...

mudskippie

...

ajaan

One day in Canadian Customs? Damn, that's quick.

jt88

Do you guys put in the actual value of the coin? I sold one coin to a buyer in Canada two days ago. He asked me to put in a smaller value. I told him that I am sorry but I don't lie on customs form. I gave him free shipping instead ($16 value).

mudskippie

...

wybrit

I can see why so many sellers only ship in the US.

Recently, I have had several packages take almost one month to arrive at their destination in the UK. The most recent buyer I had wanted to file as lost (two days after he expressed that, the coin arrived). These packages were shipped via regular airpost, which takes about 7 days, and then got hung up in customs for days without end. UK Customs, for one, is cracking down hard on incoming coin shipments and extracting taxes and fees out of at least 50% of buyers I have been working with there.

So every US seller faces a bit of a dilemma.

* If I send a package registered, it is secure, but not trackable or insurable. The buyer can lie about nonarrival, keep your coin and get his/her money back. At the very least, the buyer is probably upset about how long it takes to arrive.
* If I send a package via express international, it costs upward of around $30 (to the UK, for example), could be held up at the post office because "you're not allowed to ship coins in it." Charging $30 for postage really angers the buyer (or me, if I have to eat the charge at my end). At least it is tracked, so the buyer can't lie about nonreceipt.
* If I send it plain airmail and insure it via third party, I can only insure to $250 without signature confirmation. The buyer has to sign an affadavit signifying that the coin is lost, so the seller isn't out the money. Insuring beyond that amount means sending it express, which also means using the third party is a waste of money for over $250. The buyer is angry about how slow it takes, even if shipped within 24 hours of payment.

None of these options are particularly palatable. In every case, the buyer could be upset. Registered is probably the way I would send coins to myself if I were moving back to the UK, but it is useless and too slow for a seller.

SaorAlba

Canada is a bit of an exception on insurance limits, they are higher for Canada than other countries but not as high as possible for USA shipments where for the asking the sky is the limit if you are willing to pay the fee. The USPS publishes rates for insurance up to $25000, but actually they go considerably higher for certain items if you ask them to look in the Domestic Mail Manual. I know this because gold is regularly shipped insured registered mail in significant quantities.

WorldTypeSet

Delivered Abroad, July 15, 2010, 11:27 am, CANADA

Interesting. I'm pretty sure it arrived closer to 11:00 than 11:30.

Thanks mudskippie



Out of Foreign Customs, July 14, 2010, 1:43 pm, CANADA
Into Foreign Customs, July 14, 2010, 1:33 pm, CANADA

One day in Canadian Customs? Damn, that's quick.

Looks like it was in Customs for 10 minutes. Apparently, that was enough for them to open it (it arrived with the "Opened by CBSA" tape all over it), and fill out the paperwork.

mudskippie

...

WorldTypeSet

Oh boy, now that's a surprise, I didn't know you're on this PCGS board too. My apologies for this case, I should have asked your permission before posting the tracking information like this

No worries. Nobody would have known it was me if I didn't post to this thread.

WillieBoyd2

I have had two packages with inexpensive coins mailed from the United Kingdom to California
arrive in two days.

jt88

<< <i>
Looks like it was in Customs for 10 minutes. Apparently, that was enough for them to open it (it arrived with the "Opened by CBSA" tape all over it), and fill out the paperwork. >>



Do you have to pay any Customs duty for the coin?

WorldTypeSet

Do you have to pay any Customs duty for the coin?

No customs ... though I did have to pay an $8.00 handling fee.

mrpotatoheadd

<< <i>Everytime I made an international sale, I love to track my package to its destination; I am sure you guys would do the same if the shipment contains some expensive coins.

Class: Express Mail International®
Service(s): Insured >>

It's probably a good thing your expensive package wasn't lost. From USPS's IMM:

The following items are prohibited in all Express Mail International shipments:

Coins.
Banknotes.
Currency notes, including paper money.
Securities of any kind payable to bearer.
Traveler’s checks.
Platinum, gold, and silver.
Precious stones.
Jewelry.
Watches.
Other valuable articles.

I imagine a claim for a loss could have presented difficulties.

mudskippie

...

mrpotatoheadd

<< <i>the thing about International Registered Mail is the limitation on the maximum mount of insurance which is $45.60 and no tracking number! >>

I have lost an international registered mail package. I'm not overly concerned about a loss while the package is in the US, but once the other country's post office has it, all bets are off. That's why I prefer plain old First Class mail w/ third party insurance for international shipments- you can get full coverage for a loss (not the post office's pathetic forty-five bucks) and you don't have to advertise with the big red "I'm Valuable- Steal Me!" registered sticker.

jt88

<< <i>Do you have to pay any Customs duty for the coin?

No customs ... though I did have to pay an $8.00 handling fee. >>



Then why some buyers want me to put a low value price on the customs form? I have two buyers from Canada asked for that. One buyer asked me to mail to his friend in US because I refused to lie on the customs form.

Daltonista

"Third-party insurance?" You're not talking about my neighborhood State Farm agent, are you?
Where can I learn more about it? I'm gearing up to sell tokens on eBay starting in the next few
months, so this could be very helpful information. I would hate to limit sales of my mostly
British/Colonial stuff to US customers.

Many thanks!

Tom

mrpotatoheadd

<< <i>"Third-party insurance?" You're not talking about my neighborhood State Farm agent, are you?
Where can I learn more about it? >>

Here you go... U-PIC

sinin1

I think the coins/currency retriction refers to stuff you get at a bank rather than stuff you get at a coin shop

Daltonista

Thank you, mrpotatoheadd...looks good!
Tom

satootoko

<< <i>I think the coins/currency retriction refers to stuff you get at a bank rather than stuff you get at a coin shop >>

Try explaining that to a non-numismatically inclined postal shirker - er, worker.

That is why sometimes a description of "numismatic item" or "collectible" will get past the front line; but it's very questionable if it would succeed with the literal-minded insurance claim people who would see only a US cent when looking at a (hypothetical example) MS70 1909 vdb.

mrpotatoheadd

<< <i>

<< <i>I think the coins/currency retriction refers to stuff you get at a bank rather than stuff you get at a coin shop >>

Try explaining that to a non-numismatically inclined postal shirker - er, worker. >>

Not only that- there's that last line in the list:

"Other valuable articles"

This alone leaves plenty of opportunity for disappointment, depending on how the post office chooses to enforce their rules.

cacheman

yes, you can track to canada but no where else outside our borders unless you use UPS or FedEx. You might as well throw money down the drain if you expect protection of some kind outside of the USPS jurisdiction...and even then, packages are beginning to disappear at a higher rate within the US. USPS ain't what it used to be.

WorldTypeSet

Then why some buyers want me to put a low value price on the customs form? I have two buyers from Canada asked for that. One buyer asked me to mail to his friend in US because I refused to lie on the customs form.

Sometimes sales tax gets charged. As the sales tax is a % of the total sale, a lower price on the customs form = less sales tax.

jt88

Paul, thanks for the reply.