B&H & UPS

[jamesw]

After ordering a 10.5mm fisheye and creative mp3 player (vision M 30gb) from B&H photo and selecting the cheapest shipping method (UPS worldwide saver), i was a bit stressed to read the negative feedback RE UPS on this site...

previously i had used USPS with B&H, so i was even more worried about the prospect of paying duties or extra fees on my goods...

but today the goods rocked up. UPS even re-directed my gear to my work.

service seemed good enough from UPS, and as always B&H were great.

just my 2c

[DaveB]

Good to hear, but let us know if you receive a bill from UPS: they sometimes arrive after the parcel.

[glamy]

Last time I had to go through Fedex which have the same reputation as UPS regarding "customs clearances". I had no extra fees to pay and been told no fees for anyting under $1000.00.
Cheers,
Gerard

[DaveB]

Last time I had to go through Fedex which have the same reputation as UPS regarding "customs clearances".

Fedex have always been good for me, it's just UPS that's overzealous about tax/duty and charge you brokerage...

[Killakoala]

brokerage...

Also known as 'Hostage Release Money'.

[michael_]

i have placed 11 orders through B&H using UPS each time and never had an issue, infact they have been better than local post.

[jamesw]

personally, i prefer USPS. they link in with Australia post, which means that instead of having to call to get a courier out (if you miss your parcel, which i often do - work 9-5), you can just fly past your post office and pick it up.

having said this, UPS seem only too happy to re-direct parcels to my work, but i do prefer just nicking down to the PO to grab a parcel rather than lugging it home on the bus.

[jamesw]

brokerage...

Also known as 'Hostage Release Money'.

RE: recieving an invoice in the mail ....

it'd be a bit silly to try and extort money after releasing a hostage

[gstark]

i have placed 11 orders through B&H using UPS each time and never had an issue, infact they have been better than local post.

Damning with feint praise, eh?

[sirhc55]

My one and only B&H purchase was a Sigma 2x teleconvertor, which with postage, was cheaper than Oz. Was delivered via UPS with nearly $100 payable before delivery making the item more expensive than here - once bitten twice shy.

The $100 was approx $24 gst and the rest was a UPS admin charge. . . .

[DaveB]

The $100 was approx $24 gst and the rest was a UPS admin charge. . . .

If that $24 GST implies that the taxable value of the item was $240, that's way below the $1000 limit outlined in Australian law (OK it used to be $500 for courier shipments, but still...). I seem to recall one time UPS decided not to charge me GST for an item, but they still stung me with the brokerage fee!

I'll try to stop bashing UPS now. There are other options and I must admit most of my UPS experience is over a year old: I avoid them these days. Selecting USPS Global Express at B&H rather than UPS typically costs an extra US$10, but I like the peace of mind...

[BT*ist]

Just to be on the safe side, I've split my latest order into two packages. In this instance, total delivery bill (spread across two shipments) is higher by $US5 than if it was one big package over $1K. (Bargain!)

I'll let you know how that goes...

[jamesw]

i forgot to mention that mine was worth about $1300 aud.

[slavo]

How did you guys go with UPS? Did they slug you with extra?

[BT*ist]

Nope - two separate deliveries, no GST.

Actually, the second pack (ordered one day later) caught up to the first and the two were delivered simultaneously.

Guess I got lucky and/or did it right!

[jamesw]

i was fine

[jamesw]

i was fine

[Thommo]

im thinking about making quite a big order from bhphoto consisting of a sigma 10-20mm 10.5mm FE and 70-200 VR. But im unsure as to how the "under $1000 AUD" works.

Is it based on total value of the items in the package or on each individual package. And where do customs get the value of the item from, is it what BH declares it as or is it calculated another way.

im loving the AUD atm.

[sirhc55]

im thinking about making quite a big order from bhphoto consisting of a sigma 10-20mm 10.5mm FE and 70-200 VR. But im unsure as to how the "under $1000 AUD" works.

Is it based on total value of the items in the package or on each individual package. And where do customs get the value of the item from, is it what BH declares it as or is it calculated another way.

im loving the AUD atm.

It is based on the total contents of the package including postage and B&H will declare full value on the customs docket - you can’t ask them to undervalue.

[Thommo]

im thinking about making quite a big order from bhphoto consisting of a sigma 10-20mm 10.5mm FE and 70-200 VR. But im unsure as to how the "under $1000 AUD" works.

Is it based on total value of the items in the package or on each individual package. And where do customs get the value of the item from, is it what BH declares it as or is it calculated another way.

im loving the AUD atm.

