Customs Playing The Devil

[Yung_Jah]

Have anyone ever been robbed or were to be?

Read this situation and tell me if it makes sense and share your opinion.

Lets say you paid a courier to send a malfunctioning phone back to America, at a relative's address, to have that relative send the phone to the Care Centre for repairs, zeen!!!

While at the courier, you were given documents to sign and paying the necessary. You were told you can pay for a returning package, which means when it is coming through custom's they wont bill you extra, because the phone was written up for Repairs.

Now the phone arrives back into the island and you were told by the courier that you will have to pay duty on the phone, which got you frustrated and at a point, didnt expect to pay any dime.

You call the main office of the courier to find out why this is so and what is the meaning of the document that was done and so on and all they can say is...customs treating the phone as brand new and how there is no document to say it was brought into the island back from the repair shop. Yet you would explain to them that, the courier in your parish was responsible for dropping off documents to show that the phone went out for repairs. Otherwise, if you had known you wouldnt have done business with them!

Questions are:
1. What approach should one take?

2. have this happen to anyone and still end up paying custom to retrieve the item?

3. Is there a way out of it without paying a dime?

[lojikal]

I'd be really upset. I'm stumped considering I'd be so frustrated with this. I'd prob just pay them off and get over with it. Sometimes there's no price for a piece of mind.

[BNOVA]

Have anyone ever been robbed or were to be?

Read this situation and tell me if it makes sense and share your opinion.

Lets say you paid a courier to send a malfunctioning phone back to America, at a relative's address, to have that relative send the phone to the Care Centre for repairs, zeen!!!

While at the courier, you were given documents to sign and paying the necessary. You were told you can pay for a returning package, which means when it is coming through custom's they wont bill you extra, because the phone was written up for Repairs.

Now the phone arrives back into the island and you were told by the courier that you will have to pay duty on the phone, which got you frustrated and at a point, didnt expect to pay any dime.

You call the main office of the courier to find out why this is so and what is the meaning of the document that was done and so on and all they can say is...customs treating the phone as brand new and how there is no document to say it was brought into the island back from the repair shop. Yet you would explain to them that, the courier in your parish was responsible for dropping off documents to show that the phone went out for repairs. Otherwise, if you had known you wouldnt have done business with them!

Questions are:
1. What approach should one take?

2. have this happen to anyone and still end up paying custom to retrieve the item?

3. Is there a way out of it without paying a dime?

You should only pay for the shipping back into the island. It is the couriers fault that they have not dropped of the necessary documentation to indicate that it is a repaired item.
Hope you have a copy of the document. The courier should be the one footing the bill if anything.

[Yung_Jah]

I'd be really upset. I'm stumped considering I'd be so frustrated with this. I'd prob just pay them off and get over with it. Sometimes there's no price for a piece of mind.

I wont jump so fast to pay....and I saw a document with an estimate of 10k...MADNESS....but was asked if I can afford to spend 6k.....dont know who these people trying to fool.

You should only pay for the shipping back into the island. It is the couriers fault that they have not dropped of the necessary documentation to indicate that it is a repaired item.
Hope you have a copy of the document. The courier should be the one footing the bill if anything.

Well...its my fault I didnt asked for a copy of that documentation....but only got the copy of the tracking sheet with the necessary payments written on it. And because of time....I didnt want to be late for work. Dont know if I can still get copies of the documentation, which I know they should have...as it was carbonized....And if I do get it...then i am going straight over to customs or handle the matter in some other ways....

But then again...I had called few times before the phone arrives....and they kept saying the document were at customs. So it is either Customs or the Courier messing with me!!!!

[psilos]

There is a strong likelihood that you may have to pay Customs to recover your item but I would take the following steps as a last resort.

1. Go to the original courier's office and request a copy of all the documents that related to the transaction. e.g. Documents signed, receipts, tracking info etc.

