Originally Posted by
bruce19
Have any of you been hit with Customs charges? I've ordered many time from Assos Factory Outlet with no charges but out of nowhere I got a $65 bill from FEDEX for Customs charges. They said it was to reimburse them for what they paid US Customs. But, I called the Customs office here in CT and they said they don't charge the shipper. They send a bill to the recipient. In this case, me. I got no bill from Customs.
You have to understand how it works.
FedEx pays a
bond and it covers all the shipments that are delivered straight to your door without going through CBP (which I think handles the Customs related activities in the US)
I believe American citizens are entitled to a $200 "freebie" and thereafter the shipment is deemed dutiable. There may be some exceptions to this rule.
And why pay duties? It's because you're taking out currency out of the country. It's your government's way of making that money back
Information about paying duties/taxes are available to the general public. Refer to the CBP website.
PS
I work in the industry and about 50% of our vendors are US-based