Sideshow supplying incorrect customs information to Fed Ex on sale items / discounts

If you are an international Sideshow Customer, you don't need to wait for a sale or discount, you will be charged full price at the border.

SSC is supplying incorrect customs information and documentation to FED EX when they ship out out items. They are always declaring the item with their full list price, even if it is on sale or we use reward points or gift cards!

Fed EX has confirmed on 11 of the last shipments I received this year alone in Canada, that SSC was declaring the wrong value on the 'electronic form' they provided to them. I also contacted the Canadian Border Services Agency in Canada, and verified with them, SSC is declaring the wrong value. According to them, they are required to declare the 'value paid' by the customer on the customs documentation. Fed EX states the the 'electronic form' only lists the items original price - nothing else!

Most recently I ordered 'Peacemaker' Hot Toys figure with reward points, and was only charged $176 for him. SSC listed him to Fed Ex with a value of $269.99 and I was charged the taxes / duties on the full 269.99 amount. Fed EX has said that was incorrect on the electronic form from SSC and they are correcting the amount and correcting the charge on my Fed Ex account.

I contacted SSC 3 different times with chat / phone calls and they CS agents simply say 'they are not changing anything' and will not discuss it at all!

Hopefully Alex from SSC that visits this forum regularly or someone from SSC management will see this thread and correct their error as any international customer that buys anything from SSC on sale or with a discount or uses reward points or a gift card, has been incorrectly charged!

SSC will you please correct the customs forms you provide to FED EX so we are not overcharged on our orders????

Yep, just one more reason to not order direct from SS in the first place, it costs Canadians and easy $50 more on average. LCS is the way to go, or toys2 as they ship fairly cheap

I wish they would just stop using Fedex all together for international orders, USPS can do tracking for way cheaper, and I dont mind waiting a week to get my toys

Sure, I love Toys 2 - I just put in a $2000 + order with Eric this AM...but $100 off Peacemaker is not coming from Toys 2...that is a great deal!

Pricing is quite often good from SSC - my LCS put a price of $340 Can + tax on the Probe droid! Dark World Loki is $320...even with exchange and taxes, and then bonus discounts from SSC, plus rewards on future purchases...SSC is much cheaper.

My Exclusive GI JOE Destro this summer was free...reward points!

and the real bottom line is...they are doing something WRONG...same as if they said every shipment was $19 - to keep customers from paying any duties or taxes.

I always thought they had to declare the retail value regardless of discounts.
My last Fed-Ex bill was half what I was expecting but I did use $150 in Rewards.
Maybe they've changed their policy? Hope so

So far my import charges to the Netherland have been all based on the discounted price. No problems for me. I'm wondering if they have to fill in the full retail price for insurance cover in case of losing it when shipping.

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I am waiting on the Fed Ex billing for my Geo Battle Droids that arrived last week to see how they were valued, I used $50 Gift Card on them. I have yet to have a correct value on anything, maybe Fed Ex was finally able to get through to SSC to put the correct amounts on, after all it is work for them to go back and correct everything...

Been stung here with a bill from FedEx for about £70 Great British Pounds for the Catwoman Premium format figure... this is crazy

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This is the only thing that scares me when the Hulk drops.
Customs is going be a dog!

Loose_Cannon said:

Been stung here with a bill from FedEx for about £70 Great British Pounds for the Catwoman Premium format figure... this is crazy

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You weren't aware of V.A.T on imported goods?

Kuat of Kuat said:

That would be the correct amount on $399.99 + $40 delivery + FedEx admin fees.

($88 VAT + £10.50?)

Exchange rate is bad at the moment which doesn't help. I don't pay the admin fees as I have an account.

FedEx credited my card the other day for the over charge on Batman and Robin, and even posted two letters showing each of the credits.

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I didn't know that having an account with them cancelled out the admin charges! Can anybody sign up for account? This could save me a fair bit of money.

Yes, anyone can open a Fed-Ex account. Saves around £15 per International delivery.
Contact Sideshow and ask them to link your Fed-Ex and Sideshow accounts.

I have to say I'd rather place an order with the UK stores; namely Collectables Direct and avoid any issue with Import and VAT charges. Price, on a good currency conversion day looks tempting, but when you factor in shipping cost, and then the obligatory fees and so forth (even with an account), it normally works out better to just wait that little bit extra and have it sent to you domestically.

If money isn't an issue, then it doesn't really matter. But speaking for myself, fees are certainly why I have yet to order direct with SS.

The only thing I would consider would be a limited edition, which could not be obtained domestically, else - meh, I'll wait.

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Buying local is cheaper so only order Exclusive Editions direct.
The only benefit of ordering a Regular Edition direct is getting it sooner.

While we do not set customs fees, Sideshow does try to offset these costs for our international collectors through shipping savings of up to 20% off, emailed discounts and our Rewards program! We also have many reliable vendors throughout the EU to purchase our product from as well.

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That's good to know. I've got heavy discounts on my Machiko PF.

Chicky said:

While we do not set customs fees, Sideshow does try to offset these costs for our international collectors through shipping savings of up to 20% off, emailed discounts and our Rewards program! We also have many reliable vendors throughout the EU to purchase our product from as well.

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Hello Chicky,

Actually you guys do A LOT for international customers, and your service people are fantastic, was never in dispute, which is why I find this issue so odd. After trying to bring it up several times to SSC service people.

We get great deals on Sideshow stuff through many different options: Reward points / Promo codes / gift cards etc, and I use them all...and then when it gets time to be charged the tax, you guys say we paid full price and we pay tax on the original amount, not the sale price! I forwarded your SSC invoices that I get e-mailed to Fed Ex and they look at it and actually have told me how very well detailed your invoices and paperwork for customs are, and then they correct my billing based on them. It is just this 'electronic value' that Fed Ex uses, it is only one number apparently and the number is always the regular price of the collectable, not the value paid which is what the tax / customs is based on.

BTW: this is the ONLY minor thing that is keeping you guys from being the perfect company to shop from, and that is why it is so frustrating, I know it can be fixed so easily.