Receiving items
When we receive an item for you, we ‘check it in’ – this means we will take its weight and measurements and we will ensure that it is not damaged and can be handled normally. Then we have to establish its origin and value as well as its customs classification and duty. Only once all of these details are available, we can electronically submit them and your item can be handled and shipped swiftly – but no worries – e.g. for things you order online from a shop normally all of these details should be available to us immediately.
An email will be sent to you informing you about the details and the status of your item:
It is very important that you are monitoring your emails in this phase – should an item be damaged, or we are not able to obtain it’s value or origin, we will notify you immediately and we might need your assistance to resolve any issues. In such a case you will receive detailed instructions, for some issues you can simply add a quick note to the item in your box – for other issues we might need to get in direct contact with you .. e.g. to discuss what we must do with the 135 kg of explosives you ordered to your box ..
Below you can see a myEU box that has 2 items in it – the owner received some tires and a dress for his wife – to safe on shipping costs he is combining a couple of items to one outgoing shipment.
If you click on an item in your box you will see its details:
Should you have any inquiries regarding an item, please use the Item ID on the top of the screen as reference.
In the center area you can immediately see the duty classification and customs fees applicable for your items. Some items are subject to a particular duty rate, some are free (see SA Duty Codes). For all items imported to South Africa import VAT applies, which is calculated slightly differently than the normal VAT. But for you – all this is just informative – don’t worry, we will take care of everything !
On the bottom of the Item detail screen you can leave a note for your item e.g. let us know its value or origin if we can’t establish it ourselves or you can leave special handling instructions.
Also you can let us know if we should repack your item to safe on shipping costs for you or leave it in its original packaging. By default all items will be set to ‘allow repackaging’ on check in.
After you have entered a note or set the repackaging switch press on the ‘Update Item‘ button to store your changes.
If you have an Advanced or Pro Subscription you will get images of the items we check-in for you.
Btw – should you need information about the duty rates and import costs for a particular product you intend to buy, please send us an inquiry or drop us a call – we are happy to help you and advise before you buy something. Also take a look at our shipping and duty calculator – ‘some typical suspects’ are listed there to give you an understanding.
