On this page you will find a ready-made template letter to a German customer, which explains possible actions by customs, the storage period for the parcel, the necessary documents, and the amount of potential customs duties and VAT.
This letter helps prevent situations where the buyer does not pick up the parcel from customs, files a complaint with PayPal or on the marketplace, and the seller loses both the goods and the money due to a lack of knowledge of German customs rules.
Who this letter is for
- Sellers who ship goods to Germany through Western Bid.
- Sellers on eBay, Etsy and other marketplaces, where a significant portion of orders come from German customers.
- Users who have already faced situations where a parcel got stuck in customs, and the buyer filed a complaint and received a refund.
The essence of the mandatory letter to a German buyer
- German buyers often do not know that a package from abroad may be held by customs, and they expect delivery “to the door” without any additional action.
- The letter explains in advance that the parcel may go through customs; the buyer will receive a notice and must collect the shipment within 14 days, providing proof of purchase (eBay/Etsy or PayPal payment).
- The letter also describes which taxes and duties may be charged, which thresholds apply for gifts and purchases, and how the IOSS number is used if VAT has already been paid on the marketplace.
- Regularly sending this letter to all German buyers reduces the risk of uncollected parcels, complaints, and refunds to the buyer.
Many sellers have found themselves in situations where the buyer has no idea about the customs laws and duties of the country in which they reside. Unfortunately, because of this, sellers sometimes incur losses, while the buyer, not receiving the parcel, opens a complaint in PayPal or on the marketplace, which may be resolved in their favor.
Champions of ignorance of customs regulations (according to our statistics) are residents of Germany. We offer you a sample letter that we recommend sending to all your buyers from Germany.
Sehr geehrter Käufer, vielen Dank, dass Sie sich für das Kauf meines Artikels entschieden haben.
Da die Ware aber aus dem Ausland kommt, kann es passieren ( muss aber nicht ), dass die Sendung beim Zoll festgehalten wird.
Man erhält einen Brief: d.h. dass das Paket beim Zollamt bereit zum Abholen liegt. Der Brief enthält dann den Hinweis, dass man sich das Paket am Zollamt abholen könne und eine Rechnung der bestellten Ware vorlegen möge. Dies kann entweder eine tatsächliche Rechnung sein, es reicht jedoch auch ein Ausdruck der Ebay/Etsy oder Ihrer PayPal-Zahlung.
Sollten Sie so einen Brief vom Zollamt erhalten, drucken Sie bitte die o.g. Kaufbestätigung , PayPal-Zahlung aus und fahren Sie zum Zollamt um die Ware abzuholen. Die Ware soll innerhalb von 14 Tagen nach dem Erhalten des Briefes abgeholt werden.
Der Brief vom Zollamt erhält die Zollnummer Ihrer Sendung, Telefonnummer des Zollamtes und oft auch eine E-Mailadresse des lokalen Zollamtes. In diesem Fall können Sie ein E-Mail an das Zollamt schicken und die Unterlagen anhängen. Sollte keine Zollgebühren anfallen, so wird die Sendung frei gegeben. Sollte aber Zollgebühren und oder Umsatzsteuer einfallen (bitte sehen Sie unten), können Sie das Zollamt bitten die Sendung an die Post zu übergeben damit die anfallende Gebühren an den Postboten bezahlt werden können.
Oft können auch die Gebühren unbar bezahlt werden, was viele nicht wissen: Überweisung oder Einzahlung auf das Konto einer Zollzahlstelle oder Abbuchungsauftrag. Bitte fragen Sie das Zollamt nach, falls Sie unbar zahlen wollen. So sparen Sie sich den Weg zum Zollamt.
Die möglichen zu zahlenden Gebühren für die Sendungen, die außerhalb des Zollgebietes der EU kommen berechnen sich wie folgt:
Ausnahmen: Geschenksendung – privat zu privat zollfrei bis 45,00€.
Sendungen, deren Wert 150 Euro nicht übersteigt, unterliegen einer obligatorischen Mehrwertsteuer (VAT/MwSt) von 19% des Bestellwerts. Wenn die Transaktion auf den Handelsplattformen eBay/Etsy stattgefunden hat, erhebt die Plattform diese Steuer selbst und fügt sie zum Preis des gekauften Artikels gekauften Artikel hinzu.
Der Käufer und Verkäufer erhalten in diesem Fall eine IOSS-Nummer, die die bezahlte Mehrwertsteuer für den gekauften Artikel bestätigt. Der Käufer muss in diesem Fall beim Empfang der Sendung keine Mehrwertsteuer zahlen. Zur ordnungsgemäßen Abwicklung der Sendung muss bei der Erstellung der Postdokumente unbedingt die IOSS-Nummer angegeben werden.
Für die Sendungen mit Warenwert über 150€ zahlt man Zollgebühren (Höhe der Zollgebühren – 0,5-17 % je nach Warenkategorie und dem Herkunftsland) plus 19% Einfuhrumsatzsteuer.
MFG Your name.
Translation of the letter into Ukrainian:
Dear customer, thank you for purchasing the item from me.
As the package is coming from abroad, it may happen (not necessarily) that the package will be delayed by customs.
