[Jo Jo]

We are using John Mason's to pack and ship all our stuff next week. When the rep was here I mentioned that we would soon be receiving all of our wedding gifts, and that I was planning to unpack them all and try to use everything at least once so they wouldn't be subject to import duty. He said not to bother as they were wedding gifts and so wouldn't be eligible for import duty. But I have checked the customs website (http://www.customs.govt.nz/travellers/Household+Effects/When+No+Customs+Charges+Apply.htm) and can't see any mention of wedding gifts being exempt from duty - has anyone else come across this? If there's any chance we will be charged duty then I would like to know now so we can try to use the stuff before we ship it (though we'd have to have a pretty lavish dinner party to use it all!)

[M&J]

We shipped our wedding gifts and hadn't used them. We did unwrap everything just to check for breakages. We then left the shippers to pack them with everything else, a few things got packed pack into the original boxes. We just listed them as part of the household items, how could they prove that we hadn't used every glass etc??

[tigerlily]

I think a reasonable precaution would be to open it from the original packaging. It could even be resealed in those same boxes with the packers tape and I bet you'd be ok.

[IanW99]

We are using John Mason's to pack and ship all our stuff next week. When the rep was here I mentioned that we would soon be receiving all of our wedding gifts, and that I was planning to unpack them all and try to use everything at least once so they wouldn't be subject to import duty. He said not to bother as they were wedding gifts and so wouldn't be eligible for import duty. But I have checked the customs website (http://www.customs.govt.nz/travellers/Household+Effects/When+No+Customs+Charges+Apply.htm) and can't see any mention of wedding gifts being exempt from duty - has anyone else come across this? If there's any chance we will be charged duty then I would like to know now so we can try to use the stuff before we ship it (though we'd have to have a pretty lavish dinner party to use it all!)

I would assume that he was assuming that they would come under Gifts (http://www.customs.govt.nz/importers/Private+Importers/Gifts.htm)

So would free of duty if under $110 for each gift.

Any gift over that value I would definitely open and check and then bring in as household effects.

Ian

[speckythecky]

You def need to open your presents, as you don't know what someone may have bought you and this is required for your inventory.

[Tia Maria]

Not quite the same thing but we came shortly after Christmas so had quite a few presents we hadn't got round to using. We took the majority out of the original boxes for simplicity sake as we just didn't want to spend extra time having stuff inspected.

The only boxes we kept were for the more valuable/breakable items where we felt the original packaging would be best to guard against breakages, however, we still tried to avoid the 'new look' if at all possible.

Some of our older items, such as PC equipment, were also shipped in original packaging so it didn't look too odd when other items were in original boxes also.

Cheers

Tia