yasamoka
Customs are 5% on mobile phones / accessories (if I'm not mistaken) and taxes are 10% on everything. That makes the extra 15.5% (over both item price + US shipping cost + Aramex shipping cost), then $6 are added as a constant duties fee.
samdib87
Thanks!
yasamoka
Do consider BorderLinx as well.
http://www.borderlinx.com
They have not updated their shipping prices on the website, last time I checked. You might want to shoot them an email. They have cheaper shipping than Aramex and many extra services you might be interested in.
samdib87
Hi man,
Thanks a lot for your reply.
See, i'm getting so many different answers on this subject. Some say 35%, some say 20%, some say it's a private thing, shouldn't cost anything.
As you know, everyone in lebanon knows everything.
Moving on, so you'd say I will pay around ~ 100$ in taxes and customs to get it out. It's already shipped through aramex SnS, so I didn't have the option to switch to borderlinx but will if you think it's a better service.
nuclearcat
Lebanese customs are lottery. Actually in other countries it is lottery too.
You may declare shipment as $100, but if there is same product sold $1000 in Lebanon, they can tax it higher price, for example.
Usually i expect up to 50% taxes and fees, from original price in USA.
yasamoka
nuclearcat wroteLebanese customs are lottery. Actually in other countries it is lottery too.
You may declare shipment as $100, but if there is same product sold $1000 in Lebanon, they can tax it higher price, for example.
Usually i expect up to 50% taxes and fees, from original price in USA.
Seems to be the exception rather than the rule. 17 shipments as I can remember now, expensive items for a lot of people, taxes and customs were never higher than 15.5% or so. The declared values of the packages were pretty close to the actual sum of item values + shipping fees.
nuclearcat
Here is my proof, and it is not first incident i had:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5WgPLkB9L5MU1JOQ19yTWlSYU0/edit
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5WgPLkB9L5MQkJ4UHlpbjVZeW8/edit
As you see goods, which cost $469 or 700000 LL was taxed as 800000 LL, and total charges reached $179, which is 38%.
Items was UGG shoes different two pair for my wife, and one pair of merell sneakers (didnt found merell in Lebanon), one different model of UGG is present in ABC, with triple price, and it is probably chinese copy, quality was terrible.
According borderlinx calculator (even they tax with shipping), should be duty + tax - $106.
I am not talking about electronic parts from china. Yes, if box is small, it may pass thru, but may not.
Recently i got box over libanpost, and was charged around 110000LL, for stuff that costs ~$50 (buttons, switches, relays and few PCB's).
rtwo2008
I went through similar experiences as nuclearcat, mine are even worse as every time the customs valued my items at exactly double the invoice price.
scorpioxy
I can echo nuclearcat's sentiments. I usually budget for 20-30% of the original price for customs and weird taxes regardless of the "Lebanese rules and regulations". That has worked out well for me in the past.
m0ei
Well I've been buying items from China, with free shipping and with great prices over Liban Post and I've never payed a single penny. Liban Post even delivers the item to my home. On the other side, DHL are fucking rippers, when I bought a Raspberry PI + 8$ shipping fee, I had to pay 21$ extra to DHL Lebanon.
samdib87
Actually, I called the customs office (airport) today to understand better. The dudes reply was "Mabda2eeyan ma fee shee" and closed the line. Loved the customer service. On the contrary Aramex is saying there are taxes and customs etc.
Both ways, I'll keep you posted on what happens.
Thanks!
UPDATE -------------
Customs + Vat + Aramex Handling = $104 // on a $500 phone.
Figured I'd let you guys know!
yasamoka
Aramex handling is $11.8 for the first half kilogram. That's the least you'd pay for shipping any package.
500 + 11.8 = 511.8
511.8 * 0.155 = 79.329
So that's 11.8 + 79.33 = $91.13
add to that the $6-7 fixed customs charges, it becomes around $96-97.
Sounds right.
MohammedSF
I've ordered lots of stuff from the U.S..
- Computer hardware where always 0% Customs..
- Cell phones, Cell phones accessories, miniµ SD Memory, spare parts where all 5% Customs as "Electronics"
- Electronic stuff for my RC hobby: Motors, Batteries, Chargers, ECU's where all 5% Customs as "Electronics"
- Upgrades for my RC hobby: Plastic Gears, Steel Pinions, Chassis Upgrades, Wheels & Tires where all 5% Customs as "Toys"
There is more.. such as led tail lights for my car, I'll post when i find the Customs papers..
nuclearcat
MohammedSF, yasamoka - how you were delivering stuff?
MohammedSF
@nuclearcat..
Aramex Shop&Ship service..
yasamoka
Used to use Aramex Shop&Ship, and now, I'm using Borderlinx, for the added services. Though Aramex are faster and seem to have a more fixed charging rate but charge higher for the same weight and charge for higher weight / volumetric weight than the actual weight / volumetric weight.
Red7
And Aramex doesn't wait for all your packages to arrive to ship them as one package so you will have to pay for every shipment, if you order more than one.
DarkNe0441
I'm thinking of shipping a guitar soon with S&S. Is there any chance that my guitar will get stuck in the customs?
MohammedSF
@Red7:
1- You can ask S&S to hold until they receive all your orders to ship them in one package but that will cost 1$/day or something as i remember.. <- i didn't use it before
or..
2- If all your orders are only from Amazon, you can ask them to ship them as a single package for free.. <- I always use this for my Amazon orders
@DarkNe0441:
I don't think so, a guitar is not a prohibited item, just make sure you always cover the value of your shipments using S&S's new insurance service, it costs 1$ to cover a 100$ and the 1st 100$ is covered for free, so to cover a 1000$ you'll just pay an extra 9$ !
If it's lost or damaged in transit, they'll pay you the full value of your shipment..
Red7
When I asked S&S if they could hold my package, they told me, they can't because they ship it directly.
As for Amazon if you buy from the same seller, you can ship as once. However the lowest prices of different products are from different sellers, so you have to order from the same seller and the prices will be much higher.