In this case, you will receive a mail notification that your parcel is at customs and needs to be picked up.
The message will indicate that you need to present the invoice for the purchase. You can simply print the item description from eBay or a copy of your PayPal payment.
If you have received the above-mentioned notification from customs, please print the documents listed above and bring them to your local customs office. You must collect the goods within 14 days of receiving the postal notification.
The customs notice contains the customs reference number for your parcel, the customs office’s phone number, and, in most cases, the customs office’s e-mail. You can email customs, attaching the aforementioned documents. If you do not need to pay the customs duty (see below), your parcel will clear customs and be handed over to the postal service for further delivery to you.
If, however, the customs duty still must be paid, you can ask customs to dispatch the parcel by post and pay the customs duty to the postal employee upon receipt of the parcel.
It is often possible to pay the customs duty electronically, which many people do not know about. For example, by bank transfer. Please obtain information about this option at customs if you do not want to pay the duty in cash, and you will not have to go to customs.
You can email customs, attaching the documents mentioned above. If you do not need to pay the customs duty (see below), your parcel will clear customs and be handed over to the postal service for further delivery to you.
If, however, the customs duty still needs to be paid, you can ask customs to forward the parcel by mail and pay the customs duty to the postal worker upon receipt of the parcel.
Possible customs charges:
The customs duty is not charged in cases where the parcel is sent from private individual to private individual or as a gift to a private individual, with the declared value being less than €45.00.
Packages with a value not exceeding €150 are subject to mandatory VAT [VAT/MwSt] 19% of the order value. If the transaction occurred on the eBay/Etsy marketplaces, this tax is collected by the marketplace itself and added to the price of the purchased goods. The buyer and seller in this case receive an IOSS number, confirming the VAT paid for the purchased goods. The buyer in this case will not have to pay VAT upon receipt of the parcel. For proper processing of the shipment, it is mandatory to indicate the IOSS number when creating the shipping documents.
Packages with a contents value exceeding €150 require mandatory payment of customs duties ranging from 0.5% to 17%, depending on the category of goods and the country of origin, and VAT of 19% of the value of the goods must also be paid.
Best regards, Your name.
Important: if the buyer does not know about customs regulations and does not pick up the package from customs, he may receive a full refund through PayPal or the marketplace, and the seller will be left without both the product and the money. A short explanatory letter significantly reduces the risk of such situations.
Main customs thresholds for parcels to Germany (as per the letter text)
| Type of shipment | Conditions | What the recipient pays |
|---|---|---|
| Gift “private person → private person” | Declared value is less than €45.00. | No customs duty is charged; the parcel may pass duty-free. |
| Standard parcel with value up to €150 | Commercial shipment (purchase in store or on a marketplace). | Mandatory VAT (VAT/MwSt) 19% of the order value. If the deal was on eBay/Etsy, the platform collects this VAT itself and adds it to the price of the item. |
| Parcel with value over €150 | Commercial shipment above the €150 customs threshold. | Customs duty 0.5–17% depending on the product category and country of origin + 19% VAT on the value of the goods. |
Frequently Asked Questions about the letter to the German buyer
Why would you even send a separate letter to a German buyer?
Why would you even send a separate letter to a German buyer?
Many buyers in Germany do not know how customs work for parcels from abroad. The letter explains that a parcel may be delayed, what to do when you receive a notification from customs, which documents are required and which fees may apply. This reduces the risk of unclaimed parcels and complaints on PayPal/the marketplace.
Is it mandatory to send a letter to every German customer?
Is it mandatory to send a letter to every German customer?
Formally it’s not mandatory, but practice shows that regularly sending a letter to all German customers significantly reduces the number of customs problems and uncollected parcels. We recommend doing this for every order with a German address.
Do you need to change the letter text for other EU countries?
Do you need to change the letter text for other EU countries?
This template is specifically adapted to Germany’s rules, including thresholds of €45 for gifts, €150 for goods, VAT 19% and customs duty of 0.5–17%. For other EU countries, tax rates and thresholds may differ, so the letter should be reworked in accordance with local rules. But it is also advisable to check the current rates and rules.
What is the IOSS number and why mention it in the letter?
What is the IOSS number and why mention it in the letter?
If the buyer paid for the order on eBay/Etsy, VAT for orders up to €150 is collected by the marketplace itself and the IOSS number is provided, which confirms the VAT payment. In this case the buyer should not pay VAT upon receiving the package, and the IOSS number must be specified when creating the shipping documents.
What happens if the buyer ignores the notice and does not pick up the parcel from customs?
What happens if the buyer ignores the notice and does not pick up the parcel from customs?
In such a case, the parcel may be returned to the sender or destroyed, and the buyer may file a complaint and demand a refund. Having a letter sent in advance with instructions reduces the risk of such situations, but it cannot fully eliminate them — it is also important to monitor tracking and remind the buyer of the need to take action.
What to do now
- Create a template of this letter in German in your marketplace’s private messages.
- Add tags for substituting the buyer’s name, the order number, and the IOSS number (if VAT has already been paid on eBay/Etsy).
- Set up the rule: send this letter to all German buyers immediately after payment and in case of delays at customs.