Hi there
I know there have been posts before on this. I did do a search - but got even more confused!
Before we left Ireland we told the shipping company that we did not want to pay them the MAF/Customs charges (they were going to charge us €300 odd euros) and that we would pay customs on arrival. They said fine.
We then got an email from our NZ movers (Allied Movers) with an invoice stating we would have to pay:
Customs import transaction fee and MAF biosecurity system entry levy - $50
Quarantine inspection fees & associated handling and admin charges - $360
Plus GST.
When talking to them they insisted this was the way it was done and there was a "standard" charge per cubic feet of personal belongings you had (whether they were all for inspection or not). So basically done on 20ft/40ft container sizes.
Confusion:
1) surely MAF should only charge for the boxes they have to inspect (the ones we have outlined for inspection) and any others they may deem necessary to look at?
2) if this was the case (as the movers have outlined, where you pay a set charge) surely I could have packed my herbs/wicker baskets etc etc as it wouldn't have mounted up the cost of the time it took for MAF to inspect if it was one set charge. I was advised not to take these as it would take up more of MAF's time and hence more charges?????
3) why do some people pay MAF directly and seem to have lower charges?
Are we being ripped off????
We have to have our items inspected in the bonded warehouse of the movers. MAF dont come up to us.
Anyone recently arrived - who did you pay and how much?