Amazon.fr/ Customs duties

[RadioactiveMan]

Has anyone else received invoices for duty payments after ordering from Amazon.fr? 8-1/2 months ago I ordered En Concert and Psychedelices (LE) shipped separately. I got the DVD in a few days and the album a few weeks later when it was released. A couple of months after I got the CD I received a letter from a company out of New York that required that I pay $30 for customs for the CD. Yesterday I got another letter- for the DVD this time. The original order's invoice (a copy of which is with the letter) is dated 15/10/2007 and the document requiring my payment (~$30 again) is dated 04/06/2008.

I understand having to pay to bring something into the country, but 8.5 months later seems absurd, $30 seems hugely expensive, and I've never heard that other people have had the same thing. Is it related to the shipping I chose (the fastest, though I do not recall the terminology)?

I'm very interested to know if I should be expecting this in the future because I had been planning on ordering a few basic items for my Alizée collection. $60 per CD is steep.

[ALS]

I haven't gotten anything like that. I hope not, since I had three orders of Alizée merchandise at the end of last year.

[lefty12357]

I haven't either and I've had a number of orders through Amazon.fr in the last year or so. I guess unless I was contacted by Amazon directly, I wouldn't pay it. You never entered into any arrangement with this company so I don’t see how you could owe them anything.

If I was contacted by Amazon, I still wouldn't pay it, as it was an oversight on their part for not having notified me and charged me up front. In either case, I would inform the company that you received the letter from that you are not going to pay it and that you will be referring the matter to the office of the Attorney General (or whatever you call them in Canada) of your Province.

It smells of some kind of fraud to me. I think either way you have to deal with it, because you wouldn’t want it to go to a collection agency that might screw up your credit. Of course I’m not a lawyer, so what do I know.

Please let us know how it all turns out.

[RadioactiveMan]

I dunno about fraud- the letters both have photocopies of the exact form that was shipped with the package by Amazon.fr.

[espire]

Here's the dealio:

You never authorized that company to pay your customs duties. Since they performed you a service before you paid and before you told them to do it, they can do nothing but try to chase after you for the money.

If they took close to a year to even send you the letter, chances are that they're not so interested in chasing after you, and they're just trying to sucker those who think that they're obligated to pay into paying.

Just wait it out and see what happens. Since the company's in America, it will be even harder for them to get money out of you.

[heyamigo]

that's cuz you live in canada. i heard the customs duties are ridiculous there and often times exceed the actual value of the item you bought.

[tbailey]

yeah Canada is totally overrated

the universal healthcare, low crime rate, and amazing scenic wilderness are just terrible

imho just wait it out - it sounds like a scam to me

but read over it and maybe call them to see what's up

[mibir]

Fight the power radio, fight the power.

[LeFantôme]

I agree with espire. Check the documentation they sent you. On what grounds must you pay them this money? Can they prove this?