Most people who have bought from a European shop have had the same experience: the price was fine, the parcel arrived, and the courier wanted money at the door. Sometimes a lot of money, and always as a surprise.
Where the bill comes from
Goods crossing a border are taxed by the country they enter, not by the one they left. The United States charges a duty on most imported clothing and leather goods, the rate depends on what the thing is made of, and the customs broker charges a fee on top for making the declaration. None of that is the shop’s money and none of it appears on the shop’s price tag.
A seller can handle this one of two ways. They can ship the parcel and let the courier collect from you — the shipping terms call this DDU, delivered duty unpaid — or they can pay it themselves before the parcel moves. That second one is DDP, delivered duty paid.
What we do
We ship DDP. The duty, the customs charges and the broker’s fee are calculated into the price you see and settled by us. Nothing is collected from you on delivery. If a courier ever asks you for money on a VARIFYO parcel, that is our mistake and we will refund it.
This is not generosity. It is in the price, and it is one of the reasons our prices are what they are. We would rather put it in the number on the page than discover it at your door.
What is not included
- Sales tax. Where a state requires it, it is shown separately at checkout, because that is how it works in the United States. At present we collect none.
- Return postage, unless the piece arrived damaged or was not what you ordered.
The full terms are in the shipping policy, and what happens if you change your mind is in returns.