Poll of the Day > Paid my first* ever tariff

(+) Yeah! (+)

Ordered an import from Japan (sadly not @Sarcasthma ) and wasn't even thinking of tariffs when I ordered it. The website might've mentioned tariffs but it was all in Japanese and I don't know a lick of that language so I navigated the checkout as best I could and made my purchase.

The item was available on ebay from a more local seller but it was twice the price (prob because of tariffs lol) so I was like "I'm just gonna order it direct and save money"

When they attempted delivery they said I owed $40USD in tariffs (on a $47 purchase) payable by check or money order. I balked at that and they said they'd reattempt delivery two more times before returning to sender.

Did a little research and I guess I could've refused the item but it wasn't guaranteed I would get a refund for my purchase so I paid the tariff. What I found out though was that when I paid the tariff through the UPS website it was only $20... not sure why there's such a discrepancy there between the money order/check option and paying it online

*I'm aware I have likely paid tariffs indirectly at various points throughout my life but this is the first time I've had to make a specific tariff payment to the best of my recollection

Not from a direct foreign purchase.

Indirectly, yes. I ordered a custom prebuilt computer in March, which was a little pricier than normal, almost certainly a response in part to the upcoming tariffs.

My job is to buy stuff so I've had to deal with them on occasion.

I designed and ordered custom printed circuit boards. I've paid over $400 in tariffs for personal use items since March of 2025.

Welp, you learned a little bit more on the whole tariff thing through your experience

Directly, no.

In the UK they call paid parking a tarrif.
They seem to have a different definition of tarrif there. But I paid a lot of them over the last 2 weeks. They really hate the car there.

SinisterSlay posted...

In the UK they call paid parking a tarrif.
They seem to have a different definition of tarrif there. But I paid a lot of them over the last 2 weeks. They really hate the car there.

Yeah. Our energy bills and mobile bills are also called tariffs. I pay as I go on my mobile but that technically is a tariff over here.

"Tariff" is largely synonymous with "fee." All of the talks around the US' trade tariffs just often leave out specifying the "trade" part because the word "tariff" doesn't see a lot of vernacular use in NA and the context implies it.

Nope.

No, only indirectly through costs passed on to me.

I occasionally order something from the amazon uk. I went to go place the order, usually comes to around $35 after shipping for three of the item. The I noticed the price was like $70 this time because the wanted $40 for tariffs. I definitely cancelled that order, no way was I spending that much on tariffs, more than what the actual product cost. Just an insane amount of money

I pay customs fees for all my Japanese anime figures, normally about 15% of the value.

I don't think American tariffs are meaningfully different than what other countries already have, for the consumer.

Far-Queue posted...

Ordered an import from Japan (sadly not @Sarcasthma ) and wasn't even thinking of tariffs when I ordered it.

You talk to me first before you go and do something silly like that again, mister

I don't want to be a bother