Buyer Beware... If you're non-American, think twice before purchasing from the US

[Rockdiamond]

I instructed the vendors to put 'gift' (ummmm...gift to myself)...on the customs documentation,

Of course I hope everything goes smoothly. But as a general rule…. This is a horrible idea.
If the documentation is purposefully misleading the recipient could easily lose the shipment. Or worse.
As a rule- it is smart to dot every i and cross every t on international shipments