Korean Job Discussion Forums

[CaliUSA]

My family paid $280 to ship a FedEx package to me (with clothes and some important things I needed). Turns out that if a package's shipping cost is over 150,000 won, you have to pay a fee before it can clear customs. When I pay 78,000 won, FedEx will deliver the package to me. No real bone to pick here really, I'll pay it, but...Wow, I'm just surprised. That's a lot of money. By now, the overall total for the shipment is worth way more than anything in the box!

[tran.huongthu]

I have noticed a very disturbing trend with people and their packages. It seems that more and more are having to pay customs fees. I wonder if the fees have gone up or just more people are mailing things are failing to put a lesser amount on the packages? I always tell my mom to take all the tags off and put the amount at $100.

[ttompatz]

Problem lies in the fact that they want it "now" and the shipping cost is included in the package value for customs and duty.

150k won (package contents and shipping cost) is the duty free limit. After that you pay import tax on shipped items.

$280 + contents and the taxes are between 15-25% (depending on contents) hence the 78k won fee.

Don't want to pay the taxes, ship it small (size/weight) to keep shipping costs down and by mail. Send it to your place of employment so it doesn't disappear from your mailbox while you are at work.

http://www.customs.go.kr/

.

[nathanrutledge]

My experience has been that if you ship with fedex, you'll get hit with the duties. If you ship using the postal service, you'll be fine. Of course, if the value is high, it could be different, but I've had some things in the 150-200 range, just over the limit, come through without trouble. But every FedEx package, I've gotten hit.

[Modernist]

[supernick]

Why do people ship by Fedex when there isn't a need to? Have people forgotted how to use regular mail? Korean customs will charge you duty on freight and for the contents. Go with regular mail, have it maked as gift and it will be clear sailing.

[CaliUSA]

I always use USPS myself and I told my Dad what I thought the approximate price would be. But he went with FedEx instead. It was sweet of him, but I'll advise him to choose a different service next time.

[tran.huongthu]

Anyone have any experience with mailing really valuable items like a smartphone or jewelry and the taxes on them? Is it possible to just put 100 dollars worth of value and have something make it here safely even if its worth much more?

[chevro1et]