Sending from Europe to the US

[Hel-Stampes]

For those of you who sent equipment to Dan Goldberg from Europe,
how did you manage the customs problem ?
Fedex tells me the US customs will ask me an import fee,
even if the equipment has already have all its taxes paid.
Any clue ?

[stunsworth]

Why not send it to a reparier in Europe? Is it something only Dan can fix?

[robsteve]

You need to check with your local customs for the forms required for sending items for repair. There is also an international form ued for professional gear taken into another country and then returned home. That though may get you into immigration trouble if you say you are using it for work in the USA and don't have a work permit.

I don't think you can send them for repair and not have them shipped back to you in the EU, but shipped to an address in the USA or picked up by yourself in person. This may be what Fedex was referring to.

[cbretteville]

Sthan,
I asked Don a while back what he needed and his answer was: "As far as paperwork goes for sending your items for customs- just indicate that your camera is being sent for repair & will be returned to you after repairs". I believe you need a pro-forma invoice in several copies to be part of the paperwork that goes with the box and "equipment for repair and return" must be stated on the invoice.

Fedex may be different, but ask Don he should know.

- Carl

[bill]

Seconded on sending to a European repairer - why put yourself through the hassle? I've used both Malcolm Taylor and CRR Luton and have the highest praise for their work in each case.

Regards.

Bill

[Hel-Stampes]

@stunsworth : I would like to solve definitively my backfocus-frontfocus problem. I spent the whole morning shotting for a client, calculating back and front focuses on sculptures when switching from a 35 to a 90 back and forth…
Solms is out of question, because of the huge delay.
Don could take it and do it in about a week.
I don't know if CRR Luton could do it.

[Hel-Stampes]

Update
Just had CRR, he was very nice and patient. His reply : it's impossible to have all lenses
spot on with the M8. You have to reach a compromise for your 3 main lenses (namely 35, 50
and Noctilux). For the 90 (and possibly for the 21), you'll have to adjust them specifically
to your M8 (and not another), bit it will mean you won't have focus with a film body anymore.

@robsteve : you're right : Fedex has no problem to send the equipment in the US, but it has
to come back through the same channel. If it's a one way (as I intend it to, flying back myself
from the US to Europe with the equipment adjusted), the customs might tax it once again.
Knowing the value of the whole batch, I would'n dare to hear about the amount they would
ask me.
@cbretteville : I will ask Don indeed, because I don't suppose every customer
pays all these taxes again and again each time they send him equipment to repair/adjust.

[robsteve]

Originally Posted by sthan

@robsteve : you're right : Fedex has no problem to send the equipment in the US, but it has
to come back through the same channel. If it's a one way (as I intend it to, flying back myself
from the US to Europe with the equipment adjusted), the customs might tax it once again.
Knowing the value of the whole batch, I would'n dare to hear about the amount they would
ask me.
.

You should be able to get it back into the EU if you get it registered on what ever card you use when tourists travel with their gear and want to get it back into the country. The problem may be if it is a one way trip into the USA via fedex, the US customs may want to collect on it, but probably unlikely.

Robert

[jaapv]

Back into the EU should not be a problem, as you don't have to declare it on the way out or into the USA (it used to be so back in the fifties). If you want to be totally safe, just take photocopies of your European invoices, to prove the provenance. Nobody will know what Don did to it, nor check if it was ever returned by Fedex or mail.

[delander]

Originally Posted by sthan

Update
Just had CRR, he was very nice and patient. His reply : it's impossible to have all lenses
spot on with the M8.

I dont understand why not?

Jeff

[wls.shanghai]

why not make a

CUSTOM - Document

CARNET A.T.A

then, everything will be fine!

wls

[Hel-Stampes]

Originally Posted by wls.shanghai

why not make a

CUSTOM - Document

CARNET A.T.A

then, everything will be fine!

wls

wls.shanghai : because it's more bureaucracy, more time spent with slow,
confused, confusing people on the phone/in obscure offices.

[Hel-Stampes]

Originally Posted by delander

I dont understand why not?

Jeff

Well, Dan Goldberg differs and just told me he could.

[Hel-Stampes]

Originally Posted by jaapv

Back into the EU should not be a problem, as you don't have to declare it on the way out or into the USA (it used to be so back in the fifties). If you want to be totally safe, just take photocopies of your European invoices, to prove the provenance. Nobody will know what Don did to it, nor check if it was ever returned by Fedex or mail.

