[CR]Surprised by a customs charge

(Example: Framebuilders:Tony Beek)

Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2006 16:21:41 -0500
From: "Phil Sieg" <triodelover@comcast.net>
To: Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]Surprised by a customs charge

I received an invoice from DHL yesterday for a customs duty charge on a frame from the UK I took delivery on 10 days ago. It's not much - $26.52 plus a $5 duty advance fee. But I'm curious why it was levied at all. I've received two other frames in the last year plus a bunch of components from all over the EU. Yet no duty was charged.

The sender labeled the frame "Rare and historic bicycle frame. Used" and set the value at £250. No additional insurance was purchased (carrier - Fast Lane International - included £250 insurance in the shipping fee). Frankly, I've never paid any attention to how anything else was labeled when I received it. Just glad it arrived in one piece.

So what set off US customs?

--
Phil Sieg
Knoxville, Tennessee