TLDR: Has anyone received a component under warranty with customs fees prepaid by Purism?
If you’ve done business in various banana republics worldwide, you know that it’s routine for customs to simply say that they “disagree” with the value on the invoice. Usually, the value they then determine to be agreeable is almost always double what’s on the invoice.
(Seems they get paid the same, whether you get your package or not, including the so called “customs clearance agents” of DHL, where I’ve most encountered this issue. So, they have nothing to lose by trying to get double the duty, but something to gain, if the victims actually agree to pay it.
If you try to dispute it, even with proof from the manufacturer, they simply say that the assessed value can’t be changed, once it’s in the system. And it’s “in the system” before they send their bill to you.
Their attitude in the end is “take it, or leave it” and they stonewall further argument simply by not responding.
To go speak with them in person, especially in this virus environment, is very difficult, because they are in the secure areas of the airports.)
I’ve never paid such extortion just on principle; whenever I face that, I tell customs to either return the package to sender, or destroy it.
The only way I’ve found to avoid that, is to have the shipper prepay the customs duty.
With a component being shipped under warranty, that seems even more fair.
After a couple of weeks of double checking with the “Ops folks”, Purism support told me that “Unfortunately it
doesn’t look like we have the ability to pre-charge for customs fees.”
No other details or explanation - much less factual support - for this assertion was offered by support - basically in the same “take it, or leave it” attitude that customs has.
Trying to reach the “Ops folks” at this stage, but has anyone here had all their costs actually covered by Purism on an international warranty shipment from them?