The abbreviation " VPN " has slowly become established among average Internet users, which is certainly good, but the problem is that people have started to see VPN as the ultimate solution to all problems.
Sometimes we find cheaper goods on foreign sites, or we find something that is not sold in our country, and we want to buy. But how? Do I need a bank account? Which? What should I write? Is it safe? How am I doing?
As I only shop on DX and Aliexpress, I will write instructions for them. Many people from Serbia ask me about those two sites, and I see that many of them buy there because the goods are cheap, and delivery is (mostly) free.
For those who don't know, DX (DealExtreme) and Aliexpress (part of Alibaba) are probably the two most popular Chinese sites in our country. Here you can find everything from a needle to a locomotive. Why do we buy there, and not on some domestic site? Mostly the reason is the price, or simply because we found something there that we don't have.
Content:
1. How to buy a product?
Note: read to the end!
You have a search on the site and you type what you want. Or select a category and scroll. It is important to select the "1 piece only" option (for Aliexpress only) and "Free shipping". The first option is to filter products that can be bought by the piece, so that you do not come across something that says, for example. $ 5 for a product and you have to buy 100 pieces, so it costs you $ 500. You can also sort by price, popularity… etc.
As for the "Free shipping" option, you don't have to unplug it, but then pay attention to the shipping cost. This price does NOT include the cost of our mail and customs. You pay for that with the price of the product, so you will see the total price that will be deducted from your account (product + shipping). And at the end of the article, everything is described how the payment for delivery works with us!
Here's what a classic filtration would look like:
Of course, you can do the filtration as you see fit. It is often good practice to filter by rating, so you need to choose another option: Top-Rated.
When you find the product you want to buy, click on "Add to cart", after which the product will appear in your cart. You can continue to add products, or open the cart right away and start paying.
Tips & Warnings: Read customer reviews. Take a look at the seller's ratings. Take a look at the handwritten pictures and videos so that the product doesn't get smaller / bigger than you expected.
On the page where the products you put in the basket are, you will see their names, prices, delivery methods, delivery time… and finally the final price you pay.
2. Payment
We come to the main part - payment. As for payment, you have a lot of options: MasterCard, Visa, Boleto, TEF, Maestro, Western Union, Bank transfer… etc. I have a Master Card so I will shop like that.
If you pay by card, as I do, you need to fill in all the fields you see:
- Cardholder Name: name and surname of the card (account)
- Card No: card number. That's the long number on the front. Not your account number.
- Expiration Date: expiration date. It is somewhere at the bottom of the card. Eg: 12/18
- Security Code: 3 security numbers are located on the back of the card. These are the last 3 numbers in a series of numbers below the black bar.
Also, fill in the delivery information. So, country, city, ZIP Code, name, surname...and other things are required.
When you have filled in everything, check the data again, and then click on "Pay my order".
Tip: Don't keep payment details! As long as payment is secured, do not store data on their or any other site. Also, I advise you to keep only the amount of money you plan to spend on the account you use for payment, ie. a little more than that amount.
If you paid from a dinar account, you will be charged at the current exchange rate of the bank. Since you have chosen to pay in euros (because it is not in dinars), you go to the bank's website and see the exchange rate, calculate how many dinars it is, and you know how much it will cost you.
3. Tracking of shipments
After you have bought something, it takes a couple of days for your package to be registered in the tracking system. I wrote everything in detail about tracking shipments in this article: https://do-you-know-tech.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-to-track-shipments-from-china.html
4. Additional costs
As for the extra cost, always be prepared for that. Sometimes you will not pay anything, and sometimes everything is according to the regulations.
4.1) Personal interpretation of a member of the Benchmark Forum
The table below shows the formulas used to calculate the levies when receiving shipments by regular mail and customs clearance by the abbreviated procedure where the Single Customs Rate is applied.
- VR - the value of goods. The price stated with the shipment can be accepted, and the customs officer can calculate the new value if he considers that the attached value is not true (see the quote under number 1.3) below). The sites are mostly immediately after sending the VR charge, so this table is used to calculate the required fees, not to pay when picking up the shipment.
- P - shipping costs, or postage, in this case only for shipments arriving by standard mail. As a rule, the sites charge P together with VR, so in this table it is used to calculate the required fees, not to pay when picking up the shipment.
- C - the amount of the uniform customs rate of 10% on VR or on (VR + P) depending on the type of shipment, the type of sender, and VR. Applies only to the so-called. shortened customs clearance procedure, when the shipment arrives via standard mail. Other duties, such as excise duties, can be included in this amount, and it can be more than 10%, depending on the type and quantity of goods in the shipment.
- PDV (VAT) - value-added tax rate of 8 or 20% on VR, (VR + P) or {(VR + P) + C} depending on the type of shipment, type of sender, and VR (computers and components, books are taxed with 8 %, etc.).
