I bought one B3 unit and noticed an exception from UPS. Apparently I owe $46.53 in duties. I'm in California.
I told UPS that I've bought similarly priced units from Bitmain before and never had to pay duties. The UPS service person told me that Bitmain must have paid the duties previously, but did not this time.
I know that Phil got hit up for duties too, but the thinking was that he had two units shipped at the same time (even if they were different orders). Maybe Bitmain is pushing the duty cost onto us now and didn't before?
Seems inconsistent to me. And very irritating...
Ask UPS what that amount consists of and what's the HTS code on the invoice. Either Bitmain messed something up or UPS is trying to monetize you. The amount sounds excessive. Bitmain never paid anything AFAIK, that's just somebody giving you a generic runaround.
if you are under 2000 and the hts code is correct you are good.
there is a gray zone between 2000 and 2500.
https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/internet-purchasesCourier Shipping: Goods shipped by courier, express, or other commercial service usually are expedited through CBP by a customs broker hired by that commercial service and then delivered seamlessly to your door. Customs brokers are not CBP employees. There are a number of different charges associated with these services, including shipping and handling, the fees charged by the service for clearing the merchandise through CBP, as well as any Customs duty and processing fees that may be owed on your importation.
Pluses: Get seamless delivery. All you have to do is sign for the package when it arrives. In most cases delivery is quick and reliable. When there's a problem, there is a tracking number that can help resolve the matter.
Pitfalls: Many people have found the various charges and fees levied to be higher than they expected, and sometimes exceed the cost of their purchase(s).
Buyers often have the misunderstanding that when the purchase price includes shipping and handling, all the costs associated with clearing the package through CBP are covered by the seller. They don't realize that brokers fees and CBP duties may be an additional charge that the buyer is responsible for.
Freight Shipping: Merchandise shipped by freight can arrive in the United States at an air, sea or land port. If your goods are being shipped by freight, you should ask the seller to instruct the freight company to forward them to your doorstep, which may entail the shipper's use of a customs broker to clear your goods. Alternatively, ask that the goods be forwarded to a port of entry near where you live so that you can clear or "enter" them yourself
(advisable only if the shipment is under $2000 in value. See Formal Entry below.)Pluses: Can be economical, particularly, if you're prepared to handle the logistics of clearing the goods through Customs yourself. Also, the best way to handle large bulky purchases.
Pitfall: If the freight company has not been instructed to forward your goods, they could end up sitting on the dock at the port where they first entered the country.
Heads-Up
U.S. Customs and Border Protection does not inform importers of the arrival of cargo or freight. When cargo or freight arrives at a U.S. port of entry, it is the responsibility of the shipper or a designated agent to inform the importer of its arrival. However, proper notification does not always happen, particularly, if the shipper has incomplete contact information for you, the importer. Therefore, it is important to find out the scheduled arrival date of your import and follow-up.
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Informal Entries:
If the value of your purchase(s) is less than $2500 and your goods are being shipped by mail or freight, they may, in most cases, be imported as an informal entry. However, there are exceptions to this. For instance, if the importation is determined to be for commercial purposes, the value limit for filing an informal entry for many textile items is either $250 or $0 - depending on whether or not the item is subject to Quota (see below). Clearing goods through CBP as an informal entry is less arduous a process than clearing them by filing a formal entry. Essentially, when goods are cleared as an informal entry, CBP will prepare the paperwork, including determining the classification number and duty rate for your merchandise.
The duty rate for many items typically bought in an on-line auction is zero, however, CBP may charge a small processing fee for mail imports that do require the payment of duty.If your goods are sent by a courier or express service, their brokers will usually handle the paperwork, and bill you for their services. If your goods are being shipped by freight, and you want to clear them through CBP yourself, be sure the shipping company has instructions to deliver them to a port near you. Otherwise, you will need to arrange for someone else to clear the goods for you when they arrive. Your alternative is to ask the seller to make arrangements to have your goods forwarded to your door, in which case you should expect to pay for the services of the customs broker who coordinates this when your goods arrive in the U.S.A.
I have a background in accounting. Looks to me that all this gear is subject to tax since miners are for making money thus may be pushed into the commercial number of 250 not 2500.
i will need to see if the paperwork was fucked up on bitmaintech's end or if we will need to pay.
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