What's your experience with US Customs receiving 4 figures package from overseas?

[rondy | 14]

I recently ordered something from Japan worth about $2100 USD (234000 JPY).

It was shipped via EMS and the full value of the item is written in the customs form.

It is a complete in box game boy console, relatively small item.

Are they more likely to open the box and inspect the contents thoroughly because of the value of the item?

Do they handle items roughly during inspection even if they're expensive?

This is the first time I'm getting something over $800 from out of the country, so I've never had to pay import fees or have them inspect something.

I'm a little worried because the box and contents are in near mint condition and would hate for US Customs to damage it, but I know inspection is always a possibility regardless of value. I'm just curious if it's more likely to happen at this value.

What I'm hoping is they won't necessarily inspect it and I can just pay whatever import fees I need to pay.

What is your experience receiving high value items (over $800 USD) from out of the country?

[LastCat | 246]

A couple of months I did a favor for a few of my friends on ordering some things from Japan and the order value was pretty big. Customs retained the package for a couple of days and then released it. Once the package arrived everything inside looked normal except that someone took a Wii U game from it's box and the shipping box  utilized was pretty beat up too.

[fcgamer | 4,754]

Had a few times for $$$$ items, everything arrived fine even after customs inspections. 

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

Hope its not sealed. 

[Tulpa | 3,537]

Yeah, I remember someone on NA had a sealed game that got opened by customs. He asked if anything could be done about it.

The answer was "jack" and "shit."

[rondy | 14]

7 hours ago, LastCat said:

A couple of months I did a favor for a few of my friends on ordering some things from Japan and the order value was pretty big. Customs retained the package for a couple of days and then released it. Once the package arrived everything inside looked normal except that someone took a Wii U game from it's box and the shipping box  utilized was pretty beat up too.

DId they steal the Wii U game or was it just loose inside the shipping box?

[rondy | 14]

2 hours ago, MrWunderful said:

Hope its not sealed. 

 

1 hour ago, Tulpa said:

Yeah, I remember someone on NA had a sealed game that got opened by customs. He asked if anything could be done about it.

The answer was "jack" and "shit."

It's not sealed, it's complete in box, but everything is near mint.

[Tulpa | 3,537]

They may poke around in the box a bit, but if they don't suspect contraband, they'll probably leave it alone.

The sealed ones might set off some suspicion if the x-ray looks vague enough. They might open it to doublecheck. But that assumes they had a reason to open the shipping box in the first place.

[LastCat | 246]

19 minutes ago, rondy said:

DId they steal the Wii U game or was it just loose inside the shipping box?

Stolen, the disc was nowhere to be seen in the box. They just left the ad leaflets and the case in the shipping box.

[rondy | 14]

7 hours ago, fcgamer said:

Had a few times for $$$$ items, everything arrived fine even after customs inspections. 

That's great to hear. Was any of your packages valued over $2000? I found this today about items above $2000. It sucks that mine is just $100 over $2000. It wouldn't go over $2000 a month ago and might not even sell for $2000 again at this point, ugh. But it also says it might be ok for items under $2500?

 

https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/internet-purchases

 

International Postal Service: Merchandise shipped through the international postal service is forwarded upon its arrival in the United States to one of U.S. Customs and Border Protection International Mail Branches for clearance. If the item is less than $2,000 in value and is not subject to a quota or is not a restricted or prohibited item, a CBP official will usually prepare the paperwork for importing it, assess the proper duty, and release it for delivery. This procedure is generally referred to as a mail entry. Packages whose declared value is under $800 ($100 if being sent as a gift to someone other than the purchaser) will generally be cleared without any additional paperwork prepared by CBP. However, CBP always reserves the right to require a formal entry for any importation and generally exercises this option if there is something unusual about the importation, or if important documents such as an invoice or bill of sale do not accompany the item.
If any duty is owed, CBP will charge a processing fee for clearing your package. Duty and the processing fee are usually paid at your local post office, where your package is forwarded.

Hint: To speed a package through CBP examination at a port's International Mail Branch, the seller should affix a completed CN 22 or CN 23 (U.S. Customs and Border Protection Declaration Form) to the outside of the package. This form may be obtained at local post offices worldwide.

Plus: Pretty economical.

Pitfalls: If the item's value is more than $2,000, it may be held at the mail facility until you can arrange for a formal entry. This may require either hiring a customs broker to clear your goods or you may file the paperwork yourself.

 

Personal vs. Commercial Use: Many import regulations only apply to goods imported for commercial - business or resale - purposes. For instance, most goods imported for personal use are not subject to quota. The one exception to this is made-to-measure suits from Hong Kong, which are subject to quota restrictions regardless of the use they are imported for. On the other hand, import restrictions that are based on health, safety and protecting endangered species apply across the board.
Note: U.S. Customs and Border Protection is authorized to make judgment calls about what qualifies as personal use. Several suits that are identical or a number of very similar handbags will have a hard time passing the credibility test as items for personal use.

