[rose_oc]

Hi all!
Hoping someone may have some quick advice for me before I organise a parcel to be couriered to me here in France from overseas. I left something of mine at the airport and want to have it couriered back to me. As it is not duty-free shopping or even a recent purchase (it's something I bought years ago and paid GST tax on already) I don't want French customs charging me high import fees on it again like they did when I sent a necklace from Australia to my mother-in-law in France (I'd already paid GST on that, too!).
Should I just put that the value of the item is $0? but then perhaps a problem if it went missing and I needed to claim from the courier.
Any thoughts welcomed.
Thanks! Rose

 

[Bevdeforges]

You plays the game and you takes your chances. Normally, if you send it by Post, the package has the least chance of drawing VAT or customs charges. Sending it by any of the big package services (UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.) pretty much guarantees that you'll get a bill for at least the VAT on the item.

You can declare a low value (like €20) and take your chances, but obviously if you have reason to make a claim later, that's the value you're stuck with.
Cheers,
Bev

 

[rose_oc]

Yikes! Ok, I'll bear that in mind! Thanks, Bev.

 

[95995]

You need to clearly mark the box ENVOI ISOLE GRATUIT and declare it as 'used' on the customs form - however this may depend on the value (eg. under AUD200) and possibly the size/weight,and it then should come through duty free. The post office should be able to explain the requirements to you.

 

[rose_oc]

Thank you EverHopeful, I will give that a try!

 

[FlyingD]

In my personal experience, mailing by UPS/FedEx/DHL almost guarantees you custom fees, local postal offices yield a better chance to avoid them..