Australian buyers - fees paid

[butters88]

I am looking to purchase a diamond and setting and at present it looks like BGD or Whiteflash will be the vendor.

Has anyone from Australia purchased from either of these vendors?

Assuming the stone was part of their in-house inventory, what taxes etc were payable before FedEx would deliver to you?

 

[bibs]

I purchased from JbEG quite few years back. Ring was AUD $4000ish and we were are parity at the time. I paid $350ish to Fedex.

 

[Bron357]

The rate is 10% GST, the 5% import tax can be waived if they (the vendor) do the right customs declaration (US / Aust free trade agreement). Most US OS recommended vendors do quite a bit of business with Aussies so they know what to do.
GST is on the total amount, including shipping and insurance.If Fed ex imports for you their brokers fee I think is $75. Once the parcel hits Aust, Fed ex phones you and asks for payment via credit card. Once paid, they deliver to you a day or two afterwards.
If it’s under $1,000 it’s a bit grey now.
There’s no “GST free under $1,000” anymore. If you buy on eBay.com, or other Int ebay sites, eBay will now hit you up for the 10%. However, if you buy from any other Int. vendor, if they do business to Australia worth $75,000 pa plus, they are supposed to apply to the Aust Govt for a Tax file number and then charge the 10% GST and then send it to the Aust Govt - yeah right!
I haven’t bought on ebay.com since 1 July so I haven’t felt that 10% on everything pain as yet.

 

[KirstLWA]

I just received my ring from BGD and can’t recommend them highly enough! My diamond is better than I could have ever imagined and the setting is perfection!

You won’t be sorry dealing with BGD!

Anyway, you’ll pay 10% gst and a couple hundred in fees depending on the value of the ring. It was all simple apart from FedEx not checking the pouch for the AUSFTA
Paperwork! Delivery took 6 days including the weekend.

 

[Crystal_Dreams]

I’ve purchased from BGD numerous times.

As others have said, you pay 10% GST only as long as the vendor submits the AUSFTA paperwork. Make sure you also get a copy of this in your email as Fedex never check the document pouch properly. I have had to send it to them myself every single time. Also make sure you ask them if they calculated the amount payable taking into the account the AUSFTA paperwork supplied because they never do.

Fedex do charge a brokerage fee of somewhere between $50-75 I think on top of the GST. If you don’t get the AUSFTA paperwork, they charge you an extra 5% duty.

 

[butters88]

Is there any way to avoid the brokerage fee? It sounds like a bit of a rort cost if there is no other means to get around it?

 

[gregchang35]

you can fly over to the states and do some shopping there?