The cost of buying from Scotland: new Argyle outfit arrives

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Big Mikey, you've just described exactly our problem. Unpredictable! People (understandably) complain that we don't say how much duties will be. But the fact is that US customs in particular are just incredibly inconsistent. Sometimes they'll go by the letter of the law by its most stringent interpretation; then often other times things just glide through. And for whatever people say about particular shippers, there's no obvious pattern. It's not just which port of entry, but what day of the week, it seems. Our lives would be so much easier if they had single consistent set of rules that we could at least predict!

Nick is correct. I still remember several years ago getting a package imported from a particular company in Scotland that contained two kilts, a pair of ghillie brogues, a jacket (I believe), and I think one other item. Huge box, delivered USPS. Absolutely no customs fees whatever.

About two days later we received a box from the same company, containing exactly one kilt. That's it. Nothing else. Delivered USPS. Postman demanded $80 in customs fees.

I asked him to explain to me how the box with one kilt could cost us $80 to imort, while the box with two kilts plus other items cost us nothing. He couldn't. He explained it pretty much the way Nick did above -- a lot depends on who checks it in at customs, how they interpret the code, and what kind of a mood they are in.