@jaapv : I always travel with these documents (even when not going out of Europe).
If I was travellng with the gear back and forth, not the slightest problem.
Here, Fedex reply is : we don't do it if it's just one way.
UPS reply : we do it, but you still have a chance that the US customs tax your
gear upon arrival on Ellis Island, with the rest of the immigrant lenses.
I made it once, sending back a defective camera body to BH. But it was
a permanent return for an item I had bought and rejected.

[peter_n]

As far as I know there are no customs charges on still photographic equipment coming into the US. Using courier services for cross-border shipping is a waste of time - too many delays and hidden charges. I can get a lens faster from Tokyo using Japanese post/EMS shipping than from NYC (250 miles south of here) using courier. Use your postal service and insure for the full replacement value of your equipment.

Proof of ownership: bring copies of your receipts or a verified customs form issued by your country. Here in the US we use customs form 4457 easily found on Google. The only restriction is that the items must have serial numbers. A customs officer must inspect/stamp your form at port of exit.

[Hel-Stampes]

Originally Posted by peter_n

As far as I know there are no customs charges on still photographic equipment coming into the US. Using courier services for cross-border shipping is a waste of time - too many delays and hidden charges. I can get a lens faster from Tokyo using Japanese post/EMS shipping than from NYC (250 miles south of here) using courier. Use your postal service and insure for the full replacement value of your equipment.

Proof of ownership: bring copies of your receipts or a verified customs form issued by your country. Here in the US we use customs form 4457 easily found on Google. The only restriction is that the items must have serial numbers. A customs officer must inspect/stamp your form at port of exit.

Peter,
I wouldn't dare to deal with the post for this. UPS or Fedex always proved reliable.
The post office lost parcels and it took 2 weeks to retrieve a camera from them.

Proof : I have every single invoice and/or tax customs documents.
But UPS tells me now the just need me to fill a pro forma bill they
issue on their website, with serial numbers and complete address + firm ID of DAG.

[robsteve]

Originally Posted by peter_n

Use your postal service and insure for the full replacement value of your equipment.

Peter:

The problem with post office is the insurance is usually limited to about $1,000 unless you choose their courier option, which goes Fedex anyway.

Robert

[Hel-Stampes]

Originally Posted by robsteve

Peter:

The problem with post office is the insurance is usually limited to about $1,000 unless you choose their courier option, which goes Fedex anyway.

Robert

@Robsteve : exactly.

Gentlemen, I just called UPS in the US and their reply has been very clear and professional at last. I post here the rule as it appears on UPS website.
Might be useful for some of you.
UPS Country Regulations
Repaired Goods For shipments of repaired goods (this encompasses foreign made goods once imported into the U.S., sent abroad for repair and then returned to the U.S.) the invoice must state:Country of Origin
Original cost of the item
Repair cost (the fair market value price of the price of repair)
Duties and taxes will only apply to the repair cost. All other invoice requirements still apply.

It seems fair enough indeed to pay a custom tax on the "added value" of the repair.

[peter_n]

Originally Posted by sthan

Peter,
I wouldn't dare to deal with the post for this. UPS or Fedex always proved reliable.
The post office lost parcels and it took 2 weeks to retrieve a camera from them.

Proof : I have every single invoice and/or tax customs documents.
But UPS tells me now the just need me to fill a pro forma bill they
issue on their website, with serial numbers and complete address + firm ID of DAG.

There are certainly plenty of people who won't touch UPS too. My own personal experience having received many packages over the years by the USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL et al is just one badly damaged package that happened to be delivered by UPS. Nothing lost and I certainly don't hold UPS responsible for the damaged shipment. But I will personally only ship by USPS Express Mail. I've had no problems, the post office is very convenient (two within walking distance of my house), shipping is a price bargain and their tracking is slowly but surely getting better. Just my own experience...

Originally Posted by robsteve

Peter:

The problem with post office is the insurance is usually limited to about $1,000 unless you choose their courier option, which goes Fedex anyway.

Robert

I actually asked in my local post office the other day what the limit was as I had sold an expensive lens and was insuring it for full replacement (near $3K). I was told the insurance limit was $5000, above that you have to go by courier.

[robsteve]

Originally Posted by peter_n

I actually asked in my local post office the other day what the limit was as I had sold an expensive lens and was insuring it for full replacement (near $3K). I was told the insurance limit was $5000, above that you have to go by courier.

Was that limit for international or just within he USA?

Robert