- Bribe Fighter
- 11 years ago
- 9609 views
Dear Sir, I have bought a mobile phone(duel SIM Android phone –…
Dear Sir,
I have bought a mobile phone(duel SIM Android phone – IocenX7(Brand not available in India) ) from geekbuying.com a Chinese online store for personal use and paid 206 USD. The shipment has been sent via Post. The parcel is at foreign post office Ahmedabad. I have calculated the custom amount using custom duty calculator available on custom’s site http://www.cbec.gov.in/cae1-english.htm and customs duty amount came to around Rs 1800.
When I went to foreign post office customs department Ahmedabad, the custom officer has asked me to pay penalty of Rs 7500 and around 41% Custom duty on value of the phone which comes to around 11000. The reason I have been given for penalty is that I do not hold IEC Code and if I want to buy any phone online for personal use, I should have import license to buy that. This reason does not seems logical. I have come to know that IEC code is exempted from customs for items imported from personal use hence I can not be penalize for not having IEC code.
I have asked the officer to give me estimate in written but the officer explained me that Its his boss who decides the duty and he can not give the charged amount in writing. Then he also show some files with zero penalty without IEC codes and told me that in your case penalty might be charged.He also mentioned that "if I would have come earlier then he might be able to pass the parcel without detaining it.". Obviously for that I have to give him some bribe. He then tried different tricks to convey the message that if he gets some money he will not charge penalty.
The officer at Ahmedabad foreign Post office Mr X X XXXXX has told me if I want parcel then I have to sign in the pre-printed paper which says I will pay the penalty and customs duty decided by the department and I will not require any show cause notice about the charges. Since I don't have any other option, I have signed in that paper.
Initially I thought that this officer is trying to influence me for some bribe. I was expecting no penalty because I have imported a Chinese law cost mobile for personal use and according to customs site it has been excepted from IEC code. I was prepared to pay regular customs duty on its value however it seems that either my expectation is wrong or entire system is corrupt. I have been charged Rs 11384 for an item of value around 12000. Is it a joke !!!. The file number at customs office in Ahmedabad foreign post for this detained item is AH340124.
When the postman came to my house to deliver the item, I have rejected this item and asked them to send it back to the seller. Seller agreed to refund my money back once they receives the item back. Local post office then returned the item to foreign post office.
The height of inefficiency - Foreign post office has asked me to again go to customs. The post office will return the item on written permission of customs department.
I am so frustrated in going and facing the customs officer and I know for sure that for my own item which I bought, I have to pay bribe to send it back to Seller which I will not pay in any condition. Let us see what happens next.
I am broadcasting this mail to all the authorities and press in a ray of hope that some day someone will see this and expose such corruption.
Regards,
Divyesh Vadhwana