Ordering Spare-Parts From E-Bay Or Ali

mad123456 · April 10, 2016

Dear All,

I thought of importing some spare parts which are needed for my Subi. Do you have any previous experience with a good supplier , mainly OEM stuff. if so please let me know the provider, are they trust worthy ?

i want an airflow sensor

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/ORIGIANL-MASS-AIR-FLOW-METER-SENSOR-MAF-22680-AA271-FOR-Impreza-2-0-Turbo-GT/32620329807.html

Signing off

Boodi

Muditha420 · April 10, 2016

did u try eBay Australia n the usual eBay site? the max i have bought from Ali is a few LED lights. both site have not let me down. for this particular part might i suggest to go with eBay instead of Ali

NRA95 · April 10, 2016

When you order from eBay have you got to pay customs duty to clear it? As in a big part. I ordered a dash cam from eBay. Im concerned whether I'll have to pay customs duty on it. How do big items like that usually come? Does the postman bring it?

Crosswind · April 10, 2016

I frequently get down stuff from both ebay and Aliexpress. My recent purchases from aliexpress include vehicle spare parts and lots of other household stuff, including a complete CCTV system, faucets, light fittings, minor household stuff, an electronic door access system and even a chandelier. Aliexpress has a better success rate of delivery than eBay (I've made 50+ purchases in both in a year). Everytime I made a claim due to non-delivery of an item, the refund rate has been 100% in both eBay and ali. Note that I NEVER cheat the seller. Alipay exchange rate is better than Paypal (Paypal exchange rate for a USD 3 days ago was Rs. 152!). Both Ali and eBay dispute process is satisfactory to the same extent. I have faced fake sellers in both ebay and ali. Ali folks proactively catch them and provide the refund while ebay is very lacklusture in this. Out of the 50+ items I bought from Ali, only one item has been of bad quality. Everything else has been good stuff.

Bottom line is I will choose Ali over ebay anytime. I only use ebay nowadays to buy stuff from UK/Europe and North America. If its from China, I choose Ali without any hesitation.

As for customs duty, if its sent from EMS, DHL or UPS you may end up paying duty. For EMS packages, you will need to go to central mail exchange and get it. DHL, UPS etc will pay the duty for you and you have to pay it when they bring it home. Your dash cam will probably come home because it would have come from ordinary mail.

Don't worry about customs duty. The most I have paid is Rs. 3,500 bucks for the chandelier which came in a 1 sq. m. box thru EMS. 95% of the time, things will come home. Rest of the time the duty is not that high (768 bucks for a faucet, 250 bucks for a set of brake pads, 1300 for a electronic door access system is what I recall...)

Muditha420 · April 10, 2016

Hmm.. didnt know Ali was that good should mingle a bit in there n see... main thing was i couldn't find the stuff i was looking for, for my car. eBay was good on that front and the Australian site delivered a few things i was missing. But nothing goes close to car part then Y J*p*n Au*ti*n.

every little nut n bolt found in there was a gem. Customs will depend on the mood of the official as well. Yes you do get away with very low duty charges at times. Only reached 4k mark recently for a oem strut bar.

Watchman · April 11, 2016

Wow, Ali seems to have matured a lot. Must keep an eye out there from now!

Thanks crosswind!

Crosswind · April 11, 2016

On 4/10/2016 at 3:16 PM, Muditha420 said:
every little nut n bolt found in there was a gem. Customs will depend on the mood of the official as well. Yes you do get away with very low duty charges at times. Only reached 4k mark recently for a oem strut bar.

I disagree on this point...

Customs guys have a manual which they use to look up HS codes vs. the duty amounts. The duty amounts are pretty much fixed and they don't manipulate those. Customs duty is not that high in Sri Lanka either (another example, I got down a bonnet for the Kia through a cargo agent. Customs duty was 2,500 but the friggin cargo agent's handling charge was another 2.500)

Real problem is when people try to bend/brake the law. You can't import a car chassis to the country. You can't bring rubber parts or used seats without an ICL. Big screen TVs have large taxes. Mobile phones need TRC approval. People know it but they still bring those. When the customs guy tries to enforce the law, automatically they become the bad guys. And then the importer offers the customs guy a bribe. the importer was the one who offered it in the first place but its the customs guy who becomes 'jaraawa kaakka'... people want to bring goods down in commercial quantities but they only want to pay taxes at personal rates... but its the customs guy who always seems to be at fault... funny isn't it

Just stick to what's legal and there will be no issues... guaranteed. I've had plenty of dealings with customs folks (only for personal imports). never ever had any issues.

