Just a (short ;-) update regarding the customs handling of my RMA from Germany/Europe to the USA due to defective hardware (motherboard):
I have shipped the package back to Raptor CS today via DHL after having done the formal requirements by the aid of a customs service (agent) that costs about 40 Euros.
The best documentation I have found are here (in German only, sorry, but sometimes you can switch to English):
https://www.dhl.de/de/geschaeftskunden/express/infos-knowhow/downloads.htmlhttps://www.dhl.de/content/dam/images/Express/pdf/dhl-express-einfach-durch-den-zoll-062019.pdfhttps://www.dhl.de/content/dam/images/Express/downloads/zollinformation/zollinformationen-und-dokumente/dhl-express-broschuere-einfach-durch-den-zoll-012018.pdfMajor lessons learned:
0. The process becomes the more complicated the higher the sum of the product values is:
< 1000 Euro: "normal"
1000 - 3000 Euro: complicated
> 3000 Euro: Very complicated (eg. in case of Talos II motherboards with CPUs!)
1. You have to create a proforma invoice to declare the virtual value of the products you are sending back.
Always use the original product names from the RaptorCS invoice.
DHL has a good and free online service to create a proforma invoide:
https://www.dhl.de/de/geschaeftskunden/express/infos-knowhow/hilfe-zollabwicklung/formulare-zoll.html2. You have to announce the export via an IT system that produces an MRN number (= movement reference number?).
This was done by my customs service agent (who I paid for as stated above).
I could also have created a login with the IT certificate of my income tax login ("Elster IT system") but since I have no certificate this would take another week time to wait for the certificate.
3. The customs tariff code according to HS (a world-wide standardized code for goods, HS = harmonized system)
you have to specify (during import as well in export forms) is in my case (for the motherboard and CPU):
8473 3020 00 0 (= first 6 digits are "harmonized" world-wide, the digits 6 and 7 are EU-specific, digits 9 and 10 indicate EU measure codes like anti-dumping rules, digit 11 is a national extension)
For Imports you use 11 digits, for exports 8 digits.
For details see:
https://www.zolltarifnummern.de/info/kombinierte-nomenklatur 8473 3020 = Electronic assemblies of automatic data-processing machines or for other machines of heading 8471, n.e.s.
8471 = Automatic data-processing machines and units thereof; magnetic or optical readers, machines for transcribing data onto data media in coded form and machines for processing such data, n.e.s.
See:
https://www.tariffnumber.com/2020/84714. If you buy and pay the parcel service online (
www.dhl.de) you can fill the export declaration form CN23 online and print out everything.
This costs another 80 Euros (36 Euros shipping + costs for additional higher insurance up to 2000 Euro)
5. Don't forget to add 4 proforma invoices into the plastic bag attached to the parcel, the paper with the MRN number and the paper stuff from DHL.
6. Duty/tax reimbursement (refunding) is another process where you have to fill two forms:
Form 0223 "Antrag auf Erstattung"
Form 0235 "Zusatzblatt zum Antrag auf Erstattung"
I have asked the responsible customs officer via phone if she wants to see the defect hardware before I send it back and she said "not required" - but this may differ in your case.
Summary:
Never ever again I want to experience this waste of time and money (additional 40 + 80 Euro).
The next time I would order directly in Europe at www.vikings.net (which was not yet available when I ordered last year).BTW: I am neither affiliated nor have any relationship to DHL or
www.vikings.net - I am just reporting my personal experiences
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