-
O - other smaller costs of fixed amounts, e.g. customs control of the
consignment. Article 21 of the Customs Law states:
"The customs authority does not charge a fee for performing customs control, as well as in other cases of application of customs regulations during regular working hours."
Source: RazbojNick @Bench forum
If it is sent to you by a natural person, and the amount on the declaration is less than 50 euros, and the package is not larger than the standard envelope, it will not be opened and you will not pay anything.
I quote:
"It follows from the above provisions of the Law on VAT and the aforementioned provisions of customs regulations that the customs value, for consignments of small value, non-commercial nature, which are not subject to import duties because their value does not exceed 50 euros, is the value of imported goods. in that sense, the costs referred to in Article 46, paragraph 1, item 5) of the Customs Law, which actually exists, are not included in the customs value, and thus do not form part of the tax base used for VAT calculation. "
- source.
Goods may be assessed differently than stated on the declaration.
I quote:
"For the customs clearance of Chinese goods, the indicative list of prices of consumer goods and textiles is applied, which is made based on data on the value of those goods in China and the experience of customs officers."
4.2) Official interpretation from the site potrosac.info
4. 2.1) From and up to 50 euros, physically from a legal entity
Customs duties are not paid on goods purchased by a natural person from a legal entity from abroad, the value of which does not exceed 50 euros, but the goods are subject to VAT.
This means that the value of these goods, with transport costs, represents the total basis for calculating VAT.
4. 2.2) In case the goods exceed the value of 50 euros, both customs duties and VAT are paid.
In this case, goods of higher value, on the total value of goods and postage, are charged customs duties in the amount of 10%. The amount thus obtained is the basis for calculating VAT.
4. 2.3) Up to 70 euros, natural from a natural person
If you receive a shipment from abroad sent by another natural person, and the value of the goods does not exceed 70 euros, you are exempt from all import duties - both customs and VAT.
This interpretation was confirmed to us by the Customs Administration.
Source: consumer.info
5. Once the package arrives
The package will arrive by mail and will be delivered to you, in most cases, at the address you specified in the purchase order. If the package is not cleared, you do not pay anything and the postman puts it in the mailbox. If it can't stop, it inserts a piece of paper that says when and where to pick up the package. With that piece of paper and ID card, you pick up the package.
If you need to pay for something and you are at home, then you pay on the spot. If you are not at home, you get that piece of paper again and go for the package and pay at the post office.
When the package arrives, you MUST log in to your account again, open the order list, find that product, and uncheck that it has arrived successfully.
It's good to know
The quality is not worse even though the goods are from Chinese sites. Everything I have bought so far, at 5x lower price, is of quite solid quality. The goods are up to 10 times cheaper than our resellers, do not be surprised, it is not a scam. Our resellers buy the same product, from the same site, with free shipping, and sell it here for a lot more money. Also, expect goods in poorer packaging, saving on every detail. However, that does not mean that it will not be well secured against breakage.
All in all, if you are shopping like this for the first time, first get something cheaper, e.g. for a couple of euros, to see the whole process of purchase, payment, delivery, etc.
Disclaimer:
I am not responsible if the goods do not arrive or arrive damaged. Such problems are solved with the seller. If you are under the age of 18 and have your own account, consult your parents or legal guardians. I am not responsible for price information, for each piece of information, there is a source from which it is taken with approval. Also, even if you are charged more / less than the price you calculated using the price information in this text. You do everything at your own risk.
6. Sources
[1] Customs Law of the Republic of Serbia http://www.paragraf.rs/propisi/carinski_zakon.html [2] Law on Value Added Tax http://paragraf.rs/propisi/zakon_o_p…_vrednost.html [3] Announcement of Customs from 12.04.2013. year http://ge.tt/3cbqN3f/v/1 [4] Decree on the type, quantity, and value of goods on which import duties are not paid, deadlines, conditions, and procedure for exercising the right to exemption from import duties http://mfp.gov.rs/pages/article.php?id = 7939 [5] Interview with Vladimir Ocokoljić, Head of the Customs Post Office, RTS 1 25.04.2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnckTqtwuBQ [6] Interview with Vladimir Ocokoljić, Head of the Customs Post Office, Radio Index 12.04.2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1dVh8hHseY [7] Calculation of customs and VAT on shipments from abroad purchased online. http://www.mycity.rs/E-Kupovina-i-placanje/Racunanje-carine-i-PDVa-na-posiljke-iz-inostranstva-kupljene-preko-int.html [8] The tax base for small value shipments of a non-commercial nature. http://www.carina.rs/cyr/Zakoni/Poreska%20osnovica%20za%20posiljke%20male%20vrednosti%20nekomercijalne%20prirode.pdf [9] Personal experience
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