On a related note, the last time I went to central mail exchange to pickup an item (i think it was the chandelier), I was pleasantly surprised to see that the customs officer is actually a PIM MBA graduate (guy was wearing a PIM t-shirt so I asked him about it...).

Edited April 11, 2016 by Crosswind

PreseaLover · April 11, 2016

On 4/10/2016 at 3:16 PM, Muditha420 said:
Hmm.. didnt know Ali was that good should mingle a bit in there n see... main thing was i couldn't find the stuff i was looking for, for my car. eBay was good on that front and the Australian site delivered a few things i was missing. But nothing goes close to car part then Y J*p*n Au*ti*n.
every little nut n bolt found in there was a gem. Customs will depend on the mood of the official as well. Yes you do get away with very low duty charges at times. Only reached 4k mark recently for a oem strut bar.

On 4/11/2016 at 4:52 AM, Crosswind said:
I disagree on this point...
Customs guys have a manual which they use to look up HS codes vs. the duty amounts. The duty amounts are pretty much fixed and they don't manipulate those. Customs duty is not that high in Sri Lanka either (another example, I got down a bonnet for the Kia through a cargo agent. Customs duty was 2,500 but the friggin cargo agent's handling charge was another 2.500)

Real problem is when people try to bend/brake the law. You can't import a car chassis to the country. You can't bring rubber parts or used seats without an ICL. Big screen TVs have large taxes. Mobile phones need TRC approval. People know it but they still bring those. When the customs guy tries to enforce the law, automatically they become the bad guys. And then the importer offers the customs guy a bribe. the importer was the one who offered it in the first place but its the customs guy who becomes 'jaraawa kaakka'... people want to bring goods down in commercial quantities but they only want to pay taxes at personal rates... but its the customs guy who always seems to be at fault... funny isn't it

Just stick to what's legal and there will be no issues... guaranteed. I've had plenty of dealings with customs folks (only for personal imports). never ever had any issues.

On a related note, the last time I went to central mail exchange to pickup an item (i think it was the chandelier), I was pleasantly surprised to see that the customs officer is actually a PIM MBA graduate (guy was wearing a PIM t-shirt so I asked him about it...).

well I have to agree with Mudhitha.. recently I bought an entire center panel from Japan Auctions for restoration project and at the customs I wasn't taxed a single cent.. since I entered the custom office I wore a huge smile on my face and entered and smiled at every office, and when I was in the queue, when I smiled at an officer he called me and asked what's the purpose I was there.. I said i have to clear a car part.. then he said, they are going to tax for car parts coz usually car parts are being taxed heavily and he said if they tax me heavily, to tell him and he will clear it out for me without or with a lower tax... I said ok and when my turn came, once again i put a huge smile and the baby face and went to the clearing officers and they looked at me and asked how much the center panel was... in the packaging also I mentioned to the seller to invoice it as 800yen and I said it was only just 800yen, which was a lie.. (when buying from japan auctions you get the opportunity to state the amount in which the invoicing should be done to avoid customs tax's) and since it was sent by EMS the parcel was wrapped in a huge box kinda wrapping.. they looked at me for a few seconds and said ok fine you dont have to pay a tax... so it actually depends on the mood of them and also its how you approach them with a pleasant smiley face and be humble... make them have a good impression on you and you will walk in with a jail free card

