International Shipping Costs

International Shipping 101 

What's included during checkout?

We understand that during checkout it may be shocking to see what appears to be a high shipping cost, so we thought it would be best to explain the details here so that you can better understand what is actually included in the costs. 

The shipping costs which we display to you during checkout are comprised of :

    • DHL Express shipping fees
    • Country imposed import duties 
    • Country imposed VAT (Value Added Tax aka Sales Tax)

Let's break each one of those down. 

  • Actual Shipping Costs
    • DHL Express Worldwide shipping costs start at around $30.00USD and are calculated based on the destination address, and the volumetric weight of the package. An average Doublemoss Jewelry package sent from Los Angeles to London costs about $50.00USD for DHL Express Service. Additional surcharges may also be calculated based on the address provided, like residential surcharges, or remote destinations, or pandemic related surcharges etc..  
  • Country Imposed Import Duties
    • Each country will charge import duties on an item which is sold from outside of its borders. These duties are not to be mistaken with VAT or Sales Tax. Import duties use the international Harmonized System Code to charge duties on each product based on its value and category. There are thousands of Harmonized codes and each product is assigned one which allows the importing countries customs office to assign it a duty fee. 
    • Import duties are assessed on the retail value of the item before any discounts or shipping costs. Yes you heard that right, even if you received 30% off your item most countries assess value based on the original retail value of the items, NOT on your order value after discounts. 
    • Certain countries have what is called a "de minimis" which essentially means they wont charge a duty on most items under a certain monetary value. For example anything under $1000AUS is not charged any import duties. Yey for Australia! 
  • VAT / Sales Tax
    • Most countries outside of the USA use what is called VAT (Value Added Tax) on any item sold, these taxes are usually included in the prices displayed at retailers, which may be confusing to international buyers as our website shows the prices BEFORE taxation which is common in the USA. 
    • Included in your "shipping costs" will be the local destinations VAT. For example London, UK has a 20% VAT which is calculated on the order total. 

Now let's look at a hypothetical cost for shipping a standard Doublemoss parcel from Los Angeles to London. 

Let's say the order total was $1215.00 USD. To ship to central London, UK from Los Angeles, CA the costs to ship and import your item would be calculated:

VAT @ 20% = $243.00USD
+
Import Duties = $61.35
+
Express Shipping = $49.52
------------------------------ =
Total Cost: $353.87

These costs are paid in full at checkout and require no further fees or duties to be paid by the customer. 

We hope this detail can help you to better understand what's included in the international shipping costs. 

If you have any questions about International Shipping or International Order Policies please do not hesitate to reach out to us at info@doublemoss.com

 

(This article was published on November 21st, 2021 and may not reflect the most accurate or up to date pricing, or information on the global trade laws. This article may not be updated and does not replace or amend any pricing information provided to you at checkout or by a Doublemoss support representative. This information is not an agreement and does not supercede the Conditions of Sale which are provided to you during checkout. This article is for informational purposes only.)

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