Import duties…. again!

[MattT]

Greetings,
I haven’t bought anything over $1K from overseas until last week. About $1400 from teleskope express. I received a txt from ups ( I think, that is not clear) saying I need to pay import duties of $230. The txt provides a bpay account to do this.
Is this legite or a scam?

UPS is delivering the parcel today and seems odd they need my email address for a tax receipt once I have paid the tax.

Never seen this type of request before.

Any insights appreciated.

Matt

[Peter Ward]

UPS normally email you a tax invoice setting out the various fees and charges
for incoming shipments (typically over $A1000 in value)

Getting a txt is quite odd.

They will only deliver when customs clearance is complete (i.e. paid) hence if it is being delivered without you paying charges, it probably was low enough in value to avoid the charges....making me think the txt is a scam.

[MortonH]

I thought the A$1000 limit was dropped a while ago. Anything coming in from overseas is subject to GST now, but it seems it is not always applied.

[rustigsmed (Russell)]

I don't trust text messages. see if you received an email.

[floyd_2 (Dean)]

I'm voting scam on the SMS. I'm starting to grow suspicious of the coincidence between pending deliveries and also credit card payments just made and text messages / emails / phone calls that "seem" to have something to do with it. I bought something over the phone from a leading bricks and mortar camera retailer just the other day, and within about a minute of the credit card transaction completing, I received a decidedly suspicious automated phone call about a credit card transaction. That can't have been coincidence, surely.

[Stonius (Markus)]

Best thing is to *not click on any links in the text, but navigate to the carriers website independently and check your tracking info from there using your original tracking number from an email.

[MattT]

Thanks for the replies.
Im thinking scam too, mostly as its a txt, and the amount is way in excess of 15% …not much but too much.
Still waiting for the package to turn up, which is often quite late here. If and when I get it I’ll report back. I would have thought pay the duties, and then the package is sent.
Thanks again!

[MattT]

Well it wasn't a scam after all!
I looked up the tracking history to see that a message had been sent to the recipient…me.
So I took the plunge, sent the payment and got conformation that it had been received and the package was already on the way. Weird.
Seems like the new way to do business.
Next time Ill make sure a purchase is under $1K as double shipping fees is less than this import tax.
Live n learn.