A few of my ebay auctions have attracted the attention of some european bidders...notably from Germany. Does anyone here know what's involved in shipping to Germany? I've never done it before. Searching the internet didn't provide a whole lot of reliable information...will the recipient of the package need to pay some sort of duties/VAT/customs fees? Is there any way to estimate what those will be? Do I need to worry about customs getting mad at me since technically this is a commercial transaction (although very small and infrequent...and only one customer at a time, I'm not shipping large quantities for resale). Are there any products that are forbidden to ship to Germany...if so where can I find a list of what is verboten? Thanks for any info you can provide!
Customs questions for shipping to Germany
- Thread starter soupcxan
- Start date
retire@40
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2004
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- 2,670
soupcxan said:
A few years ago I shipped a package (about 10 to 15 lbs) to Germany. I sent it through the post office, certified and insured. I was surprised when the recipient told me he also had to pay a fee when he picked up the package. I can't remember the amount exactly, but I think it was the equivalent of about $40.
sailor
Full time employment: Posting here.
soupcxan said:
I ship to EU all the time (few shipments per month).
For most Ebay stuff (unless you are shipping a pallet worth of cargo - in that case contact me via PM and I'll give you few options) the easiert is to USPS Air Parcel. I would recommend insurance.
You only need to fill one custom form, one insurance form and you are ready to go.
There is a calculator on USPS site, you can estimate shipping charges for various options:
http://ircalc.usps.gov/intl_speed.asp?CID=10137&MailType=package&Pounds=20&Ounces=1
All the duties and VAT (known as MVSt in Germany) are paid by the receipient.
The web site also lists what goods are prohibited from being sent.
Good luck,
sailor
