Can someone explain UPS's ridiculous fees?

[Warmonger]

Well, true it may not technically be a gift. But it's NOT a sale either! Taxes and duties are paid on sales. If I have a number of models that I'm trading, then the taxes and duties have already been handled. UPS is NOT brokering diddly squat so they are not entitled to any fees other than what they charge to ship an item.

I have no problem marking it as a gift at actual value. They did not send me money. I am sending them a "gift" of models. And they are sending me a "gift" of models. Taxes already covered on both ends.

So those of you that work at the Post Office, should really delve more into what constitutes a sale and what doesn't. And don't tell me that you already know, (no offense intended) just because you might work a retail window at the PO doesn't mean you know squat. In my opinion, 98% of the PO employees I've dealt with in 3 major locales (Las Vegas, Phoenix and Northern Arizona) are total morons that can barely do something the same way from day to day. I seriously doubt they get a whole lot smarter on average anywhere else. The smarter ones get promoted quickly I would imagine.

[Morlock-Bloodletter]

On the contrary I find a lot of the PO window employees here in Mesa AZ (Jacqueline is her name) to be very helpful and knowing.

In fact I don't send anything out anymore without seeing her first!!!


Monger, I am sorry you've had issues at USPS but I wouldn't say they are morons....

[titan136]

On the contrary I find a lot of the PO window employees here in Mesa AZ (Jacqueline is her name) to be very helpful and knowing.

In fact I don't send anything out anymore without seeing her first!!!

I bet she's a looker

Anyway, lets not turn this into an anti-post office thread. I urge mail office employees to fill the rest of us in on the subtlties of "gifts" and customs fees.

[kturock]

Quote:
and if it's lost or damaged, you have no proof of worth to file insurance. 'i sent him $X worth of minis' or 'i paid him $X" isn't proof and then will cancel the 'gift' and therefore reopen it to customs duies and fines.


Forgive me if I'm wrong, but doesn't listing the values of each item in the gift box and buying insurance add the proof of worth we need? You probably better understand the system as a USPS employee, but if I send some one a $30 gift, with tracking and insurance, listed as a $30 gift....and UPS loses it...don't they have to pay for it?

I just need some clarification on this as your wording was a bit confusing

no/ proof of insurance is a store receipt or shipping invoice.

just cause you list the item as worth $100, doesn't mean you paid $100 for it. you havbe to have proof of worth. always inclose a shipping invoice saying the shipper and addressee. what's inside and what it's worth. and then keep a copy.

example. i go out and buy a 3rd ed. sm codex. it's written in and water-stained and moldy. i sell it to you for $5. you receive the box it was in empty, or even half the box; just the address label and 1 side. it's worth is $5 because that's how much you paid for it. if i listed it as worth $40, beacuse that's how much GW sells their codex for, it's wrong.

think about collectible items, like comic books. if you can show you bought it from a dealer for $50, then it's worth $50. if the price guide says $40... you paid $50, you get reimbursed $50 if it's insured for $50.

when you file a claim, the form askes you to list value and prove it. if you bought a gift for someone, you should keep a copy of the receipt, if you didn't put an invoice inside the box. if i piad you $20 for 1 space marine, that's what it's worth. if you order a mini form GW, there is always an invoice inside.

UPS rules and USPS rules are different. different company. different rules. if you viloate a UPS rule.. oh well. if you violate a USPS rule, thats a federal law. the postal inspectors are federal agents. like the fbi and cia and now, homeland security. you can go to federal prison for it.. theft of mail, is a $5000 fine and 5 years in a federal penitenitary PER ITEM.

you steal your neighbors newspaper, the local cops say, 'don't do it again.' you steal his mail, you go to the big house.

[titan136]

Thanks for the info kturock.

Just to paraphrase:

So you have to be able to prove the worth of the item you shipped, which means that a gift has no value because you're not paying anything for the item you are getting?

What if the other party kept the reciept from when they purchased the item on their side before sending it to you? Would that count as the value of the product even though YOU aren't paying for it? Its just a little confusing because what would be the point in insuring a gift then? The post could just lose it all they wanted and noone could ever get reimburse...that would mean that noone would ever send other people birthday presents...

I hope you understand my question. If not I can try to clarify.

Thanks

[kturock]

no a gift is something you're giving someone. the sender is the 1 who has to prove the worth. the receiver, didn't pay anything for it.

and yes, the sender would have to send the receipt to the receiver, for them to file a claim.


like someone said earlier, the difference between a gift and a purchase is to get around paying the higher price if you buy it, or your counties similair product, in your own country. think about the difference in cost between buying from GW UK and GW CA.
also think of the difference when buying cars; made in USA, CA or Japan. import taxes and fees.

lieing on the customs forms is a form of tax evasion. the custom fees are taxes. just the same as using a tax-exempt number to buy items for personal use.

[Brian Khazad]

The problem then comes with trading items that I've had for years. for example, right now I'm trying to work out a trade with someone in Canada where I send him MTG cards for EC stuff, and possibly some WFB Chaos stuff. I've had these cards for years - some of them date back to Legends and Antiquities. I don't have receipts going back anywhere NEAR that far. I judge their value based on several websites that value MtG cards - if that's what the average price is to buy that card now, then to me that's an acceptable trade value.

However since I don't have a receipt for the items (and even if I did, the receipt would read something like "1 bx Magic Starter" or something equally unspecific), does that mean that I can't claim the value for the cards? The Rares alone have a value of $350 per the various webpages I looked at, and I'd really like to be able to declare THAT as the value. It's already going to have to suck to list out various cards individually to keep it under $50 per item. :/ How do you handle it when it's something you don't have a receipt for?

-Dwarf

[kturock]

you print out a worth receipt showing the average value, like from scrye or such. to get the full value, say $100 on a card, it must be appraised by a pro.
sure superman #1 is worth $100k, but your copy wasn't in that shape. just like any insurance claim. you only get paid average worth UNLESS YOU CAN PROVE OTHERWISE.

[JohnHwangBT]

I will *not* personally list items as a gift if they are in a trade. To me, thats Fraud, and thus I wont do it, and wouldnt suggest to others that they do it either.

I don't do this either, and I think that deliberate Mail Fraud is a bad idea. Don't riska criminal record for Mail Fraud to save $50 USD.

I ship via USPS for international post. It costs less and is less hassle.

[titan136]

We finally got it all worked out, ridiculous fees waved. Its being delivered tomorrow.

Thanks for everyone's help in this matter.

And remember this my American friends:

ship via USPS for international post. It costs less and is less hassle.

[nvillacci]

Glad it worked out Erick, ill never use ups again...

Nick