For Commercial Purposes: Goods imported for commercial purposes must comply with a variety of special requirements, such as marking of country of origin, which vary depending upon the particular commodity. Please see our publication, "Importing Into the United States," for more detailed information. Be particularly aware that an invoice should always accompany commercial shipments.

Informal Entries: If the value of your purchase(s) is less than $2500 and your goods are being shipped by mail or freight, they may, in most cases, be imported as an informal entry. However, there are exceptions to this. For instance, if the importation is determined to be for commercial purposes, the value limit for filing an informal entry for many textile items is either $250 or $0 - depending on whether or not the item is subject to Quota (see below). Clearing goods through CBP as an informal entry is less arduous a process than clearing them by filing a formal entry. Essentially, when goods are cleared as an informal entry, CBP will prepare the paperwork, including determining the classification number and duty rate for your merchandise.

[YOURTURN | 1,257]

I stopped using EMS long ago because one of the issues I had with them was this. 

One of my cases where this happened was tied to a manga that I had preordered. It came from an actual business, and not an eBay seller, but they still decided to tear a hole in the bottom of the box. With this happening a few more times when they were not sending me stuff in a beat-up box, or misplacing it because I was not there to sign for it.

The manga, by the way was a $4.00 USD product that just came out. And the only reason it did not arrive damage was because the people I ordered it from added paper as a buffer. Which is what had me wonder if that was the reason why they damaged the outer box. Since then I have been using DHL to avoid those issues.

[OptOut | 8,892]

I think the REAL question here, is what the heck is going on with Hong Kong suits that they get special treatment??? 

On 6/26/2021 at 10:31 AM, rondy said:

Personal vs. Commercial Use: The one exception to this is made-to-measure suits from Hong Kong, which are subject to quota restrictions regardless of the use they are imported for.

 

[VGCollectaholic | 111]

It's been a mixed bag for me.  I've never had any issues with any of the hundreds of packages I've gotten from Europe or Japan (mostly sealed stuff).   But stuff other parts of the world have been much higher risk for me. 

I've ordered a bunch of stuff from South America (Columbia, Argentina, Venezuela) and almost all of those packages have been opened and inspected by customs.  They sliced open a bunch of sealed Atari 2600 games (Mario, ET, and a bunch of other key titles that had been in absolutely flawless condition) and utterly destroyed them - boxes cut wide open with box cutter.   But then the last package I got from Caracas was opened and inspected and nothing was damaged and all games were still sealed.  Total crapshoot.

I recently had a couple packages from Taiwan and Korea opened and inspected as well, but thankfully no damage on those (they weren't sealed items though).

Off-topic international shipping story below.  Tossing it in a spoiler tag since it's not really on-topic but I figured I'd share:

Spoiler

 

Speaking of EMS shipping - I just had an EMS package arrive from Korea that had a CIB HK/Singapore Ice Blue Xbox console (a rare console to begin with but with an early run box that has the misprint showing the Canadian version of the Ice Blue console), a sealed copy of the Halo 2 pack-in game, and some other Asian-exclusive OG Xbox games. 

USPS delivered the package in a plastic bag because it looked like the box had been dropped in the ocean - it was utterly drenched to the point that the shipping box's cardboard was literally disintegrating.  As I picked up the bag it actually sloshed around.

Miraculously though, the seller had packaged it inside so well (multiple layers of eggshell and newspaper and hermetically sealed in plastic wrap) that nothing inside received any damage - moisture or otherwise:

 

 

[fcgamer | 4,754]

On 6/26/2021 at 10:31 AM, rondy said:

That's great to hear. Was any of your packages valued over $2000? I found this today about items above $2000. It sucks that mine is just $100 over $2000. It wouldn't go over $2000 a month ago and might not even sell for $2000 again at this point, ugh. But it also says it might be ok for items under $2500?

Well the experience isn't comparable, sadly, as it being imported from Korea into Taiwan; the value was only about $1000-$1200 though, so there was no issues.

Another time I got one from Spain for about the same amount, the clerk looked and looked, but finally let it pass unhindered.

Edit: I think the parcel from Spain was opened, but in both situations, everything looked exactly as it was supposed to.

 

Edited June 28, 2021 by fcgamer

[drxandy | 3,236]

@VGCollectaholicholy toledo, what a ride on that Xbox. Glad it came safe. Thanks for the heads up on south america.

[rondy | 14]

I just want to report that I got the package this morning safe and sound! 

I didn't have to pay any import fees and customs didn't open the box, wow how lucky.

It was just left outside like any other package.

Funny thing is that it was supposed to require signature confirmation. The tracking says it was left with individual and "Signed for By: R P", yeah right, both false. It was just left outside and nobody signed sh*t! But really happy with the outcome.

Edited July 2, 2021 by rondy