When we buy outside the European community we can receive an SMS that says “shipment subject to customs clearance” . Today we are going to tell you what it means and what you should do when you receive this message.
All of us who are used to buying online have acquired something that came from outside the European community, surely from China. These products, as you well know, must go through customs since only EU countries are free of this procedure.
Not all products are stopped at customs and most of the time we do not have any problem, but it may happen that one day we receive an SMS explaining that our shipment is subject to customs clearance.
Advantages and disadvantages of buying online from China
Consequences of customs retention
When we order a product outside the EU and we opt for “traditional shipping” , that is, shipping by ordinary mail (very slow) it is more than likely (it is not 100% reliable) that you do not have any customs problems and the product reaches you home after many days.
The problem comes when we opt for faster shipping and the order comes through an agency (DHL is the most used). At that time your chances of the product being detained in customs and you receive the SMS that we discussed earlier, will be much higher.
At the moment in which what we have acquired is retained by customs, we must assume that the cost of the product could rise substantially, since the following taxes, costs and procedures could be required:
- Corresponding VAT (or IGIC).
- Tariff.
- Special taxes (if necessary).
- We must present an import declaration (DUA).
Procedures according to value
Depending on several factors, we can get rid of paying, even if our order has been stopped at customs, until we have to pay a significant amount for said product to reach our hands.
If the value is less than 22 euros and the invoice is attached or has a declared value, there will be no problem and the order will arrive at our house. This is the reason why most of our orders to China come with the description “Gift” and a value less than $ 15 (even if the actual value is higher).
When the value is between 22 and 150 euros, carrying the attached invoice (unless it is some type of special merchandise), we can have it with us with the inconvenience of having to pay when it is delivered, the corresponding VAT and the rate DUA that they request us.
If the product does not have an invoice, its price is greater than 150 euros or the customs agents believe that its value is greater than this amount, the package will not arrive at your home because it will be detained by customs.
In this case, after receiving the SMS that we mentioned before, they will send us a notice to our address with all the instructions that we must follow to regularize the situation, which we must resolve within 15 days .
When this time comes we have three options to fix the problem . The first would be to go to Customs and do all the procedures ourselves, the second would be to hire a customs agent to do the steps or as a third option, we can use the Post Office as our representative.
How to avoid post office customs management fees
We choose the option we choose, we must bear in mind that no one is going to free us from paying:
- Import SAD.
- Warehouse retention.
- 21% VAT.
- Tariff depending on the content of the package.
- And if you have chosen a customs agent, we will add what they charge for their efforts.
Now you know what happens, what are the consequences and the procedures to follow if you receive the message of “shipment subject to customs clearance”. From there you should be the ones who decide how to act if necessary.
