The SteelNavy.Com Message Board: Re: My experience with ebay from China.

I also found this article interesting:

https://www.businessinsider.com/some-european-postal-services-sellers-are-suspending-us-bound-shipments-2025-8

As I noted below, most nation's postal services are "opting out" of this, and as the article notes, it is because they are not set up to pay the fees. What sort of surprises me is that at least one postal service wrote, "until a compliant solution can be implemented." That means "they're willing to try." I figured they would throw up their hands, and leave it all to common carriers. Some do not seem to want to entirely lose the business, so are going to set up the fee payments.

Also, I think I just found out why all those flat rates in Section 3c of the executive order are listed, and available for six months. There is a line about the Royal Mail charging a flat $80 per item. Shows that they seem to have mechanisms to pay, but since not all mailers are able to calculate all the different rates, they'll just collect the flat rate from everyone. Which is great for higher priced orders. For a $25 item, an added $80 fee will "not be so great." And, indeed, many sellers are no longer shipping. Still, these flat rates seem to be available and intended to allow "some kind" of business still to transpire. An attempt to "make it easier" by not having to figure out rates. I wondered why there were two ways to do it. This gives the services six months to "keep doing business" while mailers set up for all the calculations. Which would be if they want to... IMHO, this is "not much of a solution." Still, now there seems to be an explanation for this...why this option would be selected at all by any service in the first place.

Previous Message

On August 2nd, I ordered EV Model 1/700 set P100, upgrades for Arleigh Burke destroyers, from an ebay dealer in China. This is a product made in China, and shipped from there. Since May 2nd, items from China have not had de minimis. So, I assume I paid customs and other fees, but I honestly can't tell you details of how. It went very smoothly.

I wanted this set badly enough to take chances by ordering. Price was good...only $25.99. Shipping was listed as $10.00. The listing indicated I should get the shipment by/before August 27th, which is two days before all de minimis ends, and if I am not mistaken, rates also go up. The listing promised me I would not be charged any other fees after checkout. At checkout, my state added their sales tax. Otherwise it was just the item price and shipping that it totaled out to. "The adventure begins," I told myself, and waited to see how this all worked.

Sometimes, though listed as "in stock," these sellers actually have to order it printed. This looked to actually be in stock since it shipped two days later, on August 4th. It shipped by ebay's SpeedPak through Orange Connex.

Tracking showed "Export Customs Declaration Completed People's Republic of China" on August 7th. It showed "Import Customs Clearance Completed United States of America" on August 10th. Yet, it next showed "Departed from Origin Country People's Republic of China" and "Arrived at destination country United States of America" both on August 11th, the first at 6:02 & the second at 11:07.

From an advanced tracking site I use, I had learned it would be assigned another tracking number for the US. The last ebay item I got from China--in February this year--went by SpeedPak, then transfered to the USPS for the last-mile delivery in the US. This shipment was handed over to UniUni, whom I find are a Canadian shipping service. Tracking from that company then showed "Gateway transit in," "Arrived at regional sorting center," and "Gateway transit out" all in the NY City/New Jersey area, on August 14th. It showed up in my state yesterday early in the morning, and was then out for delivery shortly after, then delivered yesterday evening.

I never heard a thing about customs except the tracking entries, nor was I charged anything further after checkout. I can not tell from the amounts I paid which fee included the customs duty, but I certainly presume I paid it. I strongly believe, though I have no exact proof, that a customs broker was involved in the process. That or the ebay seller knows his customs procedures pretty well. I think Orange Connex provided brokerage, though. That seems most likely.

It went seamlessly, and I found the charges all reasonable (under the rates currently in effect for China until the 29th.)

Make whatever you will from this. Just passing it along.