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I purchased a Caravaggio Spoiler, and today they called me and left a voice mail, instructing me to call them back with my SSN or Business Tax ID number in order to get the item through customs. Has anyone expirienced this? I am not a business, so that leaves my SSN which I am not about to give out.
I purchased a Caravaggio Spoiler, and today they called me and left a voice mail, instructing me to call them back with my SSN or Business Tax ID number in order to get the item through customs. Has anyone expirienced this? I am not a business, so that leaves my SSN which I am not about to give out.
Don't do it... who cares what kind of spoiler it is... that sounds bogus to me.... let the company you bought it from give their business tax id... don't give out your SSN to anyone for anyreason...especially in a setting like this... trust me... identity theft is out there...
I got my spoiler last week and i just gave them my card number and the spoiler showed up in Sweden after a week or so :-) very good service and products.
But i didnt have to give up any more info. than where they should ship it my Swedish SSN hadnt help them much in the US from what i understand.
Originally Posted by hocheehoba
I purchased a Caravaggio Spoiler, and today they called me and left a voice mail, instructing me to call them back with my SSN or Business Tax ID number in order to get the item through customs. Has anyone expirienced this? I am not a business, so that leaves my SSN which I am not about to give out.
It is a post-911 customs issue. I ordered a spoiler (in a group purchase) from John Caravaggio and had to do the same thing. He is located in Canada and it was probably the custom's office which called you.
It is not bogus, Caravaggio is a VERY reputable business! I am sure other will chime in as to the first rate company they are.
His quality is also first rate, the spoiler went right on my car with essentially ZERO fitting work...
They may be the real deal, that is not the issue. No one needs your SSN that is BS
Wrong!! You obviously haven't been involved in international business. Since 911, the Homeland Security Department installed a rule on this. In order to ship it in, they either have to have your business Tax ID or your personal SSN.. It is not bogus, it is real.. As much as we may not like it, blame the terrorist, not our government... they are only trying to keep a lid on who and what enters this country..
There are other ways, including shipping services, if you truly need a wing.
You have to provide the number... period. In this case you would provide it to John, which in turn has to provide it to whoever he uses as the shipper.. It is part of the import/export documentation...
Another post above has it right. John could either open an office here or arrange a dealer/distributor... That way it would be dealt with internally, leaving the customer out of that loop... but, as stated, it would result in additional cost... no one works for free...
You have to provide the number... period. In this case you would provide it to John, which in turn has to provide it to whoever he uses as the shipper.. It is part of the import/export documentation...
Another post above has it right. John could either open an office here or arrange a dealer/distributor... That way it would be dealt with internally, leaving the customer out of that loop... but, as stated, it would result in additional cost... no one works for free...
Oh well, Carvaggio needs to find another way, there is NO WAY I would provide my SSN to a wheel shop.... Call up the dude and tell him, "find a way, or you lose the sale..."
Some people are idiots and may provide a SSN for a spoiler... they don't know the possible ramifications for doing such things.... I personally know what can happen when a SSN gets into the wrong hands... is a spoiler worth ruining your credit, and getting the IRS down your back, and going bankrupt?
Thats what can and will happen if your SSN gets into wrong hands... and a spoiler shop is the wrong hands..
Last edited by sandmanusd; Jun 2, 2005 at 05:20 PM.
Given the current situation with identity thef, I'd probably agree... they need to find a way to get the consumer out of the loop.... business people are used to it, consumers are not.... nonetheless, it is the law and an issue I'm sure Carvaggio has to be considering..
Given the current situation with identity thef, I'd probably agree... they need to find a way to get the consumer out of the loop.... business people are used to it, consumers are not.... nonetheless, it is the law and an issue I'm sure Carvaggio has to be considering..
There are parts of business that consumers aren't meant to see... this is one of them...
If they offer shipping to the US, then ship to the US... I pay you, you get it here... I don't care how, but since I paid for the goods and service... it should arrive shortly at my door step... If they cant ship to me without my SSN, then they shouldn't offer shipping to US... SSN's are not a part of normal business when buying car parts... they should know that, and if they don't, they aren't a very good business... Government regulations suck, but businesses have to adjust or get out of the business.
There are parts of business that consumers aren't meant to see... this is one of them...
If they offer shipping to the US, then ship to the US... I pay you, you get it here... I don't care how, but since I paid for the goods and service... it should arrive shortly at my door step... If they cant ship to me without my SSN, then they shouldn't offer shipping to US... SSN's are not a part of normal business when buying car parts... they should know that, and if they don't, they aren't a very good business... Government regulations suck, but businesses have to adjust or get out of the business.
Sorry, but this makes no sense. You can't simply "adjust" to laws like that. It's not that they "offer shipping to the US and have to make it arrive at your doorstep" - laws are laws.
Have it shipped to a business somewhere and get over it. Don't blame John for a law he has no control over.
John is one the best vendors I have ever dealt with, his products are first class. If you like the looks of his spoiler you have to by from him, personally I think his spoiler is much better looking than any of the others. Maybe he could be convenced to let another forum vendor be an outlet for his products here in the U.S., but for now the best way to resolve this issue would be to write your congressman.
Wrong!! You obviously haven't been involved in international business. Since 911, the Homeland Security Department installed a rule on this. In order to ship it in, they either have to have your business Tax ID or your personal SSN.. It is not bogus, it is real.. As much as we may not like it, blame the terrorist, not our government... they are only trying to keep a lid on who and what enters this country..
I find the homeland security issue here to be quite the joke, considering there are THOUSANDS of shipping containers sitting at our ports of entry that don't so much as get opened much less inspected then trucked around our country and a vendor needs a social number to ship something? What a joke! I personally would tell the vendor to keep it! I don't care how reputable he is. Just my honest opinion... we all know what they say about opinions though....
i really don't understand why so many people are upset with john about this? do you guys not understand that it's not him that wants your ssn? he really has no need of it himself, it is your own government that requires him to ask for it.
also it's not just him that will ask you for it, any vendor that is outside the US will have to get it from you or the item won't be allowed into the US. so if you don't want to give out your ssn, you have 2 options, use a buisness tax ID, or get talking to your statesman. the only other thing you can do is cut yourself off from the rest of the world and only buy things made/sold in the US.
I find the homeland security issue here to be quite the joke, considering there are THOUSANDS of shipping containers sitting at our ports of entry that don't so much as get opened much less inspected then trucked around our country and a vendor needs a social number to ship something? What a joke! I personally would tell the vendor to keep it! I don't care how reputable he is. Just my honest opinion... we all know what they say about opinions though....
I still don't see why you guys are dragging the vendor through the mud here. He didn't make the law, and chances are he doesn't like it either.
Again, have it shipped to a business somewhere and get over it. Don't blame John for a law he has no control over.