Customs Forms

[DelilahBurlesque]

This probably belongs in BT or some other place, but I thought this was a good place to start.

Apart from having lived in 3 countries, (thereby racking up alot of international packages to friends and family over the years), and being a visual artist (I have to ship my work around the world, and back again) I also have been selling online since the early days of the Bay of the E.

In other words, I know my way around a customs form, whether Canadian, US or UK. I understand how to fill them out legally and fairly for both the customer and the shipper, so we all end up happy, and without potential legal issues.

Do your customers ever tell you what to write on the customs form? Recently I had a potential customer tell me what I should write. Not ask. Tell.

My question is this:

Do you ignore them and fill it out legally and fairly, knowing that everything will be ok.

or

Do you reply to them that you must comply with international law and fill out the customs form the way it should be filled out.

Just curious if this comes up alot on Etsy. It's not like you write to Amazon or Asos and say Hey, dude, can you write this on my customs form?

[DancingGirlArt]

Well if they're asking you to falsify the form I would just ignore them. What is it they actually want you to put?

[TigersandDragons]

Falsifying is one thing, rewording is another. You should let them know that you won't falsify the customs form. I've had one person ask me to mark their purchase as a gift when I was starting out here...I did it then, but that's not my policy now.

I often remind sellers to put the cost of the item under "value" and to not include the shipping fee...because so many kept filling out the forms incorrectly and I had to pay more tax.
When it comes to small shipments of jewellery supplies, I do worry about theft. After having some gemstones never arrive (this was 9 years ago and the poor seller had 6 parcels go missing), I asked the seller to ship the next parcel under "rocks", and I have asked for parcels to be marked "beads" or "glass" or "findings" (which was a reasonable description of the contents) instead of the word "jewellery".

[konyskiw]

If it was just a rewording that is still actually correct then I'd do it, but if they were trying to get me to lie on the form I'd send them a polite message saying something like "I'm afraid I can't write that on the customs form as it is illegal to put false information on and if found out there is a possibility of a large fine".

Luckily I've yet to have anyone ask me to do it yet (possibly because I'm in the UK so my customers here and in the EU don't have to worry about customs and US and Aus have a larger limit).

I would prefer to message rather than just ignore as it seems a little more friendly and like I'm not just ignoring my customers, and it might help educate them.

[Former_Member]

It hasn't come up for me and all my sales leave Canada.
I wouldn't lie. Careful wording can keep things on the right side of things, for both seller and buyer and the law.
Yes - important to give the value on the price of the item, not the total of the sale with shipping.

[Former_Member]

I would depend on what the customer is wanting on the form.

If they want me to mark it as a gift so that they can evade the duty owed on the package, I won't do it. I won't falsify documents.

However, I will make my customs declaration rather vague when it comes to the contents.

For example, I would never list 'cashmere yarn' when I'm shipping. Rather it just gets listed as 'yarn'.

[DelilahBurlesque]

Thanks all.

I am good at wording with forms, but I don't like being told what to do. I run a couple of businesses, and I think I know what I am doing! ;) I just feel like people don't take Etsy sellers seriously at times.

[Former_Member]

I'm with the majority on this. I won't falsify anything. Being vague is one thing, lying is another. Someone can "tell" you to do it - doesn't mean you have to :) I'd write back and say you're sorry but it's against your ethics and policy to lie on official forms.

[GoTo]

I tell them that the form will be filled out legally--if they would like I'll gladly cancel the sale but I won't lie on the form.


I think a lot of folks realize many Etsy sellers have no international business experience and feel they can get away with requesting it because the seller might not know any better (and sadly the postal clerks often don't either so the seller isn't likely to get good advice there either...).

[Former_Member]

I didn't have this experience yet. But it is something to think about it. Thanks for bringing up.

[Former_Member]

Have been shipping items world wide for over 10 years & only on rare occasion have I been asked to "alter" a customs form...as a "gift" or "devalue" the item. In all cases I have replied to the customer that I cannot do that and that I abide by customs rules & regulations. Generally, the customer has accepted that(although may not be happy about it) I never had to cancel a sale over it...did have to split up an order once and send in 2 packages so the customer wouldn't be charged value added taxes in their country.

[GoTo]

On our website I was asked once in 7 years--on a $600 order--so the buyer's risk of owing duty was pretty high. (And no, we didn't mark it gift or devalue the contents on the form.) We get several international orders through our website each month, no one else asked for that.

Folks get asked here all the time.

[FlameOnGlass]

I have asked a few times for a specific description & I have been asked as well.
For instance if you are getting necklace chain & you want me to put craft supplies on it no problem. (Just an example, I don't sell chain.)
People don't like to write jewelry on the form because it tends to get 'lost' in the mail.
I don't have a problem with things like that.

An option for high value packages is to split them up instead of underdeclaring the value. That can save the buyer a lot of money.

[ElectronicGirl]

marked this thread. answered a couple questions.
i was not including the shipping in the value..but then i started to question myself. and the last international item i shipped i included the shipping. shoot. :( i hope Abu Dhabi doesn't charge extra. wont do that again!

and i just started selling jewelry..will def not mark it that in the description. i usually just put artwork..cuz i heard that might be cheaper for some countries. :\

[Former_Member]

jewelry is often marked as "accessories" I think, it's true but not so stealable.

I'd certainly never mark as gift, the fine is too scary.

I received a package from the states today and was THRILLED not to be asked to pay customs duty, the threshold in UK is really low. My postman said sometimes they charge, sometimes they don't, and said to consider it a goal!