[Dommy]

Hi all.

I just wanted to tell you a real, annoying story about my recent purchase of a 2014 M109R engine from the US, with the associated unfortunate problems with the stupid Italian customs and with the weird seller.
This engine is to replace the damaged engine of my 2007 M109R, which failed in June at 100K miles. I've been looking around for a used engine, but not from the early model years and this 2014 engine showed up only by the beginning of December.

I paid the engine on ebay via PayPal and it arrived at the Italian customs by FedEx about a week ago. But there are two problems with this shipment/purchase:

1) I wrote to the seller that the Consignee is my Suzuki workshop close to my home, so to state on his shipment papers that the Consignee (workshop) and Sold to / Importer (me) are not the same. I asked to ship the engine to the workshop because I cannot myself handle a 120 Kg engine.
Nevertheless the seller declared on his invoice that we are the same, so customs contacted directly the workshop. Apparently this is the minor problem, because I explained this issue to customs and they asked me to send them a declaration to rectify this.

2) When the engine arrived at customs, they asked me my payment receipt (4350 USD for the engine + 600 USD for shipment) and noticed a price discrepancy, because the seller declared 2000 USD on his commercial invoice? Because of this customs told me that I will have to pay also a fee, in addition to the regular customs import duties. I do not know why the seller declared only 2000 USD, but probably the customs assume that I asked the seller to declare a lower price to pay less import taxes? Nevertheless I proved that I paid what I was asked for and all is web trackable.
Now I and customs are trying to contact the seller from yesterday to signal him the problem and have a rectified invoice.

As you can imagine I'm not happy with this situation.

For information, the seller is Motodocparts (my contact there is Mr. Daniel Scaber), based at Ormond Beach, FL 32174. Please, be careful.

I will keep you posted on this saga.

Cheers, Domenico.

 

[Metalman]

Best of luck Dommy. Keep us post about the situation and hopefully you will be riding soon.

 

[Zoom]

Wow, I'm sorry to hear about that Dommy. I'm not sure how customs works, maybe he declared a lower value to save him money? I hope you get it worked out without any more problems.

 

[wiggy]

For us in the UK, we ask for a lower value on the invoice so we pay less import duties. Our import duties can be very high...on $200 American it cost me £49 English, but on $995 American it cost me £200 English.
So if they had put the real value of $2200 on the last order.. it would have cost me about £420, which is a lot to add onto the purchase price.
I love the exhaust.. but boy it hits my wallet hard

Andy

 

[DirtieGirtie]

Good luck, brother. Hopefully the seller isn't trying to hide income for their own income tax reasons. If so, communications will probably shut down from them.

You seem to be taking the delays with a cool and calm demeanor, and you don't seem to be blaming anyone, so I'm sure karma will do you right very soon!

 

[bigpapaXCT]

Push comes to shove, just do a paypal dispute explaining that the seller was dishonest. Watch how quick it gets fixed from the seller.

 

[StitchsLoft]

USA does not charge customs... Some sellers will list a lesser amount to HELP you out on VAT issues but looks like you screwed yourself with the price difference... If you going to do that get an "updated" invoice from them before you go and expose whole deal to them! Now they are going to hose you on full VAT... This is more of rookie move on your part sorry...

 

[Dommy]

Well, I may be a rookie in this topic and for sure I'm not familiar with USA taxation system.

Nevertheless I would expect a seller to first ask me whether or not I would like to try to save some VAT money. And after all, how much to save?

As the seller explained me, they made a mistake in working out this transaction and are willing to pay the customs fee due to price discrepancy.

However this is not the first time I buy parts from USA and this never happened to me. I also bought parts from UK recently and had to pay customs due to BREXIT. Also there no problems.

I apologize if I'm convinced that also USA people may do things not completely appropriate.

Cheers.

 

[HyperPete]

I don't think that is limited to the United States, Dommy. There are honest and dishonest people everywhere.
Best wishes for quick and complete resolution so you can get the new engine in that bad boy and get back to riding!

 

[Bering_C_Sparky]

Deleted post.

BCS
LGB/FJB

 

[The Prospector]

It seems to me that the guy was trying to be honest and obey his country's regulations but was caught out by the seller.
Why the seller declared a lower price if not asked to do so is debatable, perhaps income tax reasons 🤔 who knows.
We in the UK are taxed heavily on imports and people often ask senders to declare lower prices, some will, some won't but don't blame us because we have shite governments.

 

[Dommy]

The customs got to know the price difference because they asked me my purchase receipt.

