Custom clearance

Germany, Stuttgart info 🇩🇪

Hi,

I bought the Bittle from a friend in Asia and he used EMS shiping services. Normally international packages with normal shipping I receive directly, no customs.

This time I received my Bittle and the ZOLLAMT took the package and I hat to pay only the German tax from this region, which is 19% (from item cost) + Custom charges around 10€.

I declare it as DIY arduino Robot dog.

So in case it helps, avoid using EMS, use normal shipping or use DHL, which is the normal post service here in Germany, for sure it will not go through Customs office, in case it does:

Custom charges 19% + 10€ 🙂

Clearence time around 1 1/2 week until I received the letter from customs office, which I answered per email, where I attached the required proof of puchase and forms. Next day I received per email the document to pick up my package 😀

I am very happy with the product, the Bittle is an awesome robot that has so many posibilities that I am just beggining to explore.

Customs officials in germany tend to be a pain in the ... you know where. The way non-EU shipments are handled differ vastly on the local customs office in the city and how bored the customs officer just is. Generally it helps a lot if 1) the german carrier is DHL and 2) thare is a correct and complete invoice on the outside of the package. But even when those aspects are met, because customs officials seem to be only glad when they can pester citizens baseless, there may be problems. It depens on where you live, some cities are better than others.

UK (Scotland) customer here.

Notification that my Bittle was posted on 19 August, and it arrived today.

No customs charges, no issues. Awesome.

Canadian here, I had no hold-ups or additional fees for customs clearance. Shipped June 13th, collected from post office June 22nd.

At least German Custom office seems to Release it. It is not generally like that :( Unfortunately Custom office here is very strickt

As an English guy living in Belgium for over 20yrs, I can say that while Belgium has a lot going for it some of it however , this Customs Tax is one of many very strange and crazy things about Belgium, I have NO idea how they can impose such a heavy tax on a "poor little pussy cat" :-)

cause of socialistic structure of the states. To "help" people that doesen't want to work the state needs to take this money somewhere

I was wrong .... it was even more !!!! :-(

Think that I win on the extra duty to be paid, after waiting a couple of weeks more than the originally planned delivery date (no problem with that - these things can happen!), I got received notice that my "cat" had arrived and was now with the BELGIUM CUSTOMS after a 3 weeks of waiting and several calls to BPost, I finally managed to get an email address where I could inquire as to the whereabouts of my "cat". I sent my email off and waited ... 2 weeks later I got a reply that the "cat" was being checked over and would be shortly released from custody! Another week went by and out of the blue my "cat" finally arrived.

With a bill from the Belgium Customs for a total additional charge €90.27 !!!!! Unbelievable!!

Nice cat though :-)

The clearance charge may be USPS specific, if for instance one is registered with Fedex one can opt to pre-pay custom duty, and then there is no clearance charge in UK at least.

Belgium 90,87 tax. The package arrived on 11/6 in bpost clearence end was deliverd today 10/7

Hey everyone,

I think I am living in the worst tax country in the world: Belgium - that tiny country in Europe. Not only customs that took more than a month. I had to pay 79,45 EURO. That is 21% VAT and 30 EURO customs fee (WTF?).

Cheers,

Christian.

Spends 11 days in customs.

item custom fee/tax/post service country other notes

Nybble 53.65 € + 10 € Austria paid to the postman