Got a nice fly rod order from the UK last night (Im in CA). The guy wants to avoid paying duty. Wants me to enclose no receipt but instead a dummy repair receipt. Also wants me to state on the postage/custom form that the rod is being returned for repair.

Id like to see what you guys think about this one.

What would you do?

Josh Markvan
www.markvanheirloom.com

Take his money and then fill out the papers correctly and list it as a sale of a new rod and put an inflated value on the customs form. Let him explain that to Customs

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Just tell him you don't do business that way. Why would you jeopardize your integrity for someone you don't even know. If he wants your build bad enough, he'll pay for it including the applicable costs to get it to the UK.

Harold

The first thing you want tot do is put your question on the internet.
Were some government official can read it, and then check latter to see how you handled the situation.
And also check on the people who gave you answers in favor of doing something against the law.

For all you know, unless he is a returning customer? He may be a government official already checking up on you.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/06/2008 07:38AM by Steve Gardner.

steve makes a good point

but

if you do what you know is right, no worries

Hi Josh,

The info the above gents have given you is spot on ( I really likes Steves post - LOL). The big thing you have to be thinking of is your payment. How is he going to pay you? Be very sure you get payment in U.S. funds only or the exchange rates may get you. If he is paying by check or money order be sure to check with your bank to see what their fees are for cashing foreign payment. This can be $25.00 of higher.

There is a way to except foreign payment (from some foreign countries) without these fees is to use your US Postal office. The USPS does not advertize this but they have agreements from some foreign Postal services to accept their money orders without charging you any extra fees. I'm unable to find my list this morning but I'm sure England is on the list, but check with your Post office to be sure. Again be sure payment is made out to be cashed "IN U.S. FUNDS ONLY".

I'm not sure of the process involved in extra fees in credit card sales (if you take credit cards). I accept credit cards via PayPal and s far as I know they only accept payment in US funds only.

There are a lot of tricks and turns when dealing with foreign sales. I try to stay away from them as much as I can.

The sale may look good to you right now but with all the problems that can occur with foreign sale you can get burnt.

Good Luck

Hank
On The Rocks Fishing
Wells, ME.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/06/2008 08:24AM by Milton (Hank) Aldridge.

Joshua,

I'd tell him that you're not interested.

No sale is worth breaking the law and this isn't the type of customer you want.

..............

Joshua Markvan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Got a nice fly rod order from the UK last night
> (Im in CA). The guy wants to avoid paying duty.
> Wants me to enclose no receipt but instead a dummy
> repair receipt. Also wants me to state on the
> postage/custom form that the rod is being returned
> for repair.
>
> Id like to see what you guys think about this
> one.
>
> What would you do?


Just ask yourself if you are you an ethical and honest person, you will then have your answer.

Joshua:

Tell him in a nice way Thanks but No Thanks. Like all the others who responded its not worth the risk. I would tell him that I am flattered that he wanted me to do his build, but I think that they are some builders in the UK that could do it for him.

No, no, no. Do you have any idea how hot and humid Guantanamo is this time of year?

Customs fraud, mail fraud and insurance fraud (when you insured a fraudulent transaction) ... they are ALL felony charges. Give me another hour and I can figure out two or three more FELONIES to stick on the list. The good news is that IF you haven't been in trouble before, you will probably get only massive fines, a pair of IRS audits, future international travel restrictions and federal probation.

BTW, if you think Steve's post is funny ... just imagine how funny the IRS agent is going to find it later today. And YES, we do have various federal LE officers all over this board - you would be surprised.

Bud Murphy is the man! ---- with the obvious answer.


Rena

If you want a cheap rod go to Walmart ...........

Do you really want someone who will cheat the government and maybe you displaying your workmanship?

Is that the kind of clientele you really want?

In my humble opinion, rod making should be considered a crafted art where the clients treasure your work and others envy their treasure .........

Not someone that wants to sneek it through customs to save a buck .......... if you did this, how do you think this person would regard you or your work?

Just my opinion ........

I live in the UK and buy quite a bit of rod building stuff from the USA,one things for sure,if you send it under insured to beat UK customs and it goes missing or there is no proof of delivery,you will only get the insured value back,not what the item is actually worth.
in The UK HMS customs and exsise will base the duty and VAT on the goods actual insured value.Some parcels even dont get picked up and are delivered without duty and vat but that is a bit of a lottery these days,
I always work on the principal that if they haggle the price then they dont really need it anyway and are plain time wasters.

Personally why would you want to take the risk on a one off for a guy you dont even know and who probably wouldnt care if you went to jail,as long as he got his rod.


Just my tuppenth worth anyway.

Bryan

If this guy is worried about the shipping/customs, etc., then trust me, he's not gonna be fun to deal with on the price, or worse, once you deliver the piece, he's gonna come back at you for something "wrong" and hassle you about the price. If it was a Stateside deal, and even if he paid full price up front, I'd tell him no, because this kind of customer is nothing but trouble from a business standpoint.

From a legal standpoint it's just plain ugly. The initial jeopardy is all on you. Think he cares? Think again.

Overall, the answer is not only no - but no bloody way. And unlike some of the suggestions above, no way would I be nice about it, either.

Buit that's just me.

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/06/2008 02:25PM by Russ Pollack.

I find it very simple, If you have yo ask what we would do, you must know it is wrong.

DON`T DO IT!!!

Bill

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

Ethics and legalities aside, it sounds like a scam to me. You send him a real product and he sends you a bogus money transfer and a laundry list of excuses why you must expedite the order. He receives the product and then sells it on @#$%& or wherever for a quarter on the dollar.

We might all be wrong but he stumbled badly by initially wanting to circumvent the law.

They don't care about the repair receipt, they go off the declared value of the package.

So if you send a $500 rod and a $50 repair receipt, they are going to put duty on the $500 rod.


.................................................................

Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

Have him contact FEdX for a pickup on his number and then it all falls on him to provide all that info. All you do is build the rod and charge him for it.

As someone born and living in the UK it saddens me to hear that someone wants you to commit what looks like an offence just to save some money, he's hardly cutting you in on the deal. Not that that should cloud your judgement. English VAT would add 17.50% to the cost.