It is based on the total contents of the package including postage and B&H will declare full value on the customs docket - you can’t ask them to undervalue.

So they will declare exactly how much i have paid for the goods and GST will be calculated on that.

Still seems like the best option with GST.

[ATJ]

It is based on the total contents of the package including postage and B&H will declare full value on the customs docket - you can’t ask them to undervalue.

I'm pretty sure it excludes postage. I know when I bought my housing and strobes and things from B&H last year, the forms I have to fill out for customs explicitly excluded the postage and I only paid GST on the price of the goods converted to AUD based on the current gazetted exchange rate.

The Customs Site is not all that explicit, but it talks about the "value of the goods" and does not mention "including postage". I know that is not definitive, but based on my experience I would go with total value excluding postage.

Interestingly, the example in the FAQ suggests that the value for the threshold explicitly excludes the shipping costs, but the GST calculation includes it, even though that was not my experience. e.g. if the value of the goods was AU$950 and shipping was AU$100 (total AU$1050), there would be no GST, but if the goods were AU$1010 and shipping was AU$100, you'd pay GST on the AU$1110.

[michael_]

its meant to include postage, states that on the customs website and the paperwork when i have had to pay GST previously.

[sirhc55]

There appears to be a double whammy from our lovable government.

From the site we have:

Goods value $1,000 or more (obviously)
The first whammy - Customs duty @ 5% = $50.00 (payable)
Now for the postage (or transport) - say - $150.00
The government then adds the three figures above to arrive at the amount of $1,200.00.

GST is then charged at 10% on the $1,200.00 = $120.00



DOUBLE WHAMMY they charged you the GST + the duty (so not only do you pay duty but GST applies to the duty as well

So the final figure payable is $170.00

[BT*ist]

The irony being that even with all that, at the time I bought it was still cheaper to import a K10D body than buy one locally.

I did get lucky - I avoided tax even though my item + delivery was more than $1000. (Item less delivery was under $1000)

[ATJ]

Triple whammy when you consider that you have probably already paid sales tax on the shipping and insurance in the US. (You avoid the sales tax on the goods themselves, but I doubt you avoid it on the others).

But note that if the Customs value (goods alone) is less that AU$1,000. You don't pay GST or duty.

[ATJ]

its meant to include postage, states that on the customs website and the paperwork when i have had to pay GST previously.

You pay the GST on the postage (although I didn't) but the postage isn't included in the decision as to whether the GST is payable - as outlined in their FAQ.

[ATJ]

I did get lucky - I avoided tax even though my item + delivery was more than $1000. (Item less delivery was under $1000)

Which supports what I have been saying. Decision is based on goods value only.

[sirhc55]

I reckon it is all based on whether the guy got lucky the night before

[jamesw]

I reckon it is all based on whether the guy got lucky the night before

[fenger]

But note that if the Customs value (goods alone) is less that AU$1,000. You don't pay GST or duty.

I have been hit with GST for order, including postage, that is $700. Instead of going through all the hassles to argue with customs, I just paid the local post office $70 to get my goods immediately. So, it all depends on your luck.

[adam]

Most of the things on this list are films
http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resou ... oods_a.pdf

and

http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=5549

All goods (except for tobacco products and alcoholic beverages) may be imported duty and tax free if their value is $1,000 or less.

Note: However, where there are multiple packages to the same addressee in Australia from a single consignor overseas that arrive at about the same time, then the value of all packages will be combined for duty and tax assessment purposes. Refer to example 1.

You should ask them, if you can be bothered, why you were charged, I also want to know

[fenger]

There was only one box ordered. The local post office did not know the reason. I had to contact the customs myself. Most of all, I just couldn't wait to play with the new gear

[gstark]

But note that if the Customs value (goods alone) is less that AU$1,000. You don't pay GST or duty.

I have been hit with GST for order, including postage, that is $700. Instead of going through all the hassles to argue with customs, I just paid the local post office $70 to get my goods immediately. So, it all depends on your luck.

Just to clear something up here.

If the total value of the order, including shipping, overseas taxes, etc, is less than Au1K, then (depending upon the nature of the goods) you should be able to import the goods free of duty and taxes.

But it's always a decision that Customs will be (or should be) making.

From whom was the import made?

[ATJ]

If the total value of the order, including shipping, overseas taxes, etc, is less than Au1K, then (depending upon the nature of the goods) you should be able to import the goods free of duty and taxes.

According to the Customs site, the decision is made on the value of the goods alone. However, if they deem that GST is required to be paid, GST is on the total cost (goods, shipping, OS taxes, etc.).

