[Rockhounds] Overseas Mineral Trades

[Frank Daniels]

It would help if Americans who sell rocks would be honest on customs forms.
I often have buyers or potential buyers in foreign countries ask me to lie
about descriptions and/or values on packages. I always refuse to lie for
them and will not do business with people who demand that I do. I lose
business because of this but I prefer to be honest. If all sellers were
honest on customs forms perhaps the few that actually are legitimate trades
or gifts would be permitted. I also expect that a trade may trigger duty
requirement for the value of the trade based on actual value. I have been
told by a buyer in Austria that they are charged a 35% import fee for rock
and mineral specimens. 


Frank


Frank Daniels Minerals & Fossils
2024 Freedom Court
Grand Junction, CO  81507
minerals at frankdanielsminerals.com
www.frankdanielsminerals.com






-----Original Message-----
From: rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com
[mailto:rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of Lawrence Rush
Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2008 12:14 PM
To: Rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com
Subject: [Rockhounds] Overseas Mineral Trades 

List..............

There has been quite a bit of confusion (and consternation) lately over
packages sent overseas as mineral trades. I, and several of my friends who
like to do a lot of trading with overseas collectors, have had many packages
opened and confiscated by Customs Departments in several countries.
Evidently, the agents believe that the minerals are sales done via EBay, and
constitute business arrangements which require import taxes to be levied by
the receiver. This happens regardless of the "exchange" wording and the
"value" sections being properly filled. Sometimes the packages are returned,
other times not. I am not aware of this happening with the US Customs people
on incoming parcels.

I have exchanged specimens with fellow collectors for over 40 years with few
mailing problems. I have not had packages lost or stolen, and have never
been questioned before as to the legitimacy of the exchange declarations. 

Traders have long known how to label their packages and how to fill in the
required customs forms so as to make these transactions legitimate for
customs regulations. It seems that EBay has thrown a new fly in the soup. It
would be a shame for the hobby to lose these opportunities. Have other
traders had these problems, and if so, how did they resolve them?

Larry






"Noel Coward thought work was more fun than play,  but he never, ever worked
in the mines"

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