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GST on Overseas Orders

13 posts, 9 members
tannygirl
3395 posts
   So I read there's going to be a GST on all overseas orders. Not just the big ones. I'm wondering if anyone has been slapped with GST upon the arrival of their overseas orders? I've been lucky enough to not be charged for that so far. But I'd like to hear about your experience and how it worked with getting your mail and the GST payments.
itsclearascrystal
2057 posts
Coincidentally was just read about the new tax for low value items. To my understanding it will be included in the cost of the item.
tabucutie
1841 posts
I read about this in the herald this morning. Not so stoked about it but I dont shop too much on overseas sites anymore. Just once or twice a year.

I have had to pay gst once a bulk lot i purchased from USA. The customs sector at the airport called me and said my parcel was in the country but that it would not be released until the "duties" were paid for. From memory it cost me $150+ (value amount for the parcel was like $375). An expensive mistake I won't be making again. Just give credit/debit details over the phone and then it goes to the courier tobe sent it out. I got it the next day. 
tannygirl
3395 posts
   @tabucutie I would be very concerned having to give my credit/debit details over the phone. I would be really worried about scammers calling me up and saying I need to pay for something and taking my credit card details. 

   I think the most I've ordered into the country was a little over 250NZD several years back when I bought the Foreo Luna. I was lucky I didn't get pinged for GST or import tax. Recently it was a Sigma brush haul and that was over 220NZD and I was lucky I didn't get pinged.
Julieal
915 posts
It was always going to happen -Hard to know how they will collect though as sometimes collecting costs as much as the GST
tabucutie
1841 posts
@tannygirl: I agree i'm always a bit sceptical about handing over my details or card whether its physically in stores, over the phone or online. It seems its only to easy now adays to be scammed or ripped. In this one instance I was lucky it was a legit transaction.
Imoshen
461 posts
I'm really not happy about this but I suppose it is inevitable.  

If only our retailers pulled their socks up and improved their services and products on offer it wouldn't be so bad but they don't.  They sell us the same crap over and over and don't offer decent websites to use, products we want to use or staff training so we feel good about spending with them.

I buy most of my stuff from overseas because I can't stomach the prices retailers ask for here.

Even if they add GST, it is still cheaper to buy online overseas and I will continue to do so.  

 
trudijoy
8375 posts
as annoying as it seems upfront it's coming from a place of supporting local businesses by taking away the advantage the overseas ones had. I don't buy a lot of overseas stuff online, personally, so this won't affect me hugely, but for those in the habit of doing so I can see where it'd be a bit annoying.

My understanding is that the extra cost will be applied to the products, as it's on the retailer to pay the taxes and they'll want to get that money somewhere. So probs not a huge clearance bill provided the GST is included at checkout. Also read it's not coming in until next year so if that's the case, maybe those of you who buy in may want to stock up.
Susilia
484 posts
it’s pretty stink we have to pay GST on all overseas orders, NZ retailers mark up their prices so much, it’s barely worth buying anything here really, consumers always draw the shorter string in my opinion, we can’t win either way now! :/ 
tannygirl
3395 posts
    My spending habits have changed it used to be just shopping at local stores and then just online NZ stores like Healthpost and then I discovered iherb, vitacost, korean beauty, Beautylish and a lot of other onine stores. I mainly shop at the ones that offer free shipping if you spend within a reasonable threshold, like iherb and Beautylish(where I buy all my products from the Ordinary). 

     I wouldn't mind buying from a NZ stockist but the markup in price is like almost twice as much at the product so yeah you can't blame consumers for shopping around for the best deal and then discovering it isn't at your store.
Lisa-Lou
2690 posts
I read it was not happening until October next year. I don't see how they will enforce it really. At the end of the day it is 15% so it will be not a huge deal. We buy overseas as it is cheaper and it will still be cheaper than buying here.
It won't stop me shopping online.
siouxsannah
262 posts
According to Stuff: "Foreign firms that sell less than $60,000 of goods or services to New Zealanders each year (ie. companies that would not have to register for GST if they were a New Zealand business) won't have to charge you GST and if you buy goods from them costing less than $400 you won't have to pay it either.Online marketplaces will be treated like large foreign sellers, even if they are just the "middleman". So the operators of those sorts of marketplaces will be responsible for adding GST to your bill, even if the final seller is actually a small trader."

So companies like Beautylish may not have to charge us GST if they ship less than $60,000 worth to NZ each year. 
tannygirl
3395 posts
   I really hope so. Beautylish is the cheapest place to get the Ordinary products from, my orders from Beautylish went from one every couple of years to one almost every month since they stocked the Ordinary. Also some brands like Becca and ABH are a little bit cheaper on there than Sephora.nz.

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