that, ask him to clealry make an note in an big paper and paste on one side that it was an "Gift" and send as Christmas present and mark the value less than 10K... Then it is your luck

Hey SS...thanks for ur advice buddy...

See USPS shows option of priority shipping or express shipping...my friend is choosing priority shipping then as it says 6-10 days for delivery...so shud this work then? cost of delivery $ 13.95

 

[dovin]

My experience with USPS is that if the box looks/weighs like it has something useful, the ***s at the foreign post office/customs will block it until you go there and pay a bribe or go back and forth a few times until they get tired. When you eventually come out with the package, there is another guy sitting outside asking for Octroi!!. So now I just use Fedex, which is costlier to use, but cheaper when you add customs duty, petrol costs to go to FPO and back few times, Octroi and peace of mind. Fedex clears most home use stuff without customs duty in a couple of hours after landing and brings it home on time.

FWIW, if you do use USPS, here is the tracking website from Indian Side. Just enter the USPS tracking number here.

IPS Web Tracking/Item Tracking

 

[moviemaniac]

My experience with USPS is that if the box looks/weighs like it has something useful, the ***s at the foreign post office/customs will block it until you go there and pay a bribe or go back and forth a few times until they get tired. When you eventually come out with the package, there is another guy sitting outside asking for Octroi!!. So now I just use Fedex, which is costlier to use, but cheaper when you add customs duty, petrol costs to go to FPO and back few times, Octroi and peace of mind. Fedex clears most home use stuff without customs duty in a couple of hours after landing and brings it home on time.

FWIW, if you do use USPS, here is the tracking website from Indian Side. Just enter the USPS tracking number here.

IPS Web Tracking/Item Tracking

Sorry for a late reply Dorvin...Thnx fr ur advice

I had tried Fedex 2 yrs back and I was charged close to 30-35% cost of my blu-rays cost inside as customs charge ...but yes agree on the time thing...came in 4 days flat!

Thnx fr the trackin link fr USPS ...m waitg fr my stuff nw with fingers crossed

 

[dovin]

Please post your experience when you get the packages. It will be good to know if others have a better time with FPO than I did.

 

[abhijitwadekar]

Hi Dovin,
just saw your post on FPO and the tracking web link. I had ordered a pair of 12ax7 tubes from audiotubes usa. The parcel was send by ordinary USPS post with a tracking no starting with LC.. I was informed that it being a ordinary post doesn't get updated on web. I tried your link but it shows an invalid no. Tried calling FPO but they don't respond to the calls. i cant even confirm if the parcel is in FPO or not. I stay in Kalyan so going to FPO will be wasting a day. Will i get it in one visit? whom do i contact for than.Pls help
Regards
Abhijit

 

[abhijitwadekar]

Ask him to put by normal USPS shipping, not expedited( air) - Normal will take 3 weeks and it can escape customs, since it will come as an registered parcel.

Normaly expedited (air) will undergo customs with strict vigil and it will not escape customs duty.

Since you friend is going to send that, ask him to clealry make an note in an big paper and paste on one side that it was an "Gift" and send as Christmas present and mark the value less than 10K... Then it is your luck

Hi Getting by ordinary USPS mail results in a tracking no starting with LC.. and this parcels are NOT tracked in India and you will be left at the mercy of FPO which doesn't even acknowledge the possession of parcel with them. i am going through that pain right now trying to locate the parcel that has left USA on 28th of october.
Abhijit

 

[moviemaniac]

Please post your experience when you get the packages. It will be good to know if others have a better time with FPO than I did.

My package has still not arrived and the link u gave n USPS tracking system shows last update as - Processed Through Sort Facility, December 20, 2011, 10:28 pm, ISC MIAMI FL (USPS)

Its been a good 8-9 days since then! but no update grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[moviemaniac]

Please post your experience when you get the packages. It will be good to know if others have a better time with FPO than I did.

