Buying through the Internet

[Monika]

Hello! 

 

I'm a student in Nanjing. Recently I ordered some cosmetics through the Internet,  they are being shipped from abroad and today I got this email.

Does it mean that as a foreigner I'm not allowed to order stuff from abroad? If so, can I use my Chinese friend's personal information to get around this?

 

Thank you! 

[Lu]

It doesn't say anything about foreigners not being allowed to order stuff from abroad. The email says your package is at customs and asks you to click the link and fill in your information (name, passport number, etc) and information about the contents of the package, in Chinese. This is pretty normal in many countries. If the value of the contents is above a certain amount, you'll have to pay import duties.

 

Before you click that link, make sure you trust the sender.

[Monika]

Oh right, thank you very much! For some reason I thought it has to be personal information of a Chinese citizen. Thanks for clarifying that

[dtcamero]

ya they're asking for your chinese ID there, but if you are allowed to complete the transaction, then a passport should be fine. 

that is a real goosebumps email though... usually followed by a "sorry, but foreigners are not allowed to do XXX"