[this is mildly related to EEVblog #129, shipping costs and generic government behavior]
Hating free shipping? Sounds crazy, but I do. Let me explain.
So there are all these wonderful Chinese vendors on the Internet and on eBay. And many of them offer this great thing called "free shipping". Great you say? No, because it costs extra.
I wish they would stop it. I wish Chinese vendors would also stop the stupid practice of declaring everything a gift of $40 value. And I wish Chines vendors would start to include proper shipping papers, including a proper itemized bill with any shipping.
Because, you know, the thing is, my government's Customs is not stupid. And my government's Customs is on a hunt for extra money. Because we have to bail out the stupid Greek and the Irish, because we are the idiots, the laughing stock, in the EU who always pay for every other corrupt, criminal loser government. As if our own government wankers aren't enough. But I digress.
So there is this Chinese vendor, shipping some goods. No proper shipping papers, a stupid "$40 gift" declaration on the green customs label. If you get a tracking number you can easily track shipment. From China to here it takes maybe three days. Then the tracking shows it is handed over to Customs at the airport. And then the tracking shows Customs doesn't process it. Oh no, they put it on hold. Because? Because they aren't stupid. From China? "$40 gift"? No shipping papers? Pull the other one.
Now you get a letter. Please produce shipping papers. Waitaminute, you don't have any. And the Chinese vendor won't produce any for you. Once he has your money you no longer exist for him. Just don't try to get papers from them. You waste your time, and the clock is ticking. Because, after a few days Customs will charge you extra for storage. So you have to hurry.
You take the eBay page and print it. It says free shipping. It lists the total price for the goods. Fine? No, because Customs doesn't believe in free shipping. They don't have to. They pull some rules and regulations out of their arse that shipping costs always must, absolutely must, be detailed separately. If not, they are allowed and do take the whole payment sum as the price for the goods only and add shipping costs on top of it.
Shipping costs? What shipping costs? Hold your braces! They are allowed to invent fictitious shipping costs, if you haven't any detailed proof about the real shipping cost! They just assume you somehow, via some back channel payed some shipping cost, because, you know, no one does shipping for free. Of course, being on the hunt for money they assume the most expensive way of shipping was used, like hand delivery by a flock of virgins.
Why are these fictitious shipping costs important? Because they charge taxes on them. Yes, you got that right. First they invent shipping costs, then they calculate taxes on them, and then they make you pay taxes for non existing shipping costs. On top of the taxes you pay for the goods.
You want to complain? Suuuuure, you can. Do you have any proper shipping papers to prove your case? No? Forget it. Just pay, and save your time and effort. The government is always right and they have the rules and regulations to prove it.
In the end, "free shipping" costs extra, that's why I hate it.
PS: Any recommendation for Chinese vendors that include proper shipping papers, a proper bill, detailing the real shipping cost, don't declare everything as "$40 gift" and accept credit cards (not via paypal)?