 

[Joe RC51]

It doesn't make any sense that all of this is over Dommy claiming MORE than less. Maybe you should offer to pay LESS tax to satisfy them. It all sounds like petty , foolish bullshit.

 

[Bering_C_Sparky]

I just deleted my post above, as big brother edited it.
I would prefer to delete my entire post and not participate than have an edited version of what someone else thinks I should say posted as if it were my own words.

If something I said was false then I am happy to discuss it in the open forum or in private and be educated as to what I said that was false.
But if what I said is factual and I am being censored, then I cannot in good conscious abide for having my comments altered by someone else to fit their narrative of what is or is not correct. No matter the format or forum.

To my knowledge everything I said was factual and I was not being out of line or rude to anyone. And though they have a political content, my comments were in line with the conversation taking place.
It seems my posts were taken down and altered simply because the truth is not allowed to be spoken on this and many other social and news media formats these days.
Everyone clearly sees the issues of the world and its ok to bitch about the consequences openly, such as saying the government over taxes your motorcycle parts. But don't dare openly discuss the actual cause of the issues, that is not allowed.


Best of luck to all in the new year.
Stay safe out there.

BCS
LGB/FJB

 

[Dommy]

It's possible that it was my try yesterday to quote a part of your post, where you asked how customs could figure out what was the real price that I paid. But because I was trying to do it via my smartphone and not laptop, obviously I must have made a mistake.

So no problem at all from me 👍. All is fine.

Happy New Year.

 

[HyperPete]

I just deleted my post above, as big brother edited it.
I would prefer to delete my entire post and not participate than have an edited version of what someone else thinks I should say posted as if it were my own words.

If something I said was false then I am happy to discuss it in the open forum or in private and be educated as to what I said that was false.
But if what I said is factual and I am being censored, then I cannot in good conscious abide for having my comments altered by someone else to fit their narrative of what is or is not correct. No matter the format or forum.

To my knowledge everything I said was factual and I was not being out of line or rude to anyone. And though they have a political content, my comments were in line with the conversation taking place.
It seems my posts were taken down and altered simply because the truth is not allowed to be spoken on this and many other social and news media formats these days.
Everyone clearly sees the issues of the world and its ok to bitch about the consequences openly, such as saying the government over taxes your motorcycle parts. But don't dare openly discuss the actual cause of the issues, that is not allowed.


Best of luck to all in the new year.
Stay safe out there.

BCS
LGB/FJB

I'm sorry I contributed to thread drift.
Per your comments above, I have PMd you.

 

[StitchsLoft]

Well, I may be a rookie in this topic and for sure I'm not familiar with USA taxation system.

Nevertheless I would expect a seller to first ask me whether or not I would like to try to save some VAT money. And after all, how much to save?

As the seller explained me, they made a mistake in working out this transaction and are willing to pay the customs fee due to price discrepancy.

However this is not the first time I buy parts from USA and this never happened to me. I also bought parts from UK recently and had to pay customs due to BREXIT. Also there no problems.

I apologize if I'm convinced that also USA people may do things not completely appropriate.

Cheers.

Wasnt attacking you directly, just saying if you are doing something like that for FIRST time should try ask a lot questions... Or ask others I have customers all over world I try to help some of them in certain countries like GERMANY, FRANCE, UK, AUS) because the VAT thing is just blatent government fraud! Why should they have say in WHO or where you buy something from. In my business ok I make custom gear so say I buy Tac-Vest on ebay for $100 and then I spend HOURS doing custom work on it so matches an old TV show or needs mods to fit someone correctly so now price is $350.00 becuase of my labor, I am going have Paypal fees and pay the taxes on my income so now tell what right does the UK have to TAX my labor in the USA? NONE so that is still $100 Tac-Vest! Hope that explains it better so I will often send them a VAT friendly invoice but I always make sure they have a copy as well as that one on package matches. I do not see ANY advantage to them dropping price to help themselves out or trying cook the books in some way... Yes they should maybe hinted to you about that but you also dont want hang yourself in some email either! I just say I am putting market value of the item... Its still this make model and worth this much! I am sure some lawyer could have field day but far as I am concerned (middle finger to VAT)

 

[Dommy]

Ok, the engine finally arrived at my Suzuki mechanic yesterday and later this week I'm going there to check it.

Eventually I had to pay approx. 1350 EUR for importation tax in Italy from USA, included 110 EUR of fee due to the price discrepancy, not that bad after all .

 

[Zoom]

Glad that finally worked out for you Dommy. I'm so glad we don't have those duty fees here, but it wouldn't surprise me if some day they don't do it.