How to import from GearBest and more

[CUDlybunny]

what are the benefits over credit card I am fairly new to PayPal I usually just pay with credit card

PayPal offers buyer's protection. If anything goes wrong they'll likely refund you in full. No need to pay extra for insurance and it's not as difficult to make a claim as it is with your credit card provider.

Someone earlier in the thread scored a free phone because gearbest shipped them a 64gb version instead of the 128gb they ordered.

I've had an ebay PayPal claim refunded because I never received it.

 

[Rohela]

PayPal offers buyer's protection. If anything goes wrong they'll likely refund you in full. No need to pay extra for insurance and it's not as difficult to make a claim as it is with your credit card provider.

Someone earlier in the thread scored a free phone because gearbest shipped them a 64gb version instead of the 128gb they ordered.

I've had an ebay PayPal claim refunded because I never received it.

That's cool. Where can I find info on their conversion fee, Under manage currencies it doesn't show Rands?

 

[CUDlybunny]

That's cool. Where can I find info on their conversion fee, Under manage currencies it doesn't show Rands?

You can set it to let your credit card handle the conversion or to use Paypals's conversion. Let your card provider do the conversion, PayPal charge more.

Not at a pc to show where the setting is but its not hard to find when you're about to make a payment and it shows you the total.

 

[Dan C]

Thanks CUDlybunny for answering the questions. PayPal is so much easier.

 

[SlowInternet]

Only paid R530 for customs and VAT etc for my Oneplus 6

On par what I paid for my "Media Player".

My "Media Player" (Poco F1) was R241,74

 

[AlphaJohn]

How much time does this save would you say? Also, on an slightly related note, anyone had any hassles with not having an import code yet?

Well you can wait for it to get to customs and let the wheel turn normally (3-6 days) but thats up to you.

NO hassle if you below 3 imports over R500. Just give your ID number and you sorted. Tax man just wanna make sure you not making a living off imports, else it wants its cut.

 

[Dan C]

Well you can wait for it to get to customs and let the wheel turn normally (3-6 days) but thats up to you.

NO hassle if you below 3 imports over R500. Just give your ID number and you sorted. Tax man just wanna make sure you not making a living off imports, else it wants its cut.

Buffalo managed to get my drone past customs without any duties. It was more than R500.

 

[Jeruanamo]

Thank you very much, and do guys recommend not paying with a credit card asking because my conversion fees are very low if spend is less than R10k on credit card (trying to be a cheapskate over here)

Capitec don't charge a cent for international purchases. Standard Bank charge an arm and a leg. Learnt the hard way.

 

[AlphaJohn]

Buffalo managed to get my drone past customs without any duties. It was more than R500.

Can bet you that's cause they used an under valued invoice. All cool till the day customs pull a random and you get slapped with a R6500 fine + 25% vat. Know people on this forum that got hit with that one.

Not pointing fingers as I try my luck two, just as long as you aware that you can wake one day with an order thats gonna cost you.

 

[Dan C]

Can bet you that's cause they used an under valued invoice. All cool till the day customs pull a random and you get slapped with a R6500 fine + 25% vat. Know people on this forum that got hit with that one.

Not pointing fingers as I try my luck two, just as long as you aware that you can wake one day with an order thats gonna cost you.

Well it's not like it's in my hands. I never declared anything or asked for an invoice.

 

[AlphaJohn]

Well it's not like it's in my hands. I never declared anything or asked for an invoice.

That excuse not gonna fly, the onus is on you to make sure the correct value gets declared. Also can not dodge the fine cause its literally on your ID/Import code.

All you can do is smile and pay up.

 

[Dan C]

That excuse not gonna fly, the onus is on you to make sure the correct value gets declared. Also can not dodge the fine cause its literally on your ID/Import code.

All you can do is smile and pay up.

But I don't even know when to declare it.

 

[SlowInternet]

You can set it to let your credit card handle the conversion or to use Paypals's conversion. Let your card provider do the conversion, PayPal charge more.