Don Shan · April 11, 2016

On 4/10/2016 at 2:13 PM, Crosswind said:
I frequently get down stuff from both ebay and Aliexpress. My recent purchases from aliexpress include vehicle spare parts and lots of other household stuff, including a complete CCTV system, faucets, light fittings, minor household stuff, an electronic door access system and even a chandelier. Aliexpress has a better success rate of delivery than eBay (I've made 50+ purchases in both in a year). Everytime I made a claim due to non-delivery of an item, the refund rate has been 100% in both eBay and ali. Note that I NEVER cheat the seller. Alipay exchange rate is better than Paypal (Paypal exchange rate for a USD 3 days ago was Rs. 152!). Both Ali and eBay dispute process is satisfactory to the same extent. I have faced fake sellers in both ebay and ali. Ali folks proactively catch them and provide the refund while ebay is very lacklusture in this. Out of the 50+ items I bought from Ali, only one item has been of bad quality. Everything else has been good stuff.
Bottom line is I will choose Ali over ebay anytime. I only use ebay nowadays to buy stuff from UK/Europe and North America. If its from China, I choose Ali without any hesitation.

As for customs duty, if its sent from EMS, DHL or UPS you may end up paying duty. For EMS packages, you will need to go to central mail exchange and get it. DHL, UPS etc will pay the duty for you and you have to pay it when they bring it home. Your dash cam will probably come home because it would have come from ordinary mail.

Don't worry about customs duty. The most I have paid is Rs. 3,500 bucks for the chandelier which came in a 1 sq. m. box thru EMS. 95% of the time, things will come home. Rest of the time the duty is not that high (768 bucks for a faucet, 250 bucks for a set of brake pads, 1300 for a electronic door access system is what I recall...)

Hello ,

May I know your experience on delivery time by AliExpress like deliver via China Registered Post.

Watchman · April 11, 2016

On 4/11/2016 at 7:18 AM, PreseaLover said:
well I have to agree with Mudhitha.. recently I bought an entire center panel from Japan Auctions for restoration project and at the customs I wasn't taxed a single cent.. since I entered the custom office I wore a huge smile on my face and entered and smiled at every office, and when I was in the queue, when I smiled at an officer he called me and asked what's the purpose I was there.. I said i have to clear a car part.. then he said, they are going to tax for car parts coz usually car parts are being taxed heavily and he said if they tax me heavily, to tell him and he will clear it out for me without or with a lower tax... I said ok and when my turn came, once again i put a huge smile and the baby face and went to the clearing officers and they looked at me and asked how much the center panel was... in the packaging also I mentioned to the seller to invoice it as 800yen and I said it was only just 800yen, which was a lie.. (when buying from japan auctions you get the opportunity to state the amount in which the invoicing should be done to avoid customs tax's) and since it was sent by EMS the parcel was wrapped in a huge box kinda wrapping.. they looked at me for a few seconds and said ok fine you dont have to pay a tax... so it actually depends on the mood of them and also its how you approach them with a pleasant smiley face and be humble... make them have a good impression on you and you will walk in with a jail free card

You are wrong. Your anecdote does not mean they tax you based on their mood. They DO have guidelines for it. Just because they show some lenience doesn't mean that they are ignorant or stupid.

You lied to the law to begin with stating that it was 800yen. And the effort to do the paperwork for a Rs.50-100 tax based on your lie, or on the other hand the effort to investigate the true value of whatever part would not have been worth it.

But that being said, yes you are right; being courteous gets you the benefit of doubt. Just that people should try not to abuse it

Edited April 11, 2016 by Watchman

mad123456 · April 11, 2016

On 4/11/2016 at 3:51 PM, Watchman said:
You are wrong. Your anecdote does not mean they tax you based on their mood. They DO have guidelines for it. Just because they show some lenience doesn't mean that they are ignorant or stupid.
You lied to the law to begin with stating that it was 800yen. And the effort to do the paperwork for a Rs.50-100 tax based on your lie, or on the other hand the effort to investigate the true value of whatever part would not have been worth it.

But that being said, yes you are right; being courteous gets you the benefit of doubt. Just that people should try not to abuse it

Watchman respect you being honest

Crosswind · April 12, 2016

On 4/11/2016 at 9:42 AM, Don Shan said:

Hello ,

May I know your experience on delivery time by AliExpress like deliver via China Registered Post.

Can be anywhere between 15-60 days. Usually between 30-40.

