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We haven't had a traveler yet that has had to pay for import duties or taxes.

by tcokoro 11y ago

amazon_not 11y ago
So only small ticket items then? Or have your couriers been smuggling in the stuff? ;)
Sleaker 11y ago
That's not an acceptable argument to the question. Just because it hasn't happened in the past does not mean it can't or wont happen once the service begins to grow, or not even if it begins to grow.. If it continues to operate into the future as someone else said the chance is non-zero.
dragonwriter 11y ago
Ghana, like most countries, seems to charge import duties on all imports, with exceptions for narrow sets of preferred imports. Also like most countries, Ghana exempts certain items for personal use of the traveler from this. [0] It really seems like the only way your couriers (who you refer to as "travelers") could avoid import duties in general -- I mean, I assuming that people aren't all purchasing agricultural parts, fishing gear, and other exempt categories of items -- is if the imported goods are being misrepresented as personal use items. Nigeria seems to have generally similar rule exempting personal effects [1] but requiring import duty (and import paperwork!) for all other imports [2]. Again, it sounds a lot like what is going on is technically smuggling by misrepresenting imports-for-trade as personal use items. [0] see generally, http://www.gra.gov.gh/docs/info/customs_guide.pdf http://www.gra.gov.gh/docs/info/customs_guide.pdf [1] https://www.customs.gov.ng/Stakeholders/passengers_concessions.php https://www.customs.gov.ng/Stakeholders/passengers_concessio... [2] https://www.customs.gov.ng/Guidelines/Destination_Inspection/guidelines.php https://www.customs.gov.ng/Guidelines/Destination_Inspection...
- amazon_not 11y ago
  > I mean, I assuming that people aren't all purchasing agricultural parts, fishing gear, and other exempt categories of items -- is if the imported goods are being misrepresented as personal use items. Yeah, not so much anything in those categories. " So far, people have been using Shypmate for shoes, weaves, iPhones, laptops, jewelry and other products." You know that part where I said, somebody is going to see the inside of an African jail cell.... If you keep this up, I bet you are going to see the insides of some American jail cells too, as you are either party to illegal acts or encourage/facilitate such. IANAL, so YMMV, but you have been warned.
  - dang 11y ago
    Ok, you've made your point repeatedly. In fact, you've posted 17 comments in this thread. That's over the top, even without the overheated rhetoric, so please stop.
    - amazon_not 11y ago
      Is there some particular point to tell me to stop hours after I've stopped posting? Yes, I've posted 17 comments. Each comment has been original, on topic, with a point and I've several times been thanked by the founders for raising important issues. What's the problem with being active and engaged? How on earth can that be considered over the top? I have no dog in this fight, but I'm genuinely worried something bad will happen if they continue. I'm not even alone in this point of view. Several other posters have noted the same. As to rhetoric, which part do you consider overheated, and more importantly, wrong?
      - dang 11y ago
        By overheated rhetoric I meant stuff like this: "Please stop before somebody gets hurt." "If you keep this up, I bet you are going to see the insides of some American jail cells too" "you have been warned" "your whole setup has enough holes to drive a truck full of C4 through" Active and engaged is great, but I think you crossed the line (a bit) into hounding. You repeated yourself, became shrill, and seemed uncharitably to assume that no one had thought of any legal issues before your comments appeared. The founders were admirably polite and focused on the substantive aspects of what you posted, but that doesn't mean you can't do the same.

We haven't had a traveler yet that has had to pay for import duties or taxes.

by tcokoro 11y ago

We haven't had a traveler yet that has had to pay for import duties or taxes.

amazon_not 11y ago

So only small ticket items then? Or have your couriers been smuggling in the stuff? ;)

Sleaker 11y ago

That's not an acceptable argument to the question. Just because it hasn't happened in the past does not mean it can't or wont happen once the service begins to grow, or not even if it begins to grow.. If it continues to operate into the future as someone else said the chance is non-zero.

dragonwriter 11y ago

Ghana, like most countries, seems to charge import duties on all imports, with exceptions for narrow sets of preferred imports. Also like most countries, Ghana exempts certain items for personal use of the traveler from this. [0] It really seems like the only way your couriers (who you refer to as "travelers") could avoid import duties in general -- I mean, I assuming that people aren't all purchasing agricultural parts, fishing gear, and other exempt categories of items -- is if the imported goods are being misrepresented as personal use items. Nigeria seems to have generally similar rule exempting personal effects [1] but requiring import duty (and import paperwork!) for all other imports [2]. Again, it sounds a lot like what is going on is technically smuggling by misrepresenting imports-for-trade as personal use items. [0] see generally, http://www.gra.gov.gh/docs/info/customs_guide.pdf http://www.gra.gov.gh/docs/info/customs_guide.pdf [1] https://www.customs.gov.ng/Stakeholders/passengers_concessions.php https://www.customs.gov.ng/Stakeholders/passengers_concessio... [2] https://www.customs.gov.ng/Guidelines/Destination_Inspection/guidelines.php https://www.customs.gov.ng/Guidelines/Destination_Inspection...

amazon_not 11y ago
> I mean, I assuming that people aren't all purchasing agricultural parts, fishing gear, and other exempt categories of items -- is if the imported goods are being misrepresented as personal use items. Yeah, not so much anything in those categories. " So far, people have been using Shypmate for shoes, weaves, iPhones, laptops, jewelry and other products." You know that part where I said, somebody is going to see the inside of an African jail cell.... If you keep this up, I bet you are going to see the insides of some American jail cells too, as you are either party to illegal acts or encourage/facilitate such. IANAL, so YMMV, but you have been warned.
- dang 11y ago
  Ok, you've made your point repeatedly. In fact, you've posted 17 comments in this thread. That's over the top, even without the overheated rhetoric, so please stop.
  - amazon_not 11y ago
    Is there some particular point to tell me to stop hours after I've stopped posting? Yes, I've posted 17 comments. Each comment has been original, on topic, with a point and I've several times been thanked by the founders for raising important issues. What's the problem with being active and engaged? How on earth can that be considered over the top? I have no dog in this fight, but I'm genuinely worried something bad will happen if they continue. I'm not even alone in this point of view. Several other posters have noted the same. As to rhetoric, which part do you consider overheated, and more importantly, wrong?
    - dang 11y ago
      By overheated rhetoric I meant stuff like this: "Please stop before somebody gets hurt." "If you keep this up, I bet you are going to see the insides of some American jail cells too" "you have been warned" "your whole setup has enough holes to drive a truck full of C4 through" Active and engaged is great, but I think you crossed the line (a bit) into hounding. You repeated yourself, became shrill, and seemed uncharitably to assume that no one had thought of any legal issues before your comments appeared. The founders were admirably polite and focused on the substantive aspects of what you posted, but that doesn't mean you can't do the same.