[fenger]

It was a lens from B&H photo, sent using USPS. It should be tax free but at that time (year 2003), the PDF document sent to me by the Customs only said what quoted below. It did not say explicitly that tax was not applicable in this case even though on the phone they said that tax was not applicable. I could have followed up and tried not to pay but I was working 9-5 and did not want to run around and deal with lots of paper work.


quote:
Importing goods
All goods imported into Australia must be cleared by Customs. Importers are responsible
for obtaining a formal Customs clearance for goods above set value limits (currently $250
for goods imported by sea and air cargo and $1000 for goods imported through the postal
system).
Consignments valued at or below these amounts may be cleared through use of an
approved Informal Clearance Document (ICD), available at Customs offices.
Customs applies cost-recovery charges for the processing of entries by Customs. These
costs depend on whether the entry is submitted as an electronic entry or as a documentary
(manual) entry.
Goods entering Australia can attract Customs duty and/or GST and other taxes and
charges. Customs duty rates vary and depend on a number of factors, such as type of
goods and country of origin. For advice on charges, duty rates, as well as any other
Customs matters, contact the Customs Information Centre on 1300 363 263.

[Big Red]

i just ordered a Pentax DA*16-50/2.8 on the friday, was shipped and arrived in sydney on Sunday.
item was $899.00 USD plus shipping which when adjusted came to $1065.00 AUD or something.
i had to pay $168.00 hostage fees to get it thursday.

i ordered the DA*50-135/2.8 for $799.00 USD [went up $200.00 the next day ] plus a viewfinder for $50 plus shipping on saturday and it shipped monday... no hostage fees and arrived on the same truck.

B&H is a great store.

[jamesw]

Resurrecting an old topic...

I ordered a Nikon Coolpix P50 on Friday, it arrived at my desk at work on the following Monday morning.

B&H's service is seemingly second to none, and again I did not have a problem with UPS.

[shutterbug]

I have used B&H and UPS many times...all been great. If they miss me at home I just called them up and tell them to "Hold for Collection" and I drive to the UPS center to pic it up The center usually close at 7pm.

[ATJ]

I'm in the process of trying Adorama and UPS. B&H have been out of stock of Ikelite housings for a few weeks now (since the AU$ was last at US$0.90) and now the AU$ is looking good again I wanted to order. I submitted my order last night with Adorama and I assume they will process it tonight (Monday for them). If all goes well I should have it by the weekend.

One of the good things (I hope) with Adorama is they let you use PayPal. I had nearly US$500 sitting in my account which I didn't want to transfer to AU$ because of how strong the dollar has been.

I'll let you know how it goes.

[jamesw]

I have used B&H and UPS many times...all been great. If they miss me at home I just called them up and tell them to "Hold for Collection" and I drive to the UPS center to pic it up The center usually close at 7pm.

UPS are also happy to deliver to your work, i think i mentioned that earlier. They seem really keen to keep you (the customer) happy.

[ATJ]

I gave UPS a second go (after they stuffed me around with my order from Adorama - Adorama - UPS Experience) and my opinion has not changed much. The difference this time was my expectations were lower and I wasn't in a hurry to get the package.

I ordered from B&H on Sunday night. I had a choice of USPS or UPS. UPS was US$20 cheaper and in theory faster so I thought "What the heck?" as I wasn't in a hurry. B&H did a great job shipping the package on their Monday and UPS in the US got the package to Sydney in around 24 hours. Then UPS Australia just let the package sit for 24 hours before they give it to AAE who take another 24 hours to delivery it (overnight service leaves Katoomba at 7:30am and gets to me just before 5pm).

With just the slightest bit of effort and care factor, UPS Australia could have got the package to me a day earlier.

The tracking information hasn't been updated since Wednesday night even though I got the parcel on Friday afternoon.

UPS: Tracking Information

I didn't even bother to call UPS, I just waited until the package showed up on the AAE Track and Trace using the UPS tracking number. The weird thing is it appeared on Thursday morning saying it have been picked up at 5pm Thursday night. I assume that means that UPS contact them on Thursday morning to say there's a parcel to be picked up.

[michael_]

its very odd, i have made 19 purchases through BH all with UPS and not once have i had an issue.

[ATJ]

Michael,

You live in Alexandria. You must almost be in walking distance of UPS. You will definitely be in their delivery range. I am not, that is the huge difference and where the lack of care comes in.

[michael_]

very true im usually first stop.

just re-reading your post, you ordered on the sunday and got it on the friday, i dont think thats to bad considering where you are too, if i order on a sunday its here tursday

[photohiker]

I feel your pain!

