Import & Customs Policy

Overview

This Import & Customs Policy applies to all international orders placed at arbasa.com, operated by Bekby LLC d/b/a Arbasa (816 Strassle Way, South Plainfield, NJ 07080, USA). It explains your responsibilities as the importer of record for your country, the limitations of our liability regarding customs processes, and country-specific information for our primary international markets.

By placing an international order, you confirm that you have read and understood this policy.

1. Your Responsibility as Importer of Record

When goods are shipped internationally, the recipient (you) is the importer of record in your country. This means:

You are legally responsible for complying with all import laws, regulations, and restrictions of your country.
You are solely responsible for paying all import duties, customs fees, tariffs, VAT, GST, and any other taxes or charges levied by your country's customs authority on incoming goods.
These charges are entirely separate from and in addition to the shipping fee paid to Arbasa.
Arbasa has no control over, and cannot predict or estimate, the amount of customs charges you may incur.
Customs processes and timelines are outside our control and are not included in our delivery estimates.

💡 Tip before you order: Contact your local customs authority or use an online duties calculator (e.g., Avalara, SimplyDuty) to estimate potential import costs before placing your order. This is especially important for high-value items and for shipments entering the EU, UK, Canada, and Australia.

2. Customs Declarations

Arbasa declares all shipments honestly and at their full commercial value in accordance with US export law and the import laws of receiving countries. We cannot:

Under-declare the value of goods on customs forms
Mark commercial goods as 'gifts' to reduce or avoid customs duties
Describe goods inaccurately to misrepresent their nature

These actions constitute customs fraud under both US law (18 U.S.C. § 542) and the laws of most receiving countries, and can expose both Arbasa and the recipient to legal penalties, seizure of goods, and import bans. We will not comply with such requests under any circumstances.

3. Restricted & Prohibited Items

Certain products in our catalogue may be subject to import restrictions, bans, or special licensing requirements in specific countries. Examples include, but are not limited to:

Electronics and radio-frequency devices (may require local certification)
Lithium batteries and certain power banks (aviation/shipping restrictions)
Certain beauty, health, and personal care products (may be regulated as cosmetics or medical devices)
Pet products, animal-derived materials, or food items (agricultural import restrictions)
Certain toys, children's products, and sporting goods (safety certification requirements)

It is the buyer's sole responsibility to verify that the items ordered are permitted in their country and comply with local import regulations. Arbasa will not issue refunds for orders confiscated or destroyed by customs due to import restrictions that the buyer failed to check.

4. Refused Delivery & Return of Goods

If a package is refused at customs or by the recipient, or if delivery is unsuccessful because the recipient cannot clear customs:

The package may be returned to the originating supplier's address (not to Arbasa directly).
If the goods are successfully returned, only the product cost will be refunded — original outbound shipping costs are non-refundable.
Any return customs fees, broker fees, or return shipping costs incurred will be deducted from your refund.
If the package is seized, destroyed, or abandoned by customs authorities, no refund can be issued.

We strongly recommend refusing delivery only if the package is clearly damaged — not to avoid customs costs, as the outcome is typically unfavourable.

5. Customs Delays

International packages are routinely held for inspection by customs authorities. Delays of 3–10 business days are common; in some countries and during peak periods, delays of 2–4 weeks can occur. Customs holds do not appear in carrier tracking as activity — a lack of tracking updates during international transit is normal and does not indicate a lost package.

Arbasa is not liable for delays caused by customs inspection, missing or incomplete customs documentation (if caused by the carrier), or customs authority staffing and processing times.

6. EU-Specific Information

EU VAT — IOSS (Import One-Stop Shop)

For orders with a value below €150 shipped to EU member states, Arbasa collects and remits EU VAT directly to the relevant EU tax authority via the Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS) system. The VAT applicable to your order is calculated at checkout at the applicable rate for your EU country.

This means that for eligible orders, you should not be charged additional VAT by your national customs authority upon delivery. If you are incorrectly charged VAT by your national customs authority on an IOSS-compliant shipment, please contact us with your order number and we will provide documentation to support a refund claim.

For orders over €150, EU VAT and any applicable customs duties are assessed by your national customs authority at the time of import and are your responsibility.

EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) — December 2024

Under the EU's GPSR (Regulation 2023/988, effective December 13, 2024), products sold to EU consumers must have a designated EU Responsible Person who is established within the EU. Arbasa is actively establishing EU responsible person arrangements for all applicable product categories. Products sold to EU customers comply with applicable GPSR requirements. Contact us for product-specific compliance documentation.

7. United Kingdom

For orders shipped to the United Kingdom, Arbasa collects and remits UK VAT on orders below £135 through the UK's Low Value Import Scheme. For orders above £135, UK customs duties and VAT are assessed by HMRC at the point of import.

UK customs charges are subject to change following any updates to UK-US trade arrangements. We recommend checking HMRC's import duty calculator for the most current rates.

8. Australia & New Zealand

Australia: Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 10% is collected by Arbasa at checkout for orders under AUD 1,000, under Australia's Low Value Imported Goods (LVIG) scheme. For orders above AUD 1,000, GST and any applicable customs duties are assessed by the Australian Border Force.

New Zealand: GST of 15% is collected by Arbasa at checkout on all orders, under New Zealand's Imported Services and Low Value Goods GST rules.

9. Canada

For orders shipped to Canada, import duties vary by product category and country of origin. Canada Post charges a handling fee (approximately CAD $9.95) in addition to applicable duties and taxes. Goods of Canadian origin may be duty-free under USMCA/CUSMA. Most of our products do not qualify for USMCA preference.

Quebec residents: additional consumer protection rights apply under Quebec's Consumer Protection Act. See our Refund & Returns Policy for details.

10. Contact Us

For questions about customs, duties, or import restrictions for your country:

Email: info@arbasa.com

Mailing Address: Arbasa, 816 Strassle Way, South Plainfield, NJ 07080, USA

Response time: within 2 business days

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