If the buyer does not pay local taxes, he will not get the item. The item will be returned to the seller. There is NO WAY the seller being charged import duties or other taxes.
Strangely enough Elberoth2, Tiger is correct and you are wrong. I found out the hard way, believing as you do on this topic.
Two weeks ago I got into a knock down drag out with FedEx over this exact ruling, and I've had an account with them for more than 20 years. I filled out a waybill at FedEx.com for overseas shipment and there are two options for tax and duty, shipper or recipient.
When you choose recipient, a pop up window asks for THEIR account number. Well, if recipient had an account number I would have been using that all along. So, I checked the box designating recipient pays tax and duty anyway and continued the process.
After printing the waybill I noticed the receipt listed MY account number for taxes and duty. I called FedEx international for assistance, assuming I had clicked a wrong radio button.
That's when I found out tax and duty falls back on my account if things don't go as expected.
I said, "Look, it's simple, don't give them the merchandise until they pay"
FedEx says, "Sometimes these things fall through the cracks, and in that case the shipper is responsible. Perhaps you should charge the customer for that up front."
In other words, if they screw up, I get the 10% to 30% value of item charged back on MY FedEx account.
I cancelled the shipment and called UPS. UPS has the same policy. The solution is don't open a UPS account. Go to a UPS store (not UPS main office) and pay cash for the shipment overseas and keep the receipt.
If they are too stupid to collect the tax and duty, it falls on UPS. They cannot come after me because I filled out the form and already paid at my end and there is no account for them to charge to.
If the parcel is returned, they would contact me to come pick up, at which time I would pay any fees and refund ONLY the remaining balance from what the customer paid for the item in the first place.
This way the buyer nor I get screwed. I cannot control the box once it leaves my hands but I won't be held responsible for the shippers incompetence or a buyer that tries to skip on paying at their end. I don't want to hurt anyone but also don't want to get screwed.
It's unfortunate it has become so difficult.