2. If all goes well with above, take said documentation to the Customs dept and collect your phone.

3. If the documents cannot be furnished, threaten the courier with legal action as the act of signing documents and paying for an advertised service in which the outcome was different from what was agreed upon could be treated as misrepresentation or fraud.

While Customs may be at fault for "losing" said Original documents, without you brandishing proof, it is the Courier's word (on your behalf) against Customs' and since they are the ones with the item you will have no choice but to settle and pay the resulting duties.

[ramesh]

You may have a problem if the part of the phone holding the serial number was replaced. Customs uses the serial number to identify items being returned for repair.

[juiceheadband]

It sounds like the form in question is the "C43 - Export for subsequent importation" form. The courier company would definitely have a copy of this form.

Was the shipment through UPS, FedEx or TNT?

[Arch_Angel]

Sounds like your Courier is playing the devil, not customs. Customs not doing a transaction with you. They just doing their job. (for the most part)

Definitely looking like the courier is in fault here. Their response to you after calling the main office sounds like they taking you for fool.

[Chris]

2 points raised by Ramesh and juiceheadband would be applicable. If a C43 was completed and you have a copy then utilize it. If however the unit sent back is a new one with a new serial number then unfortunately the C42 won't be applicable and Customs will treat it as a new unit with applicable duties.

Sorry man, Jamaica isn't yet setup for global commerce, it's still operating as a standalone island.

[Yung_Jah]

There is a strong likelihood that you may have to pay Customs to recover your item but I would take the following steps as a last resort.

1. Go to the original courier's office and request a copy of all the documents that related to the transaction. e.g. Documents signed, receipts, tracking info etc.

2. If all goes well with above, take said documentation to the Customs dept and collect your phone.

3. If the documents cannot be furnished, threaten the courier with legal action as the act of signing documents and paying for an advertised service in which the outcome was different from what was agreed upon could be treated as misrepresentation or fraud.

While Customs may be at fault for "losing" said Original documents, without you brandishing proof, it is the Courier's word (on your behalf) against Customs' and since they are the ones with the item you will have no choice but to settle and pay the resulting duties.

Thanks for the info. Will certainly do this.

You may have a problem if the part of the phone holding the serial number was replaced. Customs uses the serial number to identify items being returned for repair.

Well lets hope there isnt a change in the serial number, which should not happen. Cuz basically it was the screen that was change according to Nokia.

It sounds like the form in question is the "C43 - Export for subsequent importation" form. The courier company would definitely have a copy of this form.

Was the shipment through UPS, FedEx or TNT?

It was done through UPS.

Sounds like your Courier is playing the devil, not customs. Customs not doing a transaction with you. They just doing their job. (for the most part)

Definitely looking like the courier is in fault here. Their response to you after calling the main office sounds like they taking you for fool.

Thats what I was thinking too. Was thinking if the courier trying their best to get money from me. It was the courier in my parish call the head office. I was the one who called to find out what what. And thats when these people talking about I'd still have to pay.

2 points raised by Ramesh and juiceheadband would be applicable. If a C43 was completed and you have a copy then utilize it. If however the unit sent back is a new one with a new serial number then unfortunately the C42 won't be applicable and Customs will treat it as a new unit with applicable duties.

Sorry man, Jamaica isn't yet setup for global commerce, it's still operating as a standalone island.

So it goes. Jamaica has alot of upgrading to do. And we need to start now to have a proper system. Will see if I can get a copy of the C43 form.

Will keep y'all up-to-date.

By the way, my brother had called UPS (America) today and they said they would also call customs regarding a receipt they sent with the phone. Dont know why they sent that with it...which I suppose causing custom to behave that way. According to the courier, they said customs found a receipt with the word "gift" at $19us. So I suppose with the word gift, they are not thinking the phone went for repairs, but rather its a new phone.

Lets hope I dont pay a dime, if all goes will with UPS in America vs customs.

Was told August the 13th is a Obeah day...lol...which led to 7 people dead, somewhere in Jamaica....so would this link to a weird FRIDAY? Lets see how monday run.