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Customs South Africa

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videvinci

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Aug 18, 2009
118
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South Africa
Well now all my South African fellow vapers- DHL phoned me this morning to notify me that Customs is holding my package from Eastmall. I am totally astounded as I had been ordering from them since Oct 2009 and this has never happened. This package in effect is a resend of a previous one that got lost. I now think the lost one could be at at customs . The value is over 200$. I need some advice as I really don't want to loose this package as well. What should I do?
 

gavin

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Jan 20, 2009
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Joburg, South Africa
My last package from eastmall was also stopped, the couriers, TNT, faxed me a form to fill out and I had to pay duty and an admin fee, R300 in all, and the package was sent through to me. According to them you can import no more than 3 times a year and no more than R20 000 worth of goods. So check with DHL if you need to go to customs yourself or if they can do it for you, it will cost you a bit more if they do it but might be worth it.
 

videvinci

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Aug 18, 2009
118
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South Africa
Thanks Gavin- But I might have ordered 3x this year for 200$. That is not nearly R20 000. According to EM, they send pens. Would it be a problem if customs opens the package and discovers it is e-cig paraphernalia? I am not able to go to customs as I live in the countryside more than 200 km away. What was the amount you ordered for customs to raise the levy of R300 ?
 

gavin

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Jan 20, 2009
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Joburg, South Africa
My package was e-cigarettes and liquid and customs passed it through ok, some others have reported trouble with customs and liquid. The amount on the package was $20, eastmall puts low amounts on, the customs was R150 and TNT's admin fee R150. What do DHL say the amount declared is? I think you pay 14 percent VAT and 10 percent import duty, maybe more if there is an electrical plug and customs decide it is electronic equipment.
 

Nomdo

Senior Member
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Dec 13, 2009
134
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Sasolburg, South Africa
All EM liquids are Dekang. I quite like it, especially the peanut butter.:D

I somehow hated the peanut butter....
I like most of the tobacco type VG flavours, and Toffee:vapor:, but now they renamed toffee to caramel, and it is not the same...:(:cry:

I would like to know if any1 in SA has imported e-liquid from the USA e.g. Mrs. T or Johnsons Creek, Tasty Vapour etc.?
 

riche

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Aug 12, 2009
166
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Cape Town
:mad:Shiza … Customs has stopped my liquid order …
They will not release …
Package not labeled correctly… bla...bla...bla :
Contains unregistered Schedule 3 medical products…
This was with standard Chinese registered mail – whew I had to wait a month for this…
They tell me liquid nicotine has now been declared a medical product and must be registered – by manufacturer …
Are we in trouble here ?
How other peoples orders going .???
 

videvinci

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Aug 18, 2009
118
4
South Africa
:mad:Shiza … Customs has stopped my liquid order …
They will not release …
Package not labeled correctly… bla...bla...bla :
Contains unregistered Schedule 3 medical products…
This was with standard Chinese registered mail – whew I had to wait a month for this…
They tell me liquid nicotine has now been declared a medical product and must be registered – by manufacturer …
Are we in trouble here ?
How other peoples orders going .???
I received my package last week after a month- Customs released it with e-juice and electronics inside, although the label stipulated pens. I had to confirm my payment- This satisfied them and they labelled it as 'too low for vat'.(or something in that order), but it does not seem as if they had opened the package. I do think that customs in SA is far more vigilant than a few months ago. They are now jumping onto the bandwagon by classifying it as NRT which it is not. I think you should ask for the 'bill of declaration' . It could be that it is a pen pusher at customs that made this decision. Keep us updated.
 

videvinci

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Aug 18, 2009
118
4
South Africa
:mad:Yes - pen pusher ... needs to be corrected (in the words of Jack in Shining) with an axe …:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
:(I will keep my cool hide the axe and phone her again on Monday…
She tells me they will keep it for a while then either return or destroy the package …:?:
Riche,
It is very important to get to the person who is in authority here. This could mean the end of any imports of e-liquid for us South Africans. Are you not near enough to visit customs to get to the heart of the story. How do the suppliers in South Africa import their e-liquid? I think you should contact a few suppliers about this.
 

riche

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Aug 12, 2009
166
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Cape Town
You are right VideVinci…
Would you believe I was given the cell number of the authoritarian who called the stop on my package…She seems a solid brick wall …
I will check into what’s going on there at customs next week.

