My First Major International Order Part 2 : Customs Taxes

**Link for FIRST PART

So I was derping around the house when a sudden phone call came. It's from a DHL Clearance Support  Agent named Clarissa telling me that the package just arrived in Manila and was appraised by customs. And guess how much my tax was? 

Php 7,207.60 !!!

Okay. So why and what on earth happened with my package that it garnered ridiculously high taxes? Well, let me get some things straight first:

1. When ordering from ASU Cheap Jewelry, you have the option to appoint how much ASU will put on your "commercial invoice". Meaning, you can choose the declared value of your package so you won't be taxed too much. My original items are worth $100 and I asked them to declare the value as $50. This thing really didn't help with the tax as what you are reading now.
2. Another thing when ordering with ASU is you can ask them how to describe your item's package. Of course, I made some research first on how to lower your tax to none at all. One is describe your package as a gift or personal use. So I asked ASU to describe my package as "personal use and gifts". Man, I was so wrong about this one.

What happened was the package were described by ASU as effin' "GIFT FASHION NECKLACES 97 PCS". I asked ASU why. They said it was to clear my package from Hong Kong customs. So the good Philippine customs appraised the package with effin' 97 PIECES OF FASHION NECKLACES WORTH $3 EACH!! 

But still, my package only weighed more or less 3.60 kilos. If it was 97 pieces of necklace jewelries, it won't weigh that light! So, I was part to blame right? Yeah, maybe 1/37th part of it. But nothing beats what ASU did to murder my package (and partly, customs).

This is how they taxed me:

So I asked my kuya's wife who works at Bureau of Customs under the Office of the Commissioner. She is kind enough to help me. Since she's working on customs, she knows people who knows people. Ahhh... The advantages of many "friends". We scheduled to retrieve the package the next day and my kuya is tagging along with his wife.

We arrived at the DHL warehouse in Pasay early in the morning to catch a customs agent which my sister-in-law's friend referred us with. My sister-in-law initiated the discussion with the customs people and when they learned that she works under the Office of the Commissioner, they took her in like a celebrity. Apparently, it looks like when you're from the Office of the Commissioner, they treat you with respect and importance. Go figure.

We checked the papers of my package and there I personally saw the complications and the problems my package faced. ASU put "lemonsquare07" as the consignee!! The good customs thought it was a company name which explains the unbelievable high taxes. Dear me, I'm just a simple girl who wants to test the waters of entrepreneurship to get a better life and this is what I get. And here I share with you my reaction when I learned about it. Thanks kuya for capturing that painful realization moments:

#facepalm.

The customs agent with the good heart agreed to accept the package as $50 value. The tax went down from Php 7,207.60 to Php 1,994.35... I think. Anywhere along those numbers. After waiting for more than an hour for the package, I paid the tax and happily left DHL warehouse with the package. I treat my kuya and his wife at Mang Inasal for assisting me and helping me with my misfortune. I'm so grateful to them that I felt I should have treated them more :P

This learning experience will leave me having lots of thoughts before purchasing from another country again. Really a headache to deal with.



Next Part: Quality of ASU CHEAP JEWELRY items, judged!!