In most of the countries, including china, you can get a tracking number online from the postalservice. So most of the ebay or ali sellers get the tracking number first and post the item 15-20 days later when they get stocks. Although u see a tracking number on the site it doesnt mean its posted.

Watchman · April 12, 2016

On 4/11/2016 at 4:15 PM, mad123456 said:
Watchman respect you being honest

I have not imported anything worth more than a few thousand rupees at most to be taxed. I've ordered (on ebay, seller in India) some photography related items (camera filters) worth Rs.6400, and paid about Rs.300 as tax IIRC.

I once sent my dad (personally posted) a 1:24 scale model as a birthday gift and he didn't know it was coming. Upon unwrapping it in front of the customs officer, and having a friendly chat, they set him off with no tax. This was presealover's theory of smiling and being humble.

Muditha420 · April 12, 2016

Guys i didnt mean lie to or abuse the law... its like this bought several car parts all for personal use...and i have been out right honest and not only that have shown them the printouts of the auction page as well (when i remembered to take it that is). bought a Carina GT tail light and i was honest i said i couldnt find the light here n a normal tail light would cost 8000LKR i think but i got this from Japan for 3000YEN. there was an added benefit of the custom official being a rtd naval officer so had a nice chat n was charged 500LKR.

B4 legacy trim set for the dashboard was immaculate u cant even argue it was used but that too was charged 1500LKR. No issues there as well.

finally bought down strut bars n a light 3590Yen (2 strut bars) 1290Yen (tail light) these were honest prices i gave them. apart from tail light which was wrapped extremely well the strut bars can be seen as used with scratches etc... they charged 9000LKR for it??? i wasnt prepared for that much so i told them i didnt even bring that much. After a guy in customs who listened to all this said will do something to help n finally payed 4500LKR for taxes.

this is why i said depends on the mood. M not doubting there work or anything like that. they were really good and explained why it was so high and next time around to be careful when ordering such. i thought used car stuff would have been taxed at least at a lower rate but maybe not.

Being a bit humble and kind does go along way without charging in like a boss

Crosswind · April 12, 2016

Dude, i wasn't pointing at you really...

The fact is customs people have a manual with all HS Codes on them and the corresponding taxation rates. Even in case of car parts, some parts attract little or no taxes , some parts attract higher taxes, especially cess tax, some parts require an ICL (example: rubber parts) and some are altogether banned from importation (chassis for example). Its not a question of it being new or used. That's how taxation is designed.

Only issue in this is you can't expect a customs officer to know each and every item by looking at it. For example, an oil cooler may look similar to an A/C eavporator. In fact, if the right item is not mentioned in the customs declaration form, they may get confused and charge you for something else. This is where you can either get in to an argument with someone who has enough authority to decide whatever the hell they want or you can quietly explain it and get away with it. Since you guys took the sensible path, I'm glad to hear that....

Supra_Natural · April 15, 2016

On 4/12/2016 at 7:03 AM, Crosswind said:
Dude, i wasn't pointing at you really...
The fact is customs people have a manual with all HS Codes on them and the corresponding taxation rates. Even in case of car parts, some parts attract little or no taxes , some parts attract higher taxes, especially cess tax, some parts require an ICL (example: rubber parts) and some are altogether banned from importation (chassis for example). Its not a question of it being new or used. That's how taxation is designed.

Only issue in this is you can't expect a customs officer to know each and every item by looking at it. For example, an oil cooler may look similar to an A/C eavporator. In fact, if the right item is not mentioned in the customs declaration form, they may get confused and charge you for something else. This is where you can either get in to an argument with someone who has enough authority to decide whatever the hell they want or you can quietly explain it and get away with it. Since you guys took the sensible path, I'm glad to hear that....

Im curious, do things like suspension mounts come under "rubber parts"? or is that only imposed when dealing with beadings and such?

Crosswind · April 15, 2016

On 4/15/2016 at 12:41 PM, Supra_Natural said:

Im curious, do things like suspension mounts come under "rubber parts"? or is that only imposed when dealing with beadings and such?

Theoretically no. But you might have to explain it to the guy sometimes. Customs officers are not omniscient. A little bit of patient and respect ala presealover style helps.