My worry (as I am sure is all of ours) is that eLiquid is declared pharmaceutical and thus needs to be registered in this country by the manufacturer.
We will then be at the mercy of our local suppliers and their ludicrous prices (of course there are some who currently have reasonable prices – but for how long)
Furthermore some of our local suppliers seem to have plenty financial clout right now and will register their product – Twisp for instance has stopped importing liquid and are making locally – although they still have to bring in the liquid nicotine (I presume).
The local suppliers could well be who is behind trying to stop us web buyers bypassing them.
Nevertheless I will get into contact with some suppliers I have dealt with.

[FONT="]…Anyway will keep you all informed … I am hoping I was just unlucky this time in my parcel going through the wrong official having a bad week.:unsure:[/FONT]
 

Splat

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Sep 2, 2009
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Johannesburg, South Africa
You are right VideVinci…
Would you believe I was given the cell number of the authoritarian who called the stop on my package…She seems a solid brick wall …
I will check into what’s going on there at customs next week.

My worry (as I am sure is all of ours) is that eLiquid is declared pharmaceutical and thus needs to be registered in this country by the manufacturer.
We will then be at the mercy of our local suppliers and their ludicrous prices (of course there are some who currently have reasonable prices – but for how long)
Furthermore some of our local suppliers seem to have plenty financial clout right now and will register their product – Twisp for instance has stopped importing liquid and are making locally – although they still have to bring in the liquid nicotine (I presume).
The local suppliers could well be who is behind trying to stop us web buyers bypassing them.
Nevertheless I will get into contact with some suppliers I have dealt with.

[FONT="]…Anyway will keep you all informed … I am hoping I was just unlucky this time in my parcel going through the wrong official having a bad week.:unsure:[/FONT]
I received an order from Health Cabin a couple of weeks ago....took about 3 weeks to arrive at my Post Office. Had been opened and inspected by Customs. Total order was $260 and included 1 stick kit, 4 stick bodies, a variety of attys (13 in total), blank carts, lots of flavouring, 2 110ml bottles of PG and 2 x 70ml bottles of unflavoured 36mg nic......they only charged me the R25 inpection fee.

Maybe I was just REALLY lucky!!! :D
 

riche

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Aug 12, 2009
166
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Cape Town
Hey Splat ... (whew lucky indeed) :D
My order was Health Cabin too … Not as many $$$ …

I tend to be minimal with my orders (just in case)…
Someone somewhere on this forum (Gavin I think – ping pong table pic) mentioned max 3 imports per year or max R20 000 Customs spec – the 3 imports would be a problem for me as I have gone way over that…
Anyway … Authoritarian has redirected me to other people – eMail + Phone numbers – onto them – no luck or real answers yet…
 

Splat

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Sep 2, 2009
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Johannesburg, South Africa
:unsure:Gonna have to stop harassing anyone at Post Office + Customs for now…
I have another HC package in at Foreign Parcel office (this one came in less than 3 weeks)
Sent in an invoice as they normally request (amended ejuce items to refill bottles) … ;)

LETS SEE >>>>:2cool:
hope this one works out :toast:...definitely seems to be luck of the draw! I have also exceeded my (alleged) 3 orders but don't seems to have any hassles. I have had a couple of non-ecig parcels go missing, however :mad:
 

Aucorium

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Jul 12, 2009
81
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Cape Town, South Africa
I would just like to provide some observations:

1. You are allowed something like R300 (or below) x 2 in gifts, however anything over that amount or qty needs to be taxed with the appropriate import duties.

2. SARS are very hot on import duties - expect at least 75% of imported goods to be inspected. To circumvent this issue import small sized jiffy packages.

3. SARS under the auspices of the medical health department have (officially and / or unofficially) - declared e-juice an unauthorised drug - I received letters to this effect in February of this year.

4. As usual (with reference point 3) there is no point in contacting any government department and arguing any rational around this - live with it and hope your package doesnt get stopped.

NB: This does not take into cosideration theft.
 
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