Vision of Love

My last YesAsia order came from HK and was hit with duty fees. I hate how almost half of the $13 total charge came from the $5 "handling" fee. How about you folks DON'T open my package, I don't pay this $5 "fee", and you're saved the hassle of opening my mail?

Haven't ordered from YesAsia since. I know they have free shipping, but most of the time, the savings just don't compute since my shipping fees are usually only $10 from Korean etailers.


I just ordered SFLV and Dongmakgol LE and had it marked $20. It is SO getting opened (i.e. possible damage).

murphy_wmm

I've been hit with duties from CDWOW before here in Canada. You must have gotten lucky! :P Amazon US, however, apparently ships from Canada.

murphy_wmm

Well considering the $20 limit is regardless if it's a gift or not it's probably best not to mark it as a gift. I've ordered from DVDHeaven in Korea a few times and I ask them to mark it at about $15 CAD and not as a gift, and it always gets through without any charges.

eXcentris

The limit for gifts is $60, not $20. However, marking a package as a gift when it's fairly obvious the package comes from an etailer won't do squat. Customs aren't that stupid. It's better to have the etailer mark down the price and then pray... The "gift" thing usually only works on nondescript packages with no outside writing/markings that would give away the fact that the package comes from an etailer. Smaller packages also help. One DVD in an envelope has a better chance of getting thru unchecked than 3-4 DVD's in a box.

Actually, you might have a better chance of not paying customs charges during the holidays when mail/package traffic is really high and they probably can't check everything.

murphy_wmm

Yeah that is what I neglected to add - that the gift limit is $60, but it must be mailed from a personal address AND with a gift note intact. Hence why I feel it is pretty pointless to label something $20 and under as a gift... more likely they will open it then, if it's from an etailer. I've always gotten them to leave it as non-gift and I've never had a problem!

twitch

I get hit for customs on just about anything I get from Amazon because the packaging is so obviously commercial. YesAsia shipments I get dinged maybe one time in ten ...

Dvd_Boy

I paid for $70cad worth of goods and got dinged $28 last month.
Customs opened the box and taxed happily.

andicus

You get hit for customs on Amazon US orders? For DVD's? All the books and DVD's I've ordered from Amazon US for at least the past 6 months have not been hit. As murphy_wmm mentioned, it appears that they ship from Canada. The value has not mattered, as one order was close to $300, and size/weight doesn't matter either as I've ordered and received the Complete Far Side and the Complete Calvin and Hobbes.

CD-Wow I've been hit once. It's a drag too, since unlike the US orders, DVD's from Hong Kong are also charged a 6% duty on top of the GST + PST and $5 BS fee.

*edit* DVDBoy, that sounds way high for $70. If it was DVD's it should only have been $70 x .15 + $70 x .06 + $5 = 19.20. If it was other merchandise, the duty rate could be higher. I suppose if it was 18%, that would bring it up to $28. Be sure to check what they list the merchandise as. One shipment of DVD's they listed for me as 'male clothing' which meant hefty duty, instead of duty free. There's a claim form on the back if it was classified incorrectly. I sent one a week or 2 ago, so hopefully I'll get a refund soon.

twitch

Thinking about it it may only be Amazon UK I get hit with, actually ... books and DVDs are both supposed to be covered by NAFTA now ...

Vision of Love

Have they reopened their Canadian distribution centre? My copy of The King and the Clown was marked with a Canadian address -- again, from within my city, but a different street address this time, I think.

eXcentris

I'd like to know because I stopped buying from YesAsia when they stopped shipping from Missausaga.

Vision of Love

By the way, in case any of you guys were wondering, my envelope was indeed postmarked with a Canadian postage stamp (or sticker label, whatever).

This, plus the extended $25 free shipping threshold, are awesome!

twitch

Ooooh ... that would be good news ... no more customs charges ...

Cardiac161

Mine too...

My last two shipments were Canadian-stamped so I was pleasantly surprised to see no customs charges.

Vision of Love

Just got a CD from them today. Same deal.

I'm so glad because ever since they had started shipping to me from the US, not only did I shop less frequently, but I made smaller, lower-valued orders that were less likely to be caught in customs.

eXcentris

Good news then. I put in an order so we'll see!

eXcentris

Order just came in and it's stamped from Missasauga. Woooo! Back to YesAsia I go!
Oh, and thanks for the tip.

suexec

After I got my first order dinged by customs from YesAsia, I called up their customer service. I found out they started to ship from Hong Kong. As such, I cancelled any pending orders I had left. Is it really true they ship from Missasauga again? I just called up their customer service and was told they ship from their Hong Kong warehouse. There are so many CDs/DVDs I want to order, but haven't because of the customs ding. I was holding off for friends returning from Asia or my own trip to Asia. Unfortunately, limited edition releases are usually all gone by then

claytonlee10

I made my first perchase from YesAsia and received it last week and yes it was shipped from Mississauga, ON. They also gave me 2 5$ coupons which is neat lol.

Vision of Love

My last 10 or so shipments from them came from Mississauga. I think the merch does come from Hong Kong, yes, but it doesn't go directly to Canadian consumers, but to the Canadian distribution centre.

I love those $5 coupons you get with $50 purchases too. Honestly, I don't even care about the awesome $25 free shipping threshold anymore because all my purchases as of late have been over $50 anyway.

suexec

Thanks for the update. Time to make my first order with yesasia.com after a 1.5 year hiatus.

claytonlee10

weird i just got another 5$ coupon, my third now for a single purchase lol. anyone else randomly getting them too?
and you can't stack them can you? 15$ off would be awesome!

Merdalf

I got two coupons for my last order as well. But you can't stack them...

Vision of Love

I got two $5 YesAsia coupons for one purchase too (and I'm not talking the YesStyle coupons).

suexec

Just got my first order. Shipped from ...not quite, undelivered return to a Mississauga, ON address. No customs Just waiting my second order now so I can get the $5 coupon so I can place my 3rd order.