Receiving oversea items over $1000

[hottyscotty]

Friday's silly question...

I was wondering has anyone bought stuff overseas, spent over $1000 and not get caught by customs to pay taxes?

I know when shipping parcels yourself they request the value. I can make this up usually but i won't have control over this part. So when customs scan your item, is this when they know the value of the parcel? or is it the shipping company that collects the taxes for the government?

[Evets]

I bought a camera online from Japan recently. I received a note in my mail box from Australia post saying that it had arrived. The note also said that I had to pay 10% of the total cost of the camera (including the shipping cost) before I could collect it. Paid it at the post office and picked up the camera.

Other times I have been lucky and had the items left at my front door - even though they were worth over a grand.

Evets

[hottyscotty]

I'm guessing its down to luck.

Reason i'm asking is i want to buy 2 rods from Japan. If the probability of skipping the taxes/duty is decent then i might pack them together, otherwise i might as well have them in two shipments.