Dear Dovin and all my friends who replied in this thread here and all those who wish to get bulk blu-rays via USPS...MY PARCEL arrived finally today right now!!

My Experience -

I had purchased over 40 blu-rays in USA some via amazon black friday deals and some via my friend who purchased from Blockbuster store deals (5 for $ 30)

Since it was a bulk parcel...we decided to split it into two lots...She sent me the first one of 22 blu-rays using USPS Priority Shipping Box including insurance with total amt $ 45 cost....she had taken off the thin plastic shrink wrap of them n mentioned on USPS form as used DVDs amounting to $ 70 ....I was given a tracking number which i used to see updates also thanks to our member here Dovin's ips tracking link..for days my parcel showed stuck at MIAMI FL...finally some movement happened last friday as it showed arrived in INDIA...but at Delhi Foreign Post Office....then it was shown sent to customs for customs clearance....then sent to Mumbai...then again sent to customs...then yesterday it said custom clearance done and today morning it showed sent to domestic location...I stayed back home today n postponed all my appointments till evening..I didn't want the postman to return back!

My heart had been literally in my mouth when I opened the door to my regular postman (who brings the amazon uk blu-rays always with a customs duty attached with his wicked grin expecting his chai - paani bakshish of Rs.10 which I usually give him) who was carrying this big box of my blu-rays...

I didn't have guts to ask him how much customs duty as his grin was only getting wider ' hyeah: ' ...He gave me the Post Office papers to sign which I did n was abt to take out my wallet he said - Its Free! No custom duty!! I was so happy that the first note that came in my hand I gave it to him..a Rs. 50 note!!


:yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

 

[Gijo George]

Congrats moviemaniac. Thats really good and encouraging to hear. Its hard to tell when the customs charges duties parcels from abroad. I've just about always been charged from Amazon UK but never been charged from Amazon US (with Standard Shipping.) When my last BD's from UK were charged I went to the Customs Officer. Its apparently the Dy Commissioner of Customs (Appraisal) who decides on which parcels are dutiable. His Postal department office where he sits in is right opposite my office. Paid him a visit and he showed me a section in the Duty handbook which states that if any person imports any of these kind of stuff for personal use its chargeable at 35% +5% duty. So to charge duty whether used or new I think it depends on the Appraiser.
Enjoy the BD's

Gijo

 

[moviemaniac]

Congrats moviemaniac.
Enjoy the BD's
Gijo

Thank Gijo I wish rest of us all here get as lucky as well...Hahah kudos u went n directly met Customs big daddy! True mate its all on the whims n fancies of these custom big daddies ...but m still sure they don't know the difference between a DVD n Blu-ray...lets pray they don't ever or else they will begin charging more hyeah:

 

[srinisundar]

Throw for sale, after you watch,, we will wait to catch it Please put the list for interest purpose you got from sale..

 

[moviemaniac]

Throw for sale, after you watch,, we will wait to catch it Please put the list for interest purpose you got from sale..

Haha srini lemme relish them first...loads of it...time to leave for Filmfare Awards 2012 party now...update when m back tonite

Won't sell these so soon but intend to sell a few taken earlier...

 

[feizar]

Hi Getting by ordinary USPS mail results in a tracking no starting with LC.. and this parcels are NOT tracked in India and you will be left at the mercy of FPO which doesn't even acknowledge the possession of parcel with them. i am going through that pain right now trying to locate the parcel that has left USA on 28th of october.
Abhijit

Hi abhijit, did u get ur parcel ?
I am in similar situation its been 31 days and no sign of the parcel
it was usps priority mail international and the number was

LC136498130US

can anyone help or advise as to wat i should do?
thanks

 

[antoniodias]

Keeping blu ray aside. My friend from US. Sent me a used Record player weighing 11 pounds by ordinary USPS PRIORITY MAIL as Gift inducating 50 US $ It was detained and charged Rs 1800 duty just a on 22 August. So it is not true that if. The value is till 10000k duty will not be charged in india by foreign post office Mumbai.