We live in a near-hills area of Adelaide. For some weird reason, our street has been classified as 'country' even though we are 15 minutes to the city centre (if you get a good run with no traffic) Because of that, UPS etc, farm the delivery off to a third party courier which seems to add at least a day and often more to the delivery time.

If I need the shipment asap, I watch the track-n-trace, and as soon as the parcel arrives in Sydney, I call them up and ask for it to be held at the depot in Adelaide for collection. Works well so far. Ok, I have to collect it, but it saves dealing with the whole country courier missed delivery catastrophe we have been subjected to in the past.

UPS in particular are very slack at updating their tracking website once the parcel arrives in Australia.

Michael

[gstark]

UPS in particular are very slack at updating their tracking website once the parcel arrives in Australia.

Yes they are, and their explanations on the website are also misleading. Some of the entries may lead you to believe that your package has arrived, when in fact it has not. This a common error made when trying to understand their tracking page.

As bad as they are, they are not the worst. Oz Post leaves them all in the dust. Updates? You're kidding, right?

[michael_]

UPS in particular are very slack at updating their tracking website once the parcel arrives in Australia.

Yes they are, and their explanations on the website are also misleading. Some of the entries may lead you to believe that your package has arrived, when in fact it has not. This a common error made when trying to understand their tracking page.

As bad as they are, they are not the worst. Oz Post leaves them all in the dust. Updates? You're kidding, right?

actually i dont think its missleading, its the way freight services work, the paperwork arrives and is cleared before the package and it always states this just in freight terms but is still somewhat clear.

and aus post, wow it says ont he delivery must be signed for so they just leave the parcel at the door grr hate hate

[ATJ]

Michael,

You are right that getting the parcel on Friday is not too bad... until you start to dig deeper.

It is my understanding that all the details about the package are sent ahead of time... this is the "REGISTERED WITH CLEARING AGENCY / RELEASED BY CLR AGENCY. NOW IN-TRANSIT" information on the tracking page so they know the value and can determine if GST, etc. is required. They also know the final destination so they can make any preparation for delivery. Obviously, they have to wait for the package to arrive, but with all the information they have on hand, the arrival of the package at the Sydney depot is a formality.

In both my cases of UPS shipments my package sat at the depot in Sydney for at least 24 hours. It was not with another courier but simply waiting for them to do something with it. I can get a package from WA is less than 24 hours (for no great cost). I have even got things via Express Post in 24 hours from WA.

In both my cases, the package was delivered to my door at just before 5pm on a Friday. So, while that is a Friday delivery, it is cutting it pretty fine. The slightest problem would mean that I wouldn't get it to Monday.

My package last week was UPS Saver. The previous one was EXPRESS which is actually a higher class of service and it took the same amount of time. I'm pretty sure I have received parcels by mail in the same length of time.

[Glen]

I would actually say UPS is misleading, when I get advance notices of shipments from other freighters they say pre-alert, UPS says items are at X when they aren't. They have also taken over 24 hours to show an item as delivered.

By contrast I have found Australia Post Platinum service great, aside fromn the fact that tracking doesn't start till after midnight on the business day you post it, updates are regular and I find it is not uncommon to see the delivery notification 15 minutes after delivery. Normal Express Post and there other services fall below this standard unfortunately.

[jamesw]

I gave UPS a second go (after they stuffed me around with my order from Adorama - Adorama - UPS Experience) and my opinion has not changed much. The difference this time was my expectations were lower and I wasn't in a hurry to get the package.

I ordered from B&H on Sunday night. I had a choice of USPS or UPS. UPS was US$20 cheaper and in theory faster so I thought "What the heck?" as I wasn't in a hurry. B&H did a great job shipping the package on their Monday and UPS in the US got the package to Sydney in around 24 hours. Then UPS Australia just let the package sit for 24 hours before they give it to AAE who take another 24 hours to delivery it (overnight service leaves Katoomba at 7:30am and gets to me just before 5pm).

With just the slightest bit of effort and care factor, UPS Australia could have got the package to me a day earlier.

The tracking information hasn't been updated since Wednesday night even though I got the parcel on Friday afternoon.

UPS: Tracking Information

I didn't even bother to call UPS, I just waited until the package showed up on the AAE Track and Trace using the UPS tracking number. The weird thing is it appeared on Thursday morning saying it have been picked up at 5pm Thursday night. I assume that means that UPS contact them on Thursday morning to say there's a parcel to be picked up.

Delivery time is quoted as 3-5 days

From what I'm reading, you ordered Sunday and received on Friday, smack bang on the 3-5 day deadline.