Q: When do I have to pay additional taxes and duties to the delivery agent?

Depending on your country’s customs regulations, you may be required to pay duties and taxes upon delivery. If so, your local courier (like DHL or FedEx) will collect the payment before or at the time of delivery. 💰 These charges are set by your country’s customs authority—not comGateway—and are separate from your shipping fee. To avoid surprises, check your country’s import rules or contact your local customs office for estimated duties.

Question 1

Are there any taxes and duties?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All international shipments are subject to import duties and taxes based on your destination country’s rules.

These charges vary by:

Item value

Product type

Country of delivery

📦 comGateway does not control or collect these fees. You’ll be notified by the courier if payment is required.

Country-Specific Guidelines

Here are some general import rules for common destinations. For exact details, please check with your local customs authority.

As of 1 January 2024, GST in Singapore is 9% and applies to all imports, including:

Low-value goods (S$400 or below)

Items shipped via air or post

For more info, visit the IRAS website

A GST Calculation Example:

Cost of Goods: S$390

Freight: S$30

Insurance: S$4.20

GST (9%) = S$38.20 on the full sum

GST Handling Fee:

A 5% administrative fee is charged on the GST amount.

What is the GST handling fee?

It is the processing/administrative fee (5%) levied on the GST amount payable.

Shipments to Australia are delivered duty paid (DDP)—this means all GST and duties are included in your shipping cost at checkout.

No additional payment is needed when your package is delivered.

Key notes:

A 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) applies to most imported goods, regardless of value. Customs Duty (typically 0-10%, depending on the goods) & import processing fee applies if the value exceeds AUD 1,000.
GST/Duties Handling Fee : A 5% administrative fee is charged on the total GST/Duties amount
This tax is automatically calculated and collected by comGateway at the time of payment
There are no customs clearance delays due to unpaid taxes

✅ Everything is prepaid, and your items arrive ready to open—no surprise fees, no fuss.

Since the UK’s exit from the EU, all imports—including personal goods—are subject to VAT and potentially customs duties, depending on the value and item type.

General guidelines:

VAT (20%) is applied to most imported goods

Items valued under £135: VAT is applied at checkout if the seller is registered, or charged on delivery

VAT Handling Fee:

A 5% administrative fee is charged on the VATamount.

Items over £135: May be subject to both VAT and customs duty, payable to the courier upon delivery

📦 You’ll receive a notification from the courier (DHL or FedEx) if any payment is required before delivery.

Important: Aways check the latest updates via UK HMRC .

Shipping to the Rest of the World

All imported goods are subject to a country's customs and duties. As limits and regulations vary in different countries, we encourage you to check on the website of your country's governing authority.

Shipments to the rest of the world, are delivered with duty unpaid (DDU). This means duties and customs will not be included on your final checkout during shipment.

Duties and custom payments will be made to the courier delivering your package.

Question 2

Can I return a package that I have already received? And do an international return?

Accepted Answer

Yes! You can return eligible items, whether you:

Purchased directly from a U.S. merchant, or

Ordered through our BuyForMe service

You can return items from your U.S. Address or from your home country, depending on the situation.

If your package is still at your U.S. Address, we can help you return it directly to the merchant from there—no need to ship it home to yourself first. Learn more here:

❌ Some items (like liquids, perishables, or restricted goods) may not be eligible for international returns. We’ll confirm this during the return request process.

If You Bought Directly from the Merchant

1.Check the merchant’s return policy

Before starting a return, check:

Is the item returnable?

How refunds are issued—store credit or original payment?

Is there a returns window (typically 15–60 days)?

Note: International shipping back to the merchant can take 7–10 business days.

2.Get the necessary documents from the merchant

A commercial invoice

A return label

An RMA number (return authorization), if required

⚠️ For some returns, the merchant won’t offer a prepaid label. That means you will be responsible for any domestic U.S. shipping costs in addition to the international return fee.

3.Email us

Let us know which item(s) you want to return. We’ll:

Review the merchant’s return policy

Send you a quote for international return shipping

Include a returns admin fee in the quote

4.Choose your return method: 2 options

Option A: Use comGateway’s courier:

We’ll arrange pickup from your location

Pay the quoted amount in your My Account > Payment Requests

You’ll need to print and attach the return label, commercial invoice, and any RMA provided

The delivery agent will provide a courier consignment note and tracking number

Option B: Use your own courier:

You’re free to manage the return on your own

Please inform us if you proceed independently

5.Refunds

After the merchant receives your item:

They will issue a refund based on their policy

comGateway does not manage refunds for direct purchases—you’ll need to liaise with the merchant directly.

If You Used BuyForMe for the order

1. Contact us

Email us with the item(s) you’d like to return. We’ll:

Review the merchant’s return terms

Send a quote for return shipping and the admin fee

2. Confirm your return

If you wish to proceed, we’ll send you:

A return label

A commercial invoice

An RMA number, if applicable

You’ll need to print and affix these documents to your package.

3. Pickup + Tracking

comGateway will arrange for the courier to pick up the return

The delivery agent will provide:
- A consignment note
- A tracking number

4.Refund processing

Once the merchant refunds us, we’ll transfer your refund to your original payment method

This will happen within 7 days, minus any applicable charges

Question 3

When do I have to pay additional taxes and duties to the delivery agent?

Accepted Answer

Depending on your country’s customs regulations, you may be required to pay duties and taxes upon delivery. If so, your local courier (like DHL or FedEx) will collect the payment before or at the time of delivery.

💰 These charges are set by your country’s customs authority—not comGateway—and are separate from your shipping fee.

To avoid surprises, check your country’s import rules or contact your local customs office for estimated duties.

Question 4

Can you buy the item for me when the online store does not accept my international credit card?

Accepted Answer

Yes we can! Simply follow these steps to place your BuyForMe order with us.

Login to your account and click on Buy For Me on your dashboard or BFM Orders in your sidebar. Then click on BuyForMe Cart.
A BuyForMe form will appear. Fill in your order details. You may fill in as many items as you wish from the same merchant
We will place your order(s), checkout and pay the merchant. Your shopping will be sent to your U.S. Address
We will send you an email once we have placed your order(s)
If you wish to shop from another online store, please fill out a new BuyForMe form. Please note that we require one form (regardless of the items required) for separate merchants.
Your packages have arrived at your U.S. Address. What's next!Receive an email from us 1-2 days after your packages arrive with details includingYou can also view your packages at your Dashboard Only when your packages arrive, will we be able to inform you of the international shipping weight and other applicable fees.
- your package(s) individual weight
- date of receipt
- scanned invoice(s)
When all your packages arrive at your U.S. Address, manage how you want them shipped home in My Packages.

We have optional add-on services for savings on shipping. Learn about it at Ship Smarter: Add-On Services

Question 5

What do you do to protect my information?

Accepted Answer

We're invested in creating a safe, secure environment for our customers to shop. In addition to achieving major industry standards, information on our website is encrypted, and we're also PCI-DSS compliant.

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