Job Discussion Forums

CThomas · Joined: 21 Oct 2009 Posts: 380 Location: HCMC, Vietnam

I heard this today, that it started recently. Can't find anything on google. Any links or info?

jb0072009 · Joined: 26 Feb 2009 Posts: 127 Location: Saigon

Yes Amazon will deliver to Vietnam but only certain items like DVD, BRD, Books and a small number of other items. The shipping fee is not that bad either. I had 5 blu-ray movies sent here cost like $35 for shipping, took 2 weeks. http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_navbox_596184_tips?nodeId=596188

AmanJivan · Joined: 22 Dec 2009 Posts: 32

Did the customs take much of an interest in charging tax on incoming books?

Has some personal effects taxed horrendously high import duty recently so have been a bit shy of importing books etc.

Buffalo Boy · Joined: 02 Oct 2009 Posts: 80

There is a shop called USA Books on Pham Viet Chanh in District 1 HCMC that will order books from Amazon for you.

spycatcher reincarnated · Joined: 19 May 2005 Posts: 236

I have been buying books from Amazon for a few years, have never had to pay any tax and they have always arrived in good time. I recently bought some DVD's from Amazon and again they arrived in good time, but I was charged about 30% tax by customs.

jb0072009 · Joined: 26 Feb 2009 Posts: 127 Location: Saigon

Unfortunately import duty tax varies from item to item. Seems that they have 2 catagories: regular and luxary. The regular is like 30% of the items value (which if items are used you should show receipts of the purchase price new and the date so you can devalue accordingly). The luxary applies to electronics, jewerly, cars, motorbikes etc. It is around 60%. Same rules apply if they are used. As an example on those Blu-Ray movies I ordered I paid NO tax but I was lucky, apparently DHL who delivered them somehow got by the tax man. I had a Onkyo receiver sent from USA (used). I paid $450 for it 3 years ago. When it got here I got a notice from VNPT to go to their airport facility to pick it up. Once there they opened the box and like 10 people looked at it. They tried to tax me 60% on the $500 declared value. First I tried to bribe the head guy who spoke English very well. Did not work. Next I said that the shipping (EMS) was $200 and that the receiver was worth $300 (I showed him original receipt). We baragined for about 10 minutes and he said he would charge me the 30% tax on $300 so I paid my 1.9 million dong and away I went. Like everything else here it pays to at least try to bargain