Not at a pc to show where the setting is but its not hard to find when you're about to make a payment and it shows you the total.

So I tried the option to let my card handle the conversion and it was indeed lower than Paypals conversion. Thank you for the tip

 

[AlphaJohn]

Thank you very much, and do guys recommend not paying with a credit card asking because my conversion fees are very low if spend is less than R10k on credit card (trying to be a cheapskate over here)

You can tell Paypal to use your banks conversion instead of theirs in fact I recommend this for everyone as its cheaper.

But you need Paypal for protection, I know credit cards give the same protection only thing about Paypal is that its less hassles and quicker to sort out once the need arrives.

 

[ZAGadgetReviews]

That excuse not gonna fly, the onus is on you to make sure the correct value gets declared. Also can not dodge the fine cause its literally on your ID/Import code.

All you can do is smile and pay up.

The fines can be rough. The thing to thread carefully around is when it gets pulls over. If you always assume it is under declared, when pulled over, you can call Aramex and ask them for the invoice value. The fines come because the person whose package is stopped is not aware of it being under declared. If you give them consistent matching documentation, they won't fine. Might not be correct to be doing it but we are small fish in this pond. I know containers of items that dodge customs.

 

[ZAGadgetReviews]

Email them the tracking number with your ID/importer code and ask them to start the clearance so long....

@ZAGadgetReviews Mind updating 1st page with address (ALL_JNB_EXP_Clearance_ISD @ aramex.com) also I see you mention 4/5 imports a year, need to change to 3.

Updated. Thanks. Been a while since I did do any updates.

 

[crysis]

The fines can be rough. The thing to thread carefully around is when it gets pulls over. If you always assume it is under declared, when pulled over, you can call Aramex and ask them for the invoice value. The fines come because the person whose package is stopped is not aware of it being under declared. If you give them consistent matching documentation, they won't fine. Might not be correct to be doing it but we are small fish in this pond. I know containers of items that dodge customs.

So do you send the full invoice in this case, or the "multimedia" one?

 

[ZAGadgetReviews]

So do you send the full invoice in this case, or the "multimedia" one?

You request the value, the description and send them one matching the original. The hard part is the proof of payment matching that value but anything can be done. Customs cannot prove the actual value of the item. You might get in trouble if you have a container full of items and give an invoice for R300, but with single or small items, a mobile phone could be valued at R800 or R8000 and they cannot tell the difference. Not easily enough. They try stop packages and ask for the Invoice and Proof of payment but if you give those matching, they normally just release the package after a few days. The main reason why they stop and ask is to try catch out people who do know understand the process and try fine people.

I got a general rule. I don't mind paying customs, just not an excessive value. If it looks to low, they will stop it. A mobile phone for $5 sounds to suspect and will be stopped. A mobile phone at $70 is possible so they won't stop it in a hurry. They do random stops as well.

 

[mozammil09]

My "Media Player" (Poco F1) was R241,74

Am so jealous of u you

You request the value, the description and send them one matching the original. The hard part is the proof of payment matching that value but anything can be done. Customs cannot prove the actual value of the item. You might get in trouble if you have a container full of items and give an invoice for R300, but with single or small items, a mobile phone could be valued at R800 or R8000 and they cannot tell the difference. Not easily enough. They try stop packages and ask for the Invoice and Proof of payment but if you give those matching, they normally just release the package after a few days. The main reason why they stop and ask is to try catch out people who do know understand the process and try fine people.

I got a general rule. I don't mind paying customs, just not an excessive value. If it looks to low, they will stop it. A mobile phone for $5 sounds to suspect and will be stopped. A mobile phone at $70 is possible so they won't stop it in a hurry. They do random stops as well.

So if I may ask (for future purposes) how do I request the seller to under declare the value such that I do not get hit with R1k+ customs?

 

[Praeses]

Received my Oneplus 6 this morning Much bigger than my S6 Edge!