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R: [OM] OT: Customs Duties

Subject: R: [OM] OT: Customs Duties
From: "Marco Tomat" <tom@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 05 May 1999 11:26:05 +0200
Dunno about US customs, I can speak about Italian one. 

1. They have a very vague idea of the price of photo goods.

2. They look first for a declared value or invoices or any clues that can
lead to real value.

3. If they find nothing they can ask you (yes you who are waiting for the
parcel) about the value.

4. They consider in different ways the various ways of shipping goods: if
the shipping has been insured or registered, they think there must be any
value in it.

5. If the items are sent as "mail" or "small packet" the items are likely to
bypass Customs at all. Alas this can be done only with the lighter ones.

6. If the item looks used, they tend to value very low. If the items are new
in boxes, even if they are off brand cheapest lenses (for instance) they are
likely to value very high. For instance if you get a Zuiko 24 shift wrapped
in an ugly pierced pink bubble plastic and then put in a re-used little box
and all pen-addressed to you and declared as an old, used and even broken
camera lens and sent as a not insured and not registered "small packet" you
are likely to pay nothyng, while if you get a 70-210 f/4,5 Cosina or Vivitar
lens but new in its box and sent as an insured and registered "parcel" maybe
they shall ask you more than its full value ever as import tax.

7. As an ultimate rule, their behaving is unpredictable.

Marco

----------
>Da: "Tomoko Yamamoto" <tomokoy@xxxxxxxxx>
>A: "Olympus List" <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Oggetto: [OM] OT: Customs Duties
>Data: Mar, 4 mag 1999 18:15
>

> Does anyone have an explanation for this customs free treatment?  Is it
because
> the lens is used?  My brother did not identify the lens as used, but while the
> lens looks really good overall, it has a few brassing marks on the metal rim
> above the mounting ring, which makes it obvious to the inspector